In just a month it already feels like a new world. We have a president who wears a mask, recognizes science, and very importantly is making steps in the right direction for our environment. In a lot of ways, I feel that the pandemic has awaken us to what is truly important to us — our loved ones, our health, and our future. While we are navigating this current situation, it is very important to not forget about the other issues on hand. Climate change is hot on our heels! I mean, Texas is frozen over, while ice caps are melting.
We talk about sustainable improvements to our lives, but one of my favorite is fashion. Fashion is notorious for being very wasteful, but it doesn’t have to be! There is an ever increasing array of designers who are eco-friendly and amazing! But while I feel people are starting to notice this, we are not talking as much about one part of fashion that can also be sustainable and vegan, shoes! So, I thought, what would be a better way to show off some amazing sustainable shoe brands than on a contortionist! Side note: Victoria Gibbs doesn’t think she is a contortionist, but if she isn’t she is certainly up there for me. If you can put your feet over your head and put them on the ground, then I’m convinced you are a contortionist!
On addition to showing off amazing shoes in a cool way, Victoria talks with us about health, wellness, being very bendy, and her work with Lupus. To learn more about Victoria, please read our exclusive interview below.
We all have scars that are remaining from something painful. We carry those scars in our souls and take them everywhere with us. However, not all of us brave enough to find the confidence to heal them and converted them into a masterful piece of music. FIAA was brave enough to do that. She showed her vulnerability and scars with her music and embraces her scars that we too often keep bottled up. We saw her talent with BBC1 Little Mix: The Search Talent Show and now,her newest single 'One Day' which is written with Rag'n'Bone Man reveals our heartbreaks, griefs, and pains, but also shows us we can hold on to music when all hope is lost. It reminds us 'No matter who we are, no matter where we are from one day it will all be ok.' The song tells the story of a fall-out that FIAA had with her best friend that she grew up whilst in foster care. Also, FIAA is using her voice for some of the UK's most important children's charities. We talked to FIAA about her career, personal life and future plans. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about her.
Creating a Respectful Open World for Natural Hair. That’s the mission of the CROWN ACT.
The CROWN Act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools. Ending hair discrimination would, as Rep. Ilhan Omar puts it, step forward to combat racial discrimination. She states, “For far too long Black women have been penalized for simply existing as themselves.”
Women have been fighting for the same rights as men for centuries. Brave and fearless leaders like Susan B. Anthony, Mary McLeod Bethune, Simone de Beauvoir, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Angela Davis passionately fought for women's rights and helped shape the movement for gender equality.
Brains, heart, beauty… Ava Cantrell is a triple threat. The nineteen-year-old actress has grown up on the sets of Hollywood (you may recognize her from The Haunted Hathaways or Young Sheldon) and now she is a young entrepreneur! Ava’s new company ZOOMe is all about protecting your eyes during screen time. Blue light has become the ambiance of our everyday lives. From work screens to scrolling on Instagram, the slight glare of blue light has situated itself as a constant. When Ava realized the constant strain, she set out to make her own line of blue lens glasses with her family. Her brand ZOOMe offers lenses that give much-needed protection to our eyes so we can keep scrolling safely and stylishly. Ava brings her heart to her business and also to several charity initiatives —even during quarantine! Please continue reading for our exclusive editorial with Ava Cantrell.
Kaitlyn Velez isn’t your typical Gen-Z songbird – she embodies the style of a New York City “It Girl.” Her aesthetic as an artist is a blend of pastel and vaporwave visuals, and her music is bubblegum pop with some R&B influences. The young singer and songwriter tells Jejune about what inspires her to create, her single “FOMO”, her Hispanic background - raices -as artistic fuel and how she gives back through the intersection of music and activism.
I think it’s fair to say that women invest a lot of time and money into making themselves look good.
We buy expensive eye creams, moisturizers, and lotions to keep our skins young and supple. We get treatments for cellulite and stretch marks. We spend hours in the gym every month to lift and tone our muscles.
And yet… it feels like no matter how much you spend or work out, a certain lumpiness remains on your butt. Or pesky stretch marks that used to be badges of honor for weight loss, but have now become something thorns in your eyes.
Contrary to popular belief, the skin on your body is actually less forgiving than the skin on your face since it contains fewer hair follicles and stem cells. Dermatologists indicate that your butt is very prone to hyperpigmentation, cellulite, and stretch marks. And it doesn’t help that your butt is one of the most neglected areas of your body.
If you’re struggling with stubborn cellulitis and stretch marks, perhaps it’s time to get some affordable but specialized help.
Mental illness has always been a difficult topic to discuss openly due to the negative stigma associated with it. But as it is becoming increasingly prevalent and accepted, it is imperative that the subject be brought to the forefront of conversation. That is why UK based songwriter couple Sarah Holburn and Thomas Eatherton, along with Toby Shaer, created their band in earnest. The trio inspires an honest and candid dialog surrounding mental illness through their alternative, melancholic sound. Their new self-titled EP is both emotionally charged and thought-provoking. Aside from their music, the band is ambassadors for My Black Dog, a charity dedicated to providing free help for those who are grappling with suicide, self-harm, depression, and mental illness.
Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Janie May writes with her heart out. With a sleek style, honey-coated voice and sophisticated, yet upbeat tunes, the singer and trained social worker emphasizes the emotional aspect of life – emotions without warning yet too often felt and the source of human connection. May sat down with Jejune to talk about what she wants to achieve through music, her EP Balance Me, art and mental health in the age of coronavirus, and all the while showing us how solidarity as a guiding force takes us far.
Jejune loves to interview the next generation and hear how they are deciphering the current social and political situation, as well as the health crisis. There’s plenty of flack given to Millenials (who are coming on 40 years old on the older end of the generation’s spectrum) and Gen-Z gets a bad wrap for being a technology-dependent generation; however, these groups of individuals are movers and shakers who are not afraid to share their opinions. Gen-Z’s coming of age story is occurring during a pandemic and that’s nothing to shy away from. We were delighted to interview Keith L. Williams and learn more about how he sees his generation making an impact and envisioning a better future, particularly in light of COVID-19 and continuing to seek out philanthropic opportunities. To us, Keith is out of this world for more reasons than one. The 13-year-old actor stars in Nickelodeon’s The Astronauts as the lovable big-brother character, Martin Taylor, and has worked on titles such as The Last Man On Earth and Good Boys. Keith has big dreams of continuing to shoot for the stars in Hollywood while remaining grounded through supporting causes close to his heart, demonstrated by his work with Palace of A.U.T.I.S.M. Please continue reading for our exclusive editorial with Keith L. Williams.
Young love can be a dream or a nightmare and Lana Chalfoun offers both perspectives in her music. Her new single “Cut Off” (coming out Feb. 12th) is a break-up song just in time for Valentine’s Day, which to be honest, is the perfect day to let yourself mourn lost love and move on by February 15th. A fount of youthful sound and energy, Lana’s been dropping music through the pandemic (check out her other singles “Be OK” and “Get Mad”), all of which share the twists and turns of love, anxiety, and coming of age. In our interview with Lana we talk about her music and her chosen charity of choice The Red Glasses Movement. Keep reading to fall more in love with Lana in our exclusive interview below.
Gen-Z is growing up during challenging circumstances. This year the Covid pandemic has taken so much from their lives but still, they are up for the challenge and will reshape the world. Lexia Hayden —who is a stylish model, influencer, actress, and competitive tennis player— is the evidence of gen-z’s tenacity. She started her influencer career at the age of ten whenshe didn’t know anything about social media.Right now, she creates content on her passions for style, health, and fitness with her strong 230k Instagram followers. Aware of the issues that affect kids her age, she becamea volunteer for Candlelighters New York City which has been helping kids fighting cancer and their families. We talked to Lexia Hayden about her career, style, voluntary projects. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Lexia Hayden.
Actor Garfield Wilson has a lot to look forward to after taking on projects such as the Nickelodeon TV series The Astronauts, TNT’s Snowpiercer and an upcoming Lorne Michaels musical comedy. Wilson’s resilience shines through his career and his relationship with his three children —all built on a foundation of acceptance, love and support. Wilson gets candid with Jejune on acting, his kids and advocacy as a parent to an LGBTQ child, raising awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement from his home in Canada, and how we can follow his example to provide better, more inclusive spaces.
What is your favorite part of New York City? If you live here, why did you move here or why did you decide to stay? If you just love to visit, why is that? I think almost every single person who loves NYC loves it, at least partly, for the arts. I moved here 10.5 years ago, 100% for the arts. I then fell in love with the grit and the people. My people, artists who make magic happen. These are the people who are being ignored. These people are hard-working and living off their art, now they are not allowed to work at all, and they are given no alternatives. This pandemic has taught us many things about our society, and one of the loudest messages is that “the arts do not matter.” But I ask you this: How will we look back on this pandemic in history? It will be through the photography, the songs, the murals, the books, and who knows what else amazing ideas and creations come from this lockdown. We won’t be all sitting around watching videos of Trump or Cuomo’s daily briefings. We will be looking towards the art. Look back on history. How do we think about the most famous moments? From a painting, a song, or a poem. We need to be supporting the arts more than ever right now! Not only do they mark our history, but they give us the most important gift of all —hope.
Jejune had the pleasure to sit down, chat with, and photograph an amazing hard-working artist in New York City, Marcy Richardson. When the pandemic hit all her venues closed, but like most NYC artists, she is full of passion and grit. She will weather this storm and come back to the stage like a phoenix. Please read further to learn a bit about Marcy’s journey.
Since the beginning of time disease and illnesses have plagued mankind. As we have evolved and spread across the globe, so have infectious viruses. While outbreaks have been fairly common in modern times, the majority did not reach the pandemic levels that COVID-19 has. Widespread disease developed when society shifted to agricultural communities. Trade between communities created new opportunities for interactions between humans and animals. As trade became standard, the scale and spread of these diseases began to increase dramatically.
Epidemics such as the plague, smallpox, tuberculosis, and others first appeared during these early years. As society advanced, larger cities were created, and living in close proximity to each other and animals, with poor sanitation and nutrition, were breeding grounds for disease. Exotic and overseas trade routes spread these novel infections far and wide, creating the first global pandemics. Since then, many more widespread diseases have evolved including Cholera, the Spanish flu, and now Coronavirus. Read more to learn about the deadliest pandemics in history.
"Nails are accessories, art, a mirror for your mood, the foundation to an outfit, and a conversation starter." Rachel James describes her starting force to found Pear Nova, and reminds us of the importance of the nails. Our nails reflect our personality, style, and even who we are, and we know we don't want to use products from toxic companies anymore. Pear Nova is cruelty-free, 10 free, and vegan because, as a vegan nail brand, health, quality, and inclusivity are what they look for. When Rachel James first Googled“how to start a nail polish brand,” we wonder if she knew she would be so successful that create both a sustainable and fashionable brand. Recently Pear Nova collaborated with The Nova Star Project which is a nonprofit organization devoted to educating, strengthening, and empowering domestic violence survivors for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We talked to Rachel James about the brand, the latest nail trends, and the effects of Covid-19. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Pear Nova.
Our contemporary politics makes it is easy to see the stark difference in police treatment of Black Lives Matters protesters in comparison to the Trump rioters. Actor, Sports Enthusiast, and Civil Rights Activist Reggie Watkins is creating systematic change, saying everyone shouldunderstand why the entire system needs to be defunded and overhauled.His journey has been long as an actor but apparently, he always knew what he wanted.He recently portrayed Sgt. Lawrence Sims’ in Activision's new “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War” game. At the same time, he co-founded the San Fernando Valley-based non-profit organization “The Valley Of Change,'' whichis a community-based team of people who wanted to see change and decided to assist in the progress. Also, he gives importance to diversity in the sports talk space so that he is busy with his podcast, “Brothas On Football'', which covers football from a Black man's perspective. We talked to Reggie Watkins about his career, activism, and BLM movement. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Reggie Watkins.
At the Indian Canyons, the ancestral home to the Agua Caliente Tribe, stands a lone figure clad in glitter and gold. Her artist name is Yozmit and she transcends more than her surroundings as she is surrounded by the elements of California —Yozmit transcends gender, time, and space. She is a transgender music-visual performance artist who is also a costume designer. Her art and performance intend to spread her message of *DoYou* - "a process of becoming fully self-realized and acting upon self-identity. DoYou is [her] artistic mantra to shift power from external conformity to internal realization/” She has collaborated with the likes of Alex Sandar, Susanne Bartsch, The BOX New York, The Box London, Supper Club, Sleep No More, Queen on the Night, and has performed at Burning Man, Coachella, Life Ball, Lincoln Center, and many other notable venues and events. In our interview with Yozmit, we talk about her identity as “Two-Spirit” and the artistic value of SELF. Please enjoy our exclusive editorial with Yozmit below.
Mark McKinnon is giving back on and off the screen. His trajectory as an actor has always been fueled by the wish to bring forward stories that will make an impact, whether that be on a person’s life or on how issues are seen and talked about. His latest acting project, the BET Her film The Waiting Room, sheds light on the realities of a Breast Cancer diagnosis on women and their loved ones. By partnering up Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), McKinnon goes the extra mile for Breast Cancer awareness. McKinnon shared his experiences on the set of The Waiting Room, BET Her’s trailblazing example in the film industry, and his work with PCRM with Jejune. For more on Mark McKinnon, please continue reading our interview below.
Presotea is an original brand from Taiwan and utilizes the five generations of experience and expertise from a well-known tea factory to offer the finest quality fresh tea drinks with various certifications. Presotea has more than 400 shops internationally such as Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, Canada, Vietnam, Philippines, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, USA and UK, will start in Singapore by 2021.
