Fashion Most Magazine - MAR'15 ISSUE NO.7

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Airstream FlowersModel: Angelica CarajtasStylist: Emilie BastetMakeUp: Stéphanie JoffroyHair Style: Ivan Arniaud: WELLAPhotographie & Retouch: Pascal LATILhttp://www.KalouStudio.com104 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

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Alee’ HassanPhotographer: www.facebook.com/aleehassanphotography106 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

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Featuring Noor BhattiMakeup & Hair: Saima Rashid BargfedePhotographed: Alee’ HassanConcept & Stylist: Fahad Hussayn118 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

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Actor/Activist: Hakeem Kae-Kazim twitter.com/hakeemkaekazim120 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

By: Kate Brisbois hen Hakeem Kae-Kazim was born in environmental (and subsequent, economic and Nigeria there was little chance that political) crises. Kae-Kazim has done a number of his accountant mother and engineer interviews and articles such as this one to continuefather could have foreseen him as a successful to bring attention to the Delta. He has most notablyHollywood actor, living in L.A. and working with held the spotlight on the devastation via the filmmany of the stars of today in TV and films. But that Black November, in which he acted and helpedis the life he lives. Best known in the U.S. as the produce. The environmental issues are still veryruthless character Rutaganda in Hotel Rwanda, Mr. much in place; however, “I heard recently thatKae-Kazim has a prolific resume as an actor and Shell agreed to pay 55 million pounds (roughlyproducer. He moved with his parents to the UK in $83 million USD) in compensation over the spills.1963; he has never forgotten Nigeria. Remaining When you consider the number of years thesetrue to his history has been the foundation of his spills have been going on, and the amount ofmany career choices, as well as afforded him a damage caused…55 million pounds is peanuts.cause that receives a great deal of his passionate So yes, 55 million pounds in compensation is longattention. awaited and may be considered a slight victory to some, but it is still very little in comparison to the Being successful in the film and television amount of damage that has actually been done.”industry has given him a platform from which to To put it in perspective, B.P. Oil has already paidbring attention to the overwhelming problem of in the billions for the aforementioned Deepwatercleaning up the Niger River Delta. Ever since oil Horizon spill, and it is not done. “There is stillcompanies started ravaging the land in 1958, the active polluting and unfortunately there are someDelta has more closely resembled a modern day pipelines that are broken...so it is still very much anhell on earth, rather than the once fertile and lush ongoing issue in the Niger Delta. In order for thisdelta it once was. Devastation was wrought by to work there must be collaborative effort made bythe Spill of the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon in the the oil companies, the government and the peopleGulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. But it looks like of the area, to make an honest effort to movea grease stain on a shirt compared to what has forward to make it better for its inhabitants and thehappened over the past 50+ years to the Niger region as a whole.”River Delta. Still, Kae-Kazim’s status has allowedhim the opportunity to keep the spotlight on the Kae-Kazim says to understand Africa, andplight of his homeland and his countrymen’s more specifically Nigeria, one would do well to >>>>> www.MOSTmag.com || F A S H I O N M A G A Z I N E || 121

look at films like Hotel Rwanda and Johnny Mad independence in 1962. He would also love to tellDog in which both give a historical perspective. the story of the worst Nigerian villain, in his opinion,A film from Ireland titled Front-Line is a wonderful Sani Abacha, who was an Army general andfilm about immigrants coming into Ireland during politician and who served as de facto president ofthe blue period. To gain a clearer understanding, Nigeria from 1993-1998. “For me he personifiesKae-Kazim’s suggested films, would be the first the downfall of a great nation. The effect thatones to watch. He goes on to say, “We have to one man had on the potential of a great nationtell our stories because that is the only way people for his own greed...He is a more contemporaryof color can change the discrimination inherent in sort of villain. I find him fascinating because histhe Hollywood movie industry.” His hopes for the is the story of Nigeria, one of the most populousfuture are to make strides in establishing not only a countries in Africa. I’d like to tell the story of hismovie academy in Nigeria, but also creating ‘world period of leadership...where the country wasclass work’ in Nollywood (Nigeria’s film industry). economically brought to its knees by the corruption“These are all things I would love to do when I have and deeds of one man.” After that, perhaps >>>>>the headspace and time to go out there and setit up and really take ownership, for these kinds ofideas to take shape you really need to be on theground there and it can’t be done half-heartedly.You have to take a year or two to be completelyinvolved to make these things happen and workin collaboration with stakeholders, so I am hopingthat one day we all can come together and dowhat is necessary. People are crying out for it, andI would love to be part of making that happen. It’simportant for Africans and African Americans toproduce their stories, as I have with both moviesBlack November and 2011’s Man On Ground. Myjob as a producer at that particular time was to tryand raise money, make it for as little as possibleand make the film happen...to gain the support ofvarious people that would help put this piece ofwork together.” The story Kae-Kazim would most like totell first would be the history of the making ofNigeria, from Lord Lugard up through Nigerian122 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

the story of Kae-Kazim’s favorite hero, Kwame the story of our people who are enslaved andNkrumah, the Ghanaian nationalist leader who led depressed...and it tends to have the white saviorthe Gold Coast to independence from British rule. as well.” e acknowledges that part of the problem “Those stories are not told from our with movies about Africans and African perspective and I think if we were to tell those Americans is that they can be very stories from our point of view there would be a‘topic’ heavy. The history of slavery, suppression, different angle on them. As I said if you look atdiscrimination, humiliation, etc., so the challenge the stories of the Holocaust and what happenedthere is to continue to tell those stories and at to the Jewish population during that period, theythe same time keep the public involved and tell an array of interesting and fascinating stories.entertained. “I mean if you look at the stories told Their stories are told with very different dynamics,about the Holocaust, they are told in fascinating from the survivors point of view, but all deal withways and yet the underlying horror of that period the horror of what those people had gone throughresonates. So I think the question is for us looking at that particular period in a very interestingto tell the stories from a different perspective... and different way. Another great movie is Thebecause the narrative tends to be that in Hollywood Pianist and a whole array of other movies, suchif you are telling a black story you must tell as Schindler’s list, Boy in the Striped Pajamas, >>>>> www.MOSTmag.com || F A S H I O N M A G A Z I N E || 123

Sophie’s Choice, The Diary of Anne Frank, and told.” It is also necessary to imbue the historiesMarathon Man that tell the Jewish story during that with “the same level of enthusiasm one tells whendreadful period of Nazi occupation. Their stories telling a story about American or British history.”are told in a fascinating, interesting, passionate,humanitarian way where the focus isn’t solely ven deep-thinking, passionate and cause-on their intense suffering. So I think as African centric actors can get a little antsy andfilmmakers and storytellers we must do the same, need to shake things up a bit now and then. Soas well as tell the stories that don’t see us as the catch Kae-Kazim next in the upcoming horrorvictim, but are about our victories, our heroes and flick Daylight’s End, which is a major departureour triumphs in history.” from his ‘typical’ projects. “It was a fun movie to be part of and the most exciting factor was that It is important to him that his daughters all the characters had a bit of depth to them evenunderstand that the slave narrative “is just one from a horror perspective finding the fun and theaspect of who we are, and a very small aspect depth”-that about sums it up for this versatileof who we are in terms of our culture and us actor and producer.as people.” He laments the dearth of Africanhistory in American schools noting; “There areefforts made but the perspective isn’t on muchof African or African American history telling,”But he encourages everyone to go out andlook for themselves, so they can gain a broaderunderstanding of their place in history, as well astheir ancestors’. “My father unfortunately passedaway a couple of years ago, but his influence ispresent by decree. I think with Africans and AfricanAmericans, family is very important and especiallyin Africa and Nigeria there is a great respect givento one’s elders. It’s the influence of understandingthat whatever you do, you make your family proudof you...so that’s the influence my family hason what I do and the sort of choices I make.”He hopes he and his wife will influence theirdaughters to be “worldly, kind and wise and alsoopen human beings.” In order to foster the next generation ofAfrican and African American storytellers andinspire a passion for the history of Africa, “Youhave to tell a good story and show that we havea fascinating history and one that is worthy to be124 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

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go with my heart and my instincts.”With a plethora of talents and interests,the energetic dark-haired exotic beautyshines in everything she does. As a leadsinger, model, actor, archer,Taekwondoenthusiast, and cat lover it is safe to saythat Katrina Law will be delighting us inevery endeavor she devotes her time to,even capturing our hearts at MOST withher witty (she has done stand-up comedy)and heartfelt answers to our most probingof questions.In selecting her projects she stays trueto herself and listens to her gut telling us,“If it doesn’t call out to you on a personallevel then how can you give your heart andsoul to it?” She certainly has a point, andfortunately for us, Katrina decided that theCW’s hit television show Arrow called outto her and we get to see her on-screenplaying the recurring character, archer,Nyssa Al Ghul.photographed by Brandin Photographywritten by Darcy Tharphair by Sherdon Lavanmua by Karishma Ahluwalialayout by Jenna Belt

rrow is based on the DC Comics character, Green Arrow, a costumed crime fighter, and Nyssa is a fierce warrior, a wild card, who punches first and asks questions later, hardened by the death of her lover.Katrina, no stranger to playing tough, rebellious characters, is best known for her prior role as slave girl Mira in the show Spartacus about a Thracian gladiator who led a slave uprising against the Roman Empire that ran for three seasons. As huge fans of Spartacus at MOST, we had to ask Katrina what was her favorite episode. Explaining that the first season of that show and especially its season finale was the best, Katrina remembers, “Everyone was so fresh and new and excited and the magic of how the Roman and slave world’s interacted enchanted audiences everywhere. By the final episode, the cast and crew had become family and we all knew we were on the verge of something wonderful.

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ortraying another strong character She reminisces that, “in the final product, they in Arrow, Katrina enjoys the challenge and dubbed my Chinese with another Chinesephysicality. “I love that Nyssa is so hardcore speaker who spoke about two octaves higher than my natural voice. No one told my parents and badass. It’s fun to run around and and I this would be happening, so when we fight with the boys and know that you can first heard the new voice, there was moment hold your own. Greg Rucka created such of shocked silence and then we all just started a wonderfully complex character with an laughing.” Her parents’ love and support and good humor growing up provided Katrina her even more complex family relationship. inspiration and instilled in her the confidence to And the extra layers Marc Guggenheim, succeed. Katrina is happiest and most content Andrew Kreisberg, and the Arrow’s writers when surrounded by family and close friends, room are adding on top of it all just make it as is reflected in the low budget indie film, that much more juicy to play.” With a black Death Valley that she participated in. The film belt in Taekwondo and as an experienced was comprised purely of friends and family, archer, Katrina reveals that on Spartacus even reuniting her with her makeup artist from she performed all of her own stunts and Spartacus, all the way from Australia. Speaking that she gets to do about half of her stunts about the experience, Katrina reveals that it in Arrow. The other half is done by her stunt was one of the rare, wonderful times when shedouble, Atlin Mitchell, who used to be part of and her husband, Keith Andreen were able toCirque Du Soleil. That is no easy feat, and to work together, and says that on set, “There was be able to count yourself on equal par with so much laughter, zero ego, and an abundantthe agility and strength of a Cirque Du Soleil amount of love and joy for our craft.” performer is quite an accomplishment. Katrina started to develop her craft by graduating with a degree in theatre from The Richard Born in Philadelphia and growing up Stockton College of NJ and continuing on to in South Jersey, Katrina’s parents Philadelphia and New York City to further develop her acting skills. She earned her SAG status recognized her liveliness and vitality when she booked a guest role on NY’s The Third early on, enrolling her in a variety Watch and has since gone on to attain roles in other notable television series, including CSI: of activities including: dance, soccer, Miami (2002) Legend of the Seeker (2008) volleyball, karate, and voice lessons. and Chuck (2007), plus supporting and leading She even won the title of Miss New Jersey roles in many independent films. Teen USA, and went on to represent her state on national television in the finals. She films a lot of acting jobs on location, which takes her away from her husband, whose work However, that was not her first time keeps him L.A., yet the two of them have figured on TV, as at age ten, Katrina was out a system to keep their marriage fresh, healthy, featured in a Chinese movie, and strong, and she discloses how they make it speaking Mandarin for the part. work. “We have a three week limit as to how long we can go without seeing each other. Skype and FaceTime have also been a huge help. But in general, I think constantly checking in with each other to see how our day was and open communication about our thoughts and feelings keep us connected.”

he says that for any artist in a creative field the down time is the most challenging and not knowing when or what your next project will be. To decompress in those downtimesshe stays true to her athletic beginnings by spending time outdoors hiking, snowboarding, mountain climbing, snow shoeing, bouldering, swimming, scuba diving, and skydiving. “Anything that takes me away from concrete and corporate chains relaxes me.” She also says that, “I learned very early on in my career that the balance comes from making sure your home life is in order and flowing smoothly. Fortunately, I am married to a wonderful man who loves and supports me and I have two adorable cats to look after.”

It was one of those cats, Spencer, Katrina’s husband’s25 pound white cat who first captured her interest inthe animal, and thus her advocacy of the charity, KittCrusaders. She says that she and Keith started takingcare of the alley cats near the house and even tookin two of their own from a kill shelter. It was becauseof one of the alley cats that she ended up initiallygetting involved with the charity. “I noticed over timethat he was on a steady decline but didn’t know whatto do because he was a feral cat and also we didn’thave the money at the time for the surgeries he wouldneed. Kitt Crusaders found out about it and offeredto cover the cost of his medical expenses and askedfor nothing in return. Since that display of charity andkindness it has been my mission to find a way to helpkeep them funded so they can do the same for otheranimals in need and also to say thank you.” by Brandin Photography



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s if acting and giving back to her communityweren’t enough, multi-talented Katrina still findstime to jam with her band, “Soundboard Fiction,”do modeling work, and show up to surprise herfans at comic-cons. Forget portraying a comicbook character, she is truly a real life superhero!The band (SBF for short) is currently working ontheir third album and continuing to develop andgrow, drawing their inspiration from current events,personal situations, or how they think others mightview the world.As lead singer and bass player, Katrina’s favoritething about SBF is that they aren’t tied to a specificgenre and they do as they please. Divulging detailsabout the upcoming album, she tells us, “We havetwo new songs at the moment that I am very excitedto make music videos for soon: Chase My BluesAway and Ghost Town.”As far as modeling goes, she finds a shoot worksbest for her when she trusts the photographerand lets the hair and makeup team do their thing.She especially feels at ease with photographerBrandin Rackley from Brandin Photography,“I trust her artistic eye and vision and for herto guide me to the right angles and poses.In the ten years that I have been shootingwith her she has never steered me wrong.”And on her favorite body part, Katrina reveals itis surprisingly not her rockin’, toned body, nor herlong, dark mane, but rather her hands. “Every nowand then I think they look a bit mannish, but forthe most part I think they are elegant.”

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t is not often you will find a model who moonlights And for someone who seems to have it all together as a comic-con convention goer not only to please and is attempting to enjoy life to the fullest, we hadher fans but just as much for her own delight. “I love to ask Katrina the cliché question of what her definitionmeeting the fans and getting the one on one chance to say thank you for the support. And then there is of happiness is. Our best guess is it might have also the wonderful world of cosplay. Some of these something to do with her viewpoint on diets, when people go all out with their costumes, and they are she says they are too hard to maintain in the long run beyond amazing. I think conventions in general are and make you feel like you are missing out on life. just a fantastic outlet for people to geek out and be Cheers to that Katrina! However, her true answer as nerdy as they want to be without judgment and was a bit more sincere and funny. surrounded by like-minded individuals. They are a lot of fun to be at.” At least she readily admits “I feel like it might have something to do with enjoying her nerdiness, and her fascination with costumes the little moments or being able to look back on your life with fondness and love, but it’s something that doesn’t end there. I work on every day, and I am constantly having to re-analyze and redefine. So for simplicity, I am just It was at the costume fitting for Arrow, where she going to say…red velvet cake that helps you lose says that she experienced the most memorable weight, cure cancer, and makes you smarter. moment in her career thus far. “I had spoken Come on NASA. Ball’s in your court.” with Maya Mani, the costume designer for Arrow, Now who can argue with that? over the phone about what my Nyssa Al Ghul costume would be so I had a vague outline by Darcy Tharp in my head as to what it might look like. But when I walked out of the changing room for the first time and saw myself in the mirror my jaw dropped and I couldn’t help but stare. To be completely honest, I had a very long moment where I just silently geeked out about how cool I looked.” Besides enjoying more of Katrina in her Nyssa costume, we can look forward to seeing her in an upcoming horror movie directed by Austin Read starring Tara Holt, Bryce Johnson, and herself, details of which she says will soon be provided on her website.

photography by Wayne E. Chinnock wecphotos.comhand14s0 u||pFfAoS HrhI OaN iti.orgM AG A Z I NE || MARCH 2015

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written by Elizabeth PriceOn January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struckthe country of Haiti, resulting in the deaths of more than230,000 people. The initial shock devastated the Haitiancapital of Port-au-Prince and many aftershocks followed,measuring 5.9-5.5 in magnitude. The lack of building codesreduced buildings to rubble, killing or trapping their occupantsinside. In the aftermath of the quake, many countries andhumanitarian aid organizations sent money, supplies,and medical workers to help in the recovery efforts. wecphotos.comhandsupforhaiti.org144 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

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The story of Hands Up for Haiti begins here: a group of doctors and medical and ancillary personnel traveled to Haiti in order to help with the relief efforts and to provide medical support. Volunteers inundated Port-au-Prince, so the group chose to go north where many refugees and the injured were being sent. Nothing could prepare them for what they witnessed. The group saw “many displaced people, and many children were suffering post-traumatic stress disorder. We listened to their stories and tried to provide some counseling and medical care.” wecphotos.comhandsupforhaiti.org146 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

The reception the volunteers received from the community was truly remarkable. Haitianswere trusting and happy to see their family’s health improving.As the group of volunteers was leaving, Haitians did not say, “Are you coming back?” but rather “When are you comingback?” With this sentiment, the group knew they would returnto the beautiful country of Haiti to continue in its restoration. Returning a second time in November 2010, they knew they needed to establish a non-profit. A non-profit would give them the structure necessary to build an organization that could grow, sustain, and make a long- term impact on Haiti. With this inspiring conviction, the group decided to start the non-profitorganization Hands Up for Haiti. It’s amazing but after only two visits they started a non-profit. “It became clear we were a group of individuals who wanted to commit ourselves and our resources to improving health care in northern Haiti. Despite what we had heard Hands Up for Haiti (HUFH) is a grass-roots organization of doctors, nurses, and about Haiti, seeing so many people with so little access students committed to improving the quality and sustainability of healthcare delivery in to health care was a shock. We were the first doctors that Haiti. Teams of volunteers are sent to various clinics to provide medical and surgicalmany of the people we treated services to patients. There is currently no system for Haitians to receive care when had ever seen. The lack of availability of practitioners, they need it, and, unfortunately, HUFH doctors and nurses cannot address all the medications, vaccinations, and technology that we take infrastructure problems. Working with the Cap Haitien Health Network, Hands Up for for granted in the developedworld, is appalling in a countryso close to our own.” They set goals, a mission statement and got to work. Haiti can support established clinics, hospitals, and outreach programs by providing direct patient care and education programs. www.MOSTmag.com || F A S H I O N M A G A Z I N E || 147

HUFH does not go in and start a new clinic, but rather assists and empowers one already in existence. HUFH provides support and training for the Haitian medical community, and this builds a medical system for Haitian medical professionals to provide medical care throughout the year, not just when HUFH volunteer teams are in the country. This constant care approach is the difference between “hit and run” global health work and sustainable care that empowers the people of the host country to improve their system. The focus is on improving health care in Haiti over the long-term, which will ultimately be done by training and empowering the Haitian medical community. Hands Up for Haiti trips are designed to help support this work and the ongoing programs in Haiti, which are all run by Haitians. One of the goals for Hands Up for Haiti is to create sustainable eye care. On an HUFH trip, an osteoplastic surgeon taught Haitian colleagues how to perform skin grafts for scarred eyelids. When HUFH volunteers went back in December one of the ophthalmologists they taught was still doing the recommended procedures. The key for Hands Up for Haiti is the education piece; trying to empower others to take care of their health care needs. The Helping Babies Breathe program, a lifesaving technique for neonatal resuscitation, was initially taught by Hands Up for Haiti volunteers alone; now in addition to being taught by HUFH volunteers when they visit Haiti, it is also taught by Haitian medical professionals to martens, the Haitian traditional birth attendants. Haitians in the communities love the Hands Up for Haiti teams. Volunteers express that, “They often line up before dawn to get a chance to have the ‘American’ doctors help them with their medical concerns.” Finding clinics to work with has never been a problem for Hands Up for Haiti - in fact it is quite the opposite. Hands Up for Haiti is continually invited to come to new clinics and locations. HUFH has learned the challenges of screening and selecting new clinics. HUFH is currently growing and maintaining local contacts in the north and northeast. Networking with local people and medical community is important. Hands Up for Haiti shares mutual challenges with groups working in other areas, they consult and strategize with others based in the south and central portions of the country. Additionally, Hands Up for Haiti is working on cervical cancer screenings and Healthy Babies Breath program on the national level.148 || FAS HI O N M A G A Z I N E || MARCH 2015

The core team involvedin the day-to-day operationsis constantly thinking ofongoing projects and trips.They feel a duty to serveand help the people of Haitiand their medical colleaguesworking on the ground.Continuing their involvementin the organization are fourmedical personnel from theoriginal trip, and three morewho joined for the second tripin November. Four of theseindividuals have become boardmembers for Hands Up forHaiti. They face the challengeof maintaining the day-to-dayoperations associated withrunning a business whileworking to lay out goals forthe future. Hands Up forHaiti is always recruiting newparticipants, and lookingfor partners to share in the workand become sponsors. HUFHkeeps constant contact withany team in Haiti and assessesthe programs’ and clinics’operations while volunteersare back at home. wecphotos.com handsupforhaiti.org www.MOSTmag.com || F A S H I O N M A G A Z I N E || 149

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