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Imani Ogden

Business, News & Entertainment, The Issue

Is Miami The New Capital of Entertainment?

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An interview with City of Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado on the future of entertainment in his jurisdiction. By Craig K. Skilling / Photographed by Imani Ogden On a sunny South Florida day, in his Coconut Grove office with a view fit for a mayor overlooking Biscayne Bay, Miami’s outspoken government official, City of Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado sits with MSM to discuss the future of entertainment in his jurisdiction. “I don’t agree that (Las) Vegas is the only place for entertainment. Miami has its own niche in terms of entertainment,” says Mayor Tomás Regalado. “Miami I think is the capitol of entertainment for the Latin community,” says the mayor. The mayor’s Film & Cultural Affairs Administrator Vicente “Vinnie” Betancourt, also present in the room, mentions that Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and the entire Rat Pack had an impact on live entertainment in Miami and South Beach before taking their talents to the Las Vegas strip. Many from around the globe are familiar with the major electronic music festival that takes place annually called Ultra. It’s been approximately fifteen year’s since the festival’s modest inception on ocean drive in south beach. This past year in downtown Miami the internationally recognized dance festival that coincides with college spring break, brought in well over a quarter of a million dollars in revenue to the City of Miami economy but was faced with controversy and several complaints by downtown Miami residents. The mayor says he has been very clear on his position and that “the Ultra music festival organizers will need to be safer moving forward or risk being moved from their downtown location.” “This will be the last test because you cannot afford the various problems in downtown, an area that boasts 13,000 residents in the Ultra area alone. These are residents of downtown who are very marketing oriented in terms of attending our local sport venues, museums, the (Adrienne) Arsht Center. These are people who are mostly professionals or retired professionals and they want a quality of life that they demand from us which is why they pay so much taxes,” says the mayor. When asked why Ultra is returning to downtown Miami for another year since he feels so strongly about moving the festival out of downtown, he responded by saying, “The mayor and commissioner do not vote.” The city commission voted to give them (Ultra) another chance and there was nothing we could do.” He then stated, “Hopefully they come back ready because some people died and when people die that is a game changer.” When asked if there was ever a formal plan put into place to spawn the rapid growth of entertainment in Miami as a whole, he responded by saying, “We never had a plan for entertainment. Everything has been market driven. The success of our professional (basketball) team the Miami Heat, the Arsht Center, Wynwood galleries, second Saturdays of the month where 30,000 people walk the same streets of Wynwood, would not have happened six years ago due to crime but is all happening and thriving today due to the people driving the market,” states the mayor. The mayor explained that the entertainment district, Parkwest, was approved for nightclubs to be open twenty four hours a day and how the city approved and facilitated the bid for the business improvement district. “Basically, property owners pay more taxes but use the tax increment as they wish not as the government wishes,” explains the mayor. The incentive has been made evident in Wynwood and Coconut Grove where entertainment and business has expanded. Again the mayor points out that everything that happens is truly market driven. The one area that some City of Miami residents still have a concern for is public safety. There have been reports that the City of Miami police department is being downsized and has several vacant positions to fill upon budget approval. The mayor admits that “what has to happen is to take public safety to a higher level and make it impossible for criminals to be downtown with this rapid growth taking place.” Some South Florida and downtown residents specifically may recall a time when the homeless would flood the downtown streets panhandling. When the mayor was asked, How did you handle this? he replied by saying, “compassion but not tolerance”. “The City of Miami went to court to change a mandate that was done by the Federal court many years ago and are getting ready to move the homeless and take them to shelters to clear out the area completely, even by force (if necessary),” the mayor explains. The mayor mentions he is very excited about the sci- ence museum downtown that will bring more people to the area especially families. This is a big initiative for Mayor Regalado and he envisions over 100,000 students and children visiting the area and museum over the next school year. “The vision is for Downtown Miami to be an educational and festive entertainment center highlighted by a museum park, the Adrienne Arsht Center, sport- ing events and concerts,” explains the mayor. The mayor stated that Miami has its very own Walk of Fame. It is located in the heart of downtown Miami, at the Bayside Market place which is the number one tourist attraction with over 20 million visitors throughout the year. They recently hosted the inaugural Brito designed Walk of Fame celebration this past spring for inductees including the Rio 2 film, along with Academy and Grammy award winning actor, singer and songwriter Jamie Foxx and actor and Miamian Andy Garcia. The official Miami Walk of Fame will continue to honor those who have contributed to the charisma, worldwide prominence and name recognition of Miami through film/television, music, sports or honorary means. The mayor says, “The film industry looks at Miami as an important place to be with our colorful sites, beautiful weather and more. It is sad that the Florida State government does not facilitate and provide more benefits. We facilitate issuing over seven hundred permits per year along with supporting the Miami Dade

Culinary

Sweet-Tooth Swooning By Way of Sweetness Bake Shop and Café

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By Nycole Sariol/Photography by Imani Ogden Lately, cupcakes aren’t just cupcakes anymore. In fact, they’ve become a much bigger deal than their diminutive stature suggests. For South Miami’s Sweetness Bake Shop and Cafe, flavor is everything. The ‘ole red velvet and the generic vanilla song and dance is joined by a medley of different tunes consisting of nutella buttercream and bacon crumbs, and Cortadito-flavored cupcakes at the sweet-shop, pushing the envelop of what can and what can’t be done in the holy sanction of all things “sweet and savory.” Cupcakes aren’t the only antidote for a sweet-tooth ache served up on Sweetness’ menu. The confectionary kingdom also specializes in producing some of the Miami’s tastiest desserts – from their legendary “dessert shots” to a rainbow of flavor-packed pies and just about every deep-fried everything. The sugar rush doesn’t stop there. Sometimes, one hit of their mini-cupcakes like the Dulce Coco and Guayabera cupcakes, isn’t enough to quell your craving. For this reason, the bakery makes it possible to supersize cup-sized cakes to real-sized cakes. And as if Sweetness couldn’t be more considerate of their customers’ demands, the bakery also caters to the salt-savants with an eclectic menu of hearty lunch dishes like their staple Raspberry Brie Sandwich and G.O.A.T. Grilled Cheese and a an ice-cold craft beer to top off the perfect way to end your midday chow. You can also spot the bakery burning some rubber in their food truck, Sugar Rush. And the for the patrons in Hialeah, dreading the drive over to South Miami just to get your Sweetness fix, good news. The bakeshop just opened up off of West 49th Street. Do we smell a cupcake takeover acookin’ in South Florida? Perhaps. But we can definitely smell something heading from Sweetness’ direction. Maybe it’s just a batch of Maple Bacon Cupcakes fresh out of the oven. In that case, we’ll take a dozen, please!  Click here to view post on the July/August 2014 issue.

LIFESTYLE, Living, Luxury, MSM Online, The Issue

Miami Real Estyle – Sofia Joelsson – SoJo Design Miami Beach

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By Sherri Balefsky/Photography by Imani Ogden Stepping into the SoJo Design offices in the heart of South Beach is like stepping onto an oasis during a major MacArthur Causeway traffic jam. Sofia Joelsson, the firm’s founder and creative director, arrived in Miami late last night after her flight from New York was delayed four hours. You’d never know; she is blithe and cheerful and—with no makeup, nonetheless—looks incredibly well rested. From just a quick glance around her office, it is clear Joelsson has impeccable taste—so much so you’d think she spent years studying at an accredited design school. But Joelsson grew up in a small town in Sweden where she reveals, “People are very much do-it-yourself. A career in interior design is not something that is really even thought of.” Instead, the former Miss Sweden grew up thinking she wanted to be an actress. She spent time living in Germany and the Dominican Republic before making her way to Miami. “I was modeling and doing commercials,” she says. “But people kept asking me who my decorator was…So thirteen years ago—to this day, actually [June 9, 2014]—I started SoJo Design.”  With no formal training, Joelsson has managed to make a name for herself in the world of interior design, having worked on some of the most impressive luxury properties in Miami, New York City, and Dallas, Texas, among others. This includes penthouses at the Setai, Il Villagio, and 1500 Ocean Drive in South Beach; the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; and Manhattan’s Walker Tower (where a penthouse recently sold for a reported $30 million). “I found a niche in penthouses,” she says. But her portfolio also includes luxury condominiums at Canyon Ranch, Miami Beach, One Bal Harbor, and the Four Seasons, Miami, and multimillion-dollar estates in affluent neighborhoods in places like Star Island and the Hamptons. She’s also designed interiors for hotels, office buildings, restaurants, and even private jets. The SoJo Design aesthetic is sleek, chic, and modern. Each room exudes an effortless balance of color, texture, shape, and open space. Joelsson has an affinity for natural materials like wood, stone, and leather, and for neutral tones such as white, black, and beige. While an estate she designed in Dallas has a much different vibe than, say, one of her South Beach penthouses, the signature SoJo je ne sais quoi permeates throughout each endeavor. In total, SoJo Design has worked on more than 150 projects, representing close to a billion dollars of real estate. The success has led Joelsson to expand her business into other areas of creativity, which includes the launch of a design-inspired magazine, Curated Living. “I did [the magazine] to challenge and inspire myself, and in turn, inspire others,” she says. “It was originally only supposed to be online [www.curated-living.com], but my clients and advertisers were all asking for copies.” For the first issue, aptly named “The White Issue,” Joelsson curated pieces from her favorite design and fashion houses to put together a series of white-themed vignettes. The next issue, slated for Summer 2014, will have both equestrian and nautical themes. Along with being editor-in-chief of a burgeoning magazine, Joelsson is working on a new textiles line, which she anticipates will be part of a larger Sofia Joelsson Home, Anywhere collection. She also launched an e-commerce site, Cudesso (www.cudesso.com), which offers a handpicked selection of her favorite furniture and home accessories from around the world. And, if that wasn’t enough, Joelsson is also in talks with producers about a potential TV show. With so many projects evolving simultaneously, it’s no wonder Joelsson says the one person she’d love to meet is Martha Stewart. “She is such an inspiring entrepreneur and businesswoman—and she’s had a very interesting life!” Much of Joelsson’s inspiration comes from travel. Her favorite places include Mykonos and Santorini, Greece; and Capri, Italy, where she says she visits every year. Aside from traveling, in her free time (though it would seem she has none!), Joelsson loves to entertain. She likes having friends over to watch movies on her terrace where she has a full-size chess set and a popcorn machine. “A lot of my friends have kids,” she confesses. “I have four-legged kids.”  She gushes about her shih-tzu mix, Caspar, whom she rescued five years ago. He is by her side at the office on most days. “I think it’s important to create a fun work environment,” she says. “We’re here very long hours some days, so you have to keep people loving what they do.” The SoJo Design team currently includes five designers, plus an extended staff that helps support her in her multiple endeavors.  And despite her laundry list of accomplishments in just 13 years, Joelsson remains down-to-earth and remarkably humble. “The United States is still, to me, the land of opportunity,” she says.“Miami is special because it’s only something like thirty percent developed—as opposed to New York, which is like ninety-nine percent developed. There’s so much opportunity and growth…What Craig Robins is doing with the Design District is pretty incredible. It’s cool to be a part of a growing design community.”  So what’s her best piece of advice for anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps? “Follow your passion. Everything else is just passing the time. [Your passion] can change—mine did. But if you love what you do, you will be successful.” Click here to view post on the July/August 2014 issue.

Cover Stories, Fashion, Interviews, Swimwear

Jessica Bleier Cover Shoot: High Fashion Chic Meets An Easygoing Spirit

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 Click Here To View Full Story & Images In Our July/August Issue PHOTOGRAPHED BY IMANI OGDEN/INTERVIEWED & STYLED BY KATIE JACKSON/MAKEUP BY ESTHER JIMENEZ/HAIR BY FRANK CATANESE/ SET ASSISTANT-STEPHAN USECHE/SWIMWEAR BY RED CARTER/JEWELRY BY CATTIVA  BOUTIQUE/SUNGLASSES BY EDWARD BEINER/SHOES BY STEVE MADDEN/JESSICA REPRESENTED BY FRONT MANAGEMENT From countless spreads in high fashion magazines, to strutting down the runway for numerous years in fashion shows and traveling across the world for photo shoots, Jessica Bleier has certainly cemented her career as a high fashion model. Starting her career at just 11 years old, the Miami native is now a bona fide star. She continues to push creative boundaries, even recently starring as the beautiful love interest of Latin pop singer Chayanne in the music video for his hit single “Humanos a Marte,”proving that her possibilities are endless. But apart from her success, stunning good looks, and ridiculously close resemblance to Angelina Jolie, Bleier is insanely down to earth, making her not only lovable for her work, but for who she is as a person. Bleier’s first run-in with a modeling agency came when she was just in middle school. After being bullied by her classmates for her height, Bleier’s mother decided to take her to a modeling agency in South Beach to prove to her that tall is beautiful. “She wanted to show me that, one day, you can make something of your height,” says Bleier. After being signed immediately to the agency, Bleier was already traveling for work. “My mom would come with me everywhere, we went to places like Italy and Paris,” says Bleier. Despite Bleier’s early success, her career came to a halt when she decided to attend college at the University of Florida to study history. But after graduating during the recession, Bleier found it difficult to find work. While searching for a job in her field, Bleier decided to give modeling another shot to generate some extra income. “One thing led to another and it turned into a full time thing,” says Bleier. After moving back to Miami and signing with Front Model Management, Bleier was catapulted back into the modeling scene, doing fashion shows and photo shoots in Miami and across the world. But this high fashion model loves living the low-key life. Apart from spending time with her high-school sweetheart and fiancé, Bleier loves to garden and read books. “I read constantly,” says Bleier. She also likes to explore the burgeoning art and design districts. “I absolutely love to dance. But other than that I’m more of a low-key, go to a bar, have a beer and hangout type of person.” Bleier also makes sure to get her daily exercise by doing fun activities she truly enjoys. “I have a very active lifestyle. I take my dog for one hour walks, and my fiancé and I like to go kayaking.” Bleier’s one guilty pleasure? Pizza. “My fiancé is in the restaurant business. His parents own Steve’s Pizza, so he manages that. It’s good and bad because every night I fight the urge to eat pizza, which I usually end up eating pizza once every day!” she says while laughing. Although her modeling photos and videos are all over the media and internet, Bleier prefers to stay away from all the social media hype surrounding her career. “I feel like I was supposed to be born at another time. I love real conversation, and just, seeing a person’s face and engaging their reaction.” While it’s obvious that Bleier is a powerful force in the modeling world, what seems most attractive about her is the pure effervescence that shines through Bleier’s approachable spirit.

Culinary

The Art of Eating Organic

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Sorry Gisele and Adriana, but you ladies aren’t the only holy grails to come out of Brazil’s land of plenty. “I always look for the balance between quality and technique by making something easy, healthy and tasty,” regales gastronomist extraordinaire and private chef, Isa Souza. When she’s not schmoozing with celeb-pals like Andy Garcia, Jamie Foxx & Rodrigo Santoro, the Vida y Sabor front- woman sticks to her roots – her organic roots, that is. A firm believer of the Eco-gastronomical Movement, the self-taught chef prides herself on using only organic ingredients and declares to us her undying love for salt. MSM: What inspired you to become a chef? I’ve always been in love with gastronomy. Since I was a little girl, playing house, I already envisioned all of the ingredients I was gonna use. I believe I was born with this gift and what I did later on was to become a professional at it. It’s really amazing to be able to work with what you love and even be able to help people cook better and eat better. MSM: Tell us about your new book. What inspired you to publish your own cook book? The idea was to compile all the recipes from the first season of the show “Isa Vida y Sabor” in a way that I could get closer to people and share my ideas and personal experiences. I like the idea of being a part of people’s meals. It’s very gratifying when someone tells me they’ve tried a recipe and it worked and they loved it. MSM: What is the most essential item in your kitchen? Salt. To me it is the most important ingredient to make any recipe. Besides being essential to our metabolism, in the right quantity of course, it activates the taste of each ingredient. We can live without sugar, for example. Fruits and carbs are sugar providers, we can absorb the fat of many foods but salt is unique. If anyone asks me what I would take to a deserted island, it would definitely be a little jar of salt. MSM: How do you choose your ingredients? I search for quality in every ingredient, it is very important to know where it comes from and preferably organic. MSM: How important is it that the produce must be in season? How does that affect the taste and quality of a dish? I defend the Eco-gastronomical Movement and one of the basics of this movement is to raise the consumption of organic products. That said, you have to consider what’s in season and preferably from a local production so you know what you’re eating is fresh. MSM: What is your favorite dish to make? This is a very hard question but I have to say it is every meal I’ve ever prepared for my family. Every time I get to cook for them, it’s my favorite. It is my way to express my love for them. MSM: What is the best way to kick start your morning? A super juice of carrots, apples, oranges and ginger. I love it and it gives you the energy you need to start your day. MSM: When you are designing a complete meal, what factors do you take into account? I always look for the balance between quality and technique by making something easy, healthy and tasty. MSM: How do you achieve harmony and balance in your dish? Always take into account: quality, quantity and taste. MSM: Are fresh ingredients important ? Always. Fresh ingredients are always my first choice. It makes all the difference in cooking but especially in taste. MSM: Do you ever take inspirations from other chefs and make them your own ? I’ve always been inspired when cooking by the great Chefs Alain Ducasse and Jose Andres, they both have a great style of cooking and that inspired me a lot when making my own recipes. MSM: Is your cuisine inspired by your home land? That’s where my passion started so I’ll always carry a peace of Brazil with me wherever I go, every trip around the world, I like adventuring myself and exploring the culinary culture of every country I visit. It’s an incredible way of getting to know that culture, by what they eat. Click here to view full story in the March/April 2014 issue. By Nycole Sariol. Photography by Imani Ogden / Makeup by Amber Baer

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