ISSUE 1 | VOLUME 3 | SUMMER ‘20
THE FREEDOM ISSUE TROORAMAGAZINE.COM
2020 SVAutobiography The Ultimate Range Rover
Transform To Transcend www.kaloud.com
E d i to r ' s N o te
WELCOME
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TO THE FREEDOM ISSUE Alligare Meaning “to bind to,” Alligare is the Latin origin of our English word “Ally.” Now, more than ever, it’s important that white and non-oppressed persons everywhere stand up for Black lives as active allies. Too long we have lived with injustice, rationalizing our behavior and viewpoints with the support of history. In order to rid ourselves of racism, of hate, of oppression, we need to work with earnestness to move our society toward a future—a free future. In this issue of Rare Magazine, we have brought together resources and reflections on what freedom means to America and the world abroad. We feature allies such as Lisa of Trockmorton Jones whose #BLM masks and apparel empower protestors and supporters. We offer an interview with Irish artist Damien Priestly who reveals the turmoil of growing up in the middle of violence and chaos. We speak with essential workers on how consumers can help assuage fears of those who have to work. There’s even a curated playlist filled with Black artists to get you into the revolutionary spirit of freedom. This issue also explores the idea of freeing yourself from, well… yourself. Covid-19 has upended the way we live, creating a mixture of tough circumstances and emotions we are all dealing with. Just as we are an ally to Black lives, we need to be an ally to ourselves. From the many therapeutic uses of cannabis to connecting with our feelings through nature, we explore ways to free yourself from oppressive emotions that challenge people the world over. To be a true ally, we need to bind ourselves to our cause. We must bind ourselves to justice, to the truth, to our health, and to each other in solidarity. You are already taking the first step. By reading Rare Magazine, you are broadening your knowledge and perspectives on the world. Keep going. When we know better, we do better.
Jeanette Smith Contributing Editor
www.ncouragestudios.com
CREDITS: Model: Gift Jolly Olohirenuan - @olohijolly Makeup Artist & Stylist: Edogun Faith Uwa - @beautyorchestrator Shot/studio/retouched: Muegbeyogho Courage - @ncourage_phphotography
Throckmornton Jones is donating masks to #ProjectCAREMasks whose mission is to mobilize the provisions of DIY masks created by emerging fashion designers & makers to be distributed to charities; churches; senior citizens; Veterans; homeless population, LGBTQ community; HIV patients; under represented minorities; minorities and at risk communities suffering from poverty & mental illness.
Magazine
Rare Magazine is a digital and print publication curated around the undiscovered, rare talents of underrepresented creatives and entrepreneurs. The magazine is available for download and print copies may be purchased on our website, The sister publications Rare Living and Rare Luxury Living (currently on special annual release) further support the important mission of Rare Magazine. For more information, visit us on the web: raremagazine.com
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Nikkie Designs
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Gold Earrings nikkiedesigns.com
MAKING BEAUTIFUL
Functional Protective
MASKS
138 In-Crenn-Ible Chef :Dominique Crenn
234 How To: Zoom Friendly MakeUp
C O N T E N T S
176 Your Useful Guide To Sustainable Travel Options
266 Bringing The Outdoors In
118 Let It Grow
188 Dameon Priestly
88
120
Practice Self Love At Viva Africa Luxury Yoga Retreats
222 How Cannabis Is Transforming the Wellness Industry
260 Freedom Against Dog Breed Discrimination
80 The Exceptionally Rare Jane Elliott
156 Life After Lockdown
A RT IC LES The Exceptionally Rare Jane Elliott 80 Will You Care About Their Freedom 146 Life After Lock Down 156 The Right To Live Your Complete Truth Without Fear 214 How Cannabis Is Transforming The Wellness Industry 222 How To, Zoom Friendly Makeup 234 Playlist Meticulously Sequenced With Over 80 Tracks 254
FEATURE S
Freedom Against Dog Breed Discrimination 260 Bringing The Outdoors In 266
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Niamh O'Neill NON 2020 Part I 50 Be More Like Lisa 72 Viva Africa 88 Let It Grow 118 In-Crenn-Ible Chef Dominique Crenn 138 Your Useful Guide To Sustainable Travel Options 176 Dameon Priestly 188 Rob Hann 202
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Blossom print, silk Katie top with pussy bow neck detail, €295 Lia skirt with pockets in pink summer tweed, €295 niamhoneill.com
NON
2020 Part1
KATIE I
nspired by the colors often used by the artist, Frank Bowling, Niamh created a fresh color palette of candy pink, blue, mint and orange. These colors inspire easy shapes and relaxed femininity. As always, luxurious fabrics are key. They include summer sequins, flowing printed silks, gingham organza and a light-weight summer tweed. "We’ve called this collection Niamh O’Neill 2020 Part 1, as our collections don’t belong to a particular season. They are trans-seasonal pieces which should be worn any season, every year”. Photographed by Anita Sadowska sadowskaphoto anitasadowska.eu Shot on location in Bali. Rare Magazine 51
Hope wrap dress in mint sequins with gathered sleeve and silk waist tie detail, €395 niamhoneill.com
HOPE 52 Rare Magazine
Chloe
Chloe shirt dress in orange hammered silk, with belted waist and front slit, also available in turquoise, €395 niamhoneill.com
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HOPE Chloe shirt dress in turquoise hammered silk, with belted waist and front slit, also available in orange, €395 niamhoneill.com
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Hannah
Fit and flare Hannah dress in pink summer tweed, €420; Reversible metallic leather Beau belt, €165; niamhoneill.com
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IBIza
Ibiza dress in gingham organza with puff sleeves and navy covered belt, €420 niamhoneill.com
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DALIA
Green sequinned Dalia shift dress With sleeves and marabou trim detail €395 niamhoneill.com
Sarah
Jumpsuit
Sarah jumpsuit with blue and pink blossom print silk top and blue crepe tailored trouser, also available in light pink and green, €395 niamhoneill.com
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Masks For A Limited Time NON Masks niamhoneill.com
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Luna
Luna dress with V wrap effect, frill sleeve, gathered waist and belt detail, also available in pink and blue, €395 niamhoneill.com 60 Rare Magazine
Part1 62 Rare Magazine
Sarah dress with green and pink blossom print silk top and pink crepe skirt, also available in light pink and blue, €395 niamhoneill.com
MID YEAR SALE NIAMHONEILL.COM
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In partnership with UNICEF, Louis Vuitton's men's artistic director, Virgil Abloh, designed the Silver Lockit bracelet. Proceeds from the new bracelet design will go toward funding resources for children lacking access to water, sanitation, nutrition, and more around the world, especially those in conflict or disaster-prone areas. The Silver Lockit, available in four different colors, was inspired by Abloh's spring/ summer 2020 runway collection.
Be
More Like L is a
by: Matthew Paul Robinson photos: Courtesy of Throckmorton Jones
W
hat makes you an ally to the Black community? What does that look like? Is it what you do? Say? Believe? For Lisa, creator and owner of Throckmorton Jones, being an ally means using her creativity and skills to help people express and state that Black Lives Matter. An experienced designer, Lisa is not like many others. You won’t find an obligatory but meaningless black square for #blackouttuesday on her Instagram feed. Nor will find a new type of “wokeness” in her marketing collateral. What you will find is someone who is an actual ally, someone who wants everyone to achieve their goals, and someone who believes racism must end.
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Throckmorton Jones is rooted in artistic expression and fashion for all. Lisa, a graduate of Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and Ralph Lauren alumna, has always advocated for others. “For me, there’s absolutely nothing more thrilling than to see someone completely empowered and in their element,” she says. The accessories she creates all have a special meaning. Many of them are one-of-a-kind and evoke the essence of each client. Lisa is able to capture a part of her clients in a singular item because she’s “curious about people” and very focused. CONTINUES
Her venture with masks shows that she is not only a savvy businesswoman, she’s also a highly skilled artisan. The #BLM mask is adorned with feathers and chains that drape artfully from a black mask; a nod to punk subculture. On each side, two white hearts surround #BLM. The second style shows a dwindling heartbeat with the words “I can’t breathe.” The designer’s decision to make the BLM masks is on-brand for her.
“I suppose if we didn’t like people, we wouldn’t want to dress them…we wouldn’t want to empower them to feel their absolute best, empowered or in their element.”The past few months (and past 400 years) have shown again that Black people have to empower themselves and chant “Black Lives Matter” to remind the world of their humanity. Many attended protests and demonstrations, donning masks. CONTINUES
I suppose if we didn’t like people, we wouldn’t want to dress them…we wouldn’t want to empower them to feel their absolute best, empowered or in their element. Lisa Jones
On May 25th, former police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations began popping up all over the country after a video of the murder went viral. The masks worn by the protestors served two purposes, protect public health and express their personal style.
The BLM masks from Throckmorton Jones makes it easy for anyone to express that Black Lives Matter even if they don’t attend a protest. Lisa is an artist in every way. Speaking to her, you can feel the vibrations of good energy and her nurturing spirit. CONTINUES
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In support of the BLM movement, Rare Magazine and Throckmorton Jones have mutually agreed all proceeds from BLM mask purchases will be donated to Pretty Brown Girl prettybrowngirl.com and National Alliance Of Mental Illness nami.org
The
Exceptionally
Rare
Jane Elliott by: KarmaBennett Illustration by: Cheryl Graham
W
hen the news breaks your heart... when tragedy strikes... what can you do? Jane Elliot shines a light on such possibilities. Elliot has won the Hillman Prize for journalism and appeared on Oprah five times. She is famous among sociologists and psychologists, though she isn't an academic or a researcher, she’s simply a grade school teacher from a small farming community in Iowa. The day that changed her life forever was April 5, 1968—the day after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In reaction to that event, she changed her lesson plans to attempt an experiment that her students would never forget. Rather than telling her students what to think, she opened the class by asking them questions about groups that are treated differently and what that is like for them. "It might be interesting today to judge people by the color of their eyes. Would you like to try this?" The children responded enthusiastically. She divided the students between those with brown eyes and those with blue. She explained that for the first day, blue-eyed children would be on top and primed them by announcing that blue-eyed children are smarter. She also gave perks to the blue-eyed students, such as extra food and time at recess. Brown-eyed children were not allowed to use the drinking fountain—a perfect parallel for the separate
drinking fountains that Black Americans had to use. When students made a mistake or did well, Elliot would attribute their failure or success to the color of their eyes.
day before when they were the discriminated group. Conversely, the blue-eyed student finished their vocabulary cards a minute slower than they had when they were in the favored group.
In the Emmy award-winning PBS Frontline documentary "A Class Divided," you can see with your own eyes how the students reacted. It was the third time she'd done the exercise. At first, the children objected, laughing, not willing to believe such a ridiculous idea that eye color should mean anything at all. But it didn't take long for them to get in on the game.
"I hate today," she reassured the blue-eyed students. "Because I'm blue-eyed, and it's not fun. It's not funny. It's not pleasant. This is a filthy, nasty word called discrimination. We're treating people a certain way because they are different from the rest of us. Is that fair?" A chorus of sullen nos followed. "Nothing fair about it. We didn't say this was going to be a fair day, did we?"
"I watched what had been marvelous, cooperative, wonderful, thoughtful children turn into nasty, vicious, discriminating, little thirdgraders in a space of fifteen minutes," Elliot said. One boy suggested she keep the yardstick nearby for "if the brown-eyed people get out of hand." At recess, the children quarreled because one little boy used brown eyes as a taunt.
At the end of the school day, she asked the children how they felt when they were in the discriminated group. "Should the color of someone's eyes have anything to do with how we treat them? ...Well then should the color of their skin?" The children were eager to throw away the collars they'd worn to mark them as blue or browneyed. Then she encouraged the students to sit together, blue and brown alike.
"You didn't call him 'brown eyes' yesterday, what changed?" Elliott asked the youngster. "Were you doing it for fun, or were you doing it to be mean?" The child sat silent, pondering. The next day she told the students that she had lied, that really it was the brown-eyed people who were better. The children laughed, knowing the tables were turned. When it was time for them to review their vocabulary flashcards, the brown-eyed students were able to complete the exercise twice as fast as they had the
She continued to note the changes in student performance over the years and found the scores of the favored students would go up and the discriminated scores would go down, "almost without exception.” Additionally, their scores would “maintain a higher level after they've gone through the exercise," Elliot reported. She sent her findings to Stanford University’s psychology department. CONTINUES
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VIVA
AFRICA Written By: Mandy Allen Photographed By: Warren Heath
W
hen the vibrant prints of the African continent are united with modern industrial design, the resulting aesthetic is graphic, cosmopolitan, and electrifyingly directional.
Bring the look home with beautiful baskets, tribal beadwork, and colorful textiles. CONTINUES
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Bring the look home with beautiful baskets, tribal beadwork, and colorful textiles.
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GEOMETRY
LESSON
I
n any decorative scheme, it’s the objects that catch the eye and give rooms their character. Every piece of African basketry comes with an emotive provenance, its value lying not only in the vibrant colors and patterns but also the artistic expression and hand of its maker.
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TOUCH & GO
T
his fresh approach to decorating with African textiles and crafts in combination with contemporary furnishings goes deeper than surface aesthetics. It invites you to play with textures, mixing smooth steel furniture amongst woven raffia baskets, cool marble surfaces with waxy oiled cloth, nubbly unglazed ceramics next to glossy blown glass, and luxe rugs next to cheap-and-cheerful plastic mats.
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Resources * Hay Kaleido Tray by Clara von Zweigbergk, from Guild theguildgroup.co.za / nest.co.uk / finnishdesignshop.com * Milano Bouquet Green/Transparent Vase by Ichendorf, from Guild / ichendorfmilano.com * Coral-Colored Side Table, from Chair Crazy chaircrazy.co.za * Marble-Topped Occasional Tables, Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Rug, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Black and White Ceramic Vessels by Lisa Firer, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Large, Woven, Pot-Shaped Vessel with Yellow Lip, from Design Afrika designafrika.co.za * Natural Planters, Stark Ayres www.weylandts.co.za * Black and White, Hand-Painted Bowl by Martine Jackson, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova
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THE DARK ARTS
A
dramatic wall shade remains one of the most effective backdrops against which to highlight furnishings, art, and accessories to suggest an edgy, urban mood. An eclectic fusion of African textiles and hand-crafted objects sourced from across the African continent (including Swaziland, Central Africa, South, and West Africa), combine harmoniously with bespoke shelving and contemporary design to create warmth in a global-chic aesthetic. Statement pieces in solid pops of color—such as the occasional table, stool, and Klein blue vase—serve to further highlight and connect with the distinctive patterns.
CAPTIONS * Large Telephone Wire Basket (on top shelf) Africa Nova, Facebook / Africa Nova * Drum Lampshade and Batik-Fabric Cushion, from Mnandi Texiles. & Design Facebook / Mnandi Textiles; also see Vlisco vlisco.com * Small Wire Basket (Blue) with Lid, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Rosenthal Pacific Vibes Vase by Christine Rathman, from Guild theguildgroup.co.za / rosenthal.de * Blue Telephone Wire Bowl with Lid, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Footed Bowl (Multi Blue/Black), from Guild theguildgroup.co.za * Natural Planters with Succulents, from Stark Ayres starkayres.co.za * Small Woven Basket, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Hourglass ‘Time’ Multi-Colored Glass Vessel (on bottom shelf), from Guild theguildgroup.co.za * Large, Woven, Pot-Shaped Vessel with Yellow Lip, from Design Afrika designafrika.co.za * Coral-Colored Side Table, from Chair Crazy chaircrazy.co.za * Blue, Small Stool/Table, from Chair Crazy chaircrazy.co.za Rare Magazine 95 * Woven Plastic Rug, Design Afrika www.designafrika.co.za * Relax Occasional Chair, from Weylandts www.weylandts.co.za
CREATIVE
ENRICHMENT
B
eautiful, handcrafted African baskets and quirky objects that reflect the richness of the continent’s wild landscapes bring a fresh perspective to a display of books on a modern shelving system. A multitude of plants evokes the sense of an indoor jungle.
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CAPTIONS *Selection of Wax Cloth and Batik-Print Cushions, from Mnandi Texiles. & Design Facebook / Mnandi Textiles; also see Vlisco vlisco.com * Sofa, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Mustard-Colored Throw, from @ Home home.co.za * Blue, Small Stool/Table, from Chair Crazy chaircrazy.co.za * Rug, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Marble-Topped Occasional Tables, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Black and White, Hand-Painted Bowl by Martine Jackson, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Large, Woven, Pot-Shaped Vessel with Yellow Lip, from Design Afrika designafrika.co.za * Zig-Zag, River Reed, Woven Utility Baskets, from Design Afrika designafrika.co.za * Natural/Blue Pendant Shade (used as decoration), from Ashanti Design ashantidesign.com * Large Woven Platter/Bowl, from Design Afrika designafrika.co.za * Animal Figurines, for similar Rialheim rialheim.co.za * Coconut Planters, from Weylandts www.weylandts.co.za * Rosenthal Pacific Vibes Vase by Christine Rathman, from Guild theguildgroup.co.za / Rosenthal.de * Small Black Vessel, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Small, Blue Telephone Wire Vessel and Beaded Bowl, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Horns, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za; for similar ceramic horns, Ceramic Matters Facebook / Ceramic Matters * Selection of Baskets and Bowls, Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Hourglass ‘Time’ Multi-Colored Glass Vessel (on bottom shelf), from Guild theguildgroup.co.za * Footed Bowl (Multi Blue/Black), from Guild theguildgroup.co.za * Milano Bouquet Green/Transparent Vase by Ichendorf, from Guild theguildgroup.co.za / ichendorfmilano.com * Black and White Ceramic Vessel (just seen) by Lisa Firer, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova
Resources * Acrobatic Pendant, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Gamma Stained Oak Dining Table, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Swing Dining Chairs in Black, from Weylandts weylandts.co.za * Large, Woven, Pot-Shaped Vessel with Yellow Lip, from Design Afrika designafrika.co.za On Table: * Beaded Bowl, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Black and White, Hand-Painted Bowl by Martine Jackson, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Ichendorf Green Smoke Tequila Sunrise Jug, from Guild theguildgroup.co.za / Ichendorf ichendorfmilano.com * Milano Bouquet Amber/Transparent Vase by Ichendorf, from Guild theguildgroup.co.za / ichendorfmilano.com * Placemats in a Selection of Fabrics, from Mnandi Texiles. & Design Facebook / Mnandi Textiles; also see Vlisco vlisco.com * Recycled, Sandblasted Glass Tumblers, from Made in SA waterfront.co.za / Made In SA
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INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION
I
n this composition, the vibrancy and handmade feel of the African objects gives a refreshed feeling to familiar industrial architectural elements such as exposed electrical piping, raw painted brick, and concrete flooring. It is accented perfectly with midCentury style chairs and a striking light fitting.
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TABLE MANNERS
A
n eclectic selection of utilitarian objects and a pattern-filled table surface makes for a colorful dining experience. The carefully curated selection here combines ceramics, woven items, colorful placemats, and chunky recycled glass tumblers juxtaposed with a beautiful Italian-inspired contemporary blown glass jug.
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Resources * Beaded Bowl, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Black and White, Hand-Painted Bowl by Martine Jackson, from Africa Nova Facebook / Africa Nova * Ichendorf Green Smoke Tequila Sunrise Jug, from Guild theguildgroup.co.za / Ichendorf ichendorfmilano.com * Placemats in a Selection of Fabrics, from Mnandi Texiles. & Design Facebook / Mnandi Textiles; also see Vlisco vlisco.com * Recycled, Sandblasted Glass Tumblers, from Made in SA waterfront.co.za / Made In SA * Blue Plate, from Pick n Pay pnp.co.za
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Let It Grow
Written by Mandy Allen Production Sven Alberding Photographed by Warren Heath
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S
tylish inspiration for bringing the outdoors inside—whether you want just a trace of greenery or have an insatiable case of jungle fever.
10
Of The Best
Ideas forUrban
Greening
I
t’s no surprise that plants in urban interiors have become as much of a finishing touch as a gorgeous scatter cushion, a piece of art, a quirky figurine, or a beautiful vase. Your choices of indoor plants and trees are endlessly diverse with wonderful variations in the shapes and sizes of leaves, the coloration and texture, and even the way they grow. Indoor greenery ticks all the boxes. It’s a soothing tonic for the frazzled soul. It’s an aesthetically engaging addition
to the decorative landscape, delivering pops of color, form, and in some cases even fragrance. It’s an inspired solution for homes lacking in outdoor space or natural surroundings. Not to mention their magical (aka, scientifically proven) ability to lower stress levels, improve the oxygen count, and absorb nasty pollutants, toxins, and other negative by-products of city dwelling. The following spaces offer inspiring looks and cool ways to get your botanical fix. CONTINUES
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Greenhouse Effect
Climbing plants against wall: philodendron scandens Plants on table: a variety of ferns that are suitable for indoors where the light is bright and filtered, as well as Spanish moss, pussy willow and African violet
C
reate an area of focus in a room by grouping a collection of plants in one spot (an especially effective tactic in an open-plan space such as this industrial warehouse loft). The mix-and-match assortment of clear glass vessels adds a sense of weightlessness and modern eclecticism to the setting while at the same time encouraging plant
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1 growth—not unlike a garden glasshouse or mini conservatory. A pop of green in the form of a curvy vase anchors the scene. Creeping plants set against a wall on a simple trellis introduces the idea of the urban jungle and will eventually enable nature to be given free rein in this manmade environment.
Board
C
Games
onstruct a cool plant frame in an instant using cheap and cheerful pegboard from the hardware store. This portable living installation can be left on show in a hallway, bathroom, or living room. Give yourself something natural and calming to distract from deadlines at your
home office desk. Air plants are especially suited to this sort of display. A hanging basket found at the junk shop and filled with dried plant material found on a nature walk adds another intriguing visual layer. For a dramatic edge, paint the pegboard black.
2 Plants in image. Hanging plant: Vanda orchid; plants on table (in glass vessels): staghorn fern & scandens stem; plants on pegboard: Spanish moss, tillandsia, scandipsus, micro orchid (in glass vessel); plant growing on wooden bark: cattleya orchid.
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Culinary Innovation Born In The Napa Valley
NanoBond Foundation Cookware
CHEF
Dominique
Crenn
by: Cary Wong photos: Courtesy of Crenn Group
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In-CRENN-ible
T
he physical structures all remained the same. The Golden Gate Bridge still links Oakland and San Francisco; Lombard Street still winds back-and-forth at impossible angles. But human beings, of course, changed dramatically in the last few months. Going out to restaurants, breaking bread, and sharing stories with friends and families used to be something people take for granted and do so instinctively. And for those who were lucky enough to have the time and resources to travel and partake in high-end cuisine, it offered a further sense of freedom. Now, all that has changed—due first to the Covid-19 pandemic and then Black Lives Matter movement—and we live in a completely different world. As we wade into the unknown, Chef Dominique Crenn of Crenn Dining Group shares her ideas of freedom as well as her visions for how the restaurant business will evolve in the near future. Chef Crenn has seen her share of ups-and-downs in the restaurant business.
Hailing from France, she moved to San Francisco in 1988 to start her formal training. She worked up the ranks through different iconic San Francisco restaurants, then she blazed a new trail as the first female executive chef in Indonesia, leading Jakarta’s InterContinental Hotel kitchen. After returning to San Francisco in 1998, she continued to work at various establishments and opened Atelier Crenn in 2011. The accolades came in rapidly—2 Michelin Stars in 2013, Eater's Chef of the Year in 2015, the World’s Best Female Chef by the World’s 50 Best list in 2016, featured in NetFlix’s ground-breaking series Chef’s Table, and James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: West in 2018. Most recently she earned the coveted 3 Michelin Stars in 2019. Business-wise, the Crenn Dining Group kept growing and it now owns a family-style spot (Petit Crenn), a wine bar (Bar Crenn), and a soon-tobe-open retail space (Boutique Crenn) in addition to Atelier Crenn. On a personal level, Chef Crenn was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 and has defeated it. She also got engaged to actress Maria Bello. CONTINUES
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DLISHUS OLIVE OIL GIFT BOX Curated In Milan Currently Shipping To EUROPE
Fresh produce shines on each plate at Atelier Crenn.
If all goes according to plan, Atelier Crenn is expected to re-open for dining on July 14th. “We recognize that health and safety are the most important things for our guests; they are the newest form of luxury in a way,” Crenn said. “So, we are creating an experience, with paneled tables, artwork, and other forms of media that will help guests enjoy the experience while also feeling protected.” There will obviously be changes to travel and spending patterns, though Chef Crenn remains hopeful. “We have fiercely loyal local supporters and patrons,” she said. “…we will have fewer tourists coming to San Francisco and dining with us, but we have many friends who still anticipate coming to our restaurants to eat.” For her, the new normal can go in a variety of directions but restaurants would have to be willing to completely change their concepts to put the public's needs first. Maybe this means turning into a provision store so that people can take their food home and cook with it. Maybe this means a more technology-filled experience while in a dining room. “But it will never be like it was before,” she adds. In terms of the Black Lives Matter movement, she believes that the industry has to show up and be vocal about being allies with the Black community.
It is important to use all platforms, whether it's TV interview, social media, or other outlets, to tell people that we stand behind them and make significant changes for more equality. When Chef Crenn started speaking out for young women and members of the LGBTQ+ community struggling in the industry, she started receiving resumes from people in those communities who wanted to work with her because they felt safe and supported. “Now it's time for me and everyone else to do the same for the Black community. Come and work with me, learn, and grow in leadership within the company,” she says. “Tell me what you need and I'll listen. What we have been doing at Crenn Dining Group is something I hope every restaurant starts doing.” They definitely "put their money where their mouth is" by giving all of their employees great healthcare packages, paying liveable wages, feeding every staff member every day, promoting from within, and having service included on the bills that get shared by all. “We create a working environment that is sustainable, which is hard to do in a city like San Francisco,” she includes, “but it has to be done.” In addition, Chef Crenn thinks it is time to tell people's stories. Creating lists of Black-owned restaurants and wineries is a start, but it is only the beginning. We need to learn about all of the diverse voices in our industry and celebrate them. END
"
Chef's have a responsibility to do more than serve... Chef Dominique Crenn
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IRISH MINERAL SEA SALT Port Oriel, Clogherhead, Co Louth
Food Tastes Better
With Oriel Sea Salt
Will You Care About Their
Freedom? by: Matthew Robinson
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photo by: @cottonbro
I
n addition to bringing the world to a halt, COVID-19 lifted the well-adorned veil many people hide behind and exposed the many downfalls of our society—importantly, the disregard for service workers. These industries represent millions of people who are giving up a part of their freedom to help others. Anyone who has worked in any retail store, drug store, coffee shop, or restaurant can tell you that, regardless of the establishment, some days are hard. Some days only present a string of difficult customers who find it easy to berate a sales associate or server.
Imagine hearing this as someone who is already likely underpaid, overworked, and not represented by a union. Although some customers treat store staff with disdain, we would assume this type of behavior would curtail because of the pandemic. Surely 156,000 people dying would have influenced customers to change how they treat people, right? Not quite so. Joshua V., a sales associate from California stated, “people are going to do whatever they want to buy their products,” referring to the behavior of customers. As we witnessed, across the country people marched, protested, and petitioned for their states to reopen and resume business as usual. CONTINUES
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DLISHUS GIN GIFT BOX Curated In Milan Currently Shipping To EUROPE
Life After
Lockdown
by: Michael Daks photos by: Michael Daks
I
realised recently, with a certain degree of apprehension; that a slow dark cloud of inevitability was edging ever closer. My turning 60 and still possibly living in lockdown! So much for the open road, once stretching out before me. My midlife crisis is stuffed into a sock drawer and I contemplate the shock of my own mortality; Facebook ads for retirement annuities assault me in the media stream. But, in the words of Dylan Thomas “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” In my head I am forever 28, and the band plays on. As I think about my summer and what I had planned: my girlfriend had suggested taking me on a surprise holiday! “Pack a bag and bring your passport and I’ll tell you at the airport.” Would I need shorts or a heavy jacket? Would it be Rome? Long on my bucket list despite having lived in Milan for a year, or perhaps a Trans-Siberian train ride? However, with travel restrictions looking likely and air travel problematic (my girlfriend doesn’t want to get on a plane
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anytime soon). She suggested a road trip & I love road trips! For me freedom is travel, the joy of the open road, and the adventure of the unknown! We looked at a map, and with a pencil sketched out the possibilities. We could drive from our home in Rochester, Kent, the garden of England, and former domicile of Charles Dickens, all the way to Sweden where she was born. Six countries in six days, nearly 850 miles! Of course, whether this trip would be feasible and safe and allowed, I am still not sure. But, it got me thinking. What have we most missed during this time of lock down? I decided to ask my friends via Facebook. Going to the pub was high on the list as I suspected it might be. Not that we haven’t been drinking at home! But, it is the social interaction of the pub, the bar, the café, the brasserie, meeting friends, having a laugh…Video calls can be fun, but they really can’t replace the essential essence of human interaction. CONTINUES
Crouching Spider by: Louise Bourgeois
Tracy Emin Cat Inside a Barrel
Drop by Tom Shannan
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Wall of light cubed by Sean Scully
Pav illion De Musique by: Frank O Gehry
Tadao Ando
Chateau La Coste
Marion Heybroek and Ulysse Plaud
Paris
La Tour Eiffel
Paris
Sacre Coeur
Paris Carousel Pigalle Palais Galliera
Roussillon
Roussillon
As a child, Becky and her family would vacation in a small village in the Luberon region of Provence. One summer in the mid 80s she discovered that a film was being made in the local area and many of the film crew was staying at the same hotel as her family. Her favourite was a burly man with large hands and a big nose. She thought that he was very lazy because while everyone else was busy working and running around in the hot sun, he would sit inside and talk to her, a blushing 15-year old girl. It was not until a year later that she discovered that he was in fact its star, Gerard Depardieu! The film was Jean De Florette, and is one of the most successful French films of all time. The first time I visited the area I stayed with my brother at a small hotel in Vaugines, next to the church where the final scene was filmed. In 2005, Ridley Scott, who had a house in Oppède made a film with Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard called A Good Year, from a book written by his near neighbour, Peter Mayle, author of A Year in Provence, which was made into a successful BBC drama. A scene in the movie was set at a restaurant beside the idyllic ‘l’etang du Cucuron’ (a rectangular pond in the village square), a restaurant that is now owned by Becky’s sister Emmy, who was my assistant for many years in London before we both moved to Paris and she went to work in the publicity department at Euro Disney. Russell Crowe rented a house in Joucas, a small village where Becky & Emmy’s mother and partner now live in a beautiful villa with an artist studio, stables and a swimming pool set within its sprawling grounds.
On a walk around the village I came across a series of giant statues, some in bronze, but others carved out of trees. Two in particular caught my eye, like aliens from a Ridley Scott movie frozen in the landscape. The artists Marion Heybroek and Ulysse Plaud live in Joucas and I began to document their work, much of it on public display. An idea was born and I began a book project ‘Sculpture Garden’ photographing sculptures in the landscape. Like Atget before me, I spent many days at Versailles. On my first visit to photograph the statues I discovered them all covered in canvas sacks to protect them from some construction work going on – at first I was super disappointed, but then realised it was actually an opportunity to photograph something rare, like Christo had got there first and created an amazing art installation. I was also invited to the Rodin Museum gardens in Paris on a day not open to the public, so I could photograph the sculptures in peace. I eventually found myself back in Provence at the stunning Chateau La Coste, owned by Irish property magnate Patrick McKillen. Here, not only is there a luxury hotel, Villa La Coste, a Francis Mallman restaurant, a Jean Nouvel designed winery, but also a most amazing sculpture garden landscaped throughout the 600 acre grounds: Richard Serra, Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Tracey Emin and Louise Bourgeois’ giant spider in a reflecting pool outside the Tadao Ando arts centre, a short distance from the Frank Gehry music pavilion. It’s really not a bad place to spend the day, or even the weekend if your wallet needs a workout. END
Nearby villages are equally impressive in their charm. Ansouis has a magnificent chateau as well as a quirky nautical museum called Le musée extraordinaire, and in Lacoste you can find the former home of the infamous Marquis de Sade: this chateau is now owned by fashion designer Pierre Cardin who holds a music festival there each year. Roussillon is also well worth a visit with its colourful walls daubed with the ochre from the nearby quarries. One of my favourite visits to the area was in the winter of 2015, the sun was shining and a crisp snow lay on the ground, there were no tourists, just the locals, and a blissful time to visit the area.
Roussillon
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Emmy's Restaurant
Goult
Musee Extraordinaire Ansouis
Gordes
Hills Above Joucas
Joucas Church
Roussillon Door
Castle at Ansouis
Boulangerie In La Coste
Church In Lourmarin
Statue In Aix En Provence
Provence
HORIZON SOFT
Northern Europe
Caribbean
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Mediterranean
REINVENTING LUXURY VOYAGES AT SEA
Your Useful Guide To Sustainable Travel Options by: Daniella: Schoeman
Diamond Beach Nusa Penida Island Bali, Indonesia R.M. Nunes
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In our rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to. If things go back exactly as they were we will have missed the opportunity to take the good from the bad. Dave Hollis
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s travelers, we have a deep love for the beautiful earth we find ourselves on, and the need to see more of it is why we wander. It is up to us to ensure that this world not just survives but thrives. Unfortunately, the term environmentally-friendly travel is somewhat of an oxymoron. Truthfully, staying at home is the best way to reduce our carbon footprint. But travel is one of the greatest pleasures in this life and, when done right, can be beneficial to local populations. Not only does travel open the mind, but it enhances compassion and understanding while teaching us important life lessons.
So, instead of staying put to save the earth, a better idea is to adapt to how we travel in order to lessen our impact. As a collective world, we’ve come to truly understand the meaning of freedom after it was taken away from us during the global pandemic. Never before has all of society been so acutely aware of the fine line between freedom and captivity. With worldwide travel restrictions and severe local lockdowns, humanity is yearning for freedom. We want to move, to explore, to experience and to truly live. CONTINUES
But as eager as we are to return to our wandering ways, it’s vital for us to consider the implications. While this pandemic has affected us negatively, it has had a positive effect on our environment. With the restriction of our movement, the earth has had time to recover. For the first time in decades our skies are clear, pollution has been reduced, waters are clean, and wildlife is re-emerging. How can we ensure that during our return to normal we make the choices that are best for our earth? We focus our attention on greener and more sustainable ways of travel, ones that allow us to see this beautiful world while still reducing our carbon footprint.
Sustainable travel, otherwise known as ecotourism is a way of traveling that boils down to being aware and conscious of your choices. By making simple choices that only slightly affect the way you travel, you can effectively lessen the negative impact your presence would have on a given destination. Individual choices may only make a small difference in the bigger picture, but when we collectively become more conscious, these little personal choices can have a massive cumulative impact. This guide will provide you with useful tips and alternatives on how to become a more responsible and sustainable traveler.
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CONTINUES
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Positive
Luxury Accommodation Another aspect of tourism that has a considerable effect on the environment is accommodation. Many hotels and resorts offer luxurious escapes for travelers. But at what cost? Such comfort, convenience, and luxury tend to have a negative impact on the environment and local communities. However, as the importance of ecotourism becomes more apparent, the industry has begun to adapt. For example, SALT of Palmar is an innovative new hotel that opened in Mauritius in November 2018, marking a positive change in the industry. For an island that hosts more than 250 resorts and is heavily affected by tourism, SALT of Palmar is a breath of fresh air. The small 59-room hotel feels more like an intimate boutique hotel than a resort. Happiness and sustainability are at the heart of their mission and every aspect of your experience at SALT of Palmar attests to those values. SALT of Palmar was 180 Rare Magazine
created for conscious travellers as they believe in meaningful travel that connects you to people, not just places. As with other hotels that are managed by the Lux Collective, SALT of Palmar has a Tread Lightly program that gives back to environmental charities and causes for each guest that stays with them. The hotel has subtly replaced all single-use plastics in such a way that you barely even notice the difference. Bathroom amenities are neatly packaged in limestone paper or stored in ceramic containers, all of which are locally produced. Upon arrival, guests are gifted with reusable water bottles and are able to fill their bottle up with cold water at various stations throughout the property. All food at the hotel is organically grown at their nearby hydroponic farm or sourced from local suppliers. You also won’t find any buffets at SALT of Palmar as buffets result in too much food being thrown away, and
the meals at SALT of Palmar are designed to avoid that. Much of the menu is inspired by Mauritius cuisine and each order is made fresh by the talented team in the kitchen. Guests can enjoy the large eco-friendly rain showers which save water over bathtubs. Each room is also stocked with locally made reusable slippers as well as bathrobes made from coffee beans. There are no TVs in the rooms. Guests are encouraged to spend time in nature, enjoying the beach and warm waters of the Indian Ocean. And when you reach your room after a rewarding day of fun and relaxation you will fall asleep easily on the large Carpe Diem beds designed by physiotherapists. For culturally curious travelers, there are skill swaps available where you can learn something new from a local such as cooking traditional chicken curry. SALT of Palmar truly is an example of what is capable with Positive Luxury.
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Book Travel & Plant A Tree Besides choosing to fly with ecoconscious airlines and staying at sustainable hotels, you can also make a positive impact whenever you book your travel. B’n’Tree or Bed and Tree is a website that helps you make a difference when it comes to offsetting emissions. They partner with booking sites such as Booking. com, Expedia, Agoda, Hostelworld, Hotels, TripAdvisor, and Skyscanner to help you search for the best deals. Whenever travel bookings on these partner websites originate from B’n’Tree, at least one tree is planted in return, at no extra cost to you. Rest assured that 100% of the revenue goes towards planting trees and over 50,000 trees have been planted since September 2018. You even get a choice in which country you would like your tree planted. Trees are planted across four different continents currently. At least one tree will be planted, regardless of location or price range of the booking. B’n’Tree also plants one tree for each newsletter subscriber, so you can make a difference today, even without traveling. END
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Staying In Place
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Luxury Card marks are property of Black Card LLC. BLACKCARD is a registered trademark used under license. Luxury Card products are issued by Barclays Bank Delaware pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated, owner of registered trademarks MASTERCARD, WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD and the circles design. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2008-2019 Black Card LLC.
Dameon Priestly by: Michael Daks
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n this interview, I sit down with Dameon Priestly to talk about fine art, the Great Depression, and how our personal experiences influence the way we see the world.
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Dameon Priestly Daks: let’s go back to the beginning and talk a bit about your life growing up in Belfast, your development as an artist from very early on. Priestly: Yes, so born in ‘66. I grew up right in the middle of Belfast, right in the middle of all the trouble, daily events, travesties, tragedies, the horrors, from ‘70, ‘71 onwards. I have a pretty photographic memory for facts and figures but also a visual photographic memory—so those things haven’t faded. Not that they would anyway. They are very, very, visceral to me. And from that age, four or five years old, I remember everything that was going on around me. I believe you can be taught how to be a painter but you can’t be taught how to be an artist. You are born an artist or you are not. I was born being able to draw and paint, because I could do that before I could write and it was never really a challenge to me. I have gotten better at it, obviously. You can hone your craft, but I regard myself as a storyteller when I paint because I was born that way. Both my parents were very politically and sociallyminded, as were my grandparents. They were well-read, lots of books, my
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grandfather subscribed to TIME/LIFE magazine, he got it sent over from the states. On a Sunday I looked at The Observer Sunday supplement, so I was looking at the work of Don McCullin taking shots in Vietnam, and then the following week, he would be taking shots on the streets right outside where I lived. Daks: He took that really famous shot of the police on the corner in riot gear, with the kid in a suit and tie and a stick. Much like we are seeing on the streets of America today. Priestly: Absolutely, and his work had an impact, it imbedded itself within me. So I have always been brought up in that atmosphere where the visual stimulus is inextricably linked to your surroundings and how it impacts your life when you are growing up. Which is why for the last 20 or 30 years my work has been focused on social injustice, those kinds of things. Daks: What were your early influences? Priestly: Growing up, I was a big American comic book fan, so I slavishly copied some of my favorite artists from DC Comics and Marvel. Which I have to say are some of the most underrated artists
of all time. You have the composition, you’ve got the layout, you’ve got movement… You want to know how to draw? Look at those guys. That’s all the lessons you need to know! Daks: Do you have a favorite artist from the comic books? Priestly: John Buscema, someone like that. He would have done Conan of the Barbarians, some early Avengers. Jack Kirby of course, is a legend, because of his penmanship; nobody else drew like him at all. And Frank Miller in the later generations. CONTINUES
Geister
Bowie
Daks: The barter system! Priestly: Absolutely! And I kept on doing it until I was 14 and there were a lot more shops. I did the butchers, I did the bakers, I did the grocers, so I was coming home with enough Christmas dinner for 3 families, do you know what I mean? And then I got savvy and started asking for cash. I charged nominal fees, but I was making good money for a kid. I knew I had the skills, but also the enterprise. If you
don’t ask, you don’t get. But you have to have something to offer. Daks: At some point, you must have gone to Art College? Priestly: I did. So after grammar school, I went to do a foundation course for a year, across the disciplines, because you couldn’t go straight to Art College. But mine was a very academic school and they tried to drown the art out of me.They actually failed me in my final exams! But, I sailed through my foundation year and won some awards and bursaries to help assist me in going on to Art College. Daks: And you studied illustration or Fine Art? Priestly: I had always been a fine artist or graphic artist, but my passion from age 14 or 15 was actually to be in fashion. And I thought, if I am going to
go to college and I know I can already do the fine art graphic thing, then I may as well get a qualification in something that I am really, really passionate about. And if I want to work in fashion then I can’t do that without a degree. It was a horse and cart approach. After the first year, I won a bursary award as the best first-year student. In the second year, I got awards and sponsorships from textile suppliers. Forecast magazines picked me up and I started to do freelance work from art college, illustration work. And by the third year, I was pretty much ahead of the game. I won the Irish Designer of the Year and I came second in the UK Smirnoff awards. CONTINUES
W.E.C. Mr. TJ Newton (Bowie)
But these guys were storytellers, and to this day, I still use type in most of my fine art because it’s a leftover from reading comic books from a very early age. I would go to the local shop when I was 10 years old and say, “can I paint Father Christmas on your wall there?” They would pay me in produce, in groceries.
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Michael B, Jordan, Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York
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Rob Hann by: Michael Daks
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n this interview, I sit down with Rob Hann to talk about modeling while homeless, shooting Busta Rhymes (with a camera, of course), and how 18-wheeler tires make it to the side of the road. CONTINUES
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Daks: Hi Rob. I think the first time I met you was probably in London on a casting when you were still modeling. How did you start your modeling career? Any career highlights, or lowlights you want to share? Hann: Yes, I think you’re right but that was a long time ago! I started modeling when I was living in New York in ’85, working as a bike messenger. I was with a friend at a restaurant called Around The Clock in the East Village when the fashion designer Willi Smith came to my table and asked if I’d be in his upcoming show. I did the show with the likes of Iman and other top models of the day. Willi recommended me to some agencies and before long I headed to Europe to really launch that career. After a brief spell in Paris, I took a train to Milan and arrived there with about $12 in my pocket. I’d convinced myself I could be a big success, although I never really looked like the typical models at that time.
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Success did come, but only after I’d spent five weeks sleeping in a park after I first arrived. The first big-money job that got me out of the park was an advertising campaign for Moschino. I was lucky enough to work for many top designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood, and Paul Smith. I also did a ton of magazine work for British Vogue, GQ, L’Uomo Vogue, Vogue Hommes, etc. And lots of advertising work for the likes of Levi’s, BMW, Chivas Regal, and Barneys. I had agencies around the world and lived almost six years in Milan, before moving to Paris and then London. Daks: So, at some point, you decided you would rather be on the other side of the camera and you began shooting portraits. How did this come about? Hann: I wasn’t sure how long the modeling would last and wondered what I could do next.
For some years, I’d been interested in the aesthetics of photography without actually doing it. I was now in that world and knew many photographers. I thought maybe I could become a photographer too. I bought a 35mm Nikon and started shooting. I didn’t know what I was doing and my first efforts were pretty poor, but I soon got the hang of it. I started shooting other models and my intention was to be a fashion photographer. I was getting a little less excited about that world when, on a visit to London, I saw a huge Irving Penn retrospective at the V&A. I was struck by his fantastic portraits and realized he’d also met all of those people, everyone from Picasso to Louis Armstrong. I thought maybe I could do that too. I kept shooting portraits of people I knew and eventually started showing my work to magazine photo editors. CONTINUES
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@ROBHANN.COM
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Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable - a most sacred right - a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.
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Abraham Lincoln
The right to live your complete truth, without fear by: Alex English
T
he events of the last few months, associated with both COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter, have exposed the widespread vulnerabilities, inequities, and injustices that face everyone in our world, but especially Black people, poor people, and those who are undereducated and undersupported. The first cataclysmic shock came with the onset of a novel and unknown coronavirus that would bring our daily lives and economies to a grinding halt. Across the world, to varying degrees, we collectively watched ill-prepared institutional responses, millions of patients suffer needlessly, and an economic ripple-effect (hurting the poor and working-class most) that still hasn’t been fully realized. Much of this magnitude is owed to our chosen economic system, which is inherently shortsighted, profit-minded, and exploitative. It’s also thanks to a political climate that has only worked against those trying to save lives. This is combined with an under-educated populace that has been cleverly fed misinformation, anti-intellectual propaganda, and plausible but untrue conspiracy theories. Today, we find ourselves facing an ideological tug-of-war between those who are doing their best to prevent further disease spread, those who are using it to squeeze already-vulnerable workers and an already-precarious economy, and those who think the entire exercise has been an elaborate hoax.
Amid the global pandemic, we experienced the spark of an even more visceral threat to our utopian ideals—the ongoing and systematic mistreatment of Black people, people of color, immigrants, and many other groups that are not led by caucasian males. Thanks to modern technology and the ubiquity of video recording devices, these cases are out in the open more than ever, and the painful unfairness of each death, traffic stop, and police-civilian interaction is clear and on display. Who can say if the Black Lives Matter movement would have had the same platform and impact had we not all been already fearful of a mysterious, invisible virus and frustrated by a clearly racist, misogynist, homophobic, and incompetent leading political administration. What is clear is that America no longer leads the world in pursuing one’s personal freedom. That our country’s founding documents and anthems call for “equality and justice for all” is almost laughable in light of both recent events and the reexamining of the societal structures that helped build this country (e.g. slavery). At this moment, due to both COVID-19 and #BLM, none of us feel particularly free. Each of us has had our freedom curtailed during the first half of 2020, and in many ways, since the start of our adult lives. CONTINUES
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I grew up in Florida in the 1990s, born to a white family of above-average education and socio-economic status. We had a comfortable life. Both of my parents worked, put my needs before their own, and perhaps most critically, they allowed me the space to explore myself, discover my passions, and do almost completely as I pleased. I grew up with some very basic passed-down and taught beliefs—treat everyone as you would like to be treated, stand up for yourself, and know that you are loved. Never once did I hear my parents utter a derogatory term or statement about a group of people or color of skin, and we regularly had Black people, brown people, and other non-white ethnicities in and around our social circle. At age 14, I told my parents I was gay, and it was almost anticlimactic. No fuss, no drama (the way it’s usually portrayed). Today, I am lucky to live a relatively fear-free life, as being gay has become mainstream. The new teenage coming-out shock is being transgender, not simply homosexual. And this is a momentous change from the past, something that serves as inspiration for the possibility of a racism-free future. Of course, my wider awakening came in college and out in the world, when I realized that not only are non-whites treated differently in subtle ways, they’re treated differently in quite overt, institutional ways too. Once, while on a tour bus crossing the Italian-French border with two classmates from my Italian university, my passport was given a momentary glance by border patrol. My Asian female companion was asked just a question or two, and our 216 Rare Magazine
friend Omer, an olive-skinned gentle giant from Turkey, was questioned for at least ten minutes before we were allowed to pass. The funny thing about racism is that it all comes down to fear, competition, and control, which also happen to be tenets of the capitalist economic system. If a single united group can control other groups by way of resource scarcity, it can harness their desire for improved conditions, via their brute productive and intellectual capacity, to further enrich themselves and further exert socio-economic control. What if we all were willing to admit that we’re in this life together? Cooperation has a more bountiful payoff than competition. Our existences are relatively short in the grand scheme of things, and we can’t take any of our riches with us when we leave. Why not share with thy neighbor rather than seeing everyone else as a threat? The American dream today requires joining an economic system that benefits from systematic racism and discrimination. Now is the time to dismantle it and start afresh. What’s to lose? (Other than the oversized fortunes of a few billionaires and trillionaires, most of whom are white, male, and happy to preserve the status quo.) True freedom starts with education. Educate yourself of your privilege, your advantages and disadvantages relative to others, and your responsibility to the greater populace. Economic freedom is shopping wisely with your dollars and working for companies that have the right culture to effectively redirect
resources to businesses and leaders that have your same interests in mind. On a larger scale, freedom is reinvesting in free, public education where budgets have previously been slashed and redirected to the punitive and judicial elements of our government. It’s seeing those in need, whether on welfare or living homeless on the street, as products of a broken system, not factions that actively choose a life of drug addiction, household dysfunction, violence, and criminal encroachment. This is a self-feeding cycle, but only because we choose to see these problems as individual failings, not our collective responsibility. I genuinely hope that all of the events of the last months have galvanized a movement and activated a collective power to take back our society for the people. It’s still too soon to tell— November could be a major turning point we will have to watch carefully—but I’m hopeful. Everyone in the world deserves the personal freedom to live their truth as Black, as trans, as anything that isn’t hurting others. And they should live it without fear…of the police, of being fired for trivial or arbitrary reasons, of being ill and homeless and unable to achieve the basics of life (shelter, food, healthcare, education, recreation). America in particular is undergoing a fundamental change, and our future can look much freer if we band together to make it so. END
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How Cannabis Is Transforming the Wellness Industry by: Daniella Schoeman
L
egitimate wellness revolutions don’t occur that often in the 21st century. But a revolution is exactly what is happening when it comes to our understanding of health and wellness as it connects to a plant, of all things. For several decades, the cannabis plant was prohibited throughout the world due to ignorance and misinformation. But this miracle plant is once again being recognized for its medical properties and thus being liberated worldwide. Although stigma still surrounds it, people are quickly learning the truth— cannabis is good for you! The option to use cannabis,
whether for medical or personal reasons, is closely linked to human rights and freedom. Now more than ever our society is aware of the privilege of freedom. The global pandemic has allowed us to shine a light on global issues. Collectively people are taking a stand to fight injustices, correct inequality, and speak up to right wrongs. Although cannabis is only a small part of this fight, it is clear that it’s restriction is no longer a viable option. With the increasing amount of reform victories, safe access to cannabis is becoming a reality. Wellness experts in all fields are starting to use cannabis in various ways to help people heal. Wellness brands across all
areas such as food, beverage, beauty, and more are starting to embrace the healing properties of cannabis. The cannabis revolution has begun! Medical Cannabis, with its myriad of healing properties, is revolutionizing the medical industry most of all. Some cannabinoids are naturally produced in the human body, and there are speciallydesigned cannabinoid receptors in the brain. This is why parts of the cannabis plant are already being used to treat a range of ailments worldwide, especially in the United States. CONTINUES
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Skin Care Another area where cannabis is causing a buzz is in the skin care industry. By applying topical cannabis treatments, people are able to significantly improve their skin health and even cure certain skin problems. Cannabis is even being used in sunscreen products. Specifically, hemp seed oil is combined with fruit extracts that together help protect the skin from excess UV rays. Some cannabis topical creams have a cooling effect that works to soothe and nourish the skin. This is best used as an after-sun treatment to heal sunburn. Cannabis is also used in lip balms, and some cellulite treatments contain THC. CBD and THC in bubble bath products will leave skin feeling great and even help improve overall mood. In a more medical focus, cannabis studies have been shown to treat contact dermatitis, an inflammation of the skin caused by allergens. Additionally, cannabinoids may be able to treat other skin conditions such as psoriasis. 226 Rare Magazine
Food Since cannabis is having such a strong influence on the wellness industry, it has also affected the way the plant is consumed. Edibles have evolved from unhealthy cakes, muffins, and brownies to healthier alternatives. Due to the flexible nature of cannabutter, which is usually made with coconut oil, almost any dish can be medicated. It can be added to salads in the form of hemp seed oil, or mixed into smoothies, or even added to a tea blend. By combining cannabis with nutritional food, the healing effects are enhanced significantly. The seed of the hemp plant, a low THC-containing strain of cannabis, is quite popular and nutritious. Hemp seeds contain all the healthy fats such as omega-3 and omega-6, are rich in protein, and provide vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc—a true superfood. Fresh cannabis leaves and buds can also be consumed but its not for everyone. Add these ‘greens’ to juices, smoothies or salads. Eaten in its raw form, cannabis improves cell function in the body and provides antioxidants. END
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BEAUTY
How To
Zoom Friendly by: Vanessa Ohaha
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Photo: Gaelle Beller @gaelle_beller_Studio Model: London Kress @londonelisekress
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ith most of us working from home in a bid to protect ourselves and others from the global COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of our business meetings and conferences are being done over video conferencing apps such as Zoom.
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We may be at home, but you still want to look your best without really having to try, right? Here are a few things you can do to look your best for your virtual meetings. CONTINUES
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Bold Lipstick
Bold lipstick is the best way to look like you’ve put in the effort. It’s maximum reward with minimal work. The go-to bold color for most would be a hue of red or maroon to say, “I’m here. I’m awake, 238 Rare Magazine
I’m confident, and it’s business as usual.” Our current favorite is the UOMA Beauty BadAss Icon Concentrated Matte Lipstick in the shade Diana. CONTINUES
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Glowing skin is really something that goes beyond prep for a Zoom Meeting. Achieving beautiful skin should already be a goal of your regular skincare routine. Having smooth and glowing skin makes it easier for you to get away less makeup, such as wearing just lipstick. Of course, there’s a cheat for that.
When you’re getting ready for your call, prep your skin with a nourishing face oil for a glow that isn’t too highlighted or shimmery. Some of our favorites are the Pixi Pure Pearl Priming Oil and the Elemis Superfood Oil. CONTINUES
Glowing Skin
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by: Karma Bennett
R
ight now many people—not only Americans—are processing the endless onslaught of police violence in response to the murder of George Floyd. In this issue’s playlist, I explore songs that focus on how musicians respond to racial discrimination. Some songs respond with positivity, others with anger. Some songs ask for moderate reforms while others are more radical. I want to honor the variety of ways that musicians have responded to racism and police violence without imposing my own values as an ally. Note that this list contains explicit lyrics. This playlist covers many genres and spans many decades, including rare gems from nineties hiphop, sixties folk, seventies funk, and even one incredible song from 1929. I hope this list gives you some comfort, but even more than that, I hope it inspires you to action. This is a Rare Gems playlist. That means it goes deeper than a Best-Of list. If you don’t see your favorite radio hit here, that’s the point. These rare gems are to expand your collection and your horizons with new artists or forgotten-but-great tracks from your favorite musicians. We open with Erykah Badu and a song that surprises when you discover the real soldier is Badu herself, positioning herself as Harriet Tubman: if you think about turning back I got the shotgun on ya back. You’ve likely heard Stevie Wonder’s “Living in the City,” so here we highlight this song targeted at Richard Nixon, featuring backing vocals from The Jackson Five. Track four is Ice Cube, an artist who has had plenty to say about law enforcement. But his new album is really terrific so we’re sharing God Cop Bad Cop. The final verse perfectly summarizes the prison pipeline so problematic in America.
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Ice Cube – Good Cop Bad Cop Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is getting a lot of hype lately, yet still many haven’t really heard it. While we understand that everyone has a TV in their pockets these days, the final line of the song is still meaningful: The revolution will be live is a reminder that if you stay home, nothing changes. The harder-hitting rap songs fall later in the list so that there is a buildup and flow, but Meek Mill’s Trauma is so important I wanted to get it in their early. It’s hard not to shed a tear when he raps The ambulance, they coming baby, just breathe. The podcast “Song Exploder” revealed that he did this all in one take as a freestyle—incredible. As the list moves into the teens, I explore some of folk music’s contributions to songs about American racism. You’ve all heard Bob Dylan’s “Times They Are A Changin” on the radio, so instead we offer Dylan’s epic tribute to real-life boxer Rubin Carter who was wrongly imprisoned for murder. Barbara Dane and Phil Ochs were folk peers of Dylan, famous in their time but even more political in their lyrics. The pace picks up with lesser-known songs freedom songs by classic soul singers Mavis Staples, Diane Ross, and James Brown, taking us into the most chilling song about looting of all time by The Wailers. The faster-paced and harder-hitting songs round out the end of the list, with lyrics that quake with truth from Lupe Fiasco, Bobby Sessions, Lil Baby, and punk rockers Parquet Courts. But that’s just a sample from this enormous list that extends over eighty songs. Have a listen. Rare Magazine Spotify
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Freedom Against Dog Breed Discrimination by: Mickaela Doyle
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he relationship between human and canine is one of the strongest bonds ever created. As an animal enthusiast, the best news I heard in recent days is the lack of inventory in animal shelters across the country. During the COVID-19 pandemic, adoptions have increased dramatically, meaning countless shelter dogs have found their forever homes. COVID-19 has forced millions of people to work from home, lose their jobs, forgo summer vacations, and self-isolate from others. Unable to engage in normal human-tohuman social interactions people have increasingly turned to canine companionship to fill this void. Dogs that have struggled to find a permanent home are now living with owners who suddenly have more time to give them the attention they deserve. The lack of dogs available for adoption has led people to reconsider their preconceived notions about commonly misunderstood dog breeds such as pitbulls, bull terriers, American bulldogs, German shepherds, and
rottweilers. Although many dogs are now free from animal shelters, still many others suffer from the unfounded fear, prejudice, and misconceptions people have about them. I have owned rescue dogs my entire life. Currently, I own an Australian cattle dog and a bluenose pit bull—both in the top 10 most common dog breeds found in animal shelters. Many potential owners lack the understanding of what these dogs are bred for and why they have certain physical attributes such as a strong muscular build or a high energy level. Working dogs were bred to maintain stamina throughout the workday. This does not translate well to a life confined in a home without proper exercise. Lack of education for adopters regarding breed-specific exercise requirements leads to behavioral problems and returned adoptions. Researching dog breeds prior to adopting is the best way to increase successful transitions into family homes. I chose to adopt a bluenose pitbull because his energy level matches my own, and I wanted a dog that could accompany me on long hikes. The level of affection and amount of intelligence I see from him has created the deepest bond between us. It’s unfortunate this breed is widely viewed as inherently aggressive because it could not be further from the truth. Dogs of all shapes and sizes end up in shelters. Purebreds and mutts alike can be found in various rescue organizations throughout the country.
Typically, shelters are overflowing with dogs waiting to be adopted. Many animal advocacy groups make a plea for people to “adopt don’t shop.” This is because, regardless of how they ended up in the shelter, these dogs are worthy of the freedom of having owners that love, care, and help them thrive. During normal times, animal shelters operate near maximum capacity. The job of caring for and placing these dogs in good homes can be overwhelming. This is why the empty shelters currently seen during quarantine is such a miracle. Now, it is our job to make sure these dogs are cared for properly by their new owners to reduce the return rate and keep the shelters empty as we transition back to our new normal. While educating new and prospective owners is the first priority, we must also work to educate the general public. As an owner of a beautiful bluenose pitbull, I regularly see the effects of the unfounded fear of bully breeds. A simple walk around the block often results in people crossing to the other side of the road to avoid us, even before any physical interaction has been made. CONTINUES...
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Bringing The Outdoors In by: Brian Esterle
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ike a house of mirrors, screens greet us everywhere we look in these times of lockdown. Our savior from this labyrinth? Nature—the great outdoors.
In what seems a new reconstruction of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the importance of being in nature in terms of our health and wellbeing has been keenly felt by many during this time. Like meerkats, we began by timidly popping out of our shelters, eager yet wary, desiring to step out and explore. Now, we emerge from lockdown and swarm to a Russian roulette of open spaces, eager to escape the constraints the pandemic has brought. Paradoxically, COVID-19 has also shown a bright light on how much we now rely on technology to live a life indoors, accelerating a trend of people feeling detached from the natural world. This trend is more than troubling because it goes against biophilia hypothesis, our genetic tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. If people don’t feel connected with the natural world, why would they want to protect and care for it? This dynamic of disconnection starts with our youth. According to Common Sense Media’s 2019 census, children ages eight to twelve spend around five hours on average looking at screens for entertainment.
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Keep in mind, this was before behaviors changed because of the shelter in place order when schooling and academics went online. Technology is evolving faster than the mind can comprehend. Yet this acceleration doesn’t necessarily mean an increasing disconnect from nature. A different future also beckons. Why not base technologies off of nature? Why not bring the outdoors in? And in so doing, design innovative tools and environments that strengthen our connection to nature rather than the opposite. Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges. Though not widely known, it’s a concept I guarantee you have encountered before. Velcro, invented in the 1940s by George de Mestral, was inspired by cockle-burs, those pesky prickly pods that you find on your clothes or dog after going off trail. By studying the burs under the microscope, Mestral found that the tips of these plant seeds have tiny hooks, leading to a large array of uses, from medical applications to David Letterman’s Velcro suit. Nature is the original architect, inventor, and artist, so why not learn from it? CONTINUES
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"When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something." John Lewis
Rare is a diverse magazine. The founder, a Haitian woman whose first language is French, married an Irish man from Co. Down in Northern Ireland. Their relationship would have been illegal when the current president was old enough to buy cigarettes. We tend to take a very diverse and global perspective in our stories and editorial approach, and for that, we’ve shied away from politics. But the eyes of the world are now centered on America and the injustices that permeate there and around the world. We can’t sit idly by. As Howard Zinn says, “you can’t be neutral on a moving train.” Eight minutes and forty-six seconds. That’s how long law enforcement casually kneeled on Mr. George Floyd and crushed the air out of this man’s soul while he cried out for his mother and onlookers begged them to stop. These men had sworn to protect and serve. But George Floyd was not the first. Earlier that same month, police in Indianapolis killed three Black people in one day, including a pregnant woman. Before that was Breonna Taylor, who was asleep in her bed when uniformed police broke into her house—the wrong house—and shot and killed her. Before that was Tamir Rice, a 12-year old boy playing cops and robbers with a fake gun in his yard. Before that was Elijah McClain, a violinist who volunteered at an animal shelter, killed by police because he “looked suspicious.” The officers all had removed their body cameras, and in the audio one can be heard saying, “move the camera.” They knew what they were doing was wrong. And since George Floyd, there have already been many others including David McAtee, a Louisville, Kentucky business owner who frequently gave free food to community members, including law enforcement. The list goes on and on. Clifford Glover, Claude Reese, Randy Evans, Yvonne Smallwood, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Jonathan Ferrell, Aiyana Jones, Eric Garner, John Crawford, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Corey Jones, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Terrence Crutcher, Keith Scott, Jordan Edwards, Stephon Clark, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Ahmaud Arbery. We repeat, “say their names,” but the truth is every person of color has stories to share about police brutality. The truth is that their murders are a signal to people of color to know their place. Just as lynchings served as a warning in the past, just as confederate statues are the same brutal reminder today. The threat of brutality impacts us all. The wealthy, the successful, the brilliant, all live in this fear. In response to this endless brutality, the victims are blamed. Some claim that Eric Garner deserved to die for selling cigarettes. That Oscar Grant deserved to die for having too much fun on New Year’s. That Deion Fludd deserved to die for hopping a turnstile. That Michelle Cusseaux or Kayla Moore deserved to die because they suffered from mental illness. And when there is no excuse, police will claim they were attacked or that the cell phone or wallet was believed to be a gun. We will not engage in these debates. They do not matter. The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution promises that all those accused of a crime have a right to a trial. It is not for the police to decide who lives and who dies. Those who entertain this narrative are arguing against their own rights, and we see the proof of that when such arguments are used to defend brutality against protesters of every race. Trevor Noah got it right when he said “the social contract is broken”. We say remember their names, but we don’t want another martyr. We want change. We know you do too, that’s why we are sharing a list of important resources so you can start taking action. Rare magazine is here to empower our communities and fellow citizens to reach their full potential to change the narrative to uplift all the Rare talent and beauty that’s often overlooked and missed. Rare will be that voice, that platform that many may be unable to reach due to their sexual preference, skin color, religion, who they choose to love and many other prejudices and discriminations. Check out our website of resources and support: raremagazine.com by: Karma Bennett Rare Magazine 275
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