FIT TO LIVE | Omar Miller

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We caught up with actor, philanthropist, sports enthusiast and podcast host Omar Miller to chat HBO Ballers, the Super Bowl and the importance of leaving a legacy.

Can you describe your path to what you’re doing now?

I was in college playing baseball and stumbled into theatre chasing a girl. I didn’t get the girl, but I found a new career that I love!

Sports have always been a big part of your life. I have read that you are a talented baseball and basketball player and dabble in just about every other sport. If you could dine with any athlete past or present who would it be and why?

Jackie Robinson or Joe Louis. These are two guys that performed at the highest level under the highest amount of stress. I’m talking David & Goliath type stress. Imagine how much you could learn about life in just having a conversation with those guys.

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The Denver Broncos won the Super Bowl this year. What were your thoughts on the big game? We know you are a Vernon Davis fan so must have been nice to see Vernon get his first ring.

Awesome now acknowledging Vernon as a Super Bowl Champ!! I love seeing my friends succeed. Demarcus Ware too for that matter.

It is no secret that HBO’s Ballers has been a gigantic success for HBO with Season 2 airing as we speak and the announcement of season 3 in the pipeline. How did you find your way into auditioning and playing the role of Charles Greane?

I played hoops with the show’s creator and he wrote this part for me. He contacted my reps and we went for it. Now that I have the role I’ve done everything I can to personalize it and hope people can relate.

For the Ballers fans out there, can you give us your best between takes story?

Wearing the thong & sitting with my legs spread in between takes of my big sex scene had to be the most comical and uncomfortable moments of everyone who witnessed it collective lives.

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You have worked with an array of talent over your career from Spike Lee to Eminem. Is there someone in particular you would love to work with? And is there someone you’ve worked with in the past that really impressed you?

Some great directors I’d like to work with like Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen. I’ve worked with so many talented actors it’s hard to single any one out. But working with Benecio Del Toro was a delight.

Is there anything you’re interested in doing or exploring in the next 5 to 10 years?

Big question. I’m just hoping to explore life and my relation to it.

What are 5 people, groups or things that inspire you?

World Vision, Time, Navy Seals, Syrian Refugees, Nature.

How would you describe your personal style?

Situation appropriate.

We had connected when you were in Winnipeg while you were participating in the Health Sciences Centre Foundation’s Celebrity Race. On top of acting you have made it a mission to give back and help underprivileged. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

A thoughtful one where I left the world better than I found it.

Looking for a unique take on the week that was in sports. Check out Omar’s new podcast The O-Zone and connect with him on Twitter.

FIT TO LIVE | Jay and Dan

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From the network that pushed the boundaries of sport with the FOXTrax Glow Puck we bring you Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole hosts of Fox Sports Live and the Jay and Dan podcast.

It has been over two years now. How is Los Angeles treating you two?

Jay: I love it. I have always been curious about the city, what it would be like to live here and to me it lives up to and exceeds expectations. Probably the biggest surprise is how nice people are here. I lived in friendly Manitoba. I know what nice people are like and believe it or not, as much as this may sound crazy, Southern Californians live up to that. That, mixed with the beautiful weather, makes it a pretty great place to hang your hat.

Dan: Well first things first. People who say you will miss the seasons are people who have to live through winter. You do not miss the seasons. I like one season. Summer. Year round. I don’t have to shovel snow.

How did Canadian broadcast legends Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole first meet?

Jay: Well it was really pure coincidence. I was already at SportsCentre at TSN for a year and Dan showed up around 2004. It was one of those situations where a spot opened up on the 1am show that I was doing and Dan was next in line. We just got along really well. We both had a similar philosophy on how the show should be done and we both had a similar philosophy about adding a little humor to the mix. We wanted to bring a little something extra to the show to make it more appealing, more entertain for people so we started letting our personalities shine. A lot of people believe that it sort of happened over night but it was a very gradual process. We started to tell a few jokes, our boss said maybe tell a few less jokes, and I we sort of found a happy medium and eventually came to a place where we were having fun but not too much fun. In the end, it was a pretty winning formula for us.

Dan: It is all thanks to one human. Blake Price. Blake Price was an anchor. He was on the 10 Eastern show with Darren Dutchyshen. Jay was on the 2am Eastern show with a beautiful women by the name of Jennifer Hedger. So Blake was having some challenges with his small and growing family and he needed a support system. He had to move back to Vancouver with his wife and kids, meaning Jennifer was added to his time slot, resulting in Jay being paired with me. Jay went from being paired with Jennifer Hedger to me. I don’t think he really loved me for the first few months but after he realized he had to work with me he came around, right?

How much do you attribute to the Wall Street Journal article by Will Connors, Why Can’t We Have Canada’s SportsCentre to the FOX deal?

Jay: A lot. The thing about that is sometimes life is just about timing. Will was up in Canada, living in Canada, and liked our show and wanted to do an article about us. It just so happened to be the same time Fox was looking for a different style of morning show. It was just one of those things you can’t plan and had a big part of at least us getting that awareness. After that it was sort of up to us but it certainly opened a door.

Dan: It definitely helped. I think they would have found us because our bosses were talking to them after that and they knew we existed and knew we had a strong following in Canada. That was just the lighting rod.

Where were you when you received first wind of the interest from FOX?

Jay: Dan and I were at the Olympics in London in 2012 and got a call out of the blue from the Fox execs saying they wanted us to come down to LA and meet with them and hang out. Obviously it was a pretty bizarre call to get because we were in London and focused on the Olympics. We were happy at SportsCentre, loved doing the job and probably would have happily done it for another 10-20 years. It is just one of those things where it was an unknown and still is sort of a unknown, but you have to challenge yourself as you go through life. Especially in our business. I think it is easy to get a little stagnant if you do the same thing for too long

Dan: London. Olympics for TSN. The article asked why the American SportsCenter could not be more like the Canadian SportsCentre, which we hosted. Our future boss and current boss, Eric Shanks, opened up the Wallstreet Journal the day that article appeared and he just so happened to be putting together a new sports network called FS1. He wanted to be different. We went back and forth for about a year. It was on again, off again and then everything just clicked. We have been here since day one of the network.

From past articles and books I feel like when the opportunity came to move to Los Angeles it was, to an extent, an easy decision from a professional standpoint to take your talents elsewhere (like Lebron say). Was this a no brainer for both of you or did it take either of you some convincing?

Jay: Not necessarily because we had such a great gig going at TSN. Our families were happy, we were happy. It was also not like we were 20 something’s, fresh out of school. That made it a bit more difficult. But I will say this, that FOX bent over backwards not just financially but also in every aspect to make our families and ourselves comfortable down here. No matter what happens with the success of the show I could never complain about the treatment we’ve received from them. That really put it over the top, the way they treated us and the way they recruited us.

Dan: No. It wasn’t a no brainer at all. We went back and forth. It seems like an easy decisions but when you have a young family. Which I do. Jay was starting a family of his own. You don’t want to uproot the family from school and friends and family and move to a state, let alone a country, you have never lived in and a place you don’t know a single soul. We contemplated it for quite a while. It was one of those instances where you say if we don’t do this then we will kick ourselves. I always use this analogy. If we hadn’t of gone and one February evening when I was driving back to my home after doing the show and it was a snow storm and a transport truck passed me on the 401 and a sheet of slush hit my windshield – I would have been really mad I didn’t move to California for the weather and no slush.

Are there any words of wisdom or advice your today selves would have appreciated telling your TSN departing selves?

Jay: Great question. I would probably just say enjoy it.

Dan: Yah. Don’t have a 2-month good bye. We gave a 2-month notice. By the end of it even we were sick of ourselves. People were like “Aren’t you gone yet?”. That would have been my advice.

Much of your success has come as a tandem package like Jordan/Pippen, Russell/Cousy, Kobe/Shaq, Stockton/Malone, Burt/Ernie (you can decide who is who). Do you think there will come a point where you guys will pursue different career opportunities?

Jay: I think that is inevitable. I think it will have to happen at some point. When that will happen, I can’t tell you. I think at some point we will do something different. You can’t work together forever. But certainly I can see a time in our career where we are doing separate things but at the same time keeping the podcast going. It’s just so easy now with the technology available. So I could see us keeping the podcast going, even if for whatever reason we are doing two different gigs.

Dan: I think forever and ever now we are going to be joined at the hip. I don’t want to say TV is dying but it is definitely going online now. Hopefully we will be employed until retirement age and hopefully we will be paired together. The industry has changed so much, even the three years we have been here. No one could predict there would be this many layoffs and this much movement. No one knew new TV rights would be bid on by the YouTube’s and Netflix’s. If you have a crystal ball I would love to borrow it.

You guys have been making waves in the media over the past few months regarding the show, budget cuts, layoffs and restructuring at Fox Sports 1. I would just love to get your candid thoughts on this.

Jay: There is a misconception about that. I went on Dan Patrick and answered some questions. If you go back and listen to the interview at no point am I criticizing FOX. All I said was that the initial incarnation of the show, the way the show was when we first moved down here, where it was Dan and I and a panel of athletes like Andy Roddick and Donovan McNabb, I believed that wasn’t a great formula for success. I was willing to try it but it just seemed confusing. Two shows in one. As you know it is hard enough to get a person to watch any TV shows now much less a show that doesn’t exactly know what it is. Dan was more focused on the layoffs and things. Because Dan Patrick happened soon after Dan made those tweets I think it sort of got lumped in there. I like to clarify that that is certainly not the case.

Dan: We are starting to see some direction. The reason Jay and I spoke up. Jay did it on the Dan Patrick show, I did it by way of tweets during the Superbowl. You see colleagues being laid off and the industry going the way it is. You kind of get fed up. Someone tell us what the hell is going on here. After those things were said and Jay made his appearance on Dan Patrick Show our bosses called us in and said “We didn’t know you felt this way”. They set the record straight and the vision for the show. We got pulled off air for 2 weeks. People thought we were suspended. During those two weeks we were planning the show we currently do now. We had two weeks to put it together and we are very proud of the fact we put an entirely new production on the air in that two week frame. In hindsight I am glad those tweets were sent because it sort of rattled the jail bars for us a little bit and that was good.

How do you feel the new late-night talk show approach is working out?

Jay: It has been great, a real pleasant surprise. Even when we were back at TSN we were asked if we might do a Daily Show for sports because no one had really been doing something like that. Norm McDonald had tried it and the Onion tried it and I thought there was still a place for it and that is what we are sort of trying to do. We are trying to be the Daily Show for sports. We went from doing a highlight show to this show in just two weeks. It is a pretty fun and watchable show. My only regret is for you guys in Canada. That you still can’t see it up there. And that really sucks. Hopefully we can change that in the future.

Dan: We were sort of lost in that great big studio. You had to use all the screens. You can’t really do our shtick in that environment. It has been really great in that way. The smaller space is perfect for our needs. The ratings are the same as our old show if not slightly better. That’s with zero promotion. We haven’t run any promo on our own station let alone big FOX. It has been really good and we are slowly building a following.

The Podcast obviously started at TSN. Is that something you guys’ took on yourselves?

Jay: That was all Dan. 100% Dan’s idea. Dan really wanted to do it. I have to give all the credit to him. He really wanted to try and I said sure, let’s give it a go and it sort of took off more so than I had ever expect it would. It has arguable become something we are more know for than our TV show even. It has been a pleasant and fun surprise.

Rapid fire

Greatest moment in sports.

Jay: For me my favourite moment is the 2010 Olympics. The Sidney Crosby goal. I was lucky enough to be in the rink. To me nothing will really top that. Olympics. Home soil.

Dan: Sidney Crosby. Game winning goal. Vancouver Olympics.

Greatest athlete of our time.

Jay: Off the top of my head I would have to say someone like Michael Phelps. You think of someone who has dominated over the course of several Olympics and now will compete at Rio. I love the Olympics. I love Olympians. So right off the top he jumps out to me. As far as my generation is concerned I think about guys like Bo Jackson and Dion Sanders who were not only able to play professionally in one league but play professionally and excel in another league.

Dan: Tough one. I am going to say Lebron James.

Top 3 on the Jay and Dan Pod Canadian Wall of Fame.

Jay: Tough. Probably The Great One, Neil Young and Lorne Michaels. I love that Lorne, he wears his order of Canada pin to the many formal events he attends.

Dan: Our Lady Peace. Terry Fox. Leslie Nielsen.

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Favourite guest on the podcast or FS Live.

Jay: There have been so many great guests on both shows. I would have to say Martin Short though. Luck enough to have him on the show. That was a dream come true. Huge fan of that guy.

Dan: Nate Diaz. He was hilarious. We were terrified of him. He walked into the room and was like “Oh, It’s you guy’s” cause he didn’t know it was an interview with us and we were the ones that poked and prodded him and Connor when they were on with us together. He was amazing. We’d have him back at any moment.

Guest you would like to have on the show.

Jay: We really want Tegan and Sara. Sadly they just turned us down. We are going to keep trying. We love those Canadian girls.

Dan: I’d have Rhonda Rousey back. We’ve had her on the show before and when she smiles her cheeks hid her eyes. It is the most adorable thing on earth. So Id pick Rhonda.

How bad did the Andy Roddick’s rips hurt in that FS1 promo and who pitched this idea because quite frankly we found it hilarious.

Jay: I am not sure who pitched. I didn’t get the worst of that. Dan got it way worse than I did and had some serious bruising.

Dan: I asked him if it would hurt if he ripped tennis balls at us. He said yes. I said let’s try it one time. The next day we show up to work and they have catcher’s gear for us and I was like I guess we have to do this now. That’s the most upset my mothers been at me ever. All she saw – was no more grandkids.

Get your twitter and Instagram accounts ready.

Jay Onrait
Twitter @JayOnrait
Instagram @JayOnrait

Dan O’Toole
Twitter @fs1otoole
Instagram @fs1otoole

The Podcast
Twitter @jayanddan

The Podcast
http://jayanddan.com

Also if you enjoy the read we are giving away a copy of Jay Onrait’s first book Anchorboy. All you have to do is share this interview on your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account and tag us in the post. Each post is an entry and a winner will be selected on May 23.

FIT TO LIVE | Nicole Fung

  • March 31, 2016
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Tell us about That Food Cray !!!

That Food Cray !!! started as a passion project. When I first started writing, I honestly wasn’t expecting anyone to read it. I had just moved to Hong Kong from Canada and wanted to document my travels as well as everything I ate along the way. It was an outlet to express my love for food while sharing my adventures with friends and family. When I started the website, I was still working in the Finance industry but knew I had to find an exit strategy. My dream job has always involved food and travel. That Food Cray !!! isn’t my full-time job, but it has opened doors to a plethora of experiences that I am incredibly grateful for.

I think “That Shit Cray” is especially compelling. Kanye and Jay had millions of people chanting the phrase, was “That Food Cray” the original name for your media channels?

When I decided to start a website dedicated to food, thinking of a name was the hardest part. I’m a hip-hop lover and found myself obsessed with the Watch The Throne album, which at the time had just released. That Food Cray !!! was definitely inspired by the words of Jay and Yeezy (thanks, guys).

You grew up in the food and beverage industry and worked at your parents’ restaurant, what was it about the culinary profession that first reeled you in?

As a kid, I dreaded going to the restaurant with my parents. My parents would try to keep my brother and I out of the kitchen, in other words, away from all the fun stuff. As we got older, they began to trust us with basic prep work duties, such as wrapping spring rolls, wontons and dumplings. These were my favorite moments. I was also addicted to the Food Network. My brother and I would stay up all night watching Iron Chef, Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali. I remember showing my little cousins the ropes whenever I had to babysit, pretending to be a Food Network host while baking cookies.

You graduated from the University of Calgary’s Bachelor of Commerce program majoring in accounting. I would consider this a bit of a stretch from what you are doing today with MISSBISH and That Food Cray !!! Have you always had a love for writing, photography, fashion and food or were these by-products of your love for travel?

I grew up in a fairly conventional Chinese household. Like every other Asian kid, my parents demanded high grades which would lead to a University degree in a program with job stability and fat paychecks. I was never passionate about anything I studied in school, switching programs three times before pursuing my Bachelor of Commerce degree. I just wanted a piece of paper, work a stable job I knew I wouldn’t like, save some money, and eventually be able to come up with a new game plan.

I’ve always loved fashion, food, and travel, albeit, these weren’t realistic career options in Calgary. It wasn’t until I moved to Hong Kong and met a ton of cool people including my husband, Eugene, who inspired me to explore my creative side. Photography and writing are things I’ve had to pick up along the way, but I’ve been fortunate to have met amazing friends who are also my mentors.

Aside from understanding food, you also have an incredible eye for food photography and composition. What is involved in making a dish photograph well?

The keys to food photography success are lighting and composition. Try to find the best light, this will save you a ton of time editing. Always keep the rule of thirds in mind and treat your viewfinder as a grid divided into nine rectangles. A lot of cameras have this feature built-in. It’s by no means something you need to religiously follow but something to consider before deciding your own rules. Post editing is important as well, but try not to overdo it with unnecessary filters… and no black & white food shots.

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You were raised here in the Canada and have managed to make a move to Hong Kong, were there any barriers to jump when doing business?

Surprisingly, no. Moving to Hong Kong opened a lot of doors. I definitely would not be able to do what I’m doing now if I hadn’t moved away.

I read that you are obsessed with Japanese food and its culture. The Japanese culture as you point out embrace quality and are meticulous in just about everything they do to ensure a high standard is achieved from textiles to food. What is your favourite Japanese dish?

I LOVE SUSHI! Real sushi though, none of that California roll nonsense. I love sitting at the sushi bar, ordering omakase, and watching the sushi chef hand craft every single piece of sushi.

You’ve been able to work with big names like Aziz Ansari through Esquire and Philips. Do you have a favourite project to date and a dream project?

I love staying at hotels! I’ve worked with a few hotels in the past, but would like to work more with the hospitality industry. The lowkey Nicole has always wanted to help curate special menus for McDonald’s, Burger King or Taco Bell haha..

What do you dream for That Food Cray to become and what do you intend to do to get there?

I want That Food Cray !!! to really push towards creating great, educational and entertaining content in a relevant way. There are so many ideas that we have but just haven’t had the opportunity to explore just yet.

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Rapid Fire:

On the Cray Scale how would you rank your culinary skills?

3.5 on a good day. I’m better at baking haha.

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What and where was the last meal that blew your mind?

Supernormal in Melbourne and ACME in Melbourne.

If Tinder was a food-based app what three meals would you swipe right for and form where?

ACME’s spaghetti with vodka sauce, mascarpone and fish roe. (Sydney)

The Mandarin Grill’s “Forest Walk,” shaped like a mushroom with the cap made of creamy foie gras mousse and the stem consisting of chicken liver mousse coated in a white chocolate shell. (Hong Kong)

Dosanjin’s sudachi soba (Tokyo)

Best Canadian food spot you’ve been?

Canadian food eh? I had left Calgary before there the food scene really started taking shape. Whenever I go back, I usually stuff my face with pho. Canada’s pho game is on point and still the best in my opinion. My brother’s Alberta beef steaks are legit too, does that count?

The last feature on MISSBISH that got you excited?

Marawa the Amazing! She has worked with the circus and holds a world record for spinning the most hula hoops at once. She’s amazing.

Place you have yet to travel that is on your food hit list?

ITALY!

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The strangest thing you have eaten?

Bull penis or shirako (cod sperm). The penis was whatevs, just like beef tendon but the shirako is sooooo creamy.

Kanyeezy or Jigga Man?

Tough call – but Jigga is my man.

How can people connect with you?

Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, Swarm, Foursquare – @thatfoodcray

Email – nicole@thatfoodcray.com.

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FIT TO LIVE | Stefan Dukaczewski

  • March 15, 2016
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  • Blog

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Tell us about MSTRPLN.

MSTRPLN® started in 2001 as a handle and a URL for my online portfolio. At the time it was commonplace to do work under an alias and the name “Master Plan” came about as a mission statement for what I wanted to do moving forward with design. Making a living doing good work was ultimately my master plan. Since then it has evolved into the collective works of my career in design, consisting of projects that I have worked on for both agencies and clients, as well as personal projects that I release independently.

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How did you get into design and was there a defining point in your career where MSTRPLN was born?

Growing up I was surrounded by a lot of influences that helped build up an eye for design. From team sports, to skateboarding, to being very involved in the action sports industry, art and deign was something that was always around. Things like team logos, sneaker commercials, skateboard decks, graphic t-shirts, sports cards, all that stuff helped shape an opinion and taste for my future self.

I was actually going to university for business, not really thinking that there were any careers in art or design, all the while doing personal design work on the side, either making apparel for myself and my friends, web design and video editing. A lot of my effort in design at first was learning how to do things on my own in order to save money. It was only when I realized that design could be a career that I started getting more serious, I dropped out of university, enrolled at a technical school, graduated, then went back to university for a second design degree in new media design. It was during this second stint in university where MSTRPLN® came about.

I have always been a personal fan of your clean, concise and minimalistic aesthetic and approach to design. Who or what has been the biggest influence on your work to date?

I like the “less is more” approach to design, I think most of my style falls into this aesthetic in order to convey messages and solve visual problems.

I’d have to cite the Swiss style as a big influence, with Dieter Rams and Michael C Place of Build as designers that I look up to for what they have done in the industry.

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What are 5 people, groups or things that inspire you?

Hiroshi Fujiwara (Fragment)
Nike
Japanese Minimalism
Montreal & New York City
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It seems like you weave aspects of footwear culture and aesthetics into your work. What was your introduction to sneaker culture? And if you were stuck wearing one pair of shoes for the rest of your life what would they be?

I went to school during the late 80’s and early 90’s which I would consider a high time for sneaker culture. Air Jordan’s, British Knights, the Reebok Pump, all of those dropped during that span. Kids would be one upping each other with new sneakers throughout the year, anyone that had a pair of Air Jordans or other sought after pairs would be on top of the game. Most of the early Jordans released when I was young and when my parents didn’t see my point of view that spending a ton of money on a single pair of shoes made all the sense in the world, so instead I would just draw pictures of them in class and dream of one day owning a pair if that ever happened. This was before all of the retros came about, so you can only imagine how the story continues down the road once everyone grown up with their own money.

These days I’m more particular about what I buy. I like to wear a lot of the classic Nike and Jordan models from back in the day in their original color ways. This was the influence for the Minimal Sneaker Project, appropriating colors of classic footwear from the early 80’s and 90’s into non-footwear elements.

I’m more about technology and comfort these days. If I had to settle on one sneaker for life I’d be good with a pair of black Nike Flyknit Trainer+.

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Can you tell our readers about the concept behind the smart shoe concept you did with UBIQ?

I’m good friends with the former creative director at UBIQ. We had spoken about doing a project together at the time when I was in university for New Media Design. Some of the courses that I was taking dealt with human/computer interaction and how these interfaces could exist in everyday life through smart technology. Since Wi-Fi was fairly new and hot spots weren’t ubiquitous, they sold these things called Wi-Fi sniffers that you’d use to hone in on the wireless signal and see where the stronger broadcast was coming from to get better reception. The concept of the ASRD was “a step in the right direction” and it involved developing a pair of sneakers with this technology built in, so the wearer could see the Wi-Fi signal strength through LED indicators on the tongue of the shoe. Long story short, UBIQ sent me a pair of shoes that I used as the basis of the project, I was able to create a pressure sensitive insole that would activate the device and murdered our the sneaker to keep it all inconspicuous. Link.

The flap was a throwback to the Airwalk Prototype skate shoe from the 80’s, just for good measure.

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Are there any projects you want to explore in the next few years? What would be your perfect project?

Right now my focus is more in branding and identity design. I’d love to work more closely in the footwear and fashion industries as well.

I think it’s every designers dream to get a project together with Nike. I’ve worked with the company from a marketing capacity through the agency side of things, but if I could get a footwear-based project under my belt that would be a personal goal of mine.

Another things would be evolving MSTRPLN® more as a brand. I have years of planning completed for so many projects that never really saw the light of day. Having those come to fruition would be something I’d love to accomplish.

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How would you describe your personal style?

Clean and minimal, I tend to learn towards the basics these days and am loyal to certain brands that take quality and fabrication into consideration. That makes up my everyday style. If there is an element of technology thrown into the mix that enhances form and function, that’s something that would catch my eye.

Why is it important to you?

I think that is an extension of who we are as people and how we would want to be represented. I feel like my work and style are hand in hand.

Correct me if I am wrong because you can’t believe everything you read on the internet but I am sure I saw that you have had 13 broken bones, 3 titanium plates and 21 screws in your body. I thought you were a designer?

As I mentioned earlier, back in the day I was heavily involved in action sports. I’ve broken all of my arms and legs multiple times from various accidents, either skateboarding, snowboarding or free-skiing, with some resulting in plates and screws to keep everything together. I made the decision to scale it down and part of becoming a designer was a way to continue in the industry and my love of these sports without having to actually put myself at risk, so I ended up behind the scenes filming, editing and designing graphics instead of wrecking myself.

How can people connect with you?

People can get at me through my website www.mstrpln.com and also by following me on Instagram (@mstrpln)

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FIT TO LIVE | Profile Feature

  • March 14, 2016
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  • Blog

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For those familiar with the brand the ‘Fit To Live’ aphorism was inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. Detroit Walk to Freedom speech. Though we don’t necessarily feel that Olé Denim is near worth dying for, or think that what we are doing comes anywhere near what Martin Luther King, Jr did for the civil rights movement – for us the ideals of this simple phrase resonates.

“And I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

Life is about finding your passion and pursuing it. Over the course of our life time some of us will be lucky enough to make this discovery and the ‘Fit to Live’ feature is an avenue for us to share the stories of those around us who influence and inspire.

Tomorrow we will be posting our first instalment of the our ‘Fit To Live’ feature on the Journal with Canadian designer Stefan Dukaczewski (MSTRPLN).