Teyste Grandeur

Fall 2011

Fash

ion

, Mu

sic and

the C

ultu

re th

at M

ov

es Y

ou

Magazine

&

No Mind Nate Maxwell

and His Original

Bunny Gang

Marlaesk Designs’

Bradi MacSleyne

The Man, The Myth The Legend Cliff Young and His Pioneering Culinary Spirit

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Editor’s

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Fresh new looks for fall

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can't love you back, but, on the other hand, a shoe can't

hurt you too deeply either. And there are so many nice-

looking shoes.” Allan Sherman

Teyste &Grandeur

Contents

The man, the myth, the legend Cliff Young Written by:Tate Allyson Fischer

Photography by: David Backus

No Mind

Nathen Maxwell of Flogging Molly

And the Original Bunny Gang

Written by: Josh MacSleyne

9

15

Marlaesk Designs

Bradi MacSleyne and her

theories on Green Design

Written by: Sandra Von Weisenheimr

Photography by: Enrique Parilla

28

Summer Fashion Wrap Up Written by: Cameron Cowan

Industry Tips

Keys to Successful Fashion Shows

By Michael Beckerman

18

An Outlaws Road

Regulator Records By Tate Alyson Fischer

20

MAKE YOUR BRIDAL

PARTY

FEEL AS SPECIAL AS YOU

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Self Defense

Letter from the Publisher

“The difference between style and fashion is quality.”

Giorgio Armani

Over the last several months, while we have been de-

veloping the concepts and goals for Teyste and Gran-

deur Magazine, I have met with many people who

have said the same thing, “Denver is not a fashion

town.” “We aren’t New York or Paris.” Though

many of these people and you know who you are,

were being discouraging, I do have to agree. Denver

is not a fashion town. We don’t have the big fashion

shows, manufacturers, or designers that are in New

York, LA, or Paris. I say this, so that I can respond by

asking, why aren’t we?

Over the last few years I have met a myriad of

extremely talented and well known designers who

live here in Denver and Colorado. I have met world

famous musicians who drink at the local pubs and

bars.

It is true Denver is not New York or Paris, Den-

ver is Denver simply put. Most of the people that I

meet are not natives. They are people who have mi-

grated to Denver because of what we have to offer.

This is what Teyste and Grandeur Magazine is.

Our Goal is to show the country and the world what

we, as a community have to offer. Let us as a city and

state bring ourselves up to a higher standard. Let’s

shed the “cow town” image that we have been held to

and truly show the world what we already know;

Denver is and can be the greatest city in the world.

Welcome to our world, a world of couture

fashion, good music and great culture. The world of

Teyste and Grandeur.

CliffYoung His Steakhouse and

his legend

Written By: Tate Allyson Fischer

Photography: David Bachus

It’s 6pm, and the night is still young

at 1222 Glenarm Place in downtown Denver.

The Maître D’ leads me through the sultry din-

ing room to a table where I nervously greet a

true Denver Restaurant Icon. Within seconds, I

feel as though I have known Cliff Young for

years. His success has not diluted his genuine

humility and kindness, and he is quick to share

his incredible life experience with me.

According to Cliff, his life can be reflected in

three major “periods”, in which his soul jour-

neyed through being a philosophy scholar, a

hard-working restaurant mastermind and a

man on his “2nd Honeymoon” in Burgundy,

France. To say that these periods are not inti-

mately intertwined would be sheer ignorance.

While working in the 1970’s for restaurants

such as the Broadmoor, Cliff’s intellect was ex-

panding and bearing fruit, including the pub-

lishing of a poetry book in 1980. After running

Le Profil for eleven years, the early 1980’s

brought about the signature restaurant, Cliff

Young’s, which was soon proclaimed “The Per-

fect Restaurant” by Michael Carlton, The Den-

ver Post Food Critic. This perfect restaurant

was born from a delicate combination of the

leading man, Mr. Young, as well as stellar chefs

such as David Query, Mike Wiest and Tyler

Waird.

An interesting insight from Mr. Young is

that “Denver hates arrogance, and has a huge sense

of independence and authenticity.” He feels that this

is an integral part of his drive to share quality and

yet With each new palette experience throughout his

time in France, the desire intensified to create a plat-

form that would commendably express what he had

learned. Five months after his return from France,

CY Steakhouse was born, boasting French influences

at every turn, complete with charcuterie, Foie Gras,

succulent sauces, extraordinary side dishes, 520 Old

and New World wine selections, as well as cigars.

As if that weren’t enough to meet and exceed the

longings of his patrons, Cliff has created, along with

his pastry chef, a delectable ice cream line named

Baby Bleu, and he is ardently forming an irresistible

artisanal product line, including house made butter

with sea salt harvested by children in Normandy,

house smoked bacon, pickles, jams and much more.

The sophistication of each of these artisanal products

is a dazzling blend of Cliff’s expertise, the inspiration

of the French and the aptitude of his pastry chef, Earl

Pettet. No matter what you choose to indulge your

senses at CY Steakhouse, you will undoubtedly sense

genuine hospitality during your visit.

Cliff believes that hospitality equals “sincere giving,”

which includes both making memories as well as

maintaining a high standard of integrity in his buy-

ing. Finding balance in his endeavors along the way

has emerged from the fine-tuned combination of

creativity and wisdom in partnering with his son

Zack. Together they ensure that they do not buy

from people who exploit animals or humans, and

that they strive to change the menu as frequently as

possible because “changing the menu only four

times per year is bogus.” Executive Chef and Beef

expert, Clement McHale and Chef d’ Cuisine, Chris

Jensen will keep you pleasantly surprised with new

offerings.

Is it any wonder that Cliff Young has been nation-

ally acclaimed as a legend and icon in the Denver

restaurant business?! In the true spirit of sincere giv-

ing, Cliff strives to help others realize their dreams

and reach their full potential. A main vehicle for this

training is his international consulting firm, Cliff

So where does one go next after such an incredi-

ble restaurateur journey? Burgundy, France of course!

With a curious glimmer in his eye, Cliff speaks of his

“second honeymoon” with his beautiful wife, Sharon, to

the captivating renowned region of France where he

found his inspiration to elevate the meaning behind

“allowing perfection to emerge in the lives of clients and

guests.” While living on their medieval estate in the cen-

ter of wine country in Beaune, France, Cliff soon discov-

ered that there were as many three star Michelin restau-

rants near Beaune as there were in all of Paris. The bril-

liant fare found in this region is due in large part to the

flawless integrity of the ingredients. From wild game to

French truffles, everything is 100% biodynamic, with no

fertilizers or pesticides…each ingredient “just is.”

“…teaches private restaurateurs to oper-

ate, with a concentration on the four-month pe-

riod of pre- and post-opening. Focus is placed on

attaining and exceeding industry standards, cre-

ating a culture of service and sales, including

teaching sales techniques and getting the highest

possible gains” (www.cliffyoungs.com).

As my time with Cliff comes to an end, I am

certain I have only gleaned a slice of wealth from

this Colorado-born Denver legend, and I am left

longing for more…just as you will be when you

get one taste of his delectable French cuisine.

However, we both agree that “fine dining” isn’t

quite the phrase for the preeminence he is creat-

ing, so the next restaurant you see from Cliff

Young is sure to declare a striking emphasis on

relevance and an emergence of perfection.

You can read more about Cliff at

www.vintenersclub.com and

www.CYSteakDenver.com

NO Mind By: Josh MacSleyne

There is something special about seeing seasoned musi-

cians perform. When a band comes together and has the experi-

ence to make the stage illuminate an ambiance that takes you

away from the rigors of your life, the audience will be treated to

what can only be described as amazing. Unfortunately these

types of shows do not come around very often. I have seen ones

that come close, usually in large venues with a lot of production

behind them, ensuring that nothing goes wrong. The real treat is

a live performance among the intimacy of a neighborhood bar

with very little production. It is where you can see the true band

perform. I recently had the pleasure of seeing such a show from

Nathen Maxwell and the Original Bunny Gang at the Marquis

Theater.

Nathen Maxwell is, of course, the bassist for Flogging

Molly, one of the largest and hardest working punk bands in

history. Over the last ten years they have become an interna-

tional sensation, playing over 200 shows a year. Nathen Max-

well is no novice when it comes to performance. What I saw that

Friday night made me want to know more about the Original

Bunny Gang. I wanted to learn more about the history and phi-

losophy behind them. A few weeks later I had the pleasure of

sitting down with Nathen during a rehearsal to discuss the ques-

tions I had.

“Original Bunny Gang” is Nathen paying homage to the

last ten years of his life. The majority of the debut album,

“White Rabbit,” was written over the course of the past decade.

He describes it as being written under his breath. Many of the

songs were developed while either on tour with Flogging Molly

or as lullabies to his daughters. The album

itself has a very soulful sound, especially

for being a working-class punk and reggae

influenced album. Nathen and the band

like to refer to it as “new rock steady.”

Nathen wants to create new music,

just like when reggae and punk first came

out. They were both new styles and

sounds that had never been heard before.

Though both influence Nathen’s creation,

in spite of wanting to create new music, he

wears his influences on his sleeve. Nathen

pulled heavily on the music that inspired

him as a young musician. He grew up in

Long Dale, CA during the reggae /punk

movement of the early 90’s. Being a

young, eager, musician, he sought out and

emulated bands such as the Clash, the

Cure, and Bob Marley. Nathen described

the debut album as romanticizing his early

musical career.

He believed that White Rabbit was something that

needed to be done.

So how did Nathen Maxwell and “The Original Bunny Gang”

come about?

Up until 2009, the thought of starting another band

separate from Flogging Molly, was not foremost on Nathen’s

mind. He had been writing for years, both for Flogging Molly

and for himself. Many of the songs from White Rabbit had

been performed while on the road, either on street corners, or

at after-parties. He knew at the time that he wanted to do

something with the songs, but realized that they just did not fit

with Flogging Molly. While in preproduction for the album

“Float,” Nathen played several of his songs for the band.

Some were new songs that they had not heard and others were

songs that they were familiar with. After he had played about

half a dozen songs, Dave King, the lead singer and founder of

Flogging Molly, told Nathen that he really had his own sound

and inspiration, and that he really should record his own al-

bum. This was the motivation that Nathen needed. He said

that getting the blessing from Flogging Molly really excited

and motivated him to start the work. Within a short time

Nathen started arranging the songs and finalizing the details to

record the album.

Bunny Gang did not develop along the lines of most

bands. They went from concept to album to world-touring in

a short time. Many of the details have been figured out on

stage. It is the trial by fire approach to music. Most bands

develop their sound and performance styles over a long period

of time, playing small shows or practicing in the garage.

Bunny Gang did not have this luxury.

Nathen’s philosophy on performing is

to put all his energy into the perform-

ance. This has given plenty of oppor-

tunity for personal development.

For Nathen, the actual per-

formances are both physically and

emotionally harder because the

songs are so personal to him.

They take more energy because

he sings and plays guitar for

Bunny Gang, as oppose to Flog-

ging Molly, where Nathen plays

bass and sings back-up. Since the

songs were written “under my

breath,” they were written and

recorded as quiet songs.

I asked Nathen if he would have wanted to take the

time to develop Bunny Gang in the “garage days” style.

The simple answer is no. Nathen believes that for the album

and Bunny Gang to exist it had to happen this way. If he

had taken the time to make sure everything was perfect be-

fore recording, playing it might never have happened. He

would never have been satisfied or it would never have been

perfect. There are things at the beginning that he did not

like: videos of the early performances where the band mem-

bers were playing bum notes or he is singing off key. He

sometimes wishes that there was not a record of the mis-

takes, but everything aligned at the right point in time, and

he had to take his chance.

What is in the future for the Bunny Gang?

When I met with Nathen, he and the band were

rehearsing and putting together songs to demo for their sec-

ond album. I asked Nathen where the album was going to

go. White Rabbit was written by Nathen over ten years.

There was not a band or a goal in mind. It was just

Nathen playing and writing what he felt. Bunny Gang now

has four members who will all bring their influences and

styles to the table. They have played together and have devel-

oped together. Nathen doesn’t want to lose the root of the

music, but the next album can’t be the same as the first. He

has already romanticized the past: it is time to look to the fu-

ture. His philosophy is “no mind,” let the music come and

figure it out later. Nathen describes himself as a lifer. There is

nothing else that he wants to do than play music. He idolizes

musicians who continue to perform and play until they physi-

cally can’t any more.

“I have no backup plan, this is it.”

What got my attention most, when I saw Bunny Gang

perform, was that after playing a full set, the entire band

packed up their equipment and walked across the street to an-

other bar to set up and play again. This is a band that truly

loves to jam. This is what the heart and soul of The Original

Bunny Gang is about.

Fashion shows matter in the fashion world for one simple rea-son: they are the focal point where everyone involved in the fashion industry gets to put their best foot forward and tell their story to the world in a live, energetic and exciting setting for all to see. Fashion shows are one of the most important ways for those in the fashion industry, from designers to models to MUA’s (Make Up Artists) and hair stylists, to each present the cumulative re-sult of all the time, energy and effort they have put into their profession. To put on a successful show, it is vital that all as-pects of planning and executing such an event be carefully thought out and considered, far in advance of the first model ever setting foot out on the runway. The following list of questions identifies many of the key points

to keep in mind when planning to host a fashion show. Thinking

carefully about these relevant issues throughout the entire plan-

ning process will help you to better structure and execute your

event. These questions and recommendations will help provide

the guidance needed to assure your success and prevent some

of the most common mistakes that are made when planning,

setting up and hosting a runway fashion event.

1. Venue Have you chosen the proper venue? The first question you should always ask yourself when thinking about putting on a fashion show is “Do I really have the right venue to hold a fashion show in?” Just because you can hold a fashion show some-where, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should hold it there. As we will discuss at length in this guide, not every location (even if it is a very popular one) is necessarily well suited for hosting a show. Is the venue the right size for your show? The size of the venue should be a good fit for the type and size of show that you will be hosting. To size the venue properly, it is important to first have a good understanding of how many people you will be expect-ing to attend your show. Having too big of a space will result in your show feeling smaller than it should and will likely mean that you have needlessly wasted money from your budget on renting out too large of a space. Conversely, having too small of a venue will result in guests and staff feeling uncomfortable by being crammed into an undersized space. Is the venue centrally located? If you have a great facility but it is too hard to find, too far away or too hard to get to, people aren’t going to be interested in attending your show. Ideally, it should be held in a location that is easy to find and easy to get to, without everyone having to drive a great distance to get there. The easier you make it for people to find and get to your venue, the more likely you are to have a good turnout for your show.

Is the venue located in a popular area? Ideally, you want to host your show at a facility that many people

already know well and have been to before. Additionally, you will

want to host the show in an area or part of town that people will likely

already have a reason to be going to anyway (diner, movie, drinks,

dancing, etc.) around the time that your show will be held.

This is part of the reason why nightclubs are often very popular places to hold smaller, local fashion shows. Since they are in the business of frequently drawing a fashion conscious, well to do, younger demographic, clubs are already bringing in the types of peo-ple that you will likely want to be presenting your designer’s products to. Be careful here though, as this does not necessarily mean that every night club out there will always serve as a good location for a smaller fashion event. Only certain clubs with the proper space, staff, security, layout, location and lighting will be a good fit for hosting a show. Just because one club in an area turns out to be a good fit for hosting a show at, does not necessarily mean that the other clubs in that same area will also be good facilities to host a show at as well. Each facility must be carefully investigated and evaluated on its own individual merits before making a decision on which venue to go with. Don’t just jump at the first location you see. Take your time when evaluating a location as having the right venue is absolutely vital to the success of your show. Does the venue have sufficient parking? Parking is always an important issue when selecting a venue to host a show at. No one wants to go to an event if they are going to have a difficult time finding a place to park when they arrive. Additionally, guests will not be pleased when they arrive at the facility if they have to pay inordinately high parking fees or have had to park too far away. This is especially true if the weather turns out to be less than ideal on the night of your show. Does the facility have the proper amount of lighting on the runway? If there isn't already sufficient lighting in place at the facility to prop-erly light the entire length of the runway and you aren’t able to bring in your own runway lighting, then don't host your show at that facility. There is no point in putting on a show if the models and designs they will be wearing in the show can’t be seen by the guests. Additionally, having proper and sufficient runway lighting will also allow the pho-tographers that you have hired to shoot your show to take the best possible photos by shooting in available light. When photographers have to rely exclusively on their flashes to light the models on the runway, they will usually come away with shots that are not as good as they could be if proper, overhead runway lighting had been in place. Can the venue provide VIP guest seating along the runway? Most well executed shows will have reserved, VIP seating along the length of the runway using folding chairs. The best executed shows not only have these seats in place for high profile, VIP guests when they arrive, but also have place cards set out on the seats (or taped to the seat backs) indicating who the seat is specifically reserved for and what organization they are with. If the facility does not have such seating available for you, you will have to rent and bring in these chairs for the event, at an additional cost.

Industry Tips By Michael Beckerman

18 Key Factors In a Successful Fashion Show

Can the facility provide a long enough runway for a show? Regardless of whether you decide to go with an elevated runway or a ground level runway, you will want to be in a facility that can provide you with a runway that will be long enough for your show. A runway that is too short doesn’t give the models sufficient time to be out in front of the guests. Ideally, the runway should be as long as possible so that the models and the designs they are wearing have the best chance of being seen and for the greatest amount of time. Having a longer runway also allows for as much front row, VIP seating as pos-sible for key guests that you will want to be absolutely sure and have an entirely unobstructed view of the designs that are in the show. Remember that a fashion show is primarily about seeing and being seen. The designers are there to promote and sell their new lines. Their designs have to be both seen and properly photographed on the runway for that to happen. Has this facility successfully hosted other fashion shows before? This is an important thing to note because you don’t necessarily want to be the “guinea pig” that this venue uses to figure out how to prop-erly hold a fashion show with. If the venue has never hosted a show before, they are far more likely to overlook the little things and make mistakes in their execution of your event. It is far better to work with a facility that already has many successful fashion shows to their credit and has long since worked the kinks out of the process of how to present and execute a successful runway show.

Copyright © 2011 – MichaelBeckermanPhotography.com

“BDK” (Pat Rasile), “Osiris” AKA “O” (Michael Imperatore), “Hop” (Gerald Harper), “Ty” (Edward

McGriff), and “Red Eye Bandit” (Brian Vacante), were rough and tumble teenagers with a young vision to

run their own record label when they began acquiring equipment and setting up their recording studio. Mutual

zeal for the industry propelled their journey toward rebuilding the studio and laying tracks in 1997. Their first

recording artist was Ruga who, along with these passionate young men, successfully executed potential hits

such as “Make the Skies Fall” and “Sincerely Mine.” In 1999, the crew suffered the loss of Gerald “Hop”

Harper, and vowed to carry on the dream in honor of his name. Although financial challenges lead these young

men to take different paths, they did not let go of their dream.

The Outlaws Road

The History of Regulator Records

By Tate Alyson Fischer

“We’ll Make You Famous”—this is the company slogan of Regulator Records that is continu-

ally upheld by their emergent success. Rarely instantaneous and effortless, the entertainment

industry is quite possibly the epitome of a war-beaten path to living the dream. Regulator Re-

cords is currently topping Radio charts, but they did not create their label over a couple years

of hard work. As I spoke with Pat Rasile, CEO of Regulator Records, he took me to the true be-

ginning of this successful label, and we found ourselves back in 1995.

They spent days and nights in the studio, and

soon learned that having the dream and having

the studio were important, but crucial elements

were lacking. Thankfully, Pat “Bdk” Rasile met

Jake Tanner, who taught them the great art of

audio engineering, as well as Vinny DeGeorge,

who cultivated music theory and expanded their

instrument repertoire. Over the next few years,

these young hopefuls were laying a strong foun-

dation for creative knowledge.

This era also brought on the venture of

Young Gunz. With Michael “Osiris” Imperatore

leading the way, the next several years yielded

the production of “A Dolla 4 Da Dead,” “Out 4

Blood,” “Not Forgotten” (in reverent memory of

“Hop”), “Return of the Bad Men,” and finally,

the highlight of their collection, “Escape New

York” in 2001. Although financial challenges

lead these young men to take different paths,

they did not let go of their drive. In late 2003,

Rasile met Gyasi Parkins who, through divine

intervention, became the business manager for

Regulator Records.

Gyasi brought the valuable knowledge and busi-

ness skills of publishing, endorsements, and spon-

sorships, which complemented Rasile’s strength in

the field of promotions and audio production.

Combining a vast list of connections and rising

stars , the two young men rebuilt Regulator Re-

cords. 2003 also brought upon some change for

this flourishing business when Roc-a-fella Re-

cords, who had expressed interest in Young Gunz,

bought the rights to the name (and continues to be

a rap group until today). Between 2003 and 2010,

Regulator Records experienced a continual evolu-

tion toward inevitable triumph.

In Rasile’s words, “instead of a little step,

it’s taking a more like leaps now!” Presently,

Regulator Records boasts their fully capable In-

House Productions Studio as well as Make You

Famous Publishing Company. Furthermore, many

different media outlets are ready to promote their

new music video of “I Don’t Make Believe” by

DreadChild of the Knotz featuring Nature

(formerly of “The Firm”) off the upcoming album

“The Ladder,” which is due to release in 2011.

P1 Radio stations are picking up this song and mul-

tiple regions seem to be drawn to the hit from Flor-

ida to New York, Europe to Asia, and beyond.

“We’ve hit several radio charts with this one,” said

Rasile: that includes #4 in the Urban Market, #5 on

Rap Attack Live Charts, #2 on Record Breakers

Chart, Top 100 for Pop and Top 26 in the World.

www.HipHopDX.com premiered the music video

for 48 hours before releasing it to more media out-

lets. In the true spirit of impelling success, Regulator

Records will be bringing you Snake-II'z of the First

Family, album “The Rapture” coming soon for 2012.

Rasile multi-tasked during our entire inter-

view, yet his etiquette remained flawless; as we end

our conversation,

he lowers his voice to emphasize the significance of

what he is about to say.“I’d like to give thanks to

Mr. Rasile [his father] for believing in us, and Tho-

mas Mann "Skilly The Spider” [ VP of Regulator

Records] for bringing this all together. Special shout

out to Travis Macklin "Spunk" for making big things

happen, these men have been key players and our

special weapons.” Regulator Records is moving for-

ward and bringing a dynamic, encouraging revolu-

tion to the music industry as we know it.

You can check out their stellar website at

www.regulatorrecords.com

ScarletV A New Line of Comfort, Style and

Photography : Dave

Wood

Hair & Makeup :Chelsea

Garcia

Model : Marissa Trujillo

Special Thanks To :

Rob McKenzie

SV

SV

SV

SV

Hot Trends for Fall

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around the country also hosted

live parties that coincided with the online

event. Both the in-store attendees and those

playing from home joined in by posting on

Twitter. This form of online tasting is be-

coming increasingly popular with compa-

nies who are looking for new ways to ex-

pose consumers to their products.

Some virtual tastings are focused

on a single variety of wine. All of the par-

ticipants simply buy a bottle of wine that

fits in with the variety that has been se-

lected, and then they get on Twitter or Face-

book to talk about them. These tastings

have had large participation numbers, but

they end up feeling like you are in a room

with a bunch of people shouting about dif-

ferent wines. The fact that the participants

are not drinking the same wines makes it

difficult to really have any meaningful in-

teraction, but the continuing popularity

indicates that people enjoy these events.

Another example of online tasting

events is a recent Twitter tasting that was

conducted by Whole Foods, involving a

selection of their popular summer wines. In

addition to the online portion of the tasting,

Whole Foods stores around the country also

hosted live parties that coincided with the

online event. Both the in-store attendees

and those playing from home joined in by

posting on Twitter. This form of online tast-

ing is becoming increasingly popular with

companies who are looking for new ways to

expose consumers to their products.

Regardless of the format, online

tastings are a great way to learn more and

to connect with other people who are inter-

ested in wine. Possibly more than any other

beverage, wine is a social drink, and online

tastings allow drinkers to share the tasting

experience with wine lovers around the

world. My participation in online wine tast-

ings has lead to my becoming friends with

fellow winos (yes, we actually call ourselves

that) around the United States, and I have

had the opportunity to talk about the wine

making process with some of the top wine-

makers in the country.

Although our definition of the

word “friend” may have changed over the

years, the experience of tasting wine with

those “friends” is roughly the same as it has

always been.

New technologies effectively ex-

tend the walls of the winery tasting room to

anywhere with an internet connection, but

the essence of wine tasting remains the

same.

If you spend a lot of time on social media

and are interested in wine, you should give

one of these tastings a try. One upcoming

online tasting is the Pinot Noir Smackdown

that will take place on August 17th. For

more information about the event, visit

http://pinotsmackdown.eventbrite.com/,

or follow the Twitter hashtag

#PinotSmackdown.

“The times, they are a-changin’.”

Bob Dylan

Every once in a while I stop to

think about a time when the word “friend”

meant someone with whom you have a

close and personal relationship. In the mod-

ern world a friend isn’t necessarily even

someone you’ve met, but merely someone

you felt obligated to accept a friend request

from. Those were simpler times, times

when the word “tweet” was just onomato-

poeia for a sound made by a bird and when

having something viral was still considered

undesirable. There is no doubt that the

online world has reached out and touched

every aspect of our lives, and the wine

world is certainly no exception.

Among wine enthusiasts, a circle

of people I affectionately refer to as

“Swirlers,” wine tastings have long been a

favorite pastime. Wine tasting is generally

distinguishable from wine drinking by the

ratio of pretentious sounding nonsense to

slurred declarations of platonic love. Typi-

cally, the idea behind a wine tasting is to

actually evaluate the quality and character-

istics of the wine, as opposed to just cop-

ping a nice buzz. Until recently, wine tast-

ings have always taken place at a central

location, such as a winery or a tasting party.

Within the last couple of years a new kind

of tasting has started to become popular,

and that is the online tasting. Another ex-

ample of an online tasting is a recent Twit-

ter tasting that was conducted by Whole

Foods, involving a selection of their popular

summer wines. In addition to the online

portion of the tasting, Whole Foods stores

Online Wine

And How They

Written by:

Ben Simons

Tastings

Work

Keepin’ it Gangsta Photography by: Robert A. Rice

Wardrobe Provided by: Boss Vintage

The last leading summer lady I want to feature is the ever fashionable Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine. Florence has a

very open lithe personality and it comes across in her clothes as well. She is like a delicate doll that you just cannot touch.

This red carpet number worn at the Oscar’s made her and the dress famous for fashion. With its many layers it is structured and yet still

moves easily. What makes the dress really work is her incredibly slight frame. This really could not work on hardly any other celebrity

which makes Florence Welch a very special fashionista.

These celebrities show that regardless of your body style you can create a red-carpet ready look if you know how to accentuate the right

areas.

I’m very exciting to be writing a fashion column for the inaugural issue of Teyste and Grandeur Magazine! Since it’s still summer and still very hot here in

Denver I thought I would talk about some of the great fashion we have seen from those great artists that have been touring this summer. Celebrities have the

advantage of stylists and a variety of clothes to pick from. Celebrities can teach we mere-mortals a great deal about fashion and what to wear and how to best

pull it off. Our first lead fashion musician is Adele.

Although Adele had to postpone part of her American run due to voice strain her fashion this summer after the release of her sopho-

more album ”21” has been spectacular. Not only does she show that ladies can look classy, fabulous, and even sexy and not be a size 4

but that they can do with ease!

This dress in particular shows her effortless style. Rather than going with a strapless stress she is using a nice sheer lace to show some

shoulder. Her hair is up in a stylish up-do which elongates the face and body. The cut of this dress is also spectacular because not only

does it create waist, it also doesn’t bind or bunch which is important in plus-size fashion. She is also showing some leg simply going

with a knee length skirt here and the very popular nude hosiery that came into fashion on the legs of another British fashionista, Kate

Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.

Our next leading fashion lady is Jennifer Hudson. After her 2009 marriage and having her first son in 2010 she decided to lose weight

with Weight Watchers and now she is sexy and svelte. J Hud was always a looker since she burst onto the scene on American Idol in

2005, but with the release of her sophomore album “I Remember Me” she looks even better.

She is really showing off her new body in this asymmetrical dress with the detailed bodice. The bodice lifts and showcases her chest

while slimming and creating shape against the skirt portion of the ensemble.

Katy Perry has been the “it” this summer with her new “California Girls” album and the Smurfs movie coming out. The woman has

been everywhere and although Joan Rivers calls the now famous Smurf dress a fashion “don’t,” Katy Perry does it well here. Normally

something like this would be hideous and on literally anyone else but she makes it work. This dress is like awkward song that is hard to

play and hard to cover but always works when played by the original band.

The reason this dress works at all is because it is covered in the same sequins throughout making the Smurfette protion of the dress

blend in and stand out at the same time. It also helps that the design is made to conform to the shape and angle of the dress as well so

the design really blends and works.

Ready for a trip to Harajuku station? Nicki Minaj, who identifies as a “harajuku Barbie” in the tradition of the eclectic fashion of young

people around the famous train station in Tokyo, takes us there on a daily basis with her quirky fashion. I do not often recommend that

others take fashion cues from her but I can say that her penchant for body suits, crazy hair colors, and busy patterns shows us that if you

have the body and the look you can step out with confidence in almost anything.

This is my favorite outfit because even though the leggings have a strange pattern they conform to the shape of the leg and draw the eye

right up her to the lacy bodice and gloves. The big hair also puts everything into proportion which is very important. Even though there

is plenty of skin showing she looks sexy without being risqué or looking like a street-walker which is hard to do.

Summer Fashion Wrap Up

Cameron Cowan

By: Cameron Cowan

www.marlaesk.com

6 Great End of Summer Wines

2009 Dr.L Riesling

$9-$12 a bottle

This off-dry (slightly sweet) wine is an affordable example of a quality German

Riesling, and pairs wonderfully with spicy foods. The nose of the wine offers

great mineral aromas, mixed with citrus. The palate is a mixture of apricot

stone fruit and some nice citrus acidity to balance out the mild sweetness of

2010 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc

$15-$18 a bottle

A great example of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, this wine features the stan-

dard combination of cut grass and vegetal nose, as well as powerful lime,

grapefruit, and sour apple on the palate. Some great acidity makes this wine a

Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut Sparkling Wine

$10-$12 a bottle

One of the more consistent value wines, which famously out-performed Dom

Pérignon in blind tastings in the book The Wine Trials by Robin Goldstein, this

budget bubbly is produced in the traditional French Champagne method, and

features an approachable nose of baked apples and a touch of yeast. The palate

Late Summer Wines

2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir

$20-$25 a bottle

Summer doesn’t mean that you have to forsake red wine altogether. One of my

favorite summer reds is Pinot Noir. Good Pinot can be hard to find at a reason-

able price, but at under $25 a bottle, this is one of the better values that I have

2009 Aime Roquesante Rosé

$10-$13 a bottle

No summer wine list would be complete without rosé. Despite what you may

have heard, real men (and women) drink pink. This Provençal rosé is made from

Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. The color is closer to salmon than pink, and the

nose is comprised of floral components, strawberries, and some apricot. The pal-

ate is dryer than the nose would have indicated, with strawberries carrying

2008 Laurenz V. Singing Grüner Veltliner

$10-$13 a bottle

This somewhat less known variety from Austria makes for another great summer

wine. This Grüner is on the dryer side, with some lively aromas of wet stone,

lemon, lime, and subtle white pepper. The palate is refreshing, with light honey,

apples and well balanced citrus. This is a great introduction to an underrated va-

Andrea Li Photography by: Dave Wood

Makeup by: David Brawner

Styled by: Michael Imperatore

Living Art

www.andreali.com

Halloween Is

Coming!

Be Ready for the

Next Event!

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