Shirin is a renowned visual artist who works across photography, video installation, and film. In this conversation, she generously shares how each stage of her life has led her to today: from her upbringing in Iran to her youth in California and her life now in New York. Her dedication to ritual and to her artistic practice has remained consistent through the tumult and triumph of all her days.
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Camera Roll with Tara Thomas
in Chef
This week we are featuring Tara Thomas, the chef behind Che at Sincerely Tommy Eat & Stay. Driving a community-based business model she is constantly traveling for inspiration and exploring to pursue depth. Tara seeks to combat social, environmental, and health issues with her culinary art in order to catalyze a change in the perspective of individuals.
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Meet Camille Bertrand
Camille is the Director of Acquisitions and Development at a leading independent film distributor whose impeccable taste and tireless networking helped her break into the notoriously difficult film industry. Originally from France, she has made a home for 10 years in the New York City she dreamt of growing up. Extremely pregnant and incredibly stylish, Camille’s deeply held opinions on her forthcoming motherhood, work, and the drive to find personal satisfaction in one’s work are incisive and informative.
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Meet Kinlaw
in Artist
Meet Kinlaw, an artist who resides in Brooklyn, New York. She moved into the city as an opera singer, and eventually worked her way into becoming an artist who has now performed at various museums and venues.
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Meet Momo Ishiguro
in Musician
Meet NYC passerby, Momo Ishiguro. By day she works at Printed Matter, Inc., the non-profit organization for artists' books and related publications, where she is in charge of fundraising, by night she works on music.
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Meet Heba Kadry
Mastering Engineer Heba Kadry was born in Egypt and grew up listening to early 90s indie shoegaze records whenever she could get her hands on them. She works at Timeless Mastering in Bushwick in the studio she physically helped build.
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Meet Anita Bertolini
Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Anita moved to New York three years ago to finish school, graduating from Hunter College with a degree in Music. She is currently recording an EP for her first solo project, under the name "La Berta", produced by Noise Club.
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Meet J Wortham
in Writer, Podcast Host
“J moved to New York in 2009 to work for the New York Times as a technology reporter. Before that, they lived in San Francisco and worked as a waitress and fact-checker at Wired Magazine. They’re originally from Virginia, and studied biology and anthropology as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia. Having a background in science really helped them to see that they loved everything about information tech, infrastructure and thinking about how things work and evolve. Initially, J felt alienated from tech culture because they didn’t present as a stereotypical “nerd” but the more they dug into it, the more they became fascinated with the way the Internet, machines and software shape our understanding of ourselves, the world, and each other. And they’ve been doing that ever since. ”
on their Morning Routine by season
In summer, I wake up naturally. I love warm weather, and I can’t wait to be outside. In winter, it’s the complete opposite. I lie in bed and negotiate until I’m on my way into the day. No matter the season, I like to alkalize as soon as I wake up, with charcoal filtered water with a squeeze of lemon, lime or blood orange, whatever is in the fridge.
on becoming a writer
I’ve been reading since I was 2, the story goes, so it feels natural that I would work in words. My family is very working class, so it took me awhile to realize I could earn a living by writing, and once that happened, there was no going back.
I love having a job that allows me to investigate the human condition, and think about life, and explore alternate ways of being and doing things.
on what they’re working on now
My goal for the rest of the year is to expand my idea of myself as a creator. I am working on an art book with a friend, and teaching myself more about film and moving images. I love working with video. In five years, I hope to be as excited and invigorated as I am today to write and connect with new people.
“Anything that explores the interiority of black women appeals to me and I was lucky enough to get a copy of the new Zadie Smith and I haven’t been able to put it down since.”
On their personal style
I mostly shop online. Trying on clothes gives me body anxiety and so many places have free online returns, so. In general, I aim for maximum comfort and bright colors, which I get from all over. I am experimenting with more masculine styles right now because that's what is in my heart. I love ASOS and I have a few friends who sell vintage and they occasionally set pieces aside for me, which is dope.
on the perfect skin mask & their skincare routine
Raw honey is a perfect skin mask. I just buy a jar of something raw and organic and spread it on my face a few minutes and then rinse it off. I do it a few times a month, in the morning or before bed . Honey is a natural antibiotic and moisturizer. It keeps my skin clear and looking dewy and moist. It’s THE BEST!
My skin is so temperamental and hyper-reactive, so I can’t use too many things at once or too much makeup, or my face has a meltdown. I just try keep it clean and moisturized to prevent break-outs. I love Orgaid sheet masks because they have probiotics and witch hazel in them, which is incredible. I’ve been using a vitamin C serum too, which is working wonders for my summer complexion.
“Holistic health is very important to me! I’ve become extremely attuned to the foods that make me feel great and the ones that make me feel terrible. And now I’m learning to experiment with teas and things just for health. I bought a block of organic reishi mushrooms at the Union Square Farmer’s Market for $10! I’m going to brew it this winter as a health tonic. I just started a newsletter to document these adventures. TinyLetter.com/FermentationandFormation”
J's Favorite Books
The Black Book by Middleton A. Harris, Ernest Smith, Morris Levitt, Roger Furman, & Toni Morrison
This Bridge Called My Back by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa
J's Favorite Places
Best Coffee: SuperCrown
Best Paletas: Tulcingo Deli
Best Juices at AP Cafe
Best Place for Cool Shows: Trans-Pecos
Best Discowoman Sets: TheLotRadio and Market Hotel
Best Acupuncture: TigerLily
Best Spot For A Date & Sushi: Momos
Best Place for a Movie: Syndicated
Streetstyle Details: Vintage
Meet Sam Giordano
Meet NYC passerby, Sam Giordano, a a fashion designer and owner of the womenswear label Dolores Haze.
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Meet Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh
Meet NYC passerby, Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh, Head Project Manager at Captured tracks, where she oversees albums from beginning to end on all fronts.
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Meet Leslie Hamilton
in Illustrator
Meet NYC passerby, Leslie Hamilton, a freelance design assistant working for independent designers while also working for American Two Shot.
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Meet Mira Moore
Mira was born and raised in Fairfield, Iowa. After receiving her BFA in Visual Communication Design from SAIC in 2013, she moved to New York and now currently lives in Brooklyn. Mira is the graphic designer at CMA and also runs Sanguis Ornatus, her leather body wear line. This fall she will be launching Cixous72 with her business partner Elizabeth Scott, an online boutique and collective that showcases artists and designers.
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Meet Aretha Sack
in Entrepreneur
Meet NYC passerby, Aretha Sack. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Aretha studied painting at California College of the Arts, where she met her business partner Janine, after selling her a custom nail polish she had made. They founded Floss Gloss Ltd in San Francisco in 2011 over a mutual admiration of each other as well as of fashion, music, color and nails.
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Meet Lindsey Mills
in Musician
Born and raised on sunshine and DIY in south Florida, Lindsey has been performing music for most of her life. She self-released several original works before she went on to study poetry at University of Florida. Her first full-length release, Stonefruit (2013) marked her arrival in Brooklyn, where she currently plays music for both adults and children.
INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | ♫ LISTEN TO LINDSEY'S PLAYLIST
STREETSTYLE DETAILS: Jacket, Vintage Wrangler ; Top, Holly Hunt Band T-Shirt; Skirt, Vintage ; Shoes, GAP ; Bag, Matt & Nat
Top, Gryphon ; Shorts, Vintage Levi's cutoffs.
“If I had to try and sum up my style, I think I’d call it ‘Punk Nanny’. Patterns make me happy, but I like to pretend I’m really tough too.”
Dress, Suno x Uniqlo
“Right now my favorite pedal is the Corona chorus effect because it’s so distinctive and ‘80s-sounding.”
“Mornings are my favorite: I write as soon as I wake up, then make a personal French press and try to practice guitar until it’s time to go to work. I take care of a sweet three year-old little girl. Much of our day together consists of coloring, dancing, and playing at the park. And when I get home, I’ll cook up something full of veggies.”
Top, Gryphon ; Shorts, Vintage Levi's cutoffs.
“My whole family is musical. My dad taught me how to play guitar, and is a total gearhead, so he’s really the mastermind of my setup.”
Dress, Suno x Uniqlo
Dress, Rachel Comey
Lindsey's Pedals ; Corona Chorus Effect, Boss Digital Delay, Ibanez & Polytune Tc Electronic
Some of Lindsey's favorite books
Top, Gryphon
“My mom is a professional singer and she published this book about how to make it as a singer in a local market. Maybe I’m biased, but I think it’s full of great advice and return to it often.”
“This is the best coffee table book ever. It’s just pictures of people dancing with their cats. My cat and I are working on our routine.”
Lindseys favorite records
Lindsey's favorite beauty products
“Matt & Nat make simple, beautiful, vegan bags, and often out of recycled materials too.”
Bag, Matt & Nat
Dress, Rachel Comey
Shoes, Shoesone
“I was obsessed with these Miu Miu platforms, so I bought these cheap knockoffs. I’ve actually never worn them out!”
Rings, Pamela Love & Vintage
Top, Forever 21 ; Pants, GAP
Top, Forever 21 ; Pants, GAP.
“My backyard is basically my rehearsal space.”
Dress, One Clothing
SHOP HER WISHLIST
Meet Rachel Howe
Meet NYC Passerby, Rachel Howe, an Artist and Spiritual Advisor. Since attending Parsons, she started her own business making functional ceramics under the name Small Spells, and after two and a half years with ceramics as her full-time job, she is now moving on to working on many other projects, mainly design projects and healing services.
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Meet Grace Miceli
Grace is an artist and curator living in Brooklyn. She runs Art Baby Gallery, an online exhibition space that as well as her clothing line, Art Baby Girl. Currently, Grace is working on publishing a book of her illustrations through Belly Kids Press.
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Meet Janine Lee
in Entrepreneur
“Originally from Coronado, CA, Janine Lee is co-founder/CEO of Floss Gloss, an independent Brooklyn-based nail lacquer brand. She studied fashion design at California College of the Arts (2010) in San Francisco and co-founded Floss Gloss with Aretha Sack in 2011 out of pure necessity and bad (bad) recession job availability. After years in SF, she recently relocated from the Bay Area for Floss Gloss & life to Bushwick in 2014. At this time, currently thriving and always striving for success.”
Top, DKNY
on her morning routine
Normally I’m up around 8. I take Bodie out with Brett and grab an Americano at AP Cafe or Wyckoff Star. Then Brett and I both get ready for work and maybe make breakfast. I read some emails and do some light work, pack a lunch before I’m off at the Floss Gloss office.
on her path to floss gloss
I always was into coloring, arts & crafts and reading. I read a lot as a kid and worked at a library. I started really doing nail art and painting my nails in middle school and high school. I got Klutz Nail Art Book as a gift when I was a pre-teen and basically never looked back. Floss Gloss was born out of necessity. Aretha and I didn’t have a brand that we really felt was speaking to us and to who we were as consumers. We took about a year and wrote a full business prospectus, pitched investors, got money and found excellent manufacturing. We took a big leap and are still going!
on the production of floss gloss
Aretha mixes up a bottle of color we both love and we send it to our factory, they send back a matching sample, we approve or disapprove and either re sample or go into production. We have caps, bottles and brushes already at our factory and within 6-8 weeks with sampling we have a new baby! This process can be very challenging because everyone sees color a little differently.
““Art class was my favorite and I was in a fine art program at my high school in Connecticut that challenged me to get into art school. I love to paint, sew and create.””
on her inspiration
I paint on 10 tiny canvases these days. But my biggest art influences have always been Matisse, Guagain, Leroy Neiman - color! As for fashion I love fashion history, but in college and still to this day I’m inspired by eastern designers Isse Miyake, Rei Kowakabo and Junya Wantanabe with some American sportswear idols like Geoffrey Beene and Liz Claiborne.
on her beauty and skincare routine
My everyday routine is pretty basic! Lately I’ve been really into the Naked 3 pallet by Urban Decay and the Pro Paint Pots by Mac. Mascara and I’m out! But always moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! I always look at the ingredients in products. And of course sometimes I like to experiment with beauty, because I like art and painting and essentially it’s all the same vibe. I went through a very long glitter eyeliner phase in 2014. If I have a redder blemish on my face, I get a few drops of OpCon eyedrops onto a q-tip and apply it to the redness. It reduces redness of the eyes and basically does the same thing to the skin. Not sure how- but it does! I also run my eyelash curler under hot water before curling my lashes like a heat perm! I would also recommend: the MAC eyebrow pencil, Shea Moisture lotion, tea tree oil, coconut oil, Purlisse moisturizer, Batiste dry shampoo, and Davines nourishing conditioner.
on her favorite books
I’m obsessed with anything true crime right now. But specifically Ann Rule. I’ve read 3 of her books this year! She is an incredible story teller and nobody really has time for fiction. I need the truth! I also have a lot of art books. I Wonder is just stunning to look at. Mexican Art and anything ancient is super fascinating to me. If I wasn’t in the arts I’d probably be in sociology or anthropology. The Book of the Hand is about palm reading and your life thru your hands. Because its essentially my business I am really into anything related to hands and nails! I would also recommend : And Never Let Her Go by Ann Rule.
Top, DKNY ; Skirt, Express
Janine's favorite makeup products
Nail polishes from Floss Gloss
Top, Soffee ; Pants, Vintage ; Shoes, Modern Vice ; Bag, Echo Club House ; Sunglasses, Ray-Bans
janine’s favorite places in nyc
The AP Cafe/Wyckoff Star for espresso
Northeast Kingdom for dinner or brunch
The Keep for a cocktail and a free* Tarot card reading (*with tip-- totally worth it!)
Urban Jungle for vintage. They have great prices and huge selection if you like to dig and independent boutiques on Knickerbocker!
janine’s favorite floss gloss colors
Right now I’m really feeling these babies: The Pink Nugget, Smoke on the Nail, Dinge (always), Lavish and Honey!