Camera roll is a new interview series where we glimpse into the current moment via the mundane and the ordinary; the life lived in this moment of a global pandemic. This week we are featuring Natassia Dreams, a Californian transgender pornstar based in New York City, winner of the TEA Lifetime Achievement Award as well three-time nominee of the XBIZ Awards.
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American writer and journalist Lindsey Tramuta has spent decades pulling back the curtain on the real and evolving Paris and the mythologized Parisian woman—red-lipped, white, thin, bourgeois, seductive, and perfectly composed. Sharing the spirit of Passerbuys, Lindsey’s work reveals “Parisianness” in all its multiplicity while highlighting those who are bucking tradition, making names for themselves, and transforming the city. She shares her journey of moving to Paris as an American and her path to becoming a writer and publishing 2 books.
Read MoreThis 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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From advertising to sustainability, Liz in an entrepreneur who founded a diapering system that has become a go-to resource for parents looking for reusable alternatives called Esembly.
Read More‘Camera roll’ is a new interview series where we glimpse into the current moment via the mundane and the ordinary; the life lived in this moment of a global pandemic and revolution. We are excited to kick off this series with a passerbuys alumni Fariha Róisín, a poet and writer based in Crown Heights.
I’m in the city with the highest covid cases in the world, New York baby! While a revolution is happening.
Yes.
Yeah, a lot.
Personally, It’s super easy to be in a work mindset. I'm a Capricorn Sun and Mercury, and am ruled by Saturn... So just obsessed with work. Of self. Of body. Of mind. Of vocation. I was already a freelancer for many years and that in itself is a groove. Just to be patient with the flows is an important skill to acquire. Sometimes you don’t want do anything, and those are important moments of downtime. Of reflection and healing. It's basically important to utilize effectively whatever is coming up for you. When you live in capitalism, you think that your only value is the work you create, and I’m guilty of that for sure. Trying to go slow—with myself—is the easiest way for me to achieve balance. To really check-in, and be patient with myself. Good thing is, I feel like I’m learning to harness my time for relaxation more than I ever have before.
Cooking, dancing, smoking weed, reading, writing my new poetry book, and my new book Who Is Wellness For, that I just sold. I'm thinking about what to write for my newsletter, jerking off, watching the occasionally good thing (latest faves: I May Destroy You, Pain and Glory by Pedro Almodovar and My Brilliant Friend) taking long sun baths in my backyard, doing shrooms, getting take out from Zaytoons or Saraghina or Diwan Grill (my top Caviar treats), drinking natural wine sparingly but just the right amount to really enjoy it, even the assortment of cool wines I’m trying has been a small gift. I’ve been buying from Thirst Wines and Bed Vyne intermittently.
I have a weekly Union Market walk, which usually takes 45 min. The route I take is walking down the Promenade on Eastern Parkway right to Grand Army, past the Brooklyn Museum and Botanical Gardens and Library. It’s so delicious. I’ve been feeling parks a lot — like Prospect Park just hits different during these times, doesn't it?
I have one from Collina Strada and my friend Roopa Pemmaraju gifted one, as well as one from Abacaxi. I also got this silk leopard print one from Etsy.
I’m loving Rohr Remedy’s Rosalina Face Cleanser, Paula’s Choice Resist C15 Super Booster and Aotea’s Mānuka Honey Day Cream and Harakeke Seed Oil Night Cream — I’ve also been putting Manuka honey on my face a lot.
Spending more time alone. In New York so much of your life is taken by the throes of the city which I don’t really like. So many folks I’ve been talking to have been mentioning how they actually welcome this rest. It’s just painful because clearly, the grief is still there. So, it’s examining the sadness of the moment, of the 132,000 (plus) people who have died, the death of Toyin Salau, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain… and the constant Black death at the hands of white inferiority. It’s incredibly painful. Even before the revolution started, I had been thinking about how important it is that we take this time to heal, to evolve, to start looking toward the future. This means understand patriarchal, white supremacist and capitalist violence. It’s divesting from these oppressive systems. It’s really understanding that our evolution as a planet and a species relies on us unlearning anti-Blackness, and caring for each other.
Black Visions, Forthegworls, Okra Project and Bail Funds.
I’m a die hard optimist. This is the future. We are being faced with ourselves, we are being forced to slow down and to confront ourselves. Both the pandemic and the revolution are engineering that end goal. I hate pessimism (especially from white people) because it’s so dishonest. If you don’t think things will change, invest in change yourself. Or… change yourself! We all have to do this collectively. So, I hope we all take the time to try and focus on evolution.
We can stop being so fucking greedy. I hope we can start looking at how dangerous and exploitative capitalism is and really start having integrity with what we say. The rich need to start divesting from their wealth to make a just and equal society. I wish we cared more about true equality.
Revolution.
Lonely lingerie sent me a tonne of underwear the day quarantine went into action in NY… so I got lucky. I’ve been wearing it around the house, and really focusing on the connection between myself and my body. So yeah, I do feel sexy. Not every day, but most days I’ve been feeling pretty ok in that realm. My partner makes me feel sexy.
I’ve been making a quarantine playlist.
My Brilliant Friend, Search Party and I May Destroy You.
I’m currently reading Scenes of Subjection by Sadiya Hartman and a book about Sylvia Winter called On Being Human Praxis as Praxis. I just finished reading Carceral Capitalism by Jackie Wang. I think it’s important that we all start reading and learning about abolition immediately.
I’m cooking a lot. Today I made shirataki sesame noodles with blackened catfish. For breakfast I had a thick Greek yogurt with passion fruit, grain-free granola and maple syrup!
Matcha and Pet Nats.
I try to do yoga everyday / and or go for a long walk.
I bought some Julia Heuer skirts. She’s definitely one of my favorite designers.
Images provided by Fariha Róisín
Growing up in political exile in the US, Mahen became a fixture in the NYC party scene of the 1970s and 80s. Now she’s the powerhouse founder of the African Film Festival which enters its 30th year this summer.
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Pulled between the often competing drives of entrepreneurship and environmental consciousness, Amanda has successfully joined the two with her company Ambrosia. A deep-rooted New Yorker, her work ethic and deep passions have guided her on the path to leading a more conscious and meaningful life.
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A groundbreaking trans filmmaker and actor whose work has screened around the world, Isabel is working on her third feature following the success of 2019 film Lingua Franca.
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Leader of an eminent architecture and design firm she runs with her sister. Her multiple awards (including an induction into the Design Hall of Fame) are nice, but her motivation comes from an internal drive to innovate and create beautiful human spaces each day.
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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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Investment banker turned clean beauty entrepreneur, Kimberley Ho is the co-founder of Evereden, a clean skincare line for the whole family. Originally from Malaysia, Kimberley studied Economics and Creative Writing at Stanford University before embarking on a career in private equity and entrepreneurship.
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A Brazilian American culinary creative who has done for Food 52, Parsley Health, Kin Euphorics, The No.29, and A Second U Foundation.
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Jenn Tardif is a yoga instructor and founder of 3rd Ritual where she leads workshops blending ritual practices such as yoga, aromatherapy, and tea ceremonies.
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Céline Semaan is a modern ambassador of cultures, fostering communication across industry, policy, academia and the broader citizen population.
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After an activist awakening at age fifteen, Jessica Assaf life-long commitment to health and well-being was born. After attending Harvard Business School, she went on to become a pioneer of the cannabis revolution when she co-founded Prima.
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Yukata, souvenir from Japan
My morning starts off in the kitchen because I love breakfast. I prefer something sweet (like chia seed pudding) to savory in the morning, followed by a yummy, vibrational beverage. Every week I make a batch of mylk. This week I made it with fresh coconut, dried coconut flakes, dates, sunflower seeds, cashews, and a little honey. It is so good. I like to experiment with morning drinks because that’s the best way to start my body up. I’ve been meaning to make a video on some of my favorites (turmeric latte, smoothie, creamy coffee). Right now I’m drinking tea from Chinese licorice root. I really wish I enjoyed morning work-outs, but I don’t. If I do anything, it’ll be yoga. Then I burn incense to close out my morning while I make my to-do list in my bullet journal.
I did a chunk of my growing up in Irvine - a strange city because it’s privately owned and every establishment is some sort of franchise. There aren’t many family owned shops there. I never realized until moving to Los Angeles how sterile and fabricated Irvine is. It kind of freaks me out now, but it’s still home - insanely cushiony.
Until college I worked doing reception work. I was a horrible receptionist, though. Luckily I had my blog to carry me through; it actually paid for my college education. From there, I searched Craigslist for a marketing job and landed one at a really tacky jewelry company. Trust me, it was really bad— we sold flashy bejeweled butterfly brooches. After a few months, the men’s creative director, David, scouted me to design under him at Paige Denim. I had never designed in my life and definitely did not know what I was doing, but I was eager to get out of there and I worked extremely hard to pick up the pace.
““It’s crazy how something so minor can influence our lives so much that we have to make intentional efforts to better our lives without it. I love being off-grid so much and wish I could really commit to it.””
I started it my senior year of high school because I loved being on the internet. It was a natural progression from the days I made guilds on Neopets and built pixel websites. My strict parents rarely let me leave the house (I missed out on many school dances), so the blog became my outlet of expression and a window into the world. I was lucky to grow up at a time when everything was still analog yet it was also the beginning of the internet. Magical time.
I went from using a Canon g7x to a Sony camcorder, but I also really love my GoPro. Video making can be so daunting. Start recording and try editing it. Find comfort in knowing that your first video isn’t the one that needs to be published, but starting the process will help you understand how to better record the next time around. Having the right footage is the real key to an easy and beautiful edit.
Having a great film camera and someone you feel comfortable with shooting has statistically yielded me good images. Really know your angles and what you like. Snapseed is a great editor, because you can pinpoint certain areas of an image to brighten.
Dress, Perfect Number
““The time that is fully for me is when I leave my phone behind. Having grown up on the internet, it’s a luxury to be offline. It’s really important to have a good relationship with yourself, not a perfect one, but a good one. That’s the best way to get a feel for when you’re feeling a little off and to try various things to remedy that. For me, I need to get out of the house, be in nature, see pretty things, listen to music, and be around people to feel recharged.””
Dress, Perfect Number
The majority of my closet is pre-loved. I’ve been a consignment shopper since the day I got my first paycheck and learned how to navigate eBay. The high of finding designer goods at an affordable price is addicting. Now, I’ve graduated to The Real Real. I like what I like and try to live in an unfiltered experience (consignment, thrift stores, even Pinterest!) to let my mind gravitate to what it likes.
Being on YouTube has given me exposure to a lot of brands so I’m lucky I get to try a lot of products. I did the 10 step Korean skincare routine for a while, but I’ve been so lazy and uninspired with beauty lately. The only routines and products that excite me are those with simple ingredients paired with good techniques i.e. oils and gua sha. I also use Sangre de Fruta Botanical Body Cream, La Solution 10 De Chanel, CLE Multi Cream, Red Earth Green Rush Bubble Cleanser, Agent Nateur Deodorant, Susanne Kaufmann Lifting Mask Line A, True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil, Josie Maran Argan Finishing Balm, MAKE Beauty Moon Stick, RMS Beauty Magic Luminizer, KOSAS’ Color & Light: Pressed Powder Blush, and Mason Pearson Hairbrush.
I’m a big fan of Moon Juice adaptogenic’s including Cordyceps, Reishi, Pearl, Ashwagandha, Brain Dust and Power Dust. I also use HUM’s Green Superfood Powder.
They are the best thought provokers for me. And I can enjoy them while I double task. Where Should We Begin by Ester Perel is a series that every human should listen to for its grounding perspective on the erotic intelligence that permeates every aspect of our relationship with ourselves and the external world.
Dress, Perfect Number
I picked up The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson after I saw her speak at a panel with Miranda July and I fell in love with her brain. She told stories in such a witty way and had me hanging on her every word. It’s a dense read for me because I’m so bad at reading, so I have to constantly reread lines. But when I really can digest the words, it’s always beautifully articulate.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Hayao Miyazaki, an easy favorite, The Devil Wears Prada by David Frankel, The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook and American Psycho by Mary Herron.
rachel’s favorite places in La
Larchmont Wine + Cheese for wine, Italian groceries and sandwiches
Mh Zh for casual, thoughtful, delicious outdoor eating and the best Branzino of your life
Larchmont Farmer’s Market for coconut cold brew and groceries
Marciano Art Foundation for great art and less crowds than The Broad
San Onofre or Blackies, Newport Beach for surfing
Jones on Santa Monica for chopped salad, negronis and an East Coast vibe
Tenants of the Trees and Shabbaaaaa for going out
Griffith Observatory hiking for light exercise and some magical education
Cinespia at the Hollywood Cemetery for a summer time classic
Snakeskin Pants, Anine Bing; Mockneck, Entireworld
Courtney Preiss is an essayist and memoirist who knows the best cheap seats in Yankee Stadium. She is the Creative Director at Team Epiphany and a founding member of the Times Up organization and Times Up Advertising.
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After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in London, Eden traveled around India, Israel, and Southeast Asia immersing herself in different culinary cultures. She has since created two Cooking Channel shows, EdenEats with Samantha Schutz and Log On & Eat with Eden Grinshpan. She is now working on her first cookbook slated for release in fall 2020 and raising two-year-old daughter Ayv.
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Maayan got into fashion after a formative trip to a textile factory in Fondazione Ratti, Italy. She went on to co-found the lingerie brand the Lake & Stars. Initially a hobby, she now runs her own luxury candy sculpture company, Sweet Saba which has been exhibited everywhere from ArtBasel to the MET Gala.
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Dress, & Other Stories
I love my bed, it’s comfy and I share it with my two faves, my partner Nick and my sweet pup Maude which certainly makes it more difficult to get going in the morning. My first alarm goes off at 6:00 am and by 7 (ish) I’m scrolling through my email and Instagram, and checking my calendar for the day, all while trying to convince my dog that she doesn’t need to go outside at that moment. What can I say, I’m a multitasker. I leave for the office by 8:15. Nick and I do our morning commute together which gives us time to chat about mundane things like which one of us is picking up laundry or more exciting things like where to travel next.
I moved around a lot as a child—military parents. My family moved states every 2 years for about 10 years. With the exception of living in Wisconsin during middle school, I primarily grew up in the Southern United States. Most people are a little surprised by this mainly because my accent is a little flat. I went to high school in Little Rock, Arkansas so I like to say I’m “from” there, but I’ve lived in New York City for over 11 years now and consider it home.
I attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY where I majored in Urban Studies with a concentration in Architecture & Economics. I loved that my program was multidisciplinary and afforded me a lot freedom in selecting my coursework, including an independent language program in Hindi and a study abroad program in India. For graduate school I attended Pratt and studied Historic Preservation.
After undergrad, I deferred graduate school for a year and went back to Little Rock to be with my family. While home, I got my real estate license and worked for a family friend selling historic homes, but the market was slow heading into the recession so I took on a retail job and a job teaching science workshops at the Museum of Discovery.
““Understanding what you do not want can be just as powerful as knowing what you do want. I used to be paralyzed with anxiety just thinking about what I wanted to do in life and where I wanted to go in my career. I’d like to blame the 90s rhetoric of “you can do anything you put your mind to.” Once I started to check in with myself and ask “ok fine, what do you not want?”, it became easier for me to define my goals.”
”
I prefer working as a team and having regular access to health care. I quickly transitioned to onsite leasing and marketing with Milstein Properties. That’s how I met Company’s co-founder Michael Milstein. While working with Michael on a project downtown, I was able to prove myself to be a “doer”, always looking for new ways to improve how we represented apartment listings online and how we communicated and promoted the offering to brokers and renters.
When Michael began to work with Matt Harrigan (Co-Founder & CEO of Company) on Grand Central Tech, he selected me to assist them in managing the build out and early operations of then 50k square feet of startup space. That was my introduction to technology, startups, and workplace strategy. I had to quickly learn the world of co-working, agile workspaces, and the various perks and amenities required to fuel the innovation economy.
As Head of Brand, I’m tasked with upholding our brand standards and finding new ways to infuse the Company brand into our physical spaces, digital presence, and culture. Many of our amenity spaces are currently under construction and I’m involved in a lot of design decisions. I also get to work closely with our Hospitality team on brand identity for the bar, coffee shop, retail, and marketplace. We recently launched leasing for our enterprise office space in the building for teams who are 200+ employees so I’ve designed and managed the buildout of our onsite marketing center and continue to work with our team at CBRE to tell the real estate side of our story.
Jumpsuit, Pas Mal ; Earrings, Paris Earrings by Prasada Studio
““I’m lucky to be surrounded by a community of creative and passionate people who are always down to talk through big ideas and provide feedback. My younger sister is a photographer and jewelry designer and my brother is still in high school but he’s already a very talented jazz musician, watching them excel in their creative fields inspires me to take more risks. I also love traveling and exploring new places. While I have a tendency to over plan and organize itineraries using color coded spreadsheets—I always return from a trip feeling recharged and with the ability to think more freely.”
”
Jumpsuit, Pas Mal ; Earrings, Paris Earrings by Prasada Studio (my sister!)
Dress, Vintage
My work requires me to be knowledgeable of trends in real estate, hospitality, and tech. I stay plugged into the real estate world by reading The Commercial Observer and following blogs like YIMBY. For hospitality content I read Eater. TechCrunch and The Information are my go-tos for tech news. I also read The Business of Fashion, I find it to be an amazingly informative publication on the fashion industry and how brands are built. I also follow a lot of hospitality brands on Instagram, I’m currently obsessed with Ace’s Maison de la Luz in New Orleans.
The collection is very eclectic—some are vintage, thrifted, found or even painted by Nick. The majority of pieces are by friends and artists that are local to here or local to where we happen to be traveling. The paintings over the sofa are by artists Uzumaki Cepeda (left) & Dez’mon Omega Fair (right). I also have pieces by the Fortoul Brothers and Earl Swanigan.
In terms of aesthetics, I think the apartment truly reflects both mine and Nick’s style. We’ve made a few compromises to combine his love of mid-century modern design and my need to incorporate lots of textures and pattern mostly through small colorful pieces of pottery and various textiles. I recommend shops like Yu Interiors in Fort Greene, Hem, West Elm, Citizenry, & Anthropologie.
I do most of my shopping online and have really embraced a number of the Direct to Consumer brands mostly due to their commitment to reduce waste, improve factory conditions, and provide a better quality product. I recommend Everlane, Grana, ADAY, & Other Stories, Rixo, & Sezanne. As for footwear, I’ve been most excited this year about Labucq. I also recommend: Housing Works stores, shopping along Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brother Vellies, Pas Mal, and Porter James for home.
““If possible, find an organization whose values you believe in. It will allow you to be a more authentic storyteller and if you believe in it, it’s a hell of a lot easier to build a brand that resonates with others whether they be members of your team or customers.””
Jumpsuit, Pas Mal
A few years ago I had a health scare that resulted in surgery and that really forced me to focus more on myself and learn to listen to what my body is telling me. Now, I like to adjust my self-care based on what I need in the moment, like adding Vitamin D & Vitamin B12 supplements to my daily routine to combat winter blues and adaptogens like Moon Juice’s SuperYou.
My skincare and makeup routine has improved and simplified overtime. Daily I cleanse (Biologique Recherche Lait VIP O2), exfoliate (Moon Juice Beauty Shroom), moisturize (Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask), & protect (SkinCeuticals Light Moisture UV Defense SPF 50). I also struggle with hyperpigmentation so I’ve been spreading the gospel of Biologique Recherche Serum Placenta.
For makeup I really like Beautycounter’s Dew Skin Moisturizer, it provides a natural looking coverage while illuminating my skin, Glossier’s Boybrow even if I’m doing a “no makeup” day I’m taming my brows with this, Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer in Yacht Lyfe, I don’t typically wear blush so I’ll pop a little of this on my cheek bones and on my eyelids for a little color, and Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara, it’s conditioning and I like mascara that looks like I’m actually wearing mascara.
I discovered Ada Louise Huxtable’s writing while in college at Vassar. She cemented my passion for architecture and the urban built environment. Her collection of essays, On Architecture is one of the reasons I pursued a Master’s in Historic Preservation. I also recommend: Roxanne Gay’s Bad Feminist, F. Scott Fitzgerald's Flapper’s & Philosophers, and The Educated Woman by Anne Cleveland & Jean Anderson.
Dress, & Other Stories
Coat, Pieces by way of ASOS
By far my favorite place to dine is Cervos. I like that it is more of a cozy bar than a formal restaurant. Closer to home, I’m a huge fan of Risbo, the kale salad and mac and cheese are otherworldly. I also enjoy the ramen at Mo’s and if I need a quick bite I’ll grab curried chicken and a callaloo patty from Errol’s. Until we open our bar at Company, I can be found at Elsa in Cobble Hill, the cocktails are great and it has one of the most beautifully designed bathrooms in Brooklyn. The bar at No. 7 in Fort Greene is the closest thing to a Cheers some of my friends and I have, it’s an old faithful with good visibility to the street so you can literally pull additional friends in as they’re just passing by. Grand Army & Rockwell Place are also in the rotation right now.
Spa & Wellness: I most recently had the best facial of my life at Daphne. The aesthetician was a true pro-explaining each product and the proper application techniques. My preferred spot for massages is Skinspa, they several locations including one a block away from my office which some weeks is an absolute godsend. When I need a mani pedi fix, I go to Wellzen in my neighborhood. The technicians are great and the salon is clean and spa like.
Fitness: I recently purchased a Peloton bike and it’s been a game changer, but I try not to talk about it a lot for fear of sounding evangelical. I drop in for yoga at a SkyTing location or the occasional class at Y7 when I need to sweat in the dark with strangers.
Crooklyn by Spike Lee, Purple Rain by Albert Magnoli, Absolute Beginners by Julien Temple and Clueless by Amy Hecklerling
