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Name:ASiELSpotted at: 15th and Delgany streets en route to a recording studio.
Profession: Performance artist.
Favorite film: How to Marry a Millionaire. I love Marilyn Monroe, and this is my favorite film she's in. It's hilarious; I can watch it over and over again.
Summer anthem: "Juicy" by Notorious B.I.G. brings back good memories and always reminds me of summer.
Style inspirations/icons: Aliens inspire my on-stage costumes, which are very exaggerated and theatrical. Nature inspires my off-stage look, which is often just a T-shirt and jeans, a very laid-back, hippie-chic look.
Favorite colors: Green, purple and any metallic colors.
Favorite accessory: In performance it's my cup. In everyday life, it's a goddess coin necklace.
Style mantra: Off stage, I need to feel good and feel comfortable. On stage, I want to be visually stimulating while reflecting the audience's suppressed urges. As for the sports cup I wear in gold and silver, it is supposed to be attention-grabbing, but also a metaphor that I am in charge of my own sexuality.
Shops at: The Levi's store, vintage T-shirt shops in California, Buffalo Exchange for one-of-a-kind pieces, Urban Outfitters and American Apparel.
This is rapper ASiEL's favorite accessory: his goddess coin necklace featuring Demeter. It was a gift from Patrick, a former R.A.P. bandmate. ASiEL explains, "There were three of us guys and we used our names as acronyms and I was the 'R,' Arthur was the 'A' and Patrick was the 'P.' We are all still involved in music today. I always wear this goddess Demeter coin necklace because it helps bring forth the fruits of your labor and bring them to life. It's a metaphor because Demeter helps crops to grow."Take a look inside ASiEL's bag and at the artist in action at the recording studio on page 2!
This is the bag ASiEL brings with him to the recording studio. Let's take a peek inside, shall we? We have a black leather journal to match his leather messenger bag. ASiEL writes lyrics non-stop, so bringing this item to the studio is crucial. We also have an iPod touch, a pen and vitamins. A fan of yoga, ASiEL usually carries his water bottle and yoga mat, but we caught him on an off-day. ASiEL's style advice: "Dress what you feel good in, not what society tells you to. I think we'll have a lot more happy people if we all listen to ourselves more." After being spotted on the street, ASiEL invited us for an exclusive look inside the recording studio where he and producer Neon Jefferson are working on new material for both of their upcoming projects. Neon Jefferson and ASiEL love to bounce ideas off each other, and are both inspired by mixing the past and the future. They are working on some new sounds that combine the traditional rock-and-roll, full-bodied texture of a live band, but with all the technological and electronic sound blips of the future.Catch ASiEL at an upcoming Cream Friday appearance at La Rumba; details will be announced soon. He will also be at The Glob's Damn Gurl monthly GLBTQ dance party on August 10. And last but not least, ASiEL will be interviewed by Victoria Sexton in front of a live audience on July 18 at Broadways; it's part of a new night called "Casting Couch."
Check out the style of Brooke Dawson on page 3! Name: Brooke DawsonSpotted at: Colfax and Lincoln, waiting for the #15 bus.
Profession: Nurse.
Favorite film: Snatch.
Summer anthem: Bananarama's "Cruel Summer."
Style icons/inspirations: I take a little from the '50s, incorporate a bit of nerd, and filter it through modern day/everyday fashionistas.
Favorite accessory: My "Oakland" and "Hella" Bay Area necklaces.
Favorite color: I'm newly fond of green.
Shops at: Second-hand stores, mostly Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange. I also like H&M.
Style mantra: Look fun and eccentric -- I always want to wear at least one thing that makes me stand out.
Dawson, a native of Oakland, is on a four-week layover in Denver as she moves from L.A. to New York. "My brother lives in Golden and offered me a free spot for several weeks right after I finished school. I figured it'd be cool to experience a new city before heading to NY. I'll be staying in hostels and with friends for a while, but hope to live in Harlem or Brooklyn once settled," says Dawson. Take a gander inside Brooke's purse on page 4! Dawson's caramel-colored leather purse was a find at H&M, and complements her boots nicely. Let's go in for a closer inspection... "I recently graduated from California State University, which is in Northridge, L.A. I'm a consumer affairs major and went to San Francisco City College for nursing as well. Four of my girlfriends from college and myself all have this same journal. I write poetry in mine, and keep photos of them in it as well. I love to write," says Dawson. The Space Pen, which was a gift from an ex-boyfriend, makes a statement. "Some of my friends call me bourgeois because I carry this fancy pen that can write upside down and that astronauts use. I just laugh," says Dawson.Style analysis: ASiEL and Dawson prove that you do not have to be confined to one genre in order to express yourself fully. ASiEL mixes tailored suit jackets with a vintage Mickey Mouse T-shirt, Levi's 511 jeans and Van's skater shoes to create an aesthetic as complex as his music. Dawson combines classic staples, such as a black pencil skirt and leather handbag, with fashion-forward pieces like a printed hoodie and horn-rimmed glasses. They thrive on combining high-style with a casual twist, which comes off as effortless and fun. They also both take cues from space, be it in the form of pens or alien-inspired costumes.
The result? Out of this world!
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