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is on the grind<br />
AUGUST 2015<br />
34<br />
5o<br />
6 MASTHEAD<br />
8 CONTRIBUTORS<br />
10 STATUS MESSAGE<br />
STATUSPHERE<br />
13 THREADS<br />
18 SETTING<br />
19 BRICK & MORTAR<br />
20 SCREEN<br />
21 INK<br />
22 BEATS<br />
GADGETS<br />
23 TECH PACK: TO INFINITY<br />
and BEYOND<br />
Fuel up to the nth power.<br />
BEAUTY<br />
24 FACE PAINT: SCARLET WINGS<br />
Better get red-ish ‘cause things<br />
are gonna get hot.<br />
25 VANITIES: DOUBLE GLOSSED<br />
Open up your eyes and see<br />
the shine.<br />
25 BEAUTY BITE: NATURAL<br />
HYPE SALON<br />
FASHION<br />
STREET STYLE<br />
26 GO SEE<br />
VISION BOARD<br />
28 PLEASANTVILLE<br />
Paint the town with <strong>da</strong>rk<br />
florals and rorschach prints<br />
that aren’t as simple as<br />
black and white.<br />
By Charlotte Navio<br />
34 CENTER STAGE<br />
Dance up a storm in<br />
leotards and tulle skirts<br />
worthy of the spotlight.<br />
By Michael Kai Young<br />
SHOPPING GUIDE<br />
41 SWAG: ROCK THE TOTE<br />
Bucket Bags<br />
42 DAPPER CLASS<br />
Casual Blazers<br />
43 WALK THIS WAY<br />
Canvas Sneakers<br />
44 PACK IT UP<br />
Printed Backpacks<br />
45 IMAGE READY<br />
Printed Tees<br />
46 FRESH SMART<br />
Collared Dresses<br />
47 HEIGHT CLUB<br />
Block-heeled Boots<br />
48 EPIC MAIL TIME<br />
Envelope Clutches<br />
49 FLIP SERVICE<br />
Flounce Skirts<br />
FEATURES<br />
MUSE<br />
5o RISING TIDE<br />
Constantly shifting her<br />
creative energy towards<br />
something new, Braina<br />
Laviena dives into<br />
unfamiliar territories with<br />
her sun-kissed skin and<br />
ever-changing hairstyle<br />
under her belt.<br />
By I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na<br />
MAESTRO<br />
54 FIRST THRIST<br />
Brooklyn rapper DonMonique<br />
will leave you dripping<br />
thirsty and begging<br />
for more. Trapping you<br />
with her slick spits and<br />
dirty beats, hip-hop’s<br />
newcomer is out to satisfy<br />
your appetite.<br />
By Celene Sakurako<br />
56 OF SOBRIETY AND STYLE<br />
Fresh from performing<br />
at the Primavera Sound<br />
Festival, Albert Hammond,<br />
Jr. takes a breather to<br />
talk about his journey<br />
towards the clean life and<br />
his latest solo record,<br />
Momentary Masters.<br />
By Denise Mallabo<br />
58 FROM THE ROOT UP<br />
Gabriel Garzón-Montano<br />
was born to be an artist.<br />
With his own mixture of<br />
neo-soul, R&B, and funk<br />
music, he soon finds himself<br />
being sampled by Drake and<br />
touring with Lenny Kravitz.<br />
By Stephanie Sison<br />
60 SONS OF ANARCHY<br />
Fresh from their success<br />
with A Bad Girl in Harlem,<br />
New York-based group New<br />
Politics are on a new<br />
expedition as the alt-rock<br />
power trio prepares to<br />
raid the billboard charts<br />
with Vikings.<br />
By Pola Beronilla
MASTERMIND<br />
62 SIX SECONDS OF FAME<br />
In a span of six seconds,<br />
King Bach will hit you with<br />
his punch lines that’ll<br />
make you double tap out.<br />
From quick jokes, relatable<br />
gags, and outrageous public<br />
stunts, he’s willing to do it<br />
for the vine.<br />
By Jill de Leon<br />
64 VISIONS IN VIVID<br />
With paintings exhibited in<br />
Florence, Manila, Toronto,<br />
LA, and more, Chati Coronel<br />
successfully makes her mark<br />
in the art scene through<br />
rough coats, raw strokes,<br />
and soft palettes.<br />
By Isabella Argosino<br />
66 TALK OF THE TOWN<br />
Take a step inside the<br />
imaginative world of<br />
Jeremyville and be greeted<br />
with his unique creations.<br />
Passing along CSA’s to<br />
wherever his feet take<br />
him, he spreads good<br />
vibes worldwide.<br />
By I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na<br />
68 BALANCING ACT<br />
Finding the harmony between<br />
his top passions, Oahu native<br />
Sean Yoro a.k.a Hula creates<br />
hyper-realistic murals of<br />
women partly submerged in<br />
water while balancing on<br />
a paddleboard.<br />
By Denise Mallabo<br />
HEAVY HITTER<br />
70 METHOD IN MADNESS<br />
With a less-than-lackluster<br />
demeanor for the norm, Abel<br />
Tesfaye otherwise known as<br />
The Weeknd paved his own<br />
<strong>da</strong>ily grind inspired by<br />
his lust for the weekend.<br />
Liquifying his own lazy<br />
tempos of PBR&B, he’s<br />
definitely found a method<br />
to his mercurial path in<br />
Beauty Behind the Madness.<br />
By Isabella Argosino<br />
76 BEYOND THE LIMIT<br />
Making his rounds in small<br />
screen hits and actionpacked<br />
blockbusters, actor<br />
Jake McDorman is on a new<br />
assignment. Tasked as Eddie<br />
Morra’s protégé in the TV<br />
version of Neil Burger’s<br />
2011 thriller, Limitless,<br />
we catch him poppin’ pills<br />
and test his limits as<br />
the smartest person on<br />
the planet.<br />
By Pola Beronilla<br />
82 GIRL ON TOP<br />
Screening new talent to<br />
perfectly frame to<strong>da</strong>y’s<br />
biggest musicians isn’t an<br />
easy task, but good thing<br />
Hannah Lux Davis is here to<br />
save the <strong>da</strong>y. Skyrocketing<br />
to prominence and capturing<br />
the brightest stars, she<br />
sheds light on becoming<br />
one of the most soughtafter<br />
female directors in<br />
the industry.<br />
By Denise Mallabo<br />
MORE<br />
89 DIRECTORY<br />
STATUS INVADES<br />
90 INK-STAINED ALLURE<br />
When she isn’t coloring<br />
her problems away, model<br />
Tola Oren<strong>da</strong>in sets aside<br />
her pens for lens as she<br />
creates lean shapes with<br />
her silhouette.<br />
90<br />
is on the grind<br />
AUGUST 2015<br />
64<br />
about the cover<br />
Bringing a taste of<br />
satisfaction from Kiss Land,<br />
Abel Tesfaye, better known by<br />
his stage name The Weeknd, is<br />
the beauty behind the madness.<br />
Now armed with hot beats and<br />
fresh licks, he’s more than<br />
ready to go over the sophomore<br />
slump. Though we can’t feel our<br />
faces while listening to the<br />
artist, we definitely love it.<br />
statusmagonline.com<br />
Blogsphere<br />
the pulse of hip<br />
at your fingertips<br />
go see<br />
we’re all models<br />
off duty. smize!<br />
FEATURES<br />
there’s more to<br />
what’s in print<br />
NightVision<br />
who’s spotted<br />
partying where<br />
Photo Diary<br />
confessional<br />
for lensmen<br />
Digital Magazine<br />
saving trees, one<br />
pixel at a time<br />
DOWNLOADS<br />
free mixtapes<br />
and wallpapers
IS ON THE GRIND<br />
August 2015<br />
editor-in-chief<br />
managing editor<br />
art director<br />
graphic designers<br />
Rosario Herrera<br />
@RosarioHerrera<br />
Denise Mallabo<br />
@denisemallabo<br />
Nyael David<br />
@nyaels<br />
Tiff Ko<br />
@happeetiff<br />
Carlo Nuñez<br />
@oycaloy<br />
features editor<br />
fashion assistant<br />
editorial assistants<br />
Pola Beronilla<br />
@HiMyNameIsPola<br />
Jill de Leon<br />
@orangetoenails<br />
Janroe Cabiles<br />
@janroetheboat<br />
Celene Sakurako<br />
@deerwho<br />
contributing artists<br />
interns<br />
Aaron Austin, Liz Barclay,Yana<br />
Bar<strong>da</strong>dim, Tiffany Briseno, Ian<br />
Castañares, Kara Chung, Jim<br />
Deuce, Maud Eigenheer, Shanna<br />
Fisher, David Goveia, Bethany<br />
Johnson, Lilyana Lazarova,<br />
Wilford Lenov, Jason McDonald,<br />
Pamm Merrera, Charlotte Navio,<br />
A<strong>da</strong>m Reyna, Ben Tsui, Michael<br />
Kai Young<br />
I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na, Isabella Argosino,<br />
Jade Gotera, Una Ilarde,<br />
Matt Panes, Carlo Saavedra,<br />
Stephanie Sison, Jerold Sunga,<br />
JP Talapian, Pau Tiu<br />
What’s your STATUS?<br />
tell us.<br />
editorial<br />
editorial@statusmagonline.com<br />
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advertise@statusmagonline.com<br />
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marketing@statusmagonline.com<br />
general inquiries<br />
info@statusmagonline.com<br />
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STATUS is published by STATUS Media Group.<br />
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
contributors<br />
DAVID GOVEIA<br />
With an endless portfolio ranging<br />
from glamorous, natural, avantgarde,<br />
and artistic, David knows<br />
how to paint a pretty picture.<br />
His absolute flair for painting<br />
and illustrating shines through<br />
his work as a makeup artist.<br />
Undoubted skill and flawless<br />
precision like his can set the<br />
emotion and mood needed for any<br />
story, and his work with Michael<br />
Kai Young proves just that.<br />
BETHANY JOHNSON<br />
With her wide knowledge in styling,<br />
hair, and makeup, we knew well enough<br />
to get a dose of Bethany’s expertise.<br />
Her keen eye for detail and<br />
a<strong>da</strong>ptability to each of her clients’<br />
sense of style made us certain that<br />
she could perfectly put Limitless’<br />
Jake McDorman (76) in the right<br />
light–a job she’s surely familiar with<br />
given her clientele including Riley<br />
Scott, John Cale, and The Fray.<br />
MICHAEL<br />
KAI YOUNG<br />
You can always turn to Michael<br />
Kai Young to tell a story through<br />
photographs in just a flash.<br />
Specializing in fashion photography,<br />
from commercial to high fashion<br />
and raw to glamour, he raises the<br />
curtain with a new spin on ballet<br />
and theater as his work graces<br />
this issue with his showstopping<br />
editorial, Center Stage (34).<br />
ADAM REYNA<br />
In a sea of aspiring photographers,<br />
A<strong>da</strong>m Reyna is one to swim against<br />
the tide. Utilizing hues that<br />
romanticize the human form,<br />
his creative direction sheds a<br />
fascinating new light on each of his<br />
subjects. With distinct imagery that<br />
you can’t mistake for anyone else’s,<br />
the New York-based photographer<br />
captures an image that best<br />
portrays model Braina Laviena for<br />
this issue’s Muse (50).<br />
ISABELLA<br />
ARGOSINO<br />
Juggling school, interning, and<br />
freelance work is no easy feat,<br />
but Isabella, better known to us<br />
as Argo, makes it sound like a<br />
breeze. Her unstoppable thirst<br />
for writing assures us that she’s<br />
more than ready for her first<br />
cover story. That being said, her<br />
unparalleled passion for learning<br />
doesn’t stop her from having fun,<br />
and it’s safe to say that this<br />
college junior is all set for The<br />
Weeknd (70).<br />
LILYANA<br />
LAZAROVA<br />
Not all of us can be a jack of all<br />
trades, but Lilyana’s versatility<br />
with style shows just how much<br />
fashion runs through her veins.<br />
Mastering a variety of looks from<br />
streetwear to couture, she knows<br />
how to effortlessly add her touch<br />
to make each style her own. The<br />
stylist displays her craft as she<br />
proves that not everything should<br />
be seen solely as black and white<br />
with Pleasantville (28).<br />
8 - statusmagonline.com
STATUS MESSAGE<br />
is on the<br />
grind<br />
W<br />
e are no strangers to the hustle, grinding out<br />
the work ‘til it’s near perfect. It’s not a bad<br />
thing really; we actually like it. It’s almost on<br />
the verge of addicting. Not the stress, late night<br />
writing sessions, or early morning interviews—<br />
but rather the results we create. Each and<br />
every word and layout, we aim to push ourselves<br />
forward. Sometimes, it’s almost like we’ve<br />
reached a point of madness in pursuing our vision,<br />
but in reality, we’ve reached a new mastery.<br />
Starting his career with conscious anonymity,<br />
The Weeknd is nameless no more. With the release<br />
his second studio album, Beauty Behind the<br />
Madness, he’s the new face of R&B. In the feature,<br />
he shares why he stays away from the media and<br />
doesn’t want to be like other R&B stars that hype<br />
their music.<br />
Jake Mc Dorman has gone beyond his limits.<br />
Having been in countless roles in TV shows and<br />
movies, it seems that he’s been building his<br />
skills for his new role on CBS’ Limitless. As we<br />
talk to him, he tells us what it’s like working<br />
with Bradley Cooper, both on the big and small<br />
screen, and the best part about being an actor.<br />
Hannah Lux Davis has claimed the title as one<br />
of the most in-demand music video directors in<br />
Hollywood. Having names like Nicki Minaj, Demi<br />
Lovato, Ariana Grande, Drake, Jessie J, Miley<br />
Cyrus, and Nick Jonas as her clients, she isn’t<br />
slowing down anytime soon. During our interview,<br />
she spills the beans on getting the artists<br />
comfortable on her set and how she feels about<br />
being one of the few female directors dominating<br />
the music video scene.<br />
The work we put in isn’t really a chore for<br />
us; it is what sharpens our vision. With each<br />
action we take, we find clarity in what we are<br />
to pursue. The grind never ends for us, and it<br />
shouldn’t end for you too.<br />
Editor-in-chief<br />
The Weeknd (70)<br />
10 - statusmagonline.com
THREADS / setting / BRICK AND MORTAR / BEATS / SCREEN / INK august 2015<br />
TOUGH LOVE<br />
Put an instant spin on your style<br />
with one PUSHBUTTON. The Korean<br />
contemporary brand’s Fall/Winter 2015<br />
collection, Do Love Me!, will easily<br />
make you comply with vibrant stripes,<br />
sheer ruffles, houndstooth prints, crazy<br />
tassels, velvet sets, gold foil fabrics,<br />
oversized fits, and bold statements.<br />
pushbutton.co.kr<br />
REBELLIOUS<br />
START<br />
Escape the norm and get away with<br />
NON CONFORMIST. With jackets,<br />
headwear, pants, and shirts uniquely<br />
tailored in long and exaggerated<br />
fits with prints inspired by<br />
political and social disputes<br />
that are tapped by Scandinavian<br />
silhouettes, it’s time to explore<br />
the rebellious future ahead of us.<br />
nonconformistuk.com<br />
TARGET PRACTICE<br />
N<br />
ewcomer N1SQ debuts their first collection<br />
featuring embroidered graphic pullovers<br />
and knitted hoodies in neoprene, mesh, and<br />
teddy fleece. Reinventing the casual street<br />
look with their Scandinavian roots and a<br />
logo inspired by tattoo culture’s belief<br />
that an arrow is a symbol of focus, power,<br />
and direction, these guys are headed in the<br />
right direction.<br />
n1sq.com<br />
statusmagonline.com - 13
THREADS<br />
BRANDS TO KNOW<br />
COMMON<br />
LUXURIES<br />
Luxury meets street in<br />
organic, monochrome colors<br />
with COMMONERS. Layered buttonups,<br />
loose hoodies, and slouchy<br />
bottoms are just a few of what<br />
the New Zealand-based brand has<br />
to offer this season, living up to<br />
their vision of providing you with<br />
classic wardrobe staples as well<br />
as blending functionality with<br />
comfort without putting a dent on<br />
your wallet.<br />
commoners.co.nz<br />
BARE NECESSITIES<br />
Put a new skin into your wardrobe with<br />
BEETROOT’s Summer 2015 collection. With<br />
pieces that accent the female form, this<br />
Manila-based brand gets you obsessed with<br />
bralettes, loose tops, off-shoulders, wraparound<br />
skirts, jumpsuits, and wide leg pants<br />
in geometrical shapes and relaxed fits.<br />
beetroot.ph<br />
DICKIE<br />
NEVER SHARED A BATH (SET)<br />
T: LET LIGHT IN | B: MAKES SENSE<br />
NEW LEASE IN LIFE<br />
JUST AN UNDERCOAT<br />
T: OPEN UP | B: MILES<br />
MORE THAN ONE TALENT<br />
WRITINGS<br />
ON THE WALL<br />
S<br />
outh London-based clothing line SUPERIOR BELIEF<br />
presents its Summer 2015 capsule collection—taking<br />
it back to basics with simple tees, hoodies, and long<br />
sleeved shirts printed with loud graffiti-inspired<br />
graphics that bear the brand’s logo. With its old<br />
school fits and neutral palettes, you’re guaranteed to<br />
have bigger street cred.<br />
superiorbelief.bigcartel.com<br />
14 - statusmagonline.com
EQUALITY RATE<br />
Feel unrestricted with genderless clothing<br />
from WE ARE MORTALS. The LA-based<br />
streetwear brand’s initial collection features<br />
bold geometric graphics in shorts, T-shirts,<br />
and skirts in monochromatic tones and basic<br />
silhouettes. Pieces like kimono hoodies and<br />
the liquid silver tank adds the flare of the<br />
brand’s approach to futuristic sensibility and<br />
unisex clothing.<br />
wearemortals.com<br />
THREADS<br />
HACULLA X LANE CRAWFORD<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
ARTISTIC EGO<br />
earable art form comes to life with<br />
W HACULLA. Designed by Jon Koon and inspired<br />
by street artist Harif Guzman, the collection<br />
presents a variety of sweaters, jackets, shoes,<br />
gloves, and pants featuring Guzman’s artworks<br />
patched or printed on black and white pieces.<br />
This collection ain’t suited for the faint<br />
of art.<br />
haculla.com<br />
GRUNGE MATCH<br />
G<br />
et ready to rock & roll with<br />
HAZMAT DESIGN as they prove that<br />
the glam of studs never goes out<br />
of style. Fueled and all out, their<br />
new collection features printed<br />
pieces and handmade embellishments<br />
on studded jackets, pants, shorts,<br />
and corsets in denim or leather.<br />
With one of their pieces, you’ll<br />
definitely feel lucky, punk.<br />
hazmatdesign.com<br />
HACULLA X LANE<br />
EDITOR<br />
statusmagonline.com - 15
THREADS<br />
BRANDS TO KNOW<br />
LOG IN<br />
The next time you think<br />
about the words “simple”<br />
and “classic,” think about<br />
Cebu-based label ELATED CO.<br />
Taking inspiration from the<br />
“lumbersexual” trend, the<br />
brand’s latest collection<br />
presents slim fitted button-downs<br />
together with the new colors of<br />
their signature “Elated Pocket<br />
Tees,” bringing new heights to<br />
modern men alike through bold,<br />
neutral, and earthly hues.<br />
elated.co<br />
LONDON<br />
CALLING<br />
R<br />
ussian heritage meets<br />
the urban aesthetic of<br />
London with ZDDZ. Finding<br />
inspiration in mun<strong>da</strong>ne city<br />
life incorporated with urban<br />
graphics and typography of<br />
posters and advertisements,<br />
sporty meets chic with a hint<br />
of a tough attitude for their<br />
latest Fall/Winter collection<br />
in eye-catching statement<br />
sweaters, jackets, and bottoms.<br />
zddz.co.uk<br />
FLEET STREET<br />
Be chic and fly with Indonesian-based<br />
bag label LUCID MOXIE. Handmade by<br />
designer Fre<strong>da</strong> Gil<strong>da</strong> in black and white<br />
with a touch of modern-<strong>da</strong>y streetwear<br />
aesthetics, the minimally-designed<br />
purses and backpacks are enhanced by<br />
intricately crafted wing cutouts. These<br />
handcrafted leather gears will let you<br />
glide into the best-dressed lists.<br />
lucidmoxie.com<br />
Words by Jill de Leon, Una Ilarde, Matt Panes, and JP Talapian<br />
16 - statusmagonline.com
THREADS<br />
SKETCHY KIDS<br />
Scoffs and ironic eye rolls aside,<br />
BORED KIDS WHO DRAW brings a fresh<br />
take on graphic tee norms by bringing<br />
a stranger and <strong>da</strong>rker take on ‘90s<br />
graphics with obscure images, statement<br />
words, and full on madness, taking it<br />
to the edge of weird meets quirky in<br />
graphic tees, totes, and caps.<br />
boredkidswhodraw.com<br />
BASIC MOVEMENT<br />
Looking basic never looked so cool.<br />
Hailing from the US of A, New Yorkbased<br />
brand UNIS gives their take on<br />
classic all-American staples with T-shirts,<br />
button-downs, and shorts in a color<br />
palette of black and soft hues in their<br />
latest collection.<br />
unisnewyork.com<br />
HEAVY WEIGHT<br />
T<br />
hey say Only the Strong Survive,<br />
so you better bring it and<br />
REPRESENT. The UK-based brand<br />
pays homage to ‘80s style sports<br />
hoodies with a palette resembling<br />
your local gym. Be the fittest<br />
lad in layered dropped shoulder<br />
tops, oversized hoodies, and<br />
distressed denim.<br />
representclothing.co.uk<br />
statusmagonline.com - 17
SETTING<br />
PLACES TO GO<br />
SUITE<br />
NOBU HOTEL, PARAÑAQUE<br />
Resting within City of Dreams, Asia’s very first<br />
acclaimed NOBU HOTEL is tastefully lit in an overall<br />
soothing glow of yellow that reminds you of the rising<br />
sun. Find tranquility in the relaxed yet sophisticated<br />
Japanese-inspired wooden interior and décor that<br />
incorporates traditional woodblock prints. After being<br />
welcomed by their complementary cup of handmade Itaaki<br />
tea, take a dip in their 23-meter-long swimming pool or<br />
experience one of their signature footbaths at their<br />
in-house spa. For a breathtaking view of Manila Bay,<br />
head onto their world-renowned outdoor cabana-styled<br />
Nobu Restaurant.<br />
Asean Ave., cor. Roxas Boulevard,<br />
Parañaque City, Manila<br />
nobuhotelmanila.com<br />
grub<br />
LAZY BASTARD, MAKATI<br />
Hiding underneath of a building along Jupiter Street,<br />
follow the arrow pointing to “Bacon & Burgers” and find<br />
yourself at the New York-inspired hole in the wall dubbed<br />
LAZY BASTARD. Enter and descend the stairs to be welcomed<br />
by a kitschy pink neon sign spelling “long live bacon”.<br />
With brick walls and checkered floors, this insta-ready<br />
burger joint serves “ridiculous comfort food” that is the<br />
answer to all your greasy cravings, including their highlyrecommended<br />
create-your-own breakfast sandwich. For night<br />
crawlers looking for something more, go through the large<br />
wooden door and hop onto an antique elevator shaft that<br />
will take you to a ‘20s-themed speakeasy called ABV.<br />
B/F, 22 Jupiter St. cor. Galaxy St.,<br />
Bel-Air, Makati City<br />
lazybastard.ph<br />
P L A T E<br />
FRIED CITY<br />
Deep fried will never taste<br />
as good as it does at<br />
LAZY BASTARD.<br />
Honey Parmesan<br />
Honey-drizzled hot dog<br />
caught in between shaved<br />
parmesan and arugula<br />
BACON Cheeseburger<br />
Buns holding together a fat<br />
piece of beef patty smothered<br />
with melted ched<strong>da</strong>r cheese<br />
and bacon weave<br />
Onion Rings<br />
Munch on sliced onion rings<br />
dipped in batter and deepfried<br />
to crunchy goodness<br />
Chili Dog<br />
LB’s original chili over<br />
a hot dog dribbled with<br />
sour cream and melted<br />
ched<strong>da</strong>r cheese<br />
Words by Celene Sakurako<br />
18 - statusmagonline.com
BRICK AND MORTAR<br />
STORES TO SHOP<br />
BAERCK, BERLIN<br />
Mulackstrase 12, Berlin, Germany<br />
baerck.net<br />
Dime to Drop: P4,979–P24,896 (€100-€500)<br />
Don’t leave the store without:<br />
Kaibosh eyewear<br />
Find the right combination of<br />
functionality, design, and a cozy<br />
atmosphere at BAERCK, an Instagramworthy<br />
store minimalism fans out there<br />
will surely gush at. Mirror boxes, whitetiled<br />
floors, and hanging plants on the<br />
walls and ceiling that meld with the<br />
beautiful garden near the end of the<br />
store are matched with vivid lighting<br />
designed to mimic the natural light of<br />
downtown Berlin.<br />
A variety of hats, eyewear, and<br />
jewelry from local brands like Vladimir<br />
Karaleev and Hien Lee to international<br />
brands like Maison Martin Margiela and<br />
Stine Goya are shelved in unique units<br />
supported by re-used wheels, which allow<br />
the store to be rearranged and redesigned<br />
periodically. Channeling the sense of old<br />
and new, shopping in Baerck will truly<br />
give you an enlightening mood.<br />
Words by JP Talapian<br />
LESSONS<br />
CONCEPT STORE<br />
Get ready to be schooled by<br />
LESSONS CONCEPT STORE,<br />
with their feisty streetwear brands like<br />
Represent Clo., ADYN, VFILES Sport<br />
Plus+, DIMEPIECE LA, Knomadik, and<br />
KTZ that will give you extra credit on style.<br />
The wide variety of designer and brands<br />
will ensure that your wardrobe will pass<br />
with flying colors.<br />
lessonsconceptstore.com<br />
statusmagonline.com - 19
SCREEN<br />
SCENES TO SEE<br />
REMOTE<br />
CONTROL<br />
DIFFICULT PEOPLE (HULU)<br />
With Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner<br />
coming together on the screen and<br />
Amy Poehler behind the scenes as an<br />
executive producer, humor is bound<br />
to ensue. Eichner and Klausner star<br />
in Hulu’s latest TV series set in<br />
NYC, playing best friends whose<br />
actions are sometimes followed by<br />
awkward moments but always end with<br />
hilarous entertainment.<br />
TICKET<br />
WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS<br />
Starring Zac Efron,<br />
Wes Bentley, and Emily<br />
Ratajkowski, the music<br />
drama follows a 23-<br />
year old aspiring<br />
record producer who<br />
is taken under the<br />
wing of a veteran<br />
DJ, but eventually<br />
breaks down when<br />
he falls for his<br />
mentor’s girlfriend.<br />
STRAIGHT OUTTA<br />
COMPTON<br />
From the streets of<br />
Compton to the world,<br />
the biographical<br />
drama sees N.W.A’s<br />
story of cultural<br />
rebellion come to<br />
the big screen with<br />
big shots like Dr.<br />
Dre and Ice Cube<br />
among others.<br />
THE DIARY OF A<br />
TEENAGE GIRL<br />
Based on Phoebe<br />
Gloeckner’s graphic<br />
novel, the film<br />
tracks the accounts<br />
of Minnie as she<br />
discovers her<br />
newfound sexuality<br />
through a complicated<br />
relationship with her<br />
mother’s boyfriend.<br />
PEOPLE, PLACES,<br />
THINGS<br />
Jermaine Clement is<br />
back at the bat as<br />
a newly-single Will<br />
Henry who explores<br />
life as a struggling<br />
artist and educator<br />
back in the <strong>da</strong>ting<br />
scene, all while<br />
trying to be a good<br />
father to his kids.<br />
MR. ROBINSON (NBC)<br />
From the executive producers of The<br />
Office comes a new comedy series<br />
starring Craig Robinson. Revolving<br />
around the life of a rough-edged<br />
musician who wants to make it big<br />
with his band, The Nasty Delicious,<br />
Craig Rice is instead stuck with<br />
a job as a middle school music<br />
teacher, trying to steer clear of<br />
attractive single moms and coworker<br />
drama.<br />
AMERICAN ULTRA<br />
Reuniting Jesse<br />
Eisenberg and<br />
Kristen Stewart, the<br />
action comedy packs<br />
in a stoner who<br />
unexpectedly gets his<br />
CIA-level training<br />
activated, turning<br />
him into a stone cold<br />
killer. Now, he has to<br />
use his hijacked skills<br />
to get his life back.<br />
MISTRESS AMERICA<br />
Noah Baumbach and<br />
Greta Gerwig team<br />
up seeing Tracy, a<br />
college loner who<br />
experiences New York<br />
through her future<br />
stepsister. Following<br />
Brooke around as she<br />
lives her eccentric<br />
life, Tracy gets<br />
more than what she<br />
asks for.<br />
PLAYBACK<br />
JAKE MCDORMAN (Actor) @JakeMcDorman<br />
LAST TANGO IN<br />
PARIS (1972)<br />
This was the first<br />
Marlon Brando<br />
movie I ever<br />
saw. Watching<br />
him perform<br />
almost has the<br />
same qualities<br />
as reading a<br />
good book.<br />
THE BIRDCAGE (1996)<br />
It’s my favorite<br />
comedy ever. I<br />
believe everyone<br />
in this movie is<br />
on point.<br />
CHILDREN OF MEN<br />
(2006)<br />
Anything that<br />
can suspend my<br />
disbelief as<br />
whole-heartedly<br />
as this does<br />
makes me feel<br />
like a kid again<br />
at the movies.<br />
FIGHT CLUB (1999)<br />
It’s a huge<br />
influence when<br />
I was younger.<br />
Spoiler Alert:<br />
Never has<br />
chemistry between<br />
a man and his<br />
imaginary friend<br />
been so palpable<br />
and destructive.<br />
LARS AND THE<br />
REAL GIRL (2007)<br />
This was<br />
a perfect<br />
description of<br />
the endless<br />
possibilities<br />
that come with<br />
a man hopelessly<br />
in love with<br />
a doll.<br />
Words by I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na<br />
Jake McDorman photo by Shanna Fisher<br />
20 - statusmagonline.com
ink<br />
BOOKS TO READ<br />
HOT OFF THE PRESS<br />
BOOKMARK<br />
SNAKES! GUILLOTINES!<br />
ELECTRIC CHAIRS! MY<br />
ADVENTURES IN THE ALICE<br />
COOPER GROUP<br />
By Dennis Dunaway<br />
From your stereo to<br />
your bookshelves, get to<br />
know the original shockrock<br />
band, Alice Cooper.<br />
Bassist and co-songwriter<br />
Dennis Dunaway reveals<br />
the band’s infamous gigs,<br />
right from its conception<br />
to their rise to glory,<br />
the eventual break-up, and<br />
their permanent induction<br />
in the Hall of Fame.<br />
A FIELD GUIDE TO<br />
AWKWARD SILENCES<br />
By Alexandra Petri<br />
The Washington Post<br />
blogger and columnist<br />
Alexandra Petri wants<br />
you to embrace your<br />
awkwardness. Reliving<br />
her survivals from her<br />
own awkward failures,<br />
Petri testifies it’s in<br />
the sticky and gawky<br />
situations from her own<br />
life that you learn most<br />
and you’ll start to enjoy<br />
life once you stop caring<br />
about what others think.<br />
SICK IN THE HEAD: CONVERSATIONS<br />
ABOUT LIFE AND COMEDY<br />
By Judd Apatow<br />
With three-decades worth of interviews, Judd<br />
Apatow offers an uncensored and candid<br />
compilation of his conversations with the biggest<br />
names in comedy. Journey with young Apatow as he<br />
learns what makes comedians tick and ultimately<br />
earns his place in the comedy business:<br />
“I can still see that slightly crestfallen look<br />
in [Jerry Seinfeld’s] eyes when he opened the<br />
door and realized I was not, in fact, a real<br />
journalist...I was just a fifteen-year-old kid with<br />
a tape recorder.”<br />
Words by Stephanie Sison<br />
THE LEAGUE OF REGRETTABLE<br />
SUPERHEROES: HALF-BAKED<br />
HEROES FROM COMIC<br />
BOOK HISTORY<br />
By Jon Morris<br />
Meet the superheroes that<br />
didn’t get the big break.<br />
They are, in short, the<br />
superhero D-listers of the<br />
comic universe. Find out the<br />
quirks and back stories of<br />
Beeman, Natureboy, Thunder<br />
Bunny, and the other<br />
literally unsung heroes in<br />
Jon Morris’ compilation of<br />
odd and strange characters.<br />
“I like to be here until people really want to<br />
leave...That’s why my movies are too long. That’s<br />
why I eat too much.”<br />
“The only way to get rid of stretch marks is you<br />
have to put on another ten pounds just to bang<br />
it out.”<br />
“Many of the scenes I’ve written were Leslie<br />
[Mann]’s idea, but I won’t get more specific than<br />
that here because I want people to think they<br />
were all my idea.”<br />
FOOTNOTES<br />
Before settling on and legally<br />
changing his name to Alice<br />
Cooper, Vincent Furnier first<br />
named his band Earwigs, a<br />
sweet contrast to the band’s<br />
identity. After cementing their<br />
theatrical gore image, they<br />
accidentally created a subgenre<br />
called shock rock from an<br />
inadvertent death of chickens<br />
in one of their shows.<br />
statusmagonline.com - 21
BEATS<br />
MUSIC TO HEAR<br />
PLAYLIST<br />
“2Shy”<br />
Shura<br />
I’ve had this song on<br />
repeat for months and<br />
months. It’s got a real<br />
‘80s ballad vibe to it<br />
and I love her voice.<br />
“Good Habits (and Bad)”<br />
Saba Lou<br />
I listen to this every<br />
<strong>da</strong>y. It’s in a Cartoon<br />
Network show called<br />
Clarence. It just<br />
makes me happy.<br />
Releases<br />
RALEIGH RITCHIE<br />
raleighritchie.com<br />
“Bandz”<br />
Big Makk<br />
I play this really loud<br />
in my ears when I walk<br />
around—it makes me feel<br />
unstoppable. I love<br />
noise; it makes me feel<br />
like I can do anything.<br />
“Can’t Stand Losing You”<br />
The Police<br />
I used to listen to it<br />
a lot, and I haven’t<br />
heard it in a while. It<br />
constantly re-excites<br />
and reinvigorates me.<br />
“2Seater”<br />
Tyler, The Creator<br />
Cherry Bomb is a top<br />
contender for the<br />
best album of 2015 for<br />
me. It has so many<br />
incredible sections; it<br />
takes you on a journey.<br />
“Moonlight Sonata”<br />
Beethoven<br />
It’s my favorite song of<br />
all time. I actually like<br />
getting dressed to that<br />
song; it puts me into<br />
deep thought.<br />
Fresh from his success<br />
with last year’s Salad<br />
Days, slacker rocker MAC<br />
DE MARCO feeds us with<br />
Another One, his latest mini-<br />
LP that comes with eight new<br />
songs written and recorded<br />
on his own. He may be<br />
singing of heartache, but you<br />
almost won’t notice with his<br />
quirky antics.<br />
ALBERT<br />
HAMMOND, JR.<br />
alberthammondjr.com<br />
“Champs”<br />
Wire<br />
It’s less than two<br />
minutes, but I listen<br />
to it over and over. I<br />
really want to write a<br />
song like this. I just<br />
love it with all my<br />
little heart.<br />
“Goodbye Girl”<br />
Squeeze<br />
The chord structure<br />
is simple, but there’s<br />
a guitar part that’s<br />
plays a whole structure<br />
around it and the bass<br />
follows the rude notes.<br />
SOKO<br />
s-o-k-o.com<br />
“Shake The Disease”<br />
Depeche Mode<br />
This track has<br />
the best chorus<br />
ever written.<br />
“Fire in Cairo”<br />
The Cure<br />
In every aspect<br />
possible, it has the<br />
best everything in<br />
this song.<br />
“Disorder”<br />
Joy Division<br />
This song shakes every<br />
atom and molecule of<br />
my body and reminds<br />
me how in love I am<br />
with Ian Curtis.<br />
“Unloveable”<br />
The Smiths<br />
This song has the<br />
best lyrics. I wish<br />
I could have written<br />
this song.<br />
Still high from the release<br />
of his chart-topping mixtape<br />
Barter 6, Jeffrey Williams<br />
a.k.a. YOUNG THUG takes<br />
a break from “Constantly<br />
Hating” and gets freaky<br />
as he drops his first full<br />
album, HY!£UN35 (read<br />
as HiTunes). After all these<br />
teasers, it’s finally time to<br />
hear the real deal.<br />
MUSIC<br />
NEWS<br />
It’s time to get carried<br />
away and lifted up like<br />
kindred spirits with the<br />
sound of Passion Pit as<br />
they perform their hits<br />
live on August 13 at the<br />
World Trade Center in<br />
Pasay City. This night<br />
will definitely be one for<br />
constant conversations.<br />
Get ready to scream “Fuck<br />
Yeah” and head on to<br />
the LA Sports Arena and<br />
Exposition Park on August<br />
22 to 23 for the FYF Fest<br />
as legend Morrissey takes<br />
the stage with favorites<br />
that include Frank Ocean,<br />
FKA Twigs, The Drums,<br />
and more.<br />
After its stint on the<br />
silver screen back in 2007,<br />
Adrienne Shelly’s Waitress<br />
makes its way onstage at<br />
the American Repertory<br />
Theatre’s stage on August<br />
1. Now with music and<br />
lyrics by Sara Bareilles,<br />
it won’t be long until it<br />
hits Broadway.<br />
Checking in after 2013’s Holy<br />
Fire, British alt-rock outfit<br />
FOALS show us What Went<br />
Down with ten fresh tracks<br />
of lyrical angst that are<br />
cynically and heartbreakingly<br />
honest, combined with<br />
monster riffs that will keep<br />
you on the edge of your<br />
seat – just as the band<br />
always has.<br />
Words by I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na<br />
Albert Hammond, Jr. photo by Jason McDonald<br />
22 - statusmagonline.com
TO INFINITY AND<br />
BEYOND<br />
For that extra oomph.<br />
TECH PACK<br />
DOWNLOADS<br />
ZOLT LAPTOP CHARGER PLUS<br />
• The world’s smallest, lightest, and<br />
smartest laptop charger<br />
• Can power one laptop and two more<br />
devices simultaneously<br />
• Rotates up to 90° to fit tight spaces<br />
DESIGN SHOP<br />
By Overlay Studio Inc<br />
SRP: PHP 3,613.91<br />
CHOETECH T513 STADIUM 3-COILS QI<br />
WIRELESS CHARGER<br />
• Charging pad for Qi-enabled phones and<br />
tablets without AC a<strong>da</strong>pter<br />
• Integrated with 3-coil improvement that<br />
immediately starts charging your phone once<br />
placed nearby<br />
• Has a smart chip inside that prevents<br />
overheating, over-voltage, and<br />
short circuits<br />
SRP: PHP 3,162.56<br />
SOLPRO HELIOS SMART<br />
• It’s a solar-powered 5,000 mAh smart charger<br />
• Equipped with 3 high-efficiency solar panels<br />
that can collect enough energy to power a<br />
smartphone in 90 minutes<br />
• Available in 3 colors: black, orange,<br />
and white<br />
SRP: PHP 5,376.36<br />
VINSIC ULTRA-SLIM POWER BANK<br />
• Universal fits for iPhone, iPad, iPod,<br />
Samsung devices, HTC phones, tablet PCs,<br />
digital cameras, game consoles, MP3/MP4<br />
players, etc.<br />
• Has LED power percentage display for<br />
charging status and remaining battery<br />
capacity level<br />
• Made of plastic and aluminum alloy for<br />
lightweight and durable finish<br />
SRP: PHP 2,254.46<br />
With ready-made designs,<br />
easily create social media<br />
images for your online<br />
business. Just add a photo,<br />
layer a design, and post.<br />
MEDIUM<br />
By A Medium Corporation<br />
Discover stories worldwide<br />
and write your own while<br />
interacting with myriad<br />
writers, from world-renowned<br />
to first-time writers.<br />
SUPREME × MOPHIE POWER RESERVE<br />
• It’s a compact battery-charging keychain for<br />
Apple devices with lightning connection<br />
• Heavily branded with Supreme’s ever-present<br />
box logo on the case<br />
• Charges up to 60% extra battery<br />
SRP: PHP 4,435<br />
MIKMAK<br />
By TIPO Entertainment, Inc<br />
The first ever mobile video<br />
shopping network, watch<br />
30-second ads on the latest<br />
gadgets, clothes, accessories,<br />
home goods, and more.<br />
statusmagonline.com - 23
FACE PAINT<br />
SCARLET<br />
WINGS<br />
Fly high and go bold in<br />
hot hues.<br />
HOURGLASS<br />
COSMETICS<br />
“Femme Nude”<br />
Lip Stylo in<br />
Pale Pink<br />
P1455<br />
URBAN DECAY<br />
Eyeshadow Primer<br />
Potion in Eden<br />
P970<br />
ILLAMASQUA<br />
Powder Eyeshadow<br />
in Daemon<br />
P1,230<br />
NARS<br />
#49 Wet/Dry<br />
Eyeshadow Brush<br />
P1358.57<br />
KRYOLAN<br />
Eye Shadow<br />
Matt in RB 29<br />
P530.81<br />
NARS<br />
“Nude Scene”<br />
Lip Gloss in<br />
Vent Salé<br />
P1262<br />
LAURA MERCIER<br />
Eye Brow Gel<br />
P970<br />
MAYBELLINE<br />
Dream<br />
Lumi Touch<br />
Highlighting<br />
Concealer<br />
P360<br />
DOLCE & GABBANA<br />
Perfect Matte<br />
Powder Foun<strong>da</strong>tion<br />
P2911<br />
YVES SAINT<br />
LAURENT<br />
“Volume Effet<br />
Faux Cils<br />
Shocking”<br />
Mascara in<br />
Pure Black<br />
P1455.61<br />
MAKE UP FOR EVER<br />
Aqua Liner in<br />
Iridescent Red<br />
P1,039<br />
Runway photo by Max Mara Spring/Summer 2015<br />
24 - statusmagonline.com
VANITIES<br />
primers<br />
double glossed<br />
Whether you’re into a dramatic<br />
smoky eye or a clean winged<br />
eyeliner, BAREMINERALS “PRIME TIME”<br />
EYELID PRIMER will keep your eye<br />
makeup in place while maximizing<br />
its intensity and pigmentation.<br />
Put on your best shoes and captivate anyone who crosses your<br />
path as you shine inside and out with MARC JACOBS BEAUTY<br />
ENAMORED HI-SHINE LIP LACQUER. Its gloss equivalent of 30<br />
coats of lacquer, luxurious texture, and extensive wear will<br />
put you on the A-list with 18 chic shades from sophisticated<br />
nudes to a showstopping red, purple, or fuschia.<br />
Expert<br />
Advice<br />
Apply lipgloss<br />
on the middle of<br />
your lips blending<br />
outward for a<br />
flawless finish.<br />
Save yourself from a bad skin<br />
<strong>da</strong>y with GUERLAIN “MÉTÉORITES”<br />
LIGHT DIFFUSING PERFECTING<br />
PRIMER’s color-correcting base and<br />
pearlescent extracts that blur fine<br />
lines as well as conceal blemishes<br />
and discoloration.<br />
Words by Jill de Leon<br />
Beauty Bite Photos by JP Talapian<br />
Keep your glamour game strong<br />
with LAURA GELLER BEAUTY “SPACKLE”<br />
EYE & LIP PRIMER DUO, which<br />
helps you glide on your lipstick<br />
and eyeshadow without creasing<br />
and bleeding.<br />
NATURAL HYPE SALON<br />
If you’re into Japanese style haircuts, there’s no better<br />
person to help you out than NATURAL HYPE SALON’s<br />
Fumio Ohnishi, who grew up in Osaka, Japan and is<br />
more than willing to sit down with you to discuss your<br />
preferred look before getting started. Enjoy watching<br />
videos from a screen attached to the ceiling while<br />
you get your hair washed with nothing but well-loved<br />
products like Shiseido and Uevo. There’s no doubt<br />
you’ll be coming out with an Asian persuasion.<br />
2D Blue Sapphire Residences,<br />
30th cor. 2nd Ave., Crescent Park West,<br />
1634 Bonifacio Global City, Taguig<br />
(02) 478 4226<br />
facebook.com/NaturalHype.Global<br />
BEAUTY BITE<br />
statusmagonline.com - 25
GO SEE<br />
Mix it up with prints and<br />
layers worthy of a Fashion<br />
Week strut.<br />
Photos courtesy of JP Talapian<br />
and lookbook.nu<br />
@kyrabuenviaje<br />
@streetfashion101<br />
@mchlaroces<br />
@annepinero<br />
@annalisamasella<br />
Graphic designer<br />
Marco Santaniello<br />
has an appetite for<br />
good style.<br />
@superstarmix<br />
@reyalfashion<br />
@hisnameisfashion<br />
26 - statusmagonline.com
@<strong>da</strong>taalekseev<br />
@beatics<br />
Blogger and journalist Adriana Seminario<br />
keeps the print-on-print trend alive.<br />
@_theandrogyny<br />
@patrickpankalla<br />
@thefashioncuisine<br />
@filippofiora<br />
statusmagonline.com - 27
shirt and trousers by Mateu-s<br />
rings by Clara DS
Photographed by Charlotte Navio<br />
Styled by Lilyana Lazarova
shirt and trousers by Myriam Rouah
shirt by H&M<br />
trousers by Myriam Rouah<br />
shoes by Vans<br />
statusmagonline.com - 31
shirt by Mateu-s<br />
32 - statusmagonline.com
shirt and trousers by Mateu-s<br />
rings by Clara DS<br />
Hair and Makeup Maud Eigenheer<br />
Model Maxence of ELITE
sweater by Marc Jacobs<br />
sweater by Marc Jacobs<br />
tutu by Capezio<br />
tutu by Capezio
Photographed by Michael Kai Young<br />
Styled by Tiffany Briseno
odysuit by Badgley Mischka<br />
blouse by Alice + Olivia<br />
legwarmers by Line
statusmagonline.com - 37
odysuit by Badgley Mischka<br />
jadket by Emilio Pucci<br />
legwarmers by Line
sweater by Akris<br />
skirt by St. John<br />
tights by Calvin Klein<br />
Hair and Makeup David Goveia<br />
Model Valeria Efanova of NEXT<br />
statusmagonline.com - 39
FASHION Beauty Celebrity<br />
facebook.com/starstyleph @starstyleph @starstyleph<br />
www.starstyle.ph
SWAG<br />
august 2015<br />
ROCK THE TOTE<br />
Fill in the void in your <strong>da</strong>ily get-up with bucket<br />
bags, digital prints, canvas sneakers, printed<br />
backpacks, casual blazers, collared dresses,<br />
boots, envelope clutches, and flounce skirts.<br />
Product Photography by Ian Castañares<br />
bucket bags by Tod’s [P84,500 each]
CASUAL BLAZERS<br />
DAPPER<br />
CLASS<br />
These relaxed blazers<br />
could be your most<br />
valuable layer.<br />
From top to bottom:<br />
Topman [P8,785]<br />
Cortefiel [P7,790]<br />
River Island [P4,790]
CANVAS SNEAKERS<br />
WALK<br />
THIS WAY<br />
Step up your casual kicks<br />
with vibrant hues worth a<br />
stride.<br />
From top to bottom:<br />
21 Men [P1,015]<br />
Penshoppe [P899]<br />
Vans [P2,698]<br />
statusmagonline.com - 43
PRINTED BACKPACKS<br />
PACK<br />
IT UP<br />
These printed<br />
backpacks are heavy<br />
on style.<br />
From top to bottom:<br />
adi<strong>da</strong>s [P1,895]<br />
Forever 21 [P1,420]<br />
Vans [P1,898]<br />
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IMAGE<br />
READY<br />
Speak a thousand<br />
words with<br />
your graphic<br />
printed shirt.<br />
PRINTED TEES<br />
Clockwise:<br />
Topman [P1,195]<br />
Tommy Hilfiger [P2,950]<br />
Oxygen [P399]<br />
Topman [P1,395]<br />
River Island [P1,390]<br />
Penshoppe [P499]<br />
statusmagonline.com - 45
COLLARED DRESSES<br />
FRESH SMART<br />
Collars are a clever<br />
way to tone down<br />
the <strong>da</strong>inty.<br />
From left to right:<br />
Miss Selfridge [P2,795]<br />
Forever 21 [P1,535]<br />
Dorothy Perkins [P1,395]<br />
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BLOCK-HEELED BOOTS<br />
HEIGHT CLUB<br />
These block-heeled<br />
boots are definitely<br />
made for walking.<br />
From top to bottom:<br />
Ecco [P8,250]<br />
Cortefiel [P10,090]<br />
Ecco [P9,950]<br />
Tory Burch [P25,650]<br />
statusmagonline.com - 47
ENVELOPE CLUTCHES<br />
EPIC<br />
MAIL time<br />
Accessorize with<br />
envelope clutches to<br />
seal the deal.<br />
From top to bottom:<br />
Sfera [P1,159]<br />
Dune [P3,450]<br />
Sfera [P1,159]<br />
Call It Spring [P1,755]<br />
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FLOUNCE SKIRTS<br />
FLIP<br />
SERVICE<br />
Flounce skirts will put a<br />
whole new spin to your look.<br />
From top to bottom:<br />
Penshoppe [P699]<br />
Forever 21 [P805]<br />
Tommy Hilfiger [P5,950]<br />
Penshoppe [P799]<br />
Oxygen [P799]<br />
statusmagonline.com - 49
M<br />
U<br />
S<br />
E<br />
After taking the plunge into her passion<br />
for creativity, BRAINA LAVIENA emerges<br />
ready and waiting for what the world has to<br />
offer beyond the horizon.<br />
By I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na<br />
Photographed by Yana Bar<strong>da</strong>dim, A<strong>da</strong>m<br />
Reyna, and Ben Tsui
statusmagonline.com - 51
“I believe in<br />
constantly<br />
switching your<br />
creative energy<br />
towards things<br />
that are foreign<br />
to you.”<br />
Endlessly immersing herself in the multifaceted<br />
creative process, Braina Laviena<br />
lets the imaginative artist behind her sunkissed<br />
skin and ever-changing hairstyle come to<br />
light. “I believe in constantly switching your<br />
creative energy towards new projects or things<br />
that are foreign to you and establishing them as a<br />
challenge to yourself. I couldn’t ever do just one<br />
thing, I feel.”<br />
Since moving to LA from Puerto Rico to pursue<br />
her career, she’s already been featured in Alvar<br />
Magazine, C-Heads, Line Magazine, Bullet Magazine,<br />
and Dreck UK. Last February, she walked the New<br />
York Fashion Week runway for the first time for<br />
Kanye West × adi<strong>da</strong>s. “It’s a dream for any model<br />
out there to do fashion week, and for me, it<br />
was really unexpected. I was front and center<br />
at the show and after, the main picture popping<br />
up everywhere was my face.” She continues, “I<br />
couldn’t believe it. I was so overwhelmed. I feel<br />
really lucky and thankful for that opportunity.”<br />
But catwalks and features don’t completely<br />
make up her résumé. With a degree in advertising<br />
and journalism, she also does branding and<br />
design. “It’s usually people I know that mention<br />
they need a rebranding or some designs, and if<br />
I’m into it, I jump on board,” she explains. She<br />
further explores her artistry beyond the depths<br />
of professional work by illustrating for her own<br />
interests. “I come up with concepts that I want to<br />
illustrate and write out lists and then go back to<br />
those lists and just sketch whatever I’m feeling<br />
like that <strong>da</strong>y. I have notebooks just full of ideas<br />
and series I want to do,” she adds.<br />
She admits not knowing how to swim despite<br />
growing up on an island, but her impressive work<br />
ethic does more than keep her afloat. “I suffer<br />
from bipolar disorder, so I’m quite an emotional<br />
person,” she shares. “But it’s something that<br />
I work on on a <strong>da</strong>ily basis to be in control of<br />
myself while still being able to feel things as<br />
I feel them and be able to create from those<br />
emotions.” As for what’s next for her creative<br />
endeavor, she’s awash with expectations, as she<br />
anticipates, “Hopefully, everything and anything.”
HEAD START<br />
My hair grows crazy fast, so I always<br />
have freedom to play with it. When I<br />
moved to LA, I had a short bob with<br />
micro bangs. I tried to grow it so I’d<br />
be more commercial, but long hair just<br />
isn’t my thing. I cut it to a pixie and<br />
then didn’t want to do the upkeep, so I<br />
decided to shave it–it’s all worked out<br />
for the best.<br />
ART-TO-ART<br />
If I weren’t a model, I’d be doing<br />
all the other things that I do or am<br />
aspiring to do in the future. Right<br />
now, I’m pursuing other creative things<br />
apart from modeling: photography,<br />
illustration, writing, styling, design,<br />
art directing, acting, music, etc.<br />
FACTOR KEY<br />
I get ideas for projects out of mun<strong>da</strong>ne<br />
things that I have around me all the<br />
time, and then I think of how to make<br />
it interesting while expressing it<br />
in the way I see it or feel it. My<br />
nationality, my gender, my sexuality,<br />
my background in politics, my work as<br />
a model, my passions in life–all factor<br />
into what I want to create.<br />
ROLE MODELS<br />
Ann La Place was the first model who<br />
inspired me. Some of my favorites are<br />
Freja Beha and Omahyra Mota, who I<br />
feel made way for models with a nontraditional<br />
beauty, the androgynous<br />
look, tattoos, and personality.<br />
Currently, my favorite model is Daria<br />
Werbowy. I love how she carries herself,<br />
how she always looks at peace, and the<br />
energy she puts out.<br />
brainalaviena.com<br />
@BrainaLaviena<br />
statusmagonline.com - 53
MAESTRO<br />
M<br />
A<br />
E<br />
S<br />
T<br />
R<br />
O<br />
FIRST<br />
Mercy to the authentic sound of<br />
Thirst Trap with DONMONIQUE’s rap,<br />
where the beats stay dirty and the<br />
verses have you dripping thirsty.<br />
By Celene Sakurako<br />
Photographed by Liz Barclay and Jim Deuce<br />
Hip-hop’s newcomer, 20-year old Brooklyn<br />
rapper DonMonique isn’t playing around.<br />
Within less than a year under her belt<br />
since debuting last summer on SoundCloud<br />
with “We Don’t,” she already created buzz<br />
on and off stage, quickly making a name<br />
for herself through her slick spits that<br />
incorporate lyrically clever, esoteric<br />
rhymes delivered over heavy gritty beats,<br />
which are mostly “made from scratch” under<br />
a genre of rap that’s completely her own:<br />
Thirst Trap.<br />
Recognized by her second song “Ja<strong>da</strong>,”<br />
the rapper on the rise has been swiftly<br />
gaining credit by going out in the city<br />
and promoting her music, making friends,<br />
forming vital relationships, and notably<br />
performing in SXSW early this March before<br />
finally claiming her ticket to the game with<br />
her first music video for “Pilates (Ken<strong>da</strong>ll,<br />
Kylie, Miley).” Spontaneously filmed at an<br />
Awful Records house party in New York<br />
thrown by her and her friends, the video<br />
opened doors for her to nab a cameo on<br />
Lolawolf’s lastest music video, “Every<br />
Fucking Day,” and collaborate with Fool’s<br />
Gold’s rapper Danny Brown and Ferg Foreverfamed<br />
New York-based producer Stelios Phili<br />
for songs featured in her first EP titled<br />
Thirst Trap released online last July.<br />
Wearing her usual ensemble of a sports<br />
jersey paired with baggy pants, Don tells<br />
us, “Living in NYC, I like to be always<br />
comfortable, so I wear a lot of sporting<br />
good clothing and make it my own.” If<br />
she’s not in the studio recording, taking<br />
interviews, or in front of the camera for<br />
photo shoots, she’s keeping it real with a<br />
drink at the bar, smoking and chilling with<br />
her friends. Inspired to make music on a<br />
<strong>da</strong>ily basis by her friends, her team, and<br />
whoever is listening, Don’s passion is the<br />
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MAESTRO<br />
real deal. Grinding hard to get signed on<br />
the <strong>da</strong>ily, she proves that she’s out for<br />
the throne and she’s just as thirsty as her<br />
raps are.<br />
What’s your first encounter with<br />
hip-hop/rap?<br />
I grew up listening to hip-hop and rap.<br />
Being in music is something I’ve always<br />
wanted to do. Once I was old enough and<br />
found a team, there was no going back.<br />
You’ve gotten a great start with a dope<br />
debut music video for “Pilates” and a<br />
cameo on Lolawolf’s music video. What<br />
are your thoughts on the role of the<br />
Internet with upcoming musicians and your<br />
whole experience?<br />
I met my team and made most of my<br />
connections by going out and showing<br />
my face. Making friends and forming<br />
relationships. The Internet is just<br />
there to help ‘cause that’s where people<br />
share their music nowa<strong>da</strong>ys. “Pilates”<br />
wouldn’t have made it to the Internet if<br />
I wouldn’t have formed a relationship with<br />
the director of the video or my current<br />
managers now, who I met in real life.<br />
Same with the Lolawolf video. My follower<br />
count doesn’t mean shit, it’s just a plus.<br />
“Pilates” went up because it’s a cool song<br />
and visual, period.<br />
Your raps have gotten a lot of attention<br />
for their originality, a style you call<br />
“thirst trap.” Tell us what this is<br />
all about.<br />
[It’s] like my own genre of music. I feel<br />
like when you hear one of my songs, you’re<br />
just thirsty to hear more. It traps you.<br />
Your EP Thirst Trap has been one of the<br />
most anticipated releases this summer. What<br />
do you want your listeners to get from it?<br />
Thirst Trap. It’s about me. You’ll get<br />
a taste of what I’m all about after you<br />
listen to it. Imma let the tape speak<br />
for itself.<br />
What should we be watching out for<br />
this year?<br />
I’m just taking things <strong>da</strong>y by <strong>da</strong>y right<br />
now. You never know what might happen<br />
tomorrow or next week. Just stayed tuned.<br />
soundcloud.com/donmon1que<br />
@donmon1que<br />
“Thirst trap is like my own genre of music. I<br />
feel like when you hear one of my songs, you’re<br />
just thirsty to hear more. It traps you.”<br />
statusmagonline.com - 55
MAESTRO<br />
OF SOBRIETY<br />
AND STYLE<br />
After a lengthy break from releasing a full<br />
studio album, guitarist ALBERT HAMMOND, JR.<br />
isn’t making a comeback—because he never left.<br />
By Denise Mallabo<br />
Photographed by Jason McDonald<br />
“The excitement<br />
is what drives<br />
everything–you<br />
want more of that.”<br />
A<br />
few <strong>da</strong>ys after our interview<br />
happened, guitarist Albert<br />
Hammond, Jr. was taking a muchneeded<br />
break in Barcelona for the<br />
Primavera Sound Festival where he<br />
did double duty as guitarist for The<br />
Strokes and as frontman for his solo<br />
band. “It was fun! I didn’t know what<br />
it was going to be like. It was the<br />
opening <strong>da</strong>y, but it was really full<br />
and the crowd was really excited. We<br />
got to play two new songs,” recounts<br />
Albert about his performance as a<br />
solo artist during the festival.<br />
It took him a while to release<br />
his third full-length album entitled<br />
Momentary Masters, produced by Grammy<br />
winner Gus Oberg, following his last<br />
LP, ¿Cómo Te Llama?, back in 2008.<br />
According to Albert, it wasn’t as if<br />
he wasn’t doing anything between then<br />
and now. “I made two Strokes records<br />
and then my EP,” he explains. During<br />
that phase, he also admits he was<br />
struggling with drug addiction—the<br />
entire period was a bit wavering.<br />
He went into rehab for a year and a<br />
half in 2010, and he’s been working<br />
on being sober ever since. When<br />
asked what it was that finally made<br />
him decide to kick the habit, he<br />
says it was either luck or the way<br />
he was brought up that caused the<br />
realization. “Maybe it just became<br />
obvious that there were two roads,<br />
and I just decided that I couldn’t<br />
take the other one. I loved doing<br />
drugs, but I didn’t like the outcome<br />
waiting at the end, which wasn’t why I<br />
started doing them to begin with. So<br />
once I realized it was just a problem<br />
and was past the point of whatever<br />
experimentation I was going through,<br />
I somehow popped out of it for a<br />
second and chose the right way,” he<br />
admits. However, he’s still a work<br />
56 - statusmagonline.com
MAESTRO<br />
“I want to play for people,<br />
I want be successful. I<br />
want to go around the<br />
world and convince people<br />
that I’m good and I’m worth<br />
listening to.”<br />
in progress, but as long as he keeps<br />
himself in the correct path, he’ll<br />
be fine. “Sobriety definitely helped<br />
me understand my gut reaction more,<br />
and to progress. I think I was stuck<br />
for a long time, I hadn’t grown, so I<br />
feel like that in itself helped what I<br />
wanted to do in music.”<br />
He has always been very hands-on<br />
with the production of all his albums—<br />
from writing the lyrics, playing the<br />
guitar, and arranging the songs.<br />
“Everything is hard if you want to do<br />
it well,” admits Albert. Other than<br />
the fact that he had a change in his<br />
band lineup, what’s different with<br />
Momentary Masters is that he really<br />
took ample time with it. He wasn’t<br />
constantly rushing himself because<br />
he wanted something that he’s deeply<br />
excited to share with everyone. “I had<br />
all these new people, and then the<br />
way they were translating my old music<br />
made it feel like I was in a band,<br />
which was really exciting for me. This<br />
was like how it would feel if we had<br />
started from scratch. It feels fresh;<br />
it feels like I could do it again, it<br />
excites you. The whole record sounds<br />
like that, very energetic,” shares<br />
Albert. “We recorded this album<br />
differently. It was all done upstate,<br />
and I was lucky enough to spend a lot<br />
more time on lyrics and melodies and<br />
then the singing of it. Everyone in<br />
the band was so good that it helped<br />
me focus a little more. The excitement<br />
is what drives everything—you want<br />
more of that.”<br />
With a bunch of performances<br />
lined up all over the US and Europe,<br />
he can’t wait to test drive his album<br />
and take it to the road. “I mean,<br />
this whole year of touring we’re<br />
trying to plan for Momentary Masters,<br />
it’s what I’m looking forward to. We<br />
have eight weeks in America. I play<br />
in pretty small venues; it’s nice<br />
to try to sell them out this time,<br />
‘cause sometimes there wasn’t enough<br />
time for people to know that I was<br />
coming around.” Expect a good set<br />
list of new and old songs from all of<br />
Albert’s gigs. “I have three albums<br />
and an EP. I’m going to play a wide<br />
variety of music. I like making a set<br />
list, actually my wife makes the set<br />
list, but I like a good story,” he<br />
says. Aside from a pretty engaging<br />
set, also look forward to what Albert<br />
is going to wear, since the musician<br />
is probably one of the best-dressed<br />
guitarists around, having had his<br />
own line of suits and now, ties.<br />
“Recently, I’ve been feeling a little<br />
better, and I’ve been dressing less<br />
casual and wearing either that red<br />
jumpsuit onstage or a suit. It’s fun<br />
to dress up for the different times<br />
in your life. My mom told me I’ve been<br />
doing it since I was two years old;<br />
I dress myself to go to school and<br />
I don’t even remember doing that,”<br />
shares Albert.<br />
Given that there’s a lot new with<br />
Albert—music, band, civil status, and<br />
habits—his aims for his craft and<br />
life remains. “I want to play for<br />
people, I want to be successful. I<br />
want go around the world and convince<br />
people that I’m good and I’m worth<br />
listening to.”<br />
alberthammondjr.com<br />
@alberthammondjr<br />
“Everything is hard if you want to do it well.”<br />
statusmagonline.com - 57
MAESTRO<br />
ROOT UP<br />
Through his musicallyinclined<br />
parents,<br />
GABRIEL GARZÓN-MONTANO<br />
has a place in the music<br />
world by birthright.<br />
Now, he’s ready to claim<br />
his spotlight.<br />
By Stephanie Sison<br />
There’s music that makes you sway into<br />
relaxation or amp you up, but never both.<br />
Gabriel Garzón-Montano, meanwhile, is a<br />
paradox. Born and raised a New Yorker, Gabriel has<br />
an ear for music and a flair for words. His smooth<br />
tunes and inspired lyrics make you float away and,<br />
at the same time, animate your spirit. Being a<br />
classically-trained musician like his French mother<br />
and exposed to cumbia and salsa by his Colombian<br />
father, Gabriel developed a distinct sound that is<br />
a far cry from to<strong>da</strong>y’s R&B. His heritage diversified<br />
his perspective on music and gave him depth as he<br />
delved into hip-hop through Biggie’s Ready To Die<br />
and funk Prince’s Sign ‘o’ the Times. He soon found<br />
his own sound in a mixture of neo-soul, R&B, and<br />
funk music.<br />
As far as making music goes, the multiinstrumentalist<br />
recorded and produced all the<br />
tracks in his latest album, Bishouné: Alma del<br />
Huila. With every note, hum, stomp, and clap<br />
performed to a 2-inch tape through a Helios console<br />
in real time, computerized editing had little place<br />
in his vision for this album, thus the vintage<br />
feel of his songs. Despite the natural limitations<br />
in performing without much digital help, Gabriel<br />
made up for it through his poetic approach.<br />
His lyrics speak of heartbreak while expressing<br />
optimism, inspired by the notion that it’s his job<br />
to speak about something worthwhile. “‘Everything<br />
Is Everything’ is about the irony of first world<br />
depression. ‘Naeja’ is about a fairy who rescues<br />
a weary traveler who’s lost in the desert.” He<br />
goes on, “The words to ‘Pour Maman’ were written<br />
by Bobby Elliott, when my mother passed away in<br />
2007, as if he were me addressing her from this<br />
plane. ‘Keep On Running’ is social commentary and<br />
a reminder that you can’t run away from your love.<br />
In ‘Me Alone,’ I’m singing to my muses both light<br />
and <strong>da</strong>rk.”<br />
Doing everything on his own from melody-making<br />
and lyric-writing down to performing, Gabriel is an<br />
all-in-one artist. “I write on my phone when I’m on<br />
the subway. If I’m reading and I love a phrase or<br />
a word, I write it down, and the bits and pieces<br />
get used later. When I come up with a melody, I<br />
mumble something to get the singing out. A lot of<br />
the time, the final lyric is phonetically similar to<br />
what I’ve mumbled in my sketch. He further narrates<br />
his creative process, revealing his passion for his<br />
craft. “Songs begin in so many ways. Sometimes, I<br />
find some chords I like. Sometimes, I record a voice<br />
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MAESTRO<br />
note of an idea and develop it later. But when I<br />
use the software Logic, I start with the beats.<br />
After I settle on a progression and find a melody,<br />
I have a section; sometimes a couple sections. I<br />
decide what these will be in the context of the<br />
tune; verse, chorus, intro, etc.,” he explains.<br />
“Sometimes this changes as the song develops. Then<br />
I find a way to make transitions between sections<br />
smooth. On a couple of occasions, I’ve had the<br />
pleasure of experiencing a song coming out of me<br />
the way you speak a sentence. In those moments,<br />
I’ve been reminded that the songs aren’t mine and<br />
that I’m rendering audible vibrations that already<br />
exist.”<br />
Gabriel’s art is no longer limited to the stages<br />
he plays in Brooklyn, having been tapped by Lenny<br />
Kravitz to open for him in his Europe tour back<br />
in 2014. However, what eclipsed his fame is his<br />
collaboration with Drake when he sampled Gabriel’s<br />
album opener “6 8,” on the song “Jungle” in the<br />
rapper’s latest mixtape, If You’re Reading This,<br />
It’s Too Late.” I wrote “6 8” about a girl I was<br />
with in college. I think Drake chose it because<br />
he heard something over it. It has a lot of space<br />
in it, which makes it easier to work with than<br />
the others.” Whether Gabriel’s rise to fame may be<br />
associated with the Drake effect, we don’t know.<br />
But one thing is for sure, with talent and musical<br />
prowess stemming from his roots, it won’t be long<br />
before the world ultimately becomes his stage.<br />
“I’ve had the pleasure of<br />
experiencing a song coming<br />
out of me the way you speak<br />
a sentence, [which] reminded<br />
me that the songs aren’t<br />
mine and that I’m rendering<br />
audible vibrations that<br />
already exist.”<br />
gabrielgarzonmontano.com<br />
@MrGabrieLorenzo<br />
statusmagonline.com - 59
MAESTRO<br />
SONS Of<br />
ANARCHY<br />
Campaigning their power pop<br />
penchants to the alt rock nation,<br />
NEW POLITICS aren’t making a<br />
scene–they’re making arms raise.<br />
After doing justice to A Bad<br />
Girl in Harlem in 2013, the New<br />
York-based trio sets the record<br />
straight with Vikings.<br />
By Pola Beronilla<br />
Photographed by Dave Austria and<br />
Bren<strong>da</strong>n Walter<br />
Fresh from the streets of Brooklyn,<br />
lead vocalist David Boyd, multiinstrumentalist<br />
Søren Hansen, and<br />
drummer Louis Vecchio, collectively<br />
known as New Politics, are bound to<br />
create an uproar. Initially formed<br />
in Copenhagen, the alt rock power<br />
trio debuted their in-your-face<br />
anthems in the US with a self-titled<br />
release in 2010. Ditching their<br />
earlier influences to strike out their<br />
own identity, it was in 2013 when<br />
the band started getting rounds on<br />
the radio with their breakout hit,<br />
“Harlem,” off of their second album,<br />
A Bad Girl in Harlem. Swiftly running<br />
over that sophomore slump with a<br />
more polished pop rock aesthetic,<br />
they gear themselves up to fly<br />
higher than United with their latest<br />
record, Vikings.<br />
Stepping inside the recording<br />
studio once again, the band gained<br />
a sense of familiarity with the<br />
entire creative process. “I think the<br />
pressure’s just the same every time<br />
you do something new. You’re faced<br />
with challenges of who you are to<strong>da</strong>y<br />
compared to yester<strong>da</strong>y. You’re faced<br />
with the constant change and constant<br />
drive to express yourself and do it<br />
better and better. And I think with<br />
this album, we’ve definitely overcome<br />
that.” They first gave a taste of<br />
their new release with “Everywhere I<br />
Go (Kings and Queens)” towards the<br />
end of 2014. “[It’s a] celebration of<br />
everyone who believed in us and stuck<br />
with us through thick and thin. Now<br />
that we’re experiencing the success,<br />
we’re experiencing it with the people<br />
that believed in us,” shares David of<br />
the track. Fast-forward to a couple<br />
of months after, New Politics collect<br />
their battle scars and turn them into<br />
a full-blown LP. “Vikings is a mix of<br />
our first self-titled album, A Bad Girl<br />
in Harlem, and something new. We’ve<br />
been inspired by so many bands that<br />
we’ve become friends with, toured<br />
with, or done shows with. And just by<br />
thinking and dreaming music every<strong>da</strong>y,<br />
we’ve become masters of it,” shares<br />
David. “Although there’s still a long<br />
way to go, you can really see the<br />
growth, and I think that’s what the<br />
album will show musically.”<br />
Backed up with their rock-hard<br />
chord progressions, heavy drum<br />
punches, and raw vocal power, you’ll<br />
find yourself pumping your fists<br />
along their infectious hooks and<br />
electronically-induced <strong>da</strong>nce-rock<br />
songs. However, their lyrics show a<br />
more personal touch this time around.<br />
“We have a nostalgic attachment to<br />
Copenhagen, and we’re also falling<br />
in love with living in America. I<br />
think there are a lot of stories that<br />
go into that,” says David of their<br />
lyrical influence. He also admits that<br />
this is their best album to <strong>da</strong>te.<br />
“I know it because we’re better at<br />
writing, we’re better at melodies, and<br />
we’re better at everything. I felt<br />
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“Every song is still<br />
New Politics. We sound<br />
like New Politics, but<br />
with bearings going<br />
different places.”<br />
it when I picked up a guitar, when<br />
we sat in front of a computer to<br />
make a song, or whenever we recorded<br />
something. I just think that this<br />
album shows diversity,” explains the<br />
lead vocalist. “Every album we make<br />
will have its charm and will have<br />
its songs that I think our fans<br />
will always like. But in this album,<br />
we’ve become much better songwriters<br />
and musicians.”<br />
As the band explores new<br />
territories in terms of their music,<br />
they push themselves towards their<br />
fullest potential. Though a shift in<br />
instrumentation is apparent, David<br />
reassures that we’ll still be fed<br />
with their original charm. “Every<br />
song is still New Politics. We sound<br />
like New Politics, but with bearings<br />
going different places.” And they’re<br />
definitely taking us with them.<br />
newpoliticsrock.com<br />
@NewPolitics<br />
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MASTERMIND<br />
M<br />
A<br />
S<br />
T<br />
E<br />
R<br />
M<br />
I<br />
N<br />
D<br />
SIX SECONDS<br />
OF<br />
FAME<br />
With his contagious energy and fast-paced, au<strong>da</strong>cious<br />
humor, KING BACH has taken over the Vine Kingdom.<br />
You don’t need to stack two pencils to feel his<br />
presence, but you’ll definitely be back for seconds.<br />
By Jill de Leon<br />
In the age of double taps, swipes, and instant<br />
entertainment, Andrew Bachelor, better known as King<br />
Bach, reigns supreme. Gaining over 12 million followers<br />
under his rule in just a couple of years through his fastpaced<br />
comedy, contagious energy, and smart delivery, the<br />
jester is in fact, the undisputed King of Vine. When he’s<br />
not on the hunt for new punch lines to hit, the social<br />
media maven can be spotted getting laughs everywhere<br />
else, even boldly running across the court during an NBA<br />
game to hand a roll of toilet paper to none other than<br />
Beyoncé. “Beyoncé is the shit. She’s shitting on everyone<br />
else, so I was like, ‘Let me give her some toilet paper,’”<br />
quips the young comedian.<br />
To his fans, this <strong>da</strong>ring move comes to no surprise. He<br />
admits to whipping up his ideas from exaggerated versions<br />
of every<strong>da</strong>y life, something he believes will double tap<br />
people’s interest. “I just do whatever makes me laugh. It<br />
could be a topic on relationships, crime, or pop culture.”<br />
The 27-year-old also pays attention to what his viewers<br />
want, bringing back well-loved bits and characters like<br />
“Hood Genie,” “Ay Yo Momma Let Me Get Your Number,” and<br />
“You Got That Gas Money?,” which remain his strongest<br />
signature Vines to <strong>da</strong>te.<br />
Six seconds may come off as no big deal, but King Bach<br />
takes his craft seriously as he admits to how meticulous<br />
he can be when it comes to the execution. From shooting<br />
a single video for six hours to going all out with<br />
production and costumes, he’ll definitely do it for the<br />
Vine. “I’m a very tough critic of myself, so if something<br />
doesn’t make me laugh, then I won’t upload it,” he<br />
explains. With around 60 deleted Vines that only his eyes<br />
have ever seen, even one of his first posts, “That Backflip<br />
Tho,” which is responsible for his now-giant following,<br />
almost didn’t make the cut.<br />
Among millions of users on Vine, it’s an undeniable<br />
challenge to claim the territory, but King Bach has taken<br />
over with a major advantage from his background. “I<br />
incorporate a lot of the things I’ve learned in film school<br />
into my videos,” he says. “And I’m just funny,” he cracks.<br />
Aside from studying the science behind film and media,<br />
he also reveals his experience with being in a comedy<br />
group called 30 in 60, where he performed 30 sketches in<br />
60 minutes, possibly where he got his training for quick<br />
humor. Despite this, he believes that his experience with<br />
the group and with Vine are two completely different<br />
things, as he feels that his comedy on the video-sharing<br />
format is much more organic.<br />
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MAstermind<br />
“I want to be one of the<br />
biggest movie stars ever<br />
created, and I’m gonna<br />
keep fighting for that until<br />
King Bach has been seen looping in with other<br />
notable Viners like Curtis Lepore, Christian DelGrosso,<br />
Rudy Mancuso, and DeStorm Power, with whom he formed<br />
friendships with on Twitter. “I love working with them all.<br />
Everyone has his or her own unique spin, ideas, and acting<br />
style,” he shares as he compares the whole experience<br />
to being in high school. “There’s no real competition,<br />
I mean, if there was, I’ve already won,” he teases. With<br />
the diversity of comedians garnering attention on Vine,<br />
he says there’s no one formula for everyone to follow.<br />
“Just be yourself. If you’re shy, be shy. If you’re not<br />
outspoken, don’t be outspoken. Everyone likes something.<br />
There’s always something out there for someone.”<br />
Despite his hyperactive character and hilarious oneliners,<br />
his calm demeanor often surprises fans. “I’m more<br />
of an observer. That’s where I draw my comedy from.” Aside<br />
from his relatable gags, his way of analyzing what sells<br />
and what doesn’t is partially responsible for his rule over<br />
his six-second kingdom. He sees King Bach as an alter ego,<br />
an exaggerated version of himself. “It’s hard to observe if<br />
you’re the one causing all the ruckus, so I think that’s<br />
where the difference lies.”<br />
it happens.”<br />
With acting as his main target, the social media<br />
trailblazer’s timeline to success is far from being over.<br />
“I want to be one of the biggest movie stars ever created,<br />
and I’m gonna keep fighting for that until it happens,” he<br />
shares. However, it’s a goal not too far from his reach,<br />
as he has already branched out into the small screen.<br />
With his recurring character in The Mindy Project, a more<br />
serious role in House of Lies, and improv comedy in Wild<br />
N’ Out, he proves to be a shoe-in for different genres<br />
of entertainment. With a movie in the works as well as a<br />
few more sitcoms, it’s safe to say that the King of Vine<br />
might be invading more, if not all screens sooner than<br />
you think.<br />
@KingBach<br />
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MASTERMIND<br />
VISIONS<br />
V Skin Space Skin (2012)<br />
I N<br />
VIVID IV I D<br />
In a dimly-lit room brimming with the<br />
smell of nicotine and alcohol, a young<br />
CHATI CORONEL sits under the haze of a<br />
spotlight as she recites her poetry to<br />
a crowd. Such was the scene back in the<br />
‘90s when Club Dredd was at the pinnacle<br />
of Manila’s underground nightlife. Now a<br />
renowned painter and all-around virtuoso,<br />
it’s safe to say that she’s successfully<br />
making her mark in the local art scene<br />
and beyond.<br />
By Isabella Argosino<br />
Licorice (2013)<br />
Chati traces her artistic roots<br />
back to a library in CCP. The then<br />
19-year-old was in the bottleneck<br />
of her last year as an Architecture<br />
student when she came across Van<br />
Gogh’s “Sunflowers” in an art book<br />
while researching for her thesis. She<br />
remembers crying over that miniscule<br />
image upon seeing it for the very<br />
first time. And just like that, it was<br />
as if a switch went off in her head,<br />
making her immediately sure what she<br />
wanted to do for the rest of her<br />
life. Although she grew up around her<br />
grandmother who was an art teacher,<br />
creating things was never a big deal<br />
for her until that moment. Out of<br />
what she used to think was a mere<br />
trend came a vision for Chati.<br />
Currently, her work is inspired<br />
by different elements–from Tibetan<br />
Buddhism to fashion and children’s<br />
fairy tales. It might seem like a<br />
string of erratic thoughts thrown<br />
together, but Chati draws much deeper,<br />
esoteric meanings from them. “For<br />
some time now, I’ve been listening<br />
in as my husband reads Grimms’<br />
Fairy Tales to our <strong>da</strong>ughter,” she<br />
shares. “There’s something about<br />
the worlds that have been created<br />
in these stories; the world of<br />
myth that activates the listener’s<br />
subconscious.” This way of living has<br />
also led her to embrace Wabi-sabi,<br />
which she has a<strong>da</strong>pted upon resettling<br />
back into the Philippines after<br />
a stint in Los Angeles. Wabi-sabi<br />
is a philosophy that embraces the<br />
absence of perfection as well as the<br />
celebration of change. “It lets you<br />
see beauty in everything–in rust, in<br />
the way people age, in the way things<br />
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MASTERMIND<br />
Blush (2012)<br />
The Artist as Disassembled Chandelier (2015)<br />
The Artist as Road and Roadtrip (2015)<br />
break, and the way seasons change.<br />
It’s a very poetic way to live,”<br />
Chati explains.<br />
Through rough coats and raw<br />
strokes blanketed by soft palettes,<br />
her beliefs have spilled over to her<br />
canvas over time, describing her style<br />
as “digging in reverse”. Layer by<br />
layer, she uncovers a story of honest<br />
expression, <strong>da</strong>bbling between clarity<br />
and impressionism. Take one of her<br />
more popular projects entitled “The<br />
First Kiss on Earth,” which ironically<br />
has nothing to do with the artist’s<br />
experience of a first kiss. Instead,<br />
she delves back into the essence of<br />
such an intimate gesture. “I wanted to<br />
examine what a kiss was, before the<br />
word ‘kiss’ was invented,” explains<br />
the artist. “This exploration led me<br />
to the theme of union between divine<br />
nature and human nature. I thought<br />
of how kissing involves letting go of<br />
one’s ego–how one human melts into<br />
another.” This is just one example of<br />
how her works unravel a spectrum of<br />
ambiguity that invites the viewer in.<br />
Armed with a backbone in<br />
architecture, her degree has blessed<br />
her with a system of organized<br />
thinking. “It probably gives me a<br />
different set of eyes to see the<br />
world and a way of being sensitive to<br />
space as a medium.” Although there<br />
are certain themes that she keeps<br />
coming back to, such as the feminine<br />
form and universal concepts like<br />
A Kiss is Also a Church (2014)<br />
oneness and the higher self, she has<br />
become more comfortable with testing<br />
much farther ends of the waters. “I<br />
now see that destruction is part of<br />
creation. With each series, I brazen<br />
enough to start from scratch and ask,<br />
‘What is painting?’” she contends. For<br />
her, the very notion of creating is<br />
divine in itself. “It brings us to the<br />
edge of what is known, into places we<br />
have no words for,” Chati adds.<br />
With paintings that have been<br />
exhibited in Florence, Manila,<br />
Toronto, Los Angeles, and more, it’s<br />
clear that there is many in store<br />
for Chati. Flailing her arms about<br />
until she figures out the essence of<br />
painting once again, she has since<br />
found her way to the deep part of<br />
the pool, saying, “I’m just letting it<br />
take me where it will take me.”<br />
chatishine.blogspot.com<br />
@chati<br />
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MASTERMIND<br />
TALK OF THE TOWN<br />
From the streets of Brooklyn to the waves of Bondi and all the way<br />
to the shops of Bangkok, JEREMYVILLE paints the town vibrant with<br />
his graphic art and inspiring ideas.<br />
By I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na<br />
Growing up along Wonderland Avenue in the suburbs of<br />
Sydney “on a diet of cartoons, drawing, riding, and<br />
hanging out down at the beach,” complete with a side<br />
of trouble paved the road towards art for Jeremyville.<br />
Nowa<strong>da</strong>ys, when he’s not busy with work in New York, he<br />
spends summer back home in Australia, still focusing on<br />
his art in his Bondi Beach studio, which he says helps<br />
him maintain that connection to the ocean that he had as<br />
a child.<br />
Starting his career as a cartoonist for The Sydney<br />
Morning Herald when he was only 19, he went from coffee<br />
tables to wardrobes through collaborations with Urban<br />
Outfitters, Uniqlo, Swatch, adi<strong>da</strong>s, Nike, and Converse. If<br />
that isn’t impressive enough, Nickelodeon, Mercedes Benz,<br />
and Volkswagen are on his list of clientele as well. He<br />
also brings his work to museum exhibits around the world<br />
and to bookshelves through his design books.<br />
With a résumé as remarkable as his, it’s hard to<br />
believe him when he says making mistakes is how he got<br />
to where he is to<strong>da</strong>y. “I’ve mainly been my own worst<br />
critic. I’m always very hard on myself,” he shares. But<br />
it looks like it paid off, especially since he gets his<br />
inspiration from his obsessive drawing and note-taking<br />
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MASTERMIND<br />
on his sketchbook. “Sketchbooks form the basis for your<br />
whole career in time, and it helps you develop your<br />
own voice and style,” he explains. “There’s no shortcut<br />
to a career in art and design. Just a lot of hard work<br />
and discipline to grow and evolve as an artist and a<br />
human being.” And his “Community Service Announcements”<br />
(CSA’s) show just that.<br />
Ever since he was a child, he had the urge to<br />
change the world, even if it was just one person at a<br />
time–so he decided to start with himself. “I started<br />
drawing the CSA’s as a way to instigate inner change<br />
within myself, a way of creating time to reflect for<br />
others who read them, and to then hopefully spread tiny<br />
ripples of personal change in other people’s lives.”<br />
He continues, “To me, each of the CSA’s I’ve drawn so<br />
far are small fragments that I’ve picked up along the<br />
path of my life’s journey, and when these are piled up,<br />
they hopefully reflect upon the essence of the human<br />
condition, the world we live in, and what it means to<br />
be alive.”<br />
What sets him apart is his clever take and<br />
effective route to spread his ideas. “I’ve subverted<br />
and repurposed these mechanisms of infinite distraction<br />
to help share the CSA messages: Advertising. Social<br />
media. Giant billboards. Public walls. The streets.<br />
Corporations.” His simple project for himself eventually<br />
manifested as a giant public sculpture in Central World<br />
Bangkok, Thailand’s main retail precinct. “It’s a modern<br />
totem of our innate sense of freedom and childhood<br />
self expression that we all once had and that some<br />
of us have forgotten, because of the early onset of<br />
adulthood, responsibilities, and the inexorable slide<br />
into conformity and fear that this life can bring.”<br />
“Art or any self expression<br />
in general can reinstate that<br />
connection to our dreams, to<br />
our bravery, and to that magical<br />
feeling that anything in our life<br />
is possible. Our own imagination<br />
sets us all free again.”<br />
His work has become his way of staying true to<br />
himself, to never forget his dreams, and to feel freedom<br />
again in a world that has the potential to subdue us from<br />
the moment we are born. “Art or any self expression in<br />
general can reinstate that connection to our dreams, to<br />
our bravery, and to that magical feeling that anything in<br />
our life is possible,” he enlightens. “Our own imagination<br />
sets us all free again.”<br />
He continues his artistic quest for freedom with<br />
upcoming projects with Disney, a soon-to-be released<br />
monograph on Studio Jeremyville, as well as an exhibition<br />
in Paris where his new book about the CSA project, Live<br />
Life Sunny Side Up, will be launched. “There’s no limit to<br />
the mediums I enjoy exploring. I’m up for anything that<br />
challenges me as an artist and human being.”<br />
jeremyville.com<br />
@jeremyville<br />
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MASTERMIND<br />
BALANCING<br />
ACT<br />
Taking his artistic prowess to<br />
painting on broken surfboards and<br />
abandoned buildings, artist and<br />
surfer SEAN YORO finds exquisiteness<br />
in his favorite element.<br />
By Denise Mallabo<br />
Photographed by Aaron Austin<br />
When Oahu native Sean Yoro, also known as Hula,<br />
started <strong>da</strong>bbling into graffiti and watercolor in his<br />
late teens, he wasn’t serious about it until he<br />
got into a portrait drawing class in college and fell in<br />
love with it. “I’m most passionate about street art and<br />
smaller works on canvas. Both have given me the ability<br />
to express myself in a natural way,” admits Sean. He<br />
describes his works as traditional realism with a modern<br />
flair. “I try to keep things interesting, always looking<br />
to capture new emotions or messages. My pieces have<br />
been influenced mostly by things I see in nature and my<br />
changing environments,” he says.<br />
Now residing in New York, Sean has been all over the<br />
Internet and news because of his hyper-realistic murals<br />
of women, seeming like they’re partly submerged in water,<br />
done while balancing on a paddleboard. “Aside from the<br />
occasional brush rolling overboard, I’m happy to say I’ve<br />
never tipped over,” confesses Sean. These murals came<br />
about while he was working on a separate project. “Since<br />
water has always been my main inspiration, I had the idea<br />
to paint these portraits of girls underwater. While doing<br />
the photo shoots for the paintings, I realized how much I<br />
loved to be in the water and still work creatively. From<br />
there, I knew I wanted to figure out a way to paint in<br />
water. The concept grew slowly, each idea building into<br />
a final form for the murals,” says Sean. The messages he<br />
hope to capture with these murals were the connection and<br />
relationship he has with his environments, from growing up<br />
in Hawaii to moving to New York.<br />
A common misconception that some people have with street<br />
art is that they see it as a rogue action or act of<br />
rebellion. What can you say about this?<br />
I think the perception of street art has changed radically<br />
from ten years ago. Yes, some people still view it as a<br />
rebellious act, but with the way street art is going more<br />
mainstream, I don’t see that misconception lasting much<br />
longer. To me, it’s in the same boat as tattoos; many of<br />
the older generation think it’s bad taste because the<br />
medium represented gangs, but now it has become its own<br />
art form.<br />
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You’re also known to be a surfer. How does this relate to<br />
you being a street artist?<br />
My family is full of surfers, so naturally, I got into<br />
surfing at a young age. Surfing has kept me connected with<br />
the ocean ever since and has influenced my life. So when<br />
I express myself through art, it was natural to use the<br />
surfboard as a platform to get me to these walls. I also<br />
paint on broken surfboards, an idea I had when I saw<br />
these <strong>da</strong>maged surfboards lying around my art studio.<br />
How different is painting on walls and public properties<br />
from smaller mediums?<br />
In my studio, I’m able to control everything from lighting<br />
to surfaces, but out on the water, there are so many<br />
“I love painting women—they<br />
give a softer, more delicate<br />
mood to my paintings.”<br />
variables I cannot control. I had to learn to a<strong>da</strong>pt to<br />
every circumstances that came up and also just let go of<br />
the things I can’t control.<br />
Most of your work revolves around the theme of mystical<br />
women and water with a tribal touch. Where do you draw<br />
inspiration for this?<br />
I love painting women—they give a softer, more delicate<br />
mood to my paintings. The tribal tattoo like markings<br />
signify scars we get from life. Everyone has their own<br />
unique past and we deal with scars differently. I feel<br />
that scars are beautiful and make us who we are.<br />
What’s the best part about being a street artist?<br />
The best part is being able to connect directly with<br />
people, no gallery or platforms needed. With every piece,<br />
my goal is to beautify this world and hopefully inspire<br />
others to chase their passions and express themselves in<br />
their own unique way.<br />
hulaaa.com<br />
@the_hula<br />
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H<br />
E<br />
A<br />
V<br />
Y<br />
H<br />
I<br />
T<br />
T<br />
E<br />
R<br />
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There came a time when Abel Tesfaye no longer found himself lusting<br />
for anonymity. Making it out of the shadows of his major label debut<br />
in 2013 with Kiss Land, the artist now exposes himself as the beauty<br />
behind the madness. There’s no need to wait any longer ‘cause<br />
THE WEEKND is here.<br />
By Isabella Argosino<br />
Photos courtesy of MCA Music Inc.
HEAVY HITTER<br />
ABEL<br />
Tesfaye was just a 17-year<br />
old boy from Scarborough<br />
when he decided to drop<br />
out of high school, leave, and never come<br />
back–all in the span of a weekend. Fast<br />
forward to eight years, six albums, and<br />
more than 18 awards and nominations later,<br />
that same vagabond teenager took his<br />
<strong>da</strong>ily grind to the throne of PR&B success<br />
he currently sits proudly on. The now 25-<br />
year old singer, songwriter, and producer<br />
only recently broke the air of mystery he<br />
built around himself when he first started<br />
out in the scene. Releasing his first<br />
few songs on YouTube back in 2010 under<br />
his moniker, Abel held a strong aversion<br />
to press, consistently turning down the<br />
media in hopes that his music would speak<br />
for itself–even going full cipher by<br />
suppressing his face and birth name from<br />
the public for a time. Maybe it was the<br />
reticence that made the idea of The Weeknd<br />
all the more appealing, because fans<br />
continuously devoured his art without being<br />
distracted by or drawn to a mere poster<br />
child. But one thing was certain–Abel was<br />
glad to remain behind the curtains.<br />
In 2011, Abel gradually started to put<br />
a face to the music as he began performing<br />
live for selected crowds. He had also just<br />
released his holy trinity of albums that<br />
made him rise to prominence, backed up by<br />
online buzz and curiosity from the public<br />
eye, all wanting to penetrate the obscure,<br />
monochromatic world in which The Weeknd<br />
existed. But he was careful, tiptoeing<br />
along the vicious tightrope of the pop<br />
culture realm, cautious not to fall into<br />
a pit of shortchanged publicity stunts.<br />
“The music industry seems to run a lot on<br />
hype,” his co-managers tell Billboard.com.<br />
“Abel wanted to see where things would go<br />
with his songs living on their own merits.”<br />
Floating into the airwaves, House Of<br />
Balloons came on strong for a first album<br />
as the crooner preached pharmacological<br />
debauchery coupled with <strong>da</strong>rk, sensual<br />
undertones delivered through his astral yet<br />
sharp vocals that make their way to your<br />
inner visceral without you even knowing<br />
what hit you. From the hard-opener “High<br />
For This” to “Glass Table Girls,” Abel makes<br />
no apologies as he disturbs listeners with<br />
the most sensitive of topics, but the end<br />
product is a thematic masterpiece that’s<br />
hard to turn away from, much like a drug<br />
in itself. The following albums he released<br />
within months after continued his tale of<br />
a troubled lover, with the desperation of<br />
Thurs<strong>da</strong>y and tragic tastefulness of Echoes<br />
of Silence, which he also dropped for free<br />
under his own label. It was only a matter<br />
of time before major labels would start<br />
taking notice of the low-profile artist. In<br />
the same year he got signed to Universal<br />
Music Group, he was catapulted to the<br />
forefronts of the idiosyncratic new breed<br />
of R&B.<br />
Similar to many other R&B and hiphop<br />
producers, Abel builds songs around<br />
samples from other recordings. Instead<br />
of using the usual jazz and vintage<br />
singles, he layers alt rock samples from<br />
classic crooners such as Siouxsie and the<br />
Banshees and Beach House. But perhaps<br />
one of the most vital yet overlooked<br />
traces one can find in his songs is the<br />
consistent influence of the late King of<br />
Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Aside from<br />
the tremulous similarity between the two’s<br />
way of singing, it is Jackson who lies in<br />
The Weeknd’s cross hairs. “These kids, you<br />
know, they don’t have a Michael Jackson,”<br />
he tells NY Times. “They don’t have a<br />
Prince. They don’t have a Whitney. Who<br />
else is there? Who else can really do it at<br />
this point?” Instead of following Jackson’s<br />
legacy of suave bravado, he diverged<br />
and took a different path entirely,<br />
bravely presenting himself as scarred and<br />
vulnerable. At the time, R&B was a dying<br />
genre that devolved into a bland side dish<br />
to the main course that was hip-hop. But<br />
soon, other R&B singers started surfacing–<br />
from Frank Ocean, and Miguel, to The<br />
Internet and Jhene Aiko–all breathing life<br />
into the genre that thrived in the time of<br />
Aaliyah, and even Lauryn Hill. But there<br />
was The Weeknd, who chose not to be an<br />
ass-kissing crowd-pleaser with sugar-coated<br />
lyrics and sell-out synths. He grabbed R&B<br />
by the throat and made it entirely his own.<br />
While his 2013 debut record, Kiss<br />
Land, was a hit with the critics, it didn’t<br />
translate so well into commercial appeal,<br />
selling only 268,000 copies. Abel’s sound<br />
engineer, Jason Quenneville compared his<br />
previous albums to an, “O.K., fine, I’ll<br />
play ball” moment, while he quipped Kiss<br />
Land as “O.K., let’s play baseball, but<br />
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you’re swining a plate of spaghetti,” as seen in an<br />
interview with NY Times. Fortunately, The Weeknd’s fan<br />
base held their ground with their continued support<br />
to his more Technicolor pieces. But then again, Abel<br />
isn’t here to please. “The album is about what young<br />
men think but will never say out loud. I’ve learned to<br />
pretty much not give a shit, and it kind of morphed<br />
this sound and it works,” he told MTV.com. “There’s<br />
nothing else I’d rather do than this.”<br />
In the middle of the year, The Weeknd announced<br />
the follow-up to Kiss Land, entitled Beauty Behind<br />
The Madness, which include tracks “Can’t Feel My<br />
Face,” “The Hills,” and “Often.” As Abel continued<br />
to spiral into success, the limelight gave him fewer<br />
places to hide. He has since landed himself a spot<br />
on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack and he couldn’t<br />
have been a more perfect fit, with his soothingly<br />
seductive ballad, “Earned It.” At the same time, he<br />
also made R&B history by becoming the first artist to<br />
claim the top three slots on the chart, with the said<br />
single and two tracks from his new album. He even<br />
bagged the BET Centric Award at the 2015 BET Awards<br />
for his 50 Shades contribution, which he performed<br />
alongside Alicia Keys. “As is so often the way at<br />
award ceremonies, the newbie has to team up with a<br />
legend. But he doesn’t need her, as he demonstrated<br />
when delivering a throbbing version of new single,<br />
“The Hills,” laying its bad intensions thrillingly<br />
bare in the process,” writes NY Post. “His time is<br />
most definitely now.”<br />
Despite his fame, Abel stays true and owes his<br />
sanity to his music. He wouldn’t let his art die in<br />
the mainstream because his music is far from just<br />
a celebration of the end of <strong>da</strong>ys and the promise<br />
of romance and relaxation that comes with a Fri<strong>da</strong>y,<br />
Satur<strong>da</strong>y, and Sun<strong>da</strong>y. His is a lyrical genuflection<br />
on matters of the heart, meant to quietly pierce<br />
and overly-indulge. Republic CEO Monte Lipman shares<br />
with Billboard.com, “The one thing the modern music<br />
industry hasn’t been able to manipulate in 60 to<br />
70 years is word of mouth. That’s what The Weeknd<br />
possesses, and it’s been incredibly valuable.”<br />
theweeknd.com<br />
@theweeknd<br />
statusmagonline.com - 77
Jumping from one role to another, JAKE MCDORMAN takes no<br />
chill pill. Pushing the boun<strong>da</strong>ries of his full potential, he now goes<br />
into action as Brian Finch in CBS’ TV a<strong>da</strong>ptation of Limitless.<br />
By Pola Beronilla<br />
Photographed by Shanna Fisher<br />
Styled by Wilford Lenov<br />
Grooming Bethany Johnson
statusmagonline.com - 79
HEAVY HITTER<br />
shirt by Assembly<br />
pants by Jacob Davis<br />
shirt by Journal at Oak NYC<br />
jacket by American Apparel<br />
pants by ASOS<br />
shoes by ASOS<br />
“Working on Lim<br />
of responsibility<br />
you have the o<br />
somethin
HEAVY HITTER<br />
I<br />
was still licking my wounds at that<br />
time,” recalls Jake McDorman of the<br />
moment he got the call for a lead in<br />
CBS’ Limitless. Expanding the story of the<br />
NZT drug first introduced in the 2011 film<br />
with Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro,<br />
it turns out that the series was the best<br />
prescription he was waiting for. “A show<br />
I was working on had just been canceled,<br />
which is a very disorienting experience. So<br />
to have a script come along with so many<br />
exciting elements was a great remedy.”<br />
For someone who grew up obsessing over<br />
every aspect of movies, from listening to<br />
the soundtrack about a thousand times to<br />
dwelling on favorite lines, characters, and<br />
parts of the story, it wasn’t long before<br />
Jake got his act together. “The actor’s<br />
responsibility to the whole process spoke<br />
to me the most because they were the ones<br />
immersed in this other world in which<br />
I had virtually immersed myself into by<br />
watching it so much,” he explains. “Some<br />
people have a passion for taking apart<br />
classic cars to see what makes them go.<br />
That’s how movies were to me; it’s like<br />
a really fast car with a great engine<br />
that I could customize and could take me<br />
anywhere.” And this passion of his did take<br />
him everywhere.<br />
With his boyish charm and rugged<br />
demeanor, Jake channeled his way into<br />
several small screen hit series such as<br />
Greek and Shameless before eventually<br />
finding the ticket to action-packed<br />
blockbusters like Live Free or Die Hard and<br />
American Sniper. Fresh from Manhattan Love<br />
Story, he instantly goes over the edge as<br />
Eddie Morra’s protégé in the TV version<br />
itless was a tremendous amount<br />
. If all the elements come together,<br />
pportunity to really be a part of<br />
g very big and very special.”<br />
“<br />
of Neil Burger’s thriller, premiering this<br />
September. Catching him in the midst of an<br />
extended trip in Italy, we test his limits<br />
and get a dose of his experience as the<br />
smartest person on the planet.<br />
You’ve been in a variety of TV shows and<br />
movies playing a different character from<br />
your last every time. How do you adjust to<br />
each character?<br />
You know, I have yet to really be<br />
challenged in the way of making a huge<br />
departure from myself for the sake of a<br />
character. Now, that’s not to say I haven’t<br />
been challenged outright. Ryan Job from<br />
American Sniper is a real soldier, a real<br />
person. The responsibility to do right by<br />
the incredible sacrifices made by someone<br />
like Ryan was an immense challenge. To<br />
be the age he was with superior training<br />
engaged in a war with no end in sight is<br />
something I could only imagine. Yet, you do<br />
find ways in which you can relate to.<br />
You draw these parallels to experiences<br />
you’ve had yourself. Obviously on a smaller<br />
scale, but in a way, the emotional context<br />
isn’t always so important. Slowly, you<br />
hope to dial down the parts of yourself<br />
that don’t match the character and turn<br />
up the parts of you that do. That’s how<br />
I’ve approached many of the characters<br />
I’ve played. But to fully transform and<br />
to disappear physically, mentally, and<br />
emotionally the way Bradley did to play<br />
Chris, that’s a challenge I look forward to<br />
accepting for roles in the future.<br />
Coming from a rom-com and transitioning to<br />
a thriller, how crucial are your past roles<br />
to your career now?<br />
Absolutely vital. You take any one of<br />
those out from under me and the whole<br />
thing would topple over like a game of<br />
Jenga. I’m not sure how it works, but the<br />
accumulation of each job has always<br />
statusmagonline.com - 81
“As you grow, you<br />
learn different scales,<br />
you play in different<br />
time signatures, and<br />
harmonize with other<br />
people. It’s an everchanging<br />
symphony<br />
that will never<br />
stop playing as<br />
long as you’re<br />
alive.”<br />
sweater by Jacob Holston<br />
jacket by G-Star RAW<br />
pants by Anthotny Franco
Apart from filming American Sniper, how was<br />
it like working with Bradley Cooper on<br />
this project?<br />
Whenever you work with someone in<br />
Bradley’s league, it automatically amplifies<br />
your own performance. That was true for<br />
American Sniper and it was definitely<br />
true with Limitless. Bradley has such an<br />
infectious enthusiasm for the process,<br />
every facet of the process. He’s constantly<br />
searching, experimenting, and playing with<br />
ideas that would elevate the scene and yet<br />
he‘s totally present and collaborative at<br />
the same time.<br />
One of the best things about shooting<br />
this with him was the fact that he is<br />
reprising his role from the movie, so he<br />
was a great lifeline for my performance.<br />
I could pick his brain about the effects<br />
of NZT and any other technical choices he<br />
made for his role as Eddie to add even<br />
more congruency between the world of the<br />
movie and the world of the series.<br />
prepared me for the next one. How does<br />
filming a half hour rom-com prepare you for<br />
shooting guns in Morocco? I have no idea.<br />
But it did, 100%.<br />
Do you think there is a certain connection<br />
between you and your character Brian?<br />
We do have a few inherent similarities. In<br />
the pilot, Brian’s life is changing in a<br />
very big way. The effects of NZT are giving<br />
him the power to fulfill his potential on<br />
a much larger scale than he ever thought<br />
possible. Not to paraphrase Stan Lee or<br />
anything, but with that power also comes<br />
great responsibility.<br />
Working on Limitless was a tremendous<br />
amount of responsibility. You’re broadening<br />
this established universe of the movie<br />
that Bradley, Neil Burger, and everyone at<br />
Relativity helped create; you’re armed with<br />
a great script, a great director, a great<br />
DP. If all the elements come together, you<br />
have the opportunity to really be a part<br />
of something very big and very special.<br />
There’s a scene in the trailer where Eddie<br />
Mora is talking to Brian. He says something<br />
to the effect of, “You’re about to live the<br />
kind of life you can’t possibly imagine.” I<br />
remember shooting that scene and thinking,<br />
how bizarre. It’s true for both of us.<br />
What was a memorable moment during the<br />
filming of Limitless?<br />
There were many. I really had a great<br />
experience working with Marc [Webb]. The<br />
way he sees the story is so perfect for<br />
the show. It makes you feel like you’re<br />
in a graphic novel. We had a shot that<br />
was over five minutes long where Brian is<br />
on NZT, flipping through photo albums and<br />
medical books essentially trying to cure<br />
his <strong>da</strong>d’s cancer. We shoot for five minutes<br />
then speed it up in post so it looks like<br />
Brian is reading at an incredible speed.<br />
That was a nice moment on set. We put on<br />
some ambient music, no dialogue, just five<br />
minutes sitting on the floor, getting lost<br />
in what I was doing. It was oddly Zen, and<br />
it looked great.<br />
What do you think is the best part about<br />
what you do?<br />
I think it’s fascinating that for an<br />
actor, you and the accumulation of your<br />
life experiences serve as your instrument<br />
in many ways. You imbue your characters<br />
with the stains and pockmarks from your<br />
own life. And as you grow, you learn<br />
different scales, you play in different<br />
time signatures, and harmonize with other<br />
people. It’s an ever-changing symphony<br />
that will never stop playing as long as<br />
you’re alive.<br />
@JakeMcDorman<br />
statusmagonline.com - 83
“Love Me Harder” feat. Ariana Gr<br />
As the individual responsible for some of the most<br />
played music videos at the moment, of course it’s safe<br />
to say that director HANNAH LUX DAVIS is on fire.<br />
By Denise Mallabo<br />
Interview by I<strong>da</strong> Al<strong>da</strong>na<br />
Special thanks to London Alley<br />
“The Night Is Still Young” feat. Nicki Minaj
HEAVY HITTER<br />
ande & The Weeknd<br />
statusmagonline.com - 85
HEAVY HITTER<br />
Crisp and<br />
clear.<br />
These are just two words to describe<br />
the creations of music video director<br />
Hannah Lux Davis. Billboard.com<br />
described her to be “one of the most<br />
in-demand music video directors,” and<br />
no one would object to that. Working<br />
with the likes of Nicki Minaj, Ciara,<br />
Ariana Grande, Drake, Jessie J, Miley<br />
Cyrus, and Snoop Dogg, just to name<br />
a few, she’s obviously on a roll.<br />
She has always loved music videos<br />
as she grew up watching MTV and TRL<br />
during her adolescent years, wherein<br />
acts like Britney Spears, Christina<br />
Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, Nirvana,<br />
Soundgarden, Blink-182, Madonna,<br />
*NSYNC, Bjork, Backstreet Boys, and<br />
Marilyn Manson reigned. “It’s quite<br />
funny how obsessed I am with music<br />
videos, still to this <strong>da</strong>y. Making<br />
videos is kind of like a dream come<br />
true,” admits Hannah.<br />
For her, moving from Seattle to<br />
Los Angeles was a no-brainer, since<br />
she has been fascinated about the<br />
idea of making movies and Hollywood<br />
for as long as she can remember.<br />
When Hannah was still a kid, she<br />
had this vision of LA as the<br />
beacon of unconventional creativity<br />
that’s untouchable, and where most<br />
intriguingly talented individuals<br />
flock. “Even to this <strong>da</strong>y, after living<br />
in LA for almost 12 years, I admit<br />
that I get a little giddy when I see<br />
the Hollywood sign from a distance,”<br />
she shares.<br />
Other than directing music videos,<br />
Hannah is also a makeup artist,<br />
an editor, and a photographer, all<br />
of which allow her creative juices<br />
flowing. “Doing makeup on shoots<br />
allowed me to be on set as part of<br />
the creative, which lets me take in<br />
the vibes of how crews work together,<br />
and how ideas come together. As an<br />
editor, it gave me even more practice<br />
“Cool for the Summer” feat. Demi Lovato<br />
and a more intimate look into the<br />
process. I got to see what worked<br />
and what didn’t when covering a<br />
performance or telling a story, and it<br />
showed me what I wished I had more<br />
of to make the edit work better,”<br />
shares Hannah.<br />
Currently, Hannah enjoys the<br />
entire process of creating a music<br />
video, from listening to the song,<br />
conceptualizing, shooting, and editing<br />
it as well as being challenged on<br />
how to make an idea come to life in<br />
awesome vivid colors.<br />
You’ve worked with a lot of known<br />
artists and you have a way of getting<br />
their best side. How do you get them<br />
to work well with you and the other<br />
artists they’re on set with?<br />
Thank you, that’s a huge compliment<br />
and something I strive for. I think<br />
the biggest thing, no matter the<br />
concept of the video, is that the<br />
artist should have fun and feel<br />
confident. If the artist feels great,<br />
they will naturally light up the<br />
frame. Creating an emotionally safe<br />
set so they can do their best work<br />
is something I always aim for. I take<br />
pride in my eye for style and glam,<br />
but it all starts with an artist who<br />
feels good on the inside.<br />
“Burnin’ Up” feat. Jessie J and 2 Chainz<br />
“I like to<br />
to get a fi<br />
86 - statusmagonline.com
HEAVY HITTER<br />
“Love Me Harder” feat. Ariana Grande & The Weeknd<br />
“Only” feat. Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown<br />
do massive amount of preparation for all my jobs<br />
rm grip on what I’m after, but I also leave room for<br />
the collaboration process. I welcome it.”<br />
statusmagonline.com - 87
HEAVY HITTER<br />
“In my opinion, the more the artist can connect to the co<br />
will be, and the more successful, and long-lasting the<br />
“Sparks” feat. Hilary Duff<br />
“Good Thing” feat. Sage t<br />
“23” feat. Mike-Will Made It, Miley Cyrus, Juicy J & Wiz Khalifa<br />
“Hey Mama” feat. David Gu<br />
88 - statusmagonline.com
HEAVY HITTER<br />
ncept, the truer it<br />
outcome.”<br />
he Gemini & Nick Jonas<br />
How do you make sure that the<br />
story is told through the medium<br />
you’re using?<br />
I try to create videos that are<br />
specific to the song and make the<br />
video for the artist. That means<br />
finding out where they feel they’re<br />
at in their life or career and<br />
expanding on their brand. Working<br />
with Ariana [Grande] for the music<br />
video of “Love Me Harder,” she<br />
wanted to feel sexy and matured, so<br />
we created a platform for her to do<br />
just that. Playing with metaphors<br />
and emotive cues from the track was<br />
exciting, and I always push to create<br />
more than just flashy setups. I aim<br />
to create something for the viewer<br />
to hold onto—a feeling you’re left<br />
with after watching it. It’s fun to<br />
shape and mold an artist’s path with<br />
them. I like to be as collaborative<br />
with them as possible. In my opinion,<br />
the more the artist can connect to<br />
the concept, the truer it will be,<br />
and the more successful and longlasting<br />
the outcome. It’s all super<br />
challenging yet invigorating.<br />
Your work is basically a collaboration<br />
of the people in front of and behind<br />
the camera. How do you make a<br />
productive collaboration?<br />
That’s exactly right—it’s a<br />
collaboration! I like to do a massive<br />
amount of preparation for all my<br />
jobs to get a firm grip on what I’m<br />
after, but I also leave room for the<br />
collaboration process. I welcome it.<br />
You have to be flexible, especially in<br />
music videos.<br />
I like to work with people who<br />
push me and challenge me to be<br />
better. Respectful of my vision, yes,<br />
but as a director, you’re only as<br />
good as the talent around you, both<br />
in front and behind the camera. It’s<br />
not a one man (or woman) show. All of<br />
the departments rely on the director<br />
to communicate their vision of the<br />
project. With every job I learn an<br />
important lesson, but the biggest<br />
lessons learned are almost always<br />
about communication.<br />
The world of music videos seems to<br />
be led mostly by men. How do you feel<br />
about being one of the few female<br />
directors who were able to break<br />
through that barrier?<br />
I don’t think about it, really. I<br />
tend to forget that people take that<br />
into account. Thinking about it now,<br />
it’s probably a lot tougher to be a<br />
male in the industry because there<br />
are so many. As a female, I think<br />
my approach tends to be a little<br />
different than most male directors. I<br />
concentrate on different details and<br />
my preparation is admittedly a little<br />
overboard. I’m really only speaking<br />
from what I know and have experienced<br />
myself, but perhaps there aren’t<br />
as many female directors because<br />
it can be an extremely emotionally<br />
draining job.<br />
As women, we tend to be a bit<br />
more sensitive, so it takes having<br />
a thick skin and learning to cope<br />
with everything that comes with the<br />
job. Filmmaking is a very passionate<br />
process, and without emotion there<br />
is no passion, so it really is a<br />
balancing act.<br />
Having done so many projects, what<br />
do you still intend to achieve in<br />
the future?<br />
I feel like I’m still quite new to the<br />
music video world, so there’s still a<br />
ton I want to do in this field. There<br />
are some artists I’m still dying to<br />
work with—Katy Perry, Taylor Swift,<br />
and Selena Gomez, to name a few.<br />
I’m super anxious to move into both<br />
the narrative and commercial worlds.<br />
I’m developing a few projects now,<br />
which could be amazing. Next up on my<br />
docket is a short film. So writers, get<br />
at me!<br />
hannahlux<strong>da</strong>vis.com<br />
@hannahlux<strong>da</strong>vis<br />
etta, Nicki Minaj & Afrojack<br />
statusmagonline.com - 89
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Greenbelt 5, Makati City<br />
URBAN DECAY<br />
urbandecay.com<br />
VANS<br />
Glorietta 3, Makati City<br />
YVES SAINT LAURENT<br />
yslbeautyus.com<br />
ARTISTS<br />
Aaron Austin (Photographer)<br />
aaronaustinphoto.com<br />
Liz Barclay (Photographer)<br />
lizbarclayphotography.com<br />
Yana Bar<strong>da</strong>dim (Photographer)<br />
bar<strong>da</strong>dim.photo<br />
Tiffany Briseno (Stylist)<br />
tiffanybriseno.format.com<br />
Ian Castañares (Photographer)<br />
thestilllifephotographer.tumblr.com<br />
Kara Chung (Photographer)<br />
instagram.com/karachungart<br />
Jim Deuce (Photographer)<br />
jimdeucenyc.tumblr.com<br />
Maud Eigenheer (Hair and Makeup)<br />
maudeigenheer.com<br />
Shanna Fisher (Photographer)<br />
shannafisher.com<br />
David Goveia (Hair and Makeup)<br />
judyinc.com<br />
Bethany Johnson (Grooming)<br />
bethanyjohnsonstudio.com<br />
Lilyana Lazarova (Stylist)<br />
lazarovalilyana.wix.com<br />
Wilford Lenov (Stylist)<br />
wilfordlenov.com<br />
Jason McDonald (Photographer)<br />
jasonmcdonaldphotography.com<br />
Pamm Merrera (Makeup)<br />
instagram.com/professionellamaquillage<br />
Charlotte Navio (Photographer)<br />
charlottenavio.com<br />
A<strong>da</strong>m Reyna (Photographer)<br />
a<strong>da</strong>mreyna.com<br />
Ben Tsui (Photographer)<br />
bentsuiphotos.com<br />
Michael Kai Young (Photographer)<br />
michaelkaiyoung.com
STATUS INVADES<br />
INK-STAINED<br />
ALLURE<br />
With a certain distaste for the bland<br />
and colorless, the model with no filter<br />
TOLA ORENDAIN pairs her poise with her<br />
silly laugh in between the clicks of<br />
the camera, when she isn’t doodling<br />
words of inspiration.<br />
@tolaor<br />
Portrait by Kara Chung<br />
Product Photography by Carlo Nuñez<br />
Location EASY Skate-Surf<br />
bodysuit by FLOAT<br />
92 - statusmagonline.com
CALLIGRAPHY PEN<br />
I’ve always been into typography. I<br />
used to post my quotes on Tumblr.<br />
If you see anything signed with a<br />
looped T or TKO, that’s me.<br />
MARC JACOBS PERFUME<br />
Like my mother,<br />
I like collecting<br />
perfumes. This is<br />
one of my favorites<br />
because it was<br />
given to me by a<br />
good friend for my<br />
20th birth<strong>da</strong>y.<br />
SONY RX 100 III<br />
My late <strong>da</strong>d used to like taking<br />
photos, so I think it runs in our<br />
blood. I don’t see myself getting<br />
into it professionally, but I<br />
like taking photos of moments and<br />
places I’ve been to.<br />
TOM FORD GLASSES<br />
I wear glasses on <strong>da</strong>ys when<br />
I feel like giving my eyes<br />
a break. I fell in love with<br />
these frame the second I<br />
saw them.<br />
ASICS SHOES<br />
My shoe rack consists of<br />
70% sneakers, 10% boots and<br />
oxfords, 10% heels, 5% flats,<br />
and 5% san<strong>da</strong>ls. I think<br />
that pretty much says I’m a<br />
sneaker girl.<br />
LEAVE YOUR MARK<br />
BY ALIZA LICHT<br />
I’ve always<br />
loved reading,<br />
but it’s only<br />
now that<br />
I’ve taken<br />
an interest<br />
in businesscentric<br />
books.<br />
PLANNER<br />
I can’t live without a planner<br />
because I like thinking ahead.<br />
I like knowing what I need to<br />
do and what I have in store<br />
for me each week.<br />
NIKE JACKET<br />
I love the cold weather.<br />
Sometimes, I feel like I’m<br />
in the wrong country because<br />
I have this habit of buying<br />
sweaters and jackets.<br />
NIXON WATCH<br />
I wear a watch<br />
every<strong>da</strong>y; I don’t<br />
leave the house<br />
without wearing<br />
one because I feel<br />
incomplete without it.<br />
statusmagonline.com - 93
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