Archivi tag: New York

NEW YORK

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“I love New York, even though it isn’t mine, the way something has to be, a tree or a street or a house, something, anyway, that belongs to me because I belong to it.”
  Truman Capote

 

 

New York it’s magic. Everytime I visited the city I thought about the song “Empire State of Mind”, I love it! There is so much to say about this place, and probably nothing you don’t know already, everyone speaks about it and a lot of people have been here already. To be here it’s like to play in a movie, you can visit and experience something you already heard about it or seen it somewhere.

 

And everytime is a new adventure, new buildings to admire, new corners of the city to discover. I think that the best idea is to walk as much as possible, to get lost in Manhattan (but I also did it in Harlem, Brooklyn and Queens) or to rent a byke and ride uptown and downtown, it’s confortable and enough safe and you get a completely different view of New York!

Do you have 5 days time? Go and visit New York! Do you have two weeks free? Even better! You will be not disappointed. It is the kind of city for everyone and for everything you are looking for. It’s a city that will welcome you, surprise you and make you feel home!

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Every season is the best one to spend holydays in NY: Christmastime, to have fun in the snow, the Christmas illuminations throughout the city and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree… In Summer, burning up and looking for some rest in the green, enjoying long walks -also in the evening- in the Central Park, with the silence of the night lit by fireflies… Magic!

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It’s also very interesting to browse the shop windows to find out about upcoming trends and taste different food as all the world’s ethnic cuisines are available in NY: You can eat almost anything, from anywhere! I would strongly suggest eating Japanese, the quality is generally very high. But don’t miss Shake Shack, the so-called “fast casual restaurant” with a special menu also for your dog 🙂

If you need some suggestions write us, we will be very glad to help you to give you some ideas!…

 

Some places to eat: Ginjan Cafe, Ippudo Westside, Magnolia Bakery

Some places to see: Visit the Guggenheim Museum (Saturday you pay what you wish), MoMa (Friday is free), Metropolitan Museum, the Roosevelt Island, the High Line…

Something to do: Listen to live jazz music, rent a bike and have a ride in the city, visit Central Park in the evening to see fireflies!

Donatella

The five best vegan restaurants in the world

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Some people say it’s impossible to make a list of the five best anything in the world, but I think they’re just not decisive enough. Food is subjective and can be so personal, but I would bet good money that this list is fairly exhaustive.

 

 

Sometimes when travelling it can be easy to slip into bad food habits, because it is so much easier to find something that will just fill you up, rather than nourish your soul. I’ve compiled this list of restaurants that offer healthy, beautiful food that is not just something to fill your belly, but also give you an experience, and help you feel more ready to face your next adventure.

 

Madame K’s, Melbourne
Madame K’s, Melbourne

Madame K’s (Melbourne, Australia)

Madame K’s is somewhat of a hidden gem, not because people don’t know about it, but because it has the slight misfortune of being opposite another vegan restaurant which is more popular, WHATEVER IT’S CALLED. I’m not sure why it’s more popular, but I suspect it may have something to do with the slightly more comprehensive menu, and the fact that it’s just a little bit cooler. Madame K’s is a fairly traditional Thai restaurant with the most delicious tofu I’ve ever had. I’ve never had a bad dish in there. If I were to give any tips on what to have it would be to start with the satay with roti – I have never had better roti anywhere.

 

 

Dirt candy, NY
Dirt candy, NY

Dirt Candy (New York, USA)

Dirt Candy is something as unusual as a vegan restaurant with a set menu. Located on the lower east side of New York, it looks fairly unassuming from the outside, and when coming in you are faced with a choice of either six or nine dishes. These are changed on a seasonal basis, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. Even if the food wasn’t amazing I would still put them on this list because it is so delightful to see that fine dining is waking up to plant based food, but luckily the food is all good enough that I don’t even have to fib to put them on the list.

 

Lao Wai (Stockholm, Sweden)

Lao Wai is a Chinese all vegan restaurant in Stockholm. It is fairly small and booking is recommended as it books out quickly, even on a random Tuesday night (as I had the misfortune of discovering the last time I went there). The food is simple and delicious, with many unique flavours that you don’t find easily in other restaurants – they make great use of Thai basil, for example. I would recommend going for dinner as the lunch is fairly uninspired (rolling two week menu with one dish per day, so if you happen to not like the dish of the day you’re out of luck), but if you do get a seat for dinner it is divine.

 

New York
New York

The Butcher’s Daughter (New York, USA)

This restaurant is mostly on this list for their fantastic spaghetti squash with tempeh. I still dream of this dish. I’m slightly worried that when I go back it will turn out to not be as amazing as I remembered it, but until then I live in hope. The Butcher’s Daughter do both breakfast, lunch and dinner very well, which seems slightly unusual – it seems most restaurants fall down on at least one of them. Well worth a visit.

 

 

 

Manna (London, UK)

Manna is a cozy, comfortable restaurant that offers all the dishes you remember from your childhood (and a few you don’t!), but vegan, and frequently updated to be better, fresher, more interesting. They’ve been in Primrose Hill for over 50 years, and it’s clear that they’ve been refining the menu consistently over that time.

Written by: Amanda Gun

GINJAN & the success story of two talented brothers

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Ginjan, Mohammed and Ibrahim are the characters of this African-American success, and the moment you get to know the brothers, you gonna like them for sure!

 

Let’s take a step back: Ginjan is an African drink – made of, above all, organic ginger- brought to New York and Long Island by Mohammed and Ibrahim, who worked for years to find the perfect match and create a winning recipe. Ginjan it is not just ginger made like the original African recipe drunk for thousands of years and also by the young brothers, but it is wisely mixed -with the precious suggestions of mommy!-. It has pineapple, lemon, vanille and anise, making a wonderful fresh and lightly spicy drink for summer, and if warmed up, an enjoyable healthy infusion for winter.

We spent a wonderful evening with Ibrahim discovering Harlem and the history behind Ginjan.

When we asked him where did they get that idea from, he told us that they have been thinking about it for a long time. But interestingly, even tho many people they knew spoke about the idea of commercializing it nobody did it until the brothers decided to take that step! At the end of the day, what always makes the difference is resolution.

Ibrahim is incredible: with a great serenity and a contagious passion, he tell us about future projects, the idea of making something good and building a sustainable business. This is the kind of future we also imagine, social responsibility and commitment to what we do.

Ibrahim and Mohammed were born in Guinea and moved to New York years later were they were raised. After some experiences in Europe, their idea was to build a business back in the US, involving also their African “home”. It was not easy and not fast; it took a lot of work and many lost hours of sleep to achieve the dream… and it’s not over yet!

The goal of the project is to involve local companies in Africa and cooperate with them in the productive process to create work and to help the economy. It is a different concept, a new course, the prospect to build a well-founded business where every part of it can take advantages, even the weaker party.

As Ibrahim told us, “Our purpose is to “brand” Africa, or perhaps I should say “re-brand” Africa. A lot of products from around the world have such a distinct and positive association with their place of origin that it in and of itself adds tremendous value to the underlying commodity. Think coffee and Italy, where coffee doesn’t even grow yet nothing is more synonymous with good coffee than Italy. In Africa, it’s just a place where raw materials get extracted to be refined elsewhere, we’d like to help make that change in the food space for starters. To be clear, money is absolutely crucial in our business and any venture really, as it is one of the easiest ways to “keep score” on what you’re doing.

We’re not looking to make money for money’s sake.

If at the end of it all we end up with a financially lucrative business that is selling terrible products to the world, that would be a major moral failure on our part; we’ll avoid this at all cost.”

Watch the video to discover more about Ginjan:

                                                   

“We also have a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) component to our business relating to sanitation; the flip-side to the food industry. This issue is near and dear to our hearts, as we, the founding brothers, grew up less than a mile from the largest waste disposal site in Guinea’s capital city of Conakry. So, we started an initiative to help fund startups working to solve the waste management problem in Africa, starting with Guinea. This is not a charity, as we believe waste management can be a lucrative business, so we invest a portion of our funds in small companies addressing the problem. One of the measures of our success is therefore the total tonnage of waste managed by the enterprises we support and invest in.”

In your opinion Ibrahim, what does it take to become successful and what would you suggest to someone who wants to start a business?

Here are thoughts that are spontaneously occurring to me now:

  • First and foremost, you need to solve a problem people actually have or provide something their hearts will truly desire.
  • Second, It will take much longer and be much more expensive than you think.
  • Finally, you need to take care of yourself mentally and physically, otherwise you’ll end up rich and completely destroyed or worse, your business will fail and you’ll be completely destroyed. Work out, sleep, and love something and/or someone 🙂

More about Ginjan here

Invest in Ginjan www.drinkginjan.com/invest

Instagram www.instagram.com/ginjanbros/

Facebook www.facebook.com/ginjanbros/

Twitter https://twitter.com/GinjanBros

Shop online

…you have nothing to do now but to try it! 😉

 

Donatella

HELEN HENDERSON

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HELEN HENDERSON

 

March 12th, 1992, Boston. Model for Karin Models, Fenton Model Management and Script Supervisor of the documentary about Pauline Kael entitled “What She Said”.

You told us that you are working with your team on this doc which shows motion picture history through the eyes of famed movie critic Pauline Kael. Coming in late 2016: this job gave you the chance to meet a lot of interesting people. Would you tell us about the most exciting experiences you lived so far?

The film’s director, Rob Garver, has interviewed 44 people for this film, and I’ve met some wonderfully interesting and inspiring filmmakers, actors, authors and critics (you can find a full list of participants on our website www.whatshesaidmovie.com). Besides breathing the same air as some serious movie legends, I think the most exciting experience for me has been watching a film, and then reading Pauline’s review of that film right afterwards. It’s something that anyone can do at home because a lot of Pauline’s reviews are online, as well as in her collections, and it’s really special. In the past I never felt the need to read a piece of criticism after watching a movie that I either loved or hated, but now I think it enhances the filmgoing experience. I recommend watching a movie by Altman, De Palma, Coppola or Scorsese (some of Pauline’s favorite directors) and then reading her review of the movie afterwards. You’ll see what I mean.

You interviewed the One and Only Quentin Tarantino, how was he and what did you bring home from that experience?

Quentin Tarantino was warm, friendly and very enthusiastic. I think he knows more about film than anyone I’ve ever met. He seems to have an encyclopedic cinematic knowledge that can probably only be matched by a few people (ahem, Pauline Kael). His zeal was infectious, but the most compelling thing that I took away from his interview was that you can’t let a lack of resources get in the way of your passion. Tarantino wasn’t able to go to film school. He couldn’t even afford to buy books about film. He told us a story about how, as a teenager, he saw Pauline on a late night television show, then went to a B. Dalton bookstore in Los Angeles and read her When the Lights Go Down in the aisle. He went on to read all 12 of her books.

“Pauline Kael (1919-2001) was likely the most powerful, and divisive, movie critic of the 20th century. Her love of movies was revealed in her ruthless pursuit of what made a movie or an actor’s performance work, or not, and why — which made her both admired and despised amongst her readers. The latter golden age of movies of the 1960s and 1970s are the focus of this film that pursues the question of what made Pauline Kael’s work so individual, so influential — and so damned good.” There are any words you would like to describe the doc and to add about Pauline Kael?

Pauline Kael was a remarkable critic and writer, and our film will show how she found her distinctive voice, and her struggle to make a living as a writer and to be widely read. It’ll also pair Pauline’s voice with the movies of her era, and show 20th century films through her eye. The film is about this one woman’s obsession with the movies and her impact — 15 years after her death, it’s still felt in the way people see and talk about movies.

I hope this film brings her work to the attention of people my age. She was extraordinarily influential, and honesty was of paramount importance to her- she could be brutally honest, but she was just trying to do right by the movies she watched. When Pauline loved a film, it really meant something. Some films that we consider classics today, like Bonnie and Clyde, were dismissed by other critics and then given new life by her rave review. She championed directors like Scorsese and Spielberg at crucial points in their careers. I think film as we know it today could have looked very different without her influence.

How did your passion for cinema start and what has been the best way to follow your dream in this industry?

My passion for cinema started on the small screen at home when I was a little kid. I treasured my VHS tapes and watched them over and over again. I spent so much time in front of the tv as a kid that my parents had to take the tv away one summer, hide it in a closet and make me play outside.
I guess I convinced them to bring it back at some point. When I was 10 or 11 I started catching old movies on public television. I remember being particularly taken with Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious, and I began making my way through Hitchcock’s hits. I watched whatever I could find at my local library – Spellbound, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window. At some point my family got Netflix and I ordered lots of DVDs to watch (remember when that was how Netflix worked?) A few years later my family got cable, and I watched tons of movies on the Sundance Channel, IFC and Movieplex.

When I got to college I decided to take a film class just out of curiosity, but soon I switched my major from anthropology to film studies. I’d been passionate about cinema my whole life, but taking the passion seriously and making the choice to change my major was an important step for me.

What challenges have you faced so far in order to pursue your dream and your career?

I think one of the difficult things about the film industry is that there’s no tried and true path to success. There’s no guidebook that says ‘if you take these steps and work hard you will succeed.’ People come to the film industry from so many different angles, and working on this documentary really underlined that for me. A lot of the people we interviewed didn’t go to film school, or they worked in one facet of the film industry and then found success doing something else. Pauline didn’t earn a living writing about film until middle age- she supported herself and her daughter by doing odd jobs for a long time, and only truly became financially stable when she was hired by the New Yorker in 1968. I’ve learned that you need to be tenacious if you’re serious about film.

How do you combine your modeling work around the world with your job in New York?

A lot of the work I do with the documentary can be done from anywhere – I’ve worked on this doc in New York, Milan and Paris. So long as I have my laptop on hand and some internet access I can transcribe interviews, make social media posts, edit documents etc. Recently I’ve been doing some research at the New Yorker archives at the New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan. A lot of my castings take place nearby in the Garment District, so sometimes I head to the library after a casting or a job. I’ve shown up to the library in sleek model-y outfits on several occasions, and I don’t think the librarians know what my deal is. They must think I’m a real piece of work, getting so dressed up for the manuscripts and archives room.

What is New York offering you? Why have you decided to move to this city?

After I graduated from college I didn’t know where I wanted to move. I thought that I might live in London or LA. Then a spot opened up in a friends’ apartment in New York, and I moved in. I personally think that New York is the best city in the world for modeling, and it’s probably only second to Los Angeles for film and television.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Geographically, I don’t know, but as long as I’m working in film or television in some capacity, I’ll be happy.

Follow The Documentary starring Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, Alec Baldwin, David O. Russell:

WHAT SHE SAID: 2016 PAULINE KAEL DOC or www.whatshesaidmovie.com

Follow Helen here: Helen Henderson Instagram Profile

SAMUEL SOHEBI

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             He started his professional adventure with the best statement ever:

“YES, I CAN DO IT”

Name: Samuel Sohebi

Profession: Celebrity Stylist & Owner of the shop Kult By Samuel Sohebi

Born in Munich in the 1988 and started as a Stylist for Philipp Plein.

He started his professional adventure as a fashion stylist with the best statement ever: “YES, I CAN DO IT”. Even though it was a new experience for him, he is convinced of the fact that you must be able to sell yourself even when you are not able to do something, and just GO FOR IT.

He started with Philip Plein, and from there the people and the press started to notice him, by taking pictures and talking about him. He has worked with Naomi Campbell in Ibiza, the Russian Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Glamour in Russia. He has prepared several campaigns for jewels and perfumes, and also provides styling services in Cannes for L’Oreal during the Film Festival event.

Furthermore, he has worked for Penelope Cruz and her sister Monica, to prepare them for the red carpet.

Of course, social networks played a big part on his success, people are always interested in which party you are going to, and which people you are hanging out with; you always have to keep the public informed and keep the magic alive.

In comparison to other stylists who start as Magazine editors, he started by styling models at events. For Sam, styling is not something you can learn; it’s a talent, something you do with passion and that needs inspiration. You have to combine the magic of the creation of the designer with the personality of the celebrity you work for.

In 2012 he opened his shop, Kult by Samuel Sohebi. The dresses he sells are purchased personally by him from around the world, especially from Italy (Bologna, Florence, Milan) and famous designers. Samuel cares not only about the quality or the brand of the dress, but about the aesthetics.

He realizes that not every woman can afford a designer dress since they can be expensive, but also, since every woman does not have the size of a model, he tries to mix and create a combination of the most beautiful dresses, taking into consideration that every woman needs to feel like a princess but in her own skin. There is no pressure to sell, every client must feel free and feel at home.

Something that always surprises him is when some famous women in the fashion or showbiz industry ask for his opinion on their look, and the best compliment for him is when clients come back to tell him about the event, show him pictures of the dress, how well it fit, and how satisfied they were.

What is the difference between a styling job for a magazine and a celebrity?

“In the first case, there is a story to tell the public, while in the second case, you dress a woman that wants to look and feel sexy. She wants to be the star under the spotlight and her goal is to get into the magazine or blogs in the best way possible. In order to do a great job as a stylist on the red carpet you have to study the trends of the moments, you need to know who is the designer of the moment.”

What are the difficulties of this job?

“Attitudes. A lot of attitudes are not coming from models or celebrities, as you could imagine, but from the staff, managers, photographers, who in some cases don’t know anything about fashion.”

Fashion in Europe and USA:

“I will like to move to New York to work as an intern for Vogue. I wouldn’t mind starting from scratch by doing trivial things like delivering coffee and making copies as long as I am doing what I love and taking steps to get where I want to be. In Germany fashion faces hard times. Sometimes you feel there is no progress like everything is moving in circles, and this is the unpleasant sensation I feel every time I come back from Milan or Cannes. In America it’s totally different, there is a lot going on and coming out and as a young man I know that professionally I can really grow up fast.”

WATCHING, LAUGHING AND TALKING ABOUT SOME OF SAM’S PICTURES:

4 men walking in suits

This photo depics Sam, his brother and two of his best friends headed to a sale event for the shop. It’s an unusual photo in Munich, where women love to be fashionable but it s more difficult to see guys walking like this along the street. The pic was taken with a simple phone but looks great and it captures a great moment for Sam.

Chanel Iman with a light blue dressabito lungo azzurro argenteo

They met each other at Elie Saab backstage in Cannes back in the 2009; Sam went to Iman because he noticed her cool tattoo on her back, from there they started talking and exchanged contacts to be friends. Sometimes Sam brings her dresses, she is really an easygoing and simple person. The dress she is wearing is from a Prêt-à-Porter dress (Versace).

Samuel on a catwalk

We jump back to 2009, the first year of life of the shop Kult by Samuel Sohebi and his 24th Birthday. He decided to launch this event, and while organizing by himself for the first time in his life, he realized how difficult it is to prepare an event for 600 guests, and manage the staff including photographers, models, and the press. But he took this event as an investment to let people know him, his job, his passion, and his shop, and you know how social networks of course do the rest by sharing the event, pictures, tags, hashtags, that is the way people get to know you faster and search for your name around… who is this guy? Just click on it.

Be always ready.

Sam and Redfoo moment LMFAO

The pic was shot in Cannes in 2013. It was 10 am on a beautiful sunny day and probably Redfoo from LMFAO partied all night long in the same distinct and colorful outfit, and as he was not interested in sleeping, he decided to look around for someone to play tennis with. Guess what? Sam is always in the right place in the right moment, you know that thing called… TIMING! Even though he was not able to play the game, he always finds a way to be over the top. And by the way, who would say no to LMFAO?

Mr. Bentley and Sam

The name of his dog has a reason!

Once, he worked for P. Diddy during an event promoting his perfume UNFORGIVABLE cologne by Sean John and the White Party, which took place at Nikki Beach in Saint Tropez. He remembered how P. Diddy’s family members were all absolutely nice to him; with his mother being the funniest woman in the world, and P. Diddy himself being one of the coolest party people ever. While Sam was having the best working experience of his life, the only person that was repeatedly rude to him without reason was the guy holding P. Diddy’s umbrella. His name was Mr. Bentley, that’s why he decided to Name his dog after him!

How did he get this job?

It was faith; Sam was in Saint Tropez when he met a guy he knew from the US who was kind of desperate because the stylist he wanted for the event was sick. He needed a replacement, so he just asked Sam if he knew a good stylist? SERIOUSLY?

At this point, we all know that Sam tends to have perfect timing, so he just suggested himself, and took the chance to show what his mama gave him! In every game played something unexpected always pops up, and in Sam’s case, he was able to meet Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton and received the chance to work with them.

Hotel Room with Model

sam hotel modelThis shot was taken in the room of Costes Hotel in Paris. It was a dress fitting for Alessandra Ambrosio and Sam needed to find a model the same sizes as her to see if the dress would fit her well.

In this picture you can see everything; Sam in the back, tired and doubtful about whether the client would like his choice or not, the model in front of the mirror, and last but not least, a dog, fearless of what is happening in the lives of the people there, as he hatches happily out of the window.

Alessandra Ambrosio loved the dress and we can totally understand why.

Samuel and Andre’ Leon Talley (Vogue)

This pic was shot at a Chanel event at Gran Palais. Sam designed the white fur bag is grabbing in the pic, André Leon came to him to ask who was the designer of the bag and Sam was surprised to receive his attention. For Sam, André is a really good advisor when it comes to the professional life.

moment

You are free to follow him and his celebrities here – SAMUEL SOHEBI FACEBOOK PAGE