The Talk With Phillip Lewitski
INTERVIEW by Giulia Juliet Belkin
Photography Benjo Arwas
Actor Phillip Lewitski joins The Talk on Joliegazette. Phillip is currently starring in the Hulu original series āUtopia Fallsā where he portrays āApoloā, a quiet and calm natured dreamer, who works as the mechanic and brings his musical talents through drumming to the show. The series is a genre-bending take on a coming of age story, where a group of teens in a distant future colony uncover a forbidden archive of historical, cultural, and musical relics. With the help of rap icon Snoop Dog as the voice of the futuristic Siri, they use the power of music to ignite change in their reality to expose the truth. Phillip is currently working on a feature film.
Lewitski is of Mohawk Ancestry and grew up with seven brothers and sisters. He uses music to connect with his roots. He plays the piano, violin, and drums. At the age of 19, Phillip published a book with hopes to impact teens struggling with lifeās ups and downs. Inside My Head is a glimpse into Phillipās lifeāthe life of a typical teen, how he lived his teen years. Inside My Head is an emotional roller coaster of all the ups and downs that he experienced as an adolescentācovering everything from relationships, sex, and drugs, to family, friends, high school, and the overall pressures of life.
Giuli: You grew up in a musical household with seven siblings. What was it like? How did it shape who you are today?
Phillip: There's never a dull moment at the Lewitski household. Being born into a family with seven siblings completely shaped who I am today. It was always a competition to get even a single word during a conversation. We were constantly challenging each other and questioning everything. I also always had someone to go to. I had my older brother who helped guide me when I was experiencing new things he had already gone through. When I got my heart broken I always went to my sisters. My younger brothers were the ones I went to if I felt stuck or needed to pass the time. I am beyond grateful for every single person in my family. I know itās such a privilege to have the kind of parents that I have. They are such wise well rounded respectful teachers and I learned almost everything I know from them. My siblings also taught me a lot and they have become my best friends and the people who I can rely on more than anyone in this world.
Giulia: Your heritage is a strong part of your identity. How did your heritage shape who you are today?
Phillip: My heritage was a huge part of shaping me as a young adult. When I was confused or feeling lost I went to my Grandma and she would tell me all these stories about the past and our ancestors. It helped give me clarity and inspired me to do certain things with my life. A big lesson I learned from her is to not take this life for granted because all we have is the present moment and then itās gone so donāt waste your life and end up on your death bed with a head full of regret.
Giulia: Do you think musical upbringing helped you to land the role in "Utopia Falls"?
Phillip: My musical upbringing is a huge part of who I am as a person. If my musical background shaped who Phillip Lewitski is I could imagine that it would have also played a huge factor in whether I fit the spirit of Apollo.
Giulia: How is your character different or similar to you?
Phillip: Apollo is very similar to me in a lot of ways. He is probably the most similar character I have taken on so far. When I first read the breakdown of Apollo I felt like I was reading up on myself. Of course, there are always going to be differences but I felt very connected to his aura and energy just from words on paper which was pretty powerful.
Giulia: Why do you think we should love "Utopia Falls" ?
Phillip: I think the writers did an excellent job of catering to a wide diverse audience. They have done things in the show that I havenāt seen in any other show. They have broken rules and tried things that no one else has. I think our creator R.T. Thorne is a visionary and sees things that most people don't. There are also really powerful messages behind a lot of the writing. If you look closely they are trying to say something to society in almost every episode.
Giulia: You published a book at a young age called "Inside My Head" for teens struggling with life's ups and downs. What inspired you to write about it?
Phillip: My Maman has been a writer her whole life and so she played a huge factor in inspiring me. My great Grandma was also a driving force for me. Any time I was feeling down or needed advice on something big I would call her. She had one of the hardest lives I have ever heard so she always helped ground me and put things into perspective. Her stories and how much she could relate to me got me thinking. If her life lessons had such a huge effect on me maybe if I wrote about my teenage experience and the lessons I learned others could see personal value in that. I started writing about things as they came. I knew I wouldnāt be done with the book until I was finished High School because I was writing about life as it came at me. I wanted to give back and honor my great Grandma. Iām not sure if she's fully aware of how much of an impact she has had on my life but at least I can carry her storytelling method down into my generation. I wasnāt looking for anything when I published the book. I just wanted one person out there to take something away from my story just like I did with my great Grandma. I never expected the kind of messages I got after the release. Some of the stories people told me brought me to tears but it was at that moment that I knew I was meant to put those words on paper.
Giulia: What were your teen years like? What would your advice be to teenagers today?
Phillip: For me when I was young everything seemed like it was the end of the world. That feeling that everything around you is slowly turning black. I wish knowing what I know today I could go back to my younger self and remind me that everything always works out in the end. I know things are hard right now but everything is temporary and it will pass. Everything happens for a reason and if you just give life some time and trust the process I promise you , you will look back at everything that happened to you and know there was reason for it. Whether that be it helped you grow as a person or that you learned a lesson that you will now carry with you for the rest of your life. I know it's so hard to see that in the thick of things but it is true and God the universe is taking care of you. You are never alone.
Giulia: What actor or actress are you inspired by today?
Phillip: I think Joaquin Phoenix is one of the most versatile and free actors out there. He doesnāt lock himself into any experience or formula. He trusts completely and falls into the hands of the characters he takes on. I always lose myself in his characters when I watch his work and to me, that is a brilliant actor.
Giulia: What is your dream role?
Phillip: Everyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with Joker. When I was a kid my escape was to put makeup on and to sit in front of a camera alone in my room impersonating Joker. I donāt even think impersonating is even the right word because this character is such an interpretation of yourself. I think all of us have a little hint of Joker within and only some let that part of themselves surface. Joker is such a free unapologetic soul who doesnāt try and hide anything. He just fully is.
Giulia: How are you coping with pandemia, Covid19? How is it affecting you? What can we learn from it?
Phillip: I think it would be naĆÆve to say this isnāt affecting me. Although no immediate family members or friends I know have been affected there are still thousands of people out there suffering right now. With that kind of energy floating around on a global scale everyone is going to be affected energetically. The most important thing is to recognize whether what you are feeling is truly yours or if it is stuff you are picking up around you. Fear is more contagious than any disease so you are more susceptible to that feeling. Once fear enters the system you are almost welcoming the disease inside because you are predicting it. Now I am not saying to not fear anything because that is our body's natural way of alerting us that something is going on but donāt let it consume you and your family's life. Keep your attention elsewhere focus on things that you havenāt had a chance to do because of time restraints. Most people have too much time on their hands now so use that time donāt waste it. You can always find good if you look for it even in the most horrendous situations. Breaks and step backs are essential maybe not for yourself but definitely for the people around you. Prioritize your loved ones. Nothing lasts forever especially our time here so use it wisely.
Giulia: What is next and exciting for Philip?
Phillip: I am super excited to start working on a feature film later on this year. It is a project that feels really close to me. It deals with some pretty powerful subject matter that I think people will take a lot away from. Unfortunately, I can't give away any major details yet.
THE TALK WITH EMIN
International Pop Star Opens Up About His Music, Fame and Family
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Emin is a successfull businessman , father of four, and a musician who collaborates with some of the biggest names in the music industry. His music videos feature famous politicians like Donald Trump. It was a cordial, simple and open conversation with Emin at the Wiltern Theatre, an Art Deco landmark at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California where Emin performed alongside David Foster and Nile Rodgers.
Juliet: Your singing career took off when you were in your twenties?
Emin: Yes, at twenty six I released my first record. However my first album was released when I was sixteen.
Juliet: Your urge to sing came early then.
Emin: Yes, around the age of thirteen, fourteen.
Juliet: Who inspired your dream of becoming a singer?
Emin: Elvis Presley, Muslim Magomayev and Adriano Celentano. Three of the greatest artist that influenced me.
Juliet: Song Blue Eternity from one of your albums is currently playing on repeat in my car. It features the greatest Muslim Magomayev. This song takes me back to my childhood in Baku. How does this song translates to you?
Emin: Well, for me, I knew Muslim since I was a child, before the time I even realized who Muslim Magomayev was. My grandfather, my dad were great friends with him. As I grew older I learned his repertoire and realized what a great singer and artist he was. Blue Eternity is always a very special song to me. This song represents the powerful voice of Muslim, it represents Baku and beautiful Caspian sea shores. Muslim is the author of this song and it is magical. A lot of my friends, not necessarily Russian speaking, but Americans, French, German, when they hear the music their reaction is always WOW. You instantly fall in love with the artist even if you didn't know the artist before. This is what I want for my career as a singer, I want my music to give those goose bumps and the emotional roller coaster like "Blue Eternity" does. And you don't necessarily have to have loud, strong voice, but you have to be able to perform it emotionally. When you listen to Muslim, you instantly believe him. Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Sade, Celentano, to list few of my favorites, they all have that unique something that touches your soul and gets you addicted to their singing.
Juliet: You are currently touring with David Foster and Nile Rodgers? What does this collaboration give you?
Emin: It just happened that I met David through PBS, which aired my concert on public television in USA. I did a concert with David in Saint Petersburg where 50 thousand fans showed up. It was really grand and the concert aired 600 plus times on American TV. After that I signed a contract with PBS to tour for the audience of PBS, which is why I traveled to Chicago (where I've never been before), Connecticut. Those are cities with the largest number of viewers. Unlike other Russian performers, my audience now includes 30% to 60% of Americans, English speaking fans. That is why my track list consists of songs mainly in English. David Foster was the biggest part of this program because he was performing on PBS before I joined. David had his own show. I asked him to join me and he agreed to tour and sing with me half of the program. I met Nile Rodgers in New York, at one of the charity evenings for The Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless (ACE) founded by Henry Buhl. Nile, who was once homeless himself did a speech and right after him I performed few of my songs, including Boomerang. When I headed backstage Nile said, "Emin, this is a great song. It could be a hit for you". I said, "Nile, it can't be a hit if you are not on it. So, this song released as Emin, featuring Nile Rodgers. It is now song #6 on American charts and song #3 on American dance charts. It was my most successful single ever.
Juliet: Who would you want to perform a duet with from American artists?
Emin: I don't necessarily seek for duets, but today I will perform with Emmanuel Kelly. He has an incredible story of survival after being abandoned in a dumpster in Iraq and suffering from limb injuries. He was adopbted by Australian humanitarian worker, Moira Kelly. Emmanuel performed on X Factor with song "Imagine" and I fell in love with him as a person and an artist. A very positive and talented young man. I invited him to perform duet with me at my concert in Los Angeles, so I am very excited about that. Duets like this I love to do. It's not my goal to perform duets with other big artists and I do know many American artists personally. Nile Rodgers I met at the charity event, with David Foster I connected during PBS program, I talk to many great American artist like Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler who came to my Miss Universe competition together with Donald Trump. I have my own concert hall in Moscow, I manage it as well I get to meet and know them all personally.
Juliet: A lot of your songs that you write lyrics and music to are sad, romantic and emotional. Do you seek inspiration from your personal life experience?
Emin: Why? Boomerang is a happy song, so is Good Love__(laughing). I really love ballads. Ballads by Elvis Presley, Celentano, Sade are my favorites. When I was creating my first songs, I wasn't using the most modern equipment, I was using piano and when you use classical instrument, it always comes out slow, medium tempo, very lyrical. In terms of lyrics, they are not always based on my own life experience. Yes, it could be something that happened in my life or I try to interpret the mood of a close friend whose heart was broken by his loved one. We sit down together, share a bottle of wisky, he'll tell me what happened, then when I am alone I'd think it through and write a song about it.
Juliet: You also own and manage Crocus City Mall in Moscow where you sell a lot of luxury brands. But do you have any favorites from the emerging brands?
Emin: I am currently obsessed with G-Star Raw. I signed a franchize with them and will be opening two stores in Russia. The other brand is John Varvatos. I am great friends with John, he came to visit me in Moscow. These two brands I believe in, I think they have a great potential.
Juliet: I often see you wear suits on stage? Who designs your suits?
Emin: It is either John Varvatos or Yves Saint Laurent. Jeans that I own are usually by John Varvatos, boots as well, I don't concentrate on brands that much.
Juliet: Do you see yourself in movies?
Emin: Good question. I am filming my first movie role this June in Saint Petersburg. I am also producing another movie. I think come next year, you'll see me in movies.
Juliet: Talk about your two wonderful sons. Are they proud of their dad?
Emin: I think they are, but I also think they are not at that age to understand it completely. They understand that I am famous. One time we were walking together in Dubai and a golf cart with fans drove by us. Girls were shouting my name, my son looked at me and said, "Dad, you have so many fans and I have none". To which I said, "Be patient, you're only 7" I try to be a fun dad for them, just like my father, Aras Agalarov was for me. I always wanted to spend time with him, even now. He is a very cool dad and I want my kids to feel the same way about me.
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The Talk with Gaukhar Akhmetova-Atherton
A true balancing act of Cirque de Soleil artist and mom !
Being a mom is definitely about flexibility, strength and balance. Meet Gaukhar Akhmetova-Atherton. She is a mom, a Cirque de Soleil artist and a social media queen of hand-balancing and contortions. This talented mom is winning the internet these days with her pics of gymnastic stunts with her children. We stopped by Gasya's New York appartment for some upside down fun conversation.
Joliegazette: How did it all start? How did you first get involved with gymnastics?
Gasya: I started gymnastics at the age of 3 years old in the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan. I have a clear memory of my mother and father taking me to the gym to watch my older sister. At the time I was too young to join, but I knew I wanted to be involved in the sport as soon as I could. From my first training session it was clear I was born to do acrobatics. It was natural.
Joliegazette: When did Cirque Du Soleil happen and how?
Gasya: I was first approached by Cirque du Soleil during a World Cup competition in 2006. They send casting scouts around the world to all the major sporting events. I was 17 at the time and it was my dream to work for them. As soon as my competitive career finished I was lucky enough to be offered a contract to perform on one of their touring shows. The show was Varekai, which was about to embark on a two year tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Photo by Lauri Levenfeld. Styled by Katja O'Brien
Joliegazette: What was your biggest acrobatic achievement?
Gasya: My biggest acrobatic achievement was finishing 3rd in 2005 at the World Games, Germany.
Photo by Lauri Levenfeld. Styled by Katja O'Brien
Joliegazette: Have you ever had any scares?
Gasya: The biggest scare in my career occurred during the creation of my second CDS show IRIS. I was learning a new discipline for me, the bungee trapeze act. This act involves bungee jumping 40 feet in the air from a trapeze. During one of my flights I caught the bar awkwardly, which resulted in a 90% lebrum tear to my right shoulder. I knew immediately it was bad and would need operating on. I didn't want to miss any of this creation but I had no choice. Thankfully the operation was a success and I recovered in half the time they told me it would take. I was back in time for the world premiere of IRIS. In fact, I performed in two numbers for the show. I was determined to be there completely.
Joliegazette: How did the idea of an Instagram page came up?
Gasya: I opened up an Instagram page early but did not become too active until the birth of my first child, Kamali. I had so many amazing moments happening in my life and I wanted to document and store them somewhere. Instagram was perfect for this. Now that my page has become very popular with many people around the world I still intend to keep it personal to me. I want to include the things that are important in my life and if this in turn goes on to inspire others then that's a bonus.
Joliegazette: You have such an athletic family. Would you want your kids to follow your footsteps?
Gasya: I want my daughter to be happy, healthy and content in whatever it is she decides to do in life. My husband and I will encourage her to try many things before settling on anything. It's important she makes this decision by herself, for herself. So far she's tried gymnastics, dance, music class and Taekwondo. We do play around with gymnastics disciplines and hand balancing at home but this is mostly for fun. My son also tried to be a part of these trainings, which amuses all of us.
Joliegazette: What is your daily excercise routine?
Gasya: I try to do some type of exercise every day. What, when and for how long depends on my husband schedule and my children's needs. I'm fortunate to have a beautiful fitness center in the apartment building I'm living, so getting to and from the gym is not too difficult. I try to make at least one hour of exercise a day. Each training session begins with a 20 minute aerobic workout, followed by 30 minutes of weight training and a light stretch to finish. Every third day I'll train my hand-balancing routine, which is where my daughter likes to get involved. We have a lot of fun and she's learning so much.
Joliegazette: What type of women is Gasya?
Gasya: I've learned that every situation, whether positive or negative can be looked at in very different ways. I aim to focus my mind on the positives in everything that I do in life. Especially in those challenging moments. The goal is to have a happy and healthy outlook in life, to complement a happy, healthy body. Itās amazing how the smallest things done by my children can bring the biggest smile to my face. My spirit is lifted for the whole day.
Photo by Lauri Levenfeld. Styled by Katja O'Brien
Joliegazette: What is your personal style like?
Gasya: I'm really not a brand or name person. I try to select my clothes and shoes solely on how I see them on the rack or in the shop window. I love to mix and match all my outfits. I'm happy to wear Christian Louboutin shoes with an H&M dress I purchased for $15.00. My style is an extension of my character. Confident, creative and very colorful.
Joliegazette: What have been the highlights of your competitive and performance careers, and how do they compare?
Gasya: Finishing in the 2005 World Games is a huge highlight of my competitive career. This competition is equivalent to the Olympic Games for sports acrobatics, so the standard is high. Performing in the 84th Academy Awards in 2012 has got to be the highlight of my Cirque du Soleil career so far. To be in the same room as all those amazingly talented actors, writers, directors and producers was unbelievable. The Oscar performance was televised to over 225 countries worldwide, which was a lot of pressure, but very exciting.
To learn more about Gaukhar Akhmetova-Atherton head over to The Project for Women
Text Juliet Belkin
Styling Katja O'Brien
Photos Lauri Levenfeld
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The Talk with Mauricio Padilha of MAO PR
Mauricio Padilha is no stranger to the fashion world. CEO of MAO Public Relations in New York keeps Mauricio connected to this industry at all times.
Photo by Meghan J Merkley
There is more to fashion than meets the eye. Behind all that runway glam is hard work. The world of Fashion Public Relations is an exhilarating, fast-paced field where the hours are long, and the work is extensive. MAO PR have created one of the most well-known PR agencies in New York City. Today they produce fashion shows and carefully oversee the paths of all their great, young designers. We met Mauricio first time during Padilha brother's launch of the Gloss: The Work of Chris von Wangenheim - the first monograph on notorious photographer Chris von Wangenheim whose shocking work epitomized the glamour and excess of the 1970s and reflects the fashionable underworld living life on the edge. In this book the Padilha brothers revive von Wangenheimās explosive depictions of the glamour and excess of the 1970s for a contemporary audience and reveal how his work continues to inform fashion imagery today. The launch was a huge success followed by a party hosted by Marc Jacobs for the brother to celebrate. Our second encounter happened during September Fashion Week in New York when we arrived to MAO PR office to chat about their work. The office was filled with the most precious pieces from various clients the agency represents. First thing that popped was blinged-out gold bomber jacket I later saw on Teyana Taylor, the star of Kanye Westās new āFadeā music video during The Blonds 10th anniversary show. The ambience in the studio was exhilarating.
Mao was in the middle of working on seat assignments for the upcoming show the agency was producing. There was a large poster size white sheet on the table, with bent posit notes, with names on it.
J: Why are they bent like that?
M: Caroline Bessette Kennedy taught me to bend them this way because she said, it is easier to move them around while figuring out how to seat people appropriately.
J: Boy it's like doing wedding seating arrangements, isn't it ?
M: Exactly like that.
J: Let's talk about how you began your career in fashion. You graduated from Parsons school of design with a BFA in fashion design. Was Fashion Design your first choice?
M: No fashion design wasnāt my first choice, I wanted to do fashion illustration but at that time illustration was a dying art-form in most fashion magazines. I went into design because I thought I could get a job later just drawing and designingā¦little did I know what I was in forā¦Draping, Pattern Making, Sewingā¦.ugh everything that I hatedā¦but I stuck it out and graduated!
J: When and how did you make that switch from fashion to public relations?
M: I was working at Perry Ellis in the design room with their team when Marc Jacobs was head designer and when the editors would come into the office I would start chatting them up and talking about the collection and I would show them everything, one day Marc told me that I should go into the PR side of the business since I liked to TALK SO MUCH, hahahaā¦so I switched into the in-house PR/Show Production/Advertising dept. There I learned everything about producing a show and casting models and I was super happy!
J: Why public relations?
M: After Perry Ellis closed, I started working with a young designer called John Scher, I was able to work one on one with the fashion editors, stylists and celebrities there. I loved that I was getting to know and work more with the people that previously I only knew from seating them at the shows. After that I joined Roger at his design company called SPOOKY, they were getting tons of press, and every model was doing their shows for free, Helena Christensen, Gisele, Karen Elson, James King, Alek Wek, etc and all of our young designer friends would ask us to help them get great press and produce their shows. So when SPOOKY closed, in 1998 Roger and I immediately opened MAO Public Relations.
J: How do you choose whom you will take on as a client?
M: Roger and I choose clients based on their work and if we truly believe in it. We can not represent anyone who we arenāt fully behind. Our clients tend to be unknowns and after a season or two with us they have editorials and celebrity placements that are on par with many established designers.
J:Are there any clients out there who youād love to sign and represent? If yes, who?
M: I would love to keep a balance of new designers and established designers, I enjoy the challenge of building a brands press from nothing, and also I love working with established brands to see what we can do with them going forward. I would love to sign brands like Altuzarra, or Thom Brown and I would love the opportunity to work with Donatella Versace its kinda great that she started in PR and went into designā¦the opposite of us.
J: Before opening your own firm what young designers did you work with and what was it like working as public relations director for young designers?
M: After Perry Ellis closed I worked with young designers such as John Scher, Gemma Khang, and eventually with my brother when he opened his own young designer label called SPOOKY in the early 90s.
Once we opened MAOPR we were able to start the careers of so many amazing young designers, Jason Wuās first 5 years was with us, Peter Somās first 4 years were with us, Rebecca Taylor, Kimora Lee Simons, Fausto Puglisi, Sally LaPointe, Gary Graham, Zaldy, and Esteban Cortezar to name a few.
J: MAO Public Relations has a reputation as one of the hardest working Fashion PR Agencies in the industry. What is your secret?
Photo by Megan J Merkley
M: The secret is that we only take on clients who we believe in and respect the work they do. We could never represent someone who we did not truly love their work.
J: What do you think of social media exposure and how is it affecting your work?
M: Social media is great if you use it in an intelligent way. Sometimes I get fed up when certain blogs or sites that post a photo of Kendal Jenner in a tank top with the headline TANK TOPS ARE ALL THE RAGE, and the next day they put photos of GiGi Hadid in a long Green sweater with the headline LONG GREEN SWEATERS ARE ALL THE RAGEā¦I think many social media outlets post to post and they make uneducated decisions just to post something, but I do believe that it is a great way to PR if you do it in a smart way.
J:Who are your personal favorite young or old designers today?
M: Wow thatās a tough oneā¦I think there is pretty much something from every designer that I can appreciate, but my current favorites are,
Saint Laurent, Ronald van der Kemp, Brandon maxwell, Iris van Herpen, Schiaparelli, Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Vivienne Westwood, Margiela, Dries van Noten, and anything Karl Lagerfeld does!
J: Letās talk about Gloss: The Work of Chris von Wangenheim. I met you and your brother at the book signing in New York. What motivated you to do this book?
M: When we were kids we were obsessed with Chrisās image of Lisa Taylor and the doberman, at the time it was shocking for a fashion photograph, there was a heightened level of coolness that was not seen regularly in fashion photography. And since Chris died before the internet age, his work had been forgotten. After working on our Antonio Lopez book we contacted the Wangenheim family and to our surprise they loved our past two books and gave us exclusive rights to do a book on Chrisās work. We were ecstatic with the amount of press and adoration that the book received. Chris was an unsung hero who ended up getting the recognition that he deserved through our book.
J: What is the biggest accomplishment for you today?
M: My biggest accomplishment would be that my brother and I started MAOPR and after 18 years we are still in business, and we actually love what we do.
J: What is your secret in working successfully together with your brother?
M: The secret is that you have to have a sibling who has a similar esthetic to you. Roger and I were influenced by so many of the same things growing up, so we can trust each other, both on the business and creative levels.
J: What is next for you?
M: I never know, but the best part of working in PR is that it is a business that you are always looking forward, something exciting is always about to happen!
Photo by Megan J Merkley
Text by Juliet Belkin
Photos by Megan J Merkley
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