MUTLI-FACETED CREATIVE,LEGENDARY DOOR B**CH
ALPHA INDUSTRIES x office MAGAZINE ‘ICONS’
September Cover Series
CONNIE FLEMING
Text by: BROOK ASTER
CONNIE FLEMING
MUTLI-FACETED CREATIVE,LEGENDARY DOOR B**CH
Text by: BROOK ASTER
KYOTA UMEKI
SKATER, OWNER, STAR SHOP
Our seventh September cover star is @kyotaumeki, who grew up skateboarding in Tompkins Square Park and now runs Star Shop, an East Village gift shop that’s become a hangout for Umeki and his friends. Born and raised in the neighborhood, Umeki started skating at 12, quickly becoming a standout of the local scene, and eventually riding for brands like Noah, Frog, and Vans. After the successful “Save Tompkins” movement – which kept the park skateable – Umeki and his friends formed @starteam.eastvillage, a tight crew of local skaters known for its iconic star logo designed by Umeki himself. Their lo-fi videos, shot on Umeki’s fish-eyed Nintendo DS and old iPods, earned them underground internet fame. But what matters most to Umeki is the shop itself – a cornerstone of the East Village he remembers from his youth, despite all of its recent changes.
For this cover story, Office paid a visit to the shop where Umeki reflected on its roots, his love for the neighborhood, and how he’s keeping the spirit of Tompkins alive – one star-emblazoned piece at a time.
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
KYOTA UMEKI
SKATER, OWNER, STAR SHOP
Our seventh September cover star is @kyotaumeki, who grew up skateboarding in Tompkins Square Park and now runs Star Shop, an East Village gift shop that’s become a hangout for Umeki and his friends. Born and raised in the neighborhood, Umeki started skating at 12, quickly becoming a standout of the local scene, and eventually riding for brands like Noah, Frog, and Vans. After the successful “Save Tompkins” movement – which kept the park skateable – Umeki and his friends formed @starteam.eastvillage, a tight crew of local skaters known for its iconic star logo designed by Umeki himself. Their lo-fi videos, shot on Umeki’s fish-eyed Nintendo DS and old iPods, earned them underground internet fame. But what matters most to Umeki is the shop itself – a cornerstone of the East Village he remembers from his youth, despite all of its recent changes.
For this cover story, Office paid a visit to the shop where Umeki reflected on its roots, his love for the neighborhood, and how he’s keeping the spirit of Tompkins alive – one star-emblazoned piece at a time.
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
KYOTA UMEKI
SKATER, OWNER, STAR SHOP
Our seventh September cover star is @kyotaumeki, who grew up skateboarding in Tompkins Square Park and now runs Star Shop, an East Village gift shop that’s become a hangout for Umeki and his friends. Born and raised in the neighborhood, Umeki started skating at 12, quickly becoming a standout of the local scene, and eventually riding for brands like Noah, Frog, and Vans. After the successful “Save Tompkins” movement – which kept the park skateable – Umeki and his friends formed @starteam.eastvillage, a tight crew of local skaters known for its iconic star logo designed by Umeki himself. Their lo-fi videos, shot on Umeki’s fish-eyed Nintendo DS and old iPods, earned them underground internet fame. But what matters most to Umeki is the shop itself – a cornerstone of the East Village he remembers from his youth, despite all of its recent changes.
For this cover story, Office paid a visit to the shop where Umeki reflected on its roots, his love for the neighborhood, and how he’s keeping the spirit of Tompkins alive – one star-emblazoned piece at a time.
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
MARCELO GUTIERREZ
MAKEUP ARTIST
Our sixth September cover star is Colombian-born, New York-based makeup artist @marcelogutierrez. An intuitive storyteller, Marcelo’s work bridges the gap between fine art and beauty, constantly challenging conventional ideas around gender and self-expression. Arriving in New York at 20 years old with aspirations of becoming a painter, Marcelo’s journey quickly expanded to include film and, eventually, makeup as his chosen medium. For this cover story, we visited Eiron’s Cut, Marcelo’s barbershop in Ridgewood, where, much like the characters he brings to life, he dons his own armor.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with people that I share universes with, so we might also share the same language. When I’m working with a new face, I just go into it with an open mind, assuming that they’re a wonderful person. You have to be able to just be their friend for the day.”
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
MARCELO GUTIERREZ
MAKEUP ARTIST
Our sixth September cover star is Colombian-born, New York-based makeup artist @marcelogutierrez. An intuitive storyteller, Marcelo’s work bridges the gap between fine art and beauty, constantly challenging conventional ideas around gender and self-expression. Arriving in New York at 20 years old with aspirations of becoming a painter, Marcelo’s journey quickly expanded to include film and, eventually, makeup as his chosen medium. For this cover story, we visited Eiron’s Cut, Marcelo’s barbershop in Ridgewood, where, much like the characters he brings to life, he dons his own armor.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with people that I share universes with, so we might also share the same language. When I’m working with a new face, I just go into it with an open mind, assuming that they’re a wonderful person. You have to be able to just be their friend for the day.”
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
MARIA ISABEL
SINGER - SONG WRITER
Our fifth September cover star is Dominican-American singer-songwriter and Queens native @mariaisabel, whose lifelong love of writing poetry and singing – in talent shows and her church choir – found new momentum during the early months of the pandemic, blossoming into the career she has today.
These days, Isabel’s spending a lot of time in the studio, experimenting with her soulful R&B sound, and taking advantage of this moment of calm to nourish her love of reading – Joan Didion’s ‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ being her most recent – and to perfect her new music before planning her next project.
Calling in from sunny Los Angeles, @mariaisabel joins us to reflect on how much she’s changed since releasing her first two projects – her 2020 EP ‘Stuck in the Sky’ and 2021’s ‘I Hope You’re Very Unhappy With Me’ – reflections on love, loss, and long-distance relationships, which immediately drew attention for their introspective lyricism and bilingual fluidity.
“A lot of the time, I get messages from listeners saying they found a song at a really hard time, and it helped them get through something. Even with my first EP, which was all about long-distance heartbreak, people have told me that it resonated with them in the same way,” she says. “The lessons I’ve learned continue to ripple through others, and that’s the most gratifying feeling – knowing my work isn’t just for me, but that it can help at least one other person.”
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
MAKEUP ARTIST
Our sixth September cover star is Colombian-born, New York-based makeup artist @marcelogutierrez. An intuitive storyteller, Marcelo’s work bridges the gap between fine art and beauty, constantly challenging conventional ideas around gender and self-expression. Arriving in New York at 20 years old with aspirations of becoming a painter, Marcelo’s journey quickly expanded to include film and, eventually, makeup as his chosen medium. For this cover story, we visited Eiron’s Cut, Marcelo’s barbershop in Ridgewood, where, much like the characters he brings to life, he dons his own armor.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with people that I share universes with, so we might also share the same language. When I’m working with a new face, I just go into it with an open mind, assuming that they’re a wonderful person. You have to be able to just be their friend for the day.”
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
MARIA ISABEL
SINGER - SONG WRITER
Our fifth September cover star is Dominican-American singer-songwriter and Queens native @mariaisabel, whose lifelong love of writing poetry and singing – in talent shows and her church choir – found new momentum during the early months of the pandemic, blossoming into the career she has today.
These days, Isabel’s spending a lot of time in the studio, experimenting with her soulful R&B sound, and taking advantage of this moment of calm to nourish her love of reading – Joan Didion’s ‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ being her most recent – and to perfect her new music before planning her next project.
Calling in from sunny Los Angeles, @mariaisabel joins us to reflect on how much she’s changed since releasing her first two projects – her 2020 EP ‘Stuck in the Sky’ and 2021’s ‘I Hope You’re Very Unhappy With Me’ – reflections on love, loss, and long-distance relationships, which immediately drew attention for their introspective lyricism and bilingual fluidity.
“A lot of the time, I get messages from listeners saying they found a song at a really hard time, and it helped them get through something. Even with my first EP, which was all about long-distance heartbreak, people have told me that it resonated with them in the same way,” she says. “The lessons I’ve learned continue to ripple through others, and that’s the most gratifying feeling – knowing my work isn’t just for me, but that it can help at least one other person.”
Text by: SAHIR AHMEI
WILLY CHAVARRIA
DESIGNER
Since launching his eponymous label in 2015, our first September cover star, Willy Chavarria, has become one of the most exciting names in fashion. Known for the poignant and often political themes of his collections, Chavarria’s shows over the last few seasons have injected New York Fashion Week with a sorely needed burst of energy and meaning—and his latest Spring/Summer ‘25 show, “América,” was no exception.
Even more striking than the well-deserved buzz that has come to surround his designs is Chavarria’s disarming warmth and earnestness, particularly in an industry where success is often assumed to come with a standoffish armor. As we filed out of the historic JP Morgan Building after his last show just a few days ago, other attendees and I exchanged our favorite Willy stories, recounting all the times he had shown an unexpected kindness to us or someone we knew, in a moment when he didn’t have to. Behind the scenes of his cover shoot for this story, his publicist tells me how often she has to remind him not to hand out his personal phone number so freely to the admirers and aspiring collaborators he meets.
Text by: BROOK ASTER
WILLY CHAVARRIA
DESIGNER
Since launching his eponymous label in 2015, our first September cover star, Willy Chavarria, has become one of the most exciting names in fashion. Known for the poignant and often political themes of his collections, Chavarria’s shows over the last few seasons have injected New York Fashion Week with a sorely needed burst of energy and meaning—and his latest Spring/Summer ‘25 show, “América,” was no exception.
Even more striking than the well-deserved buzz that has come to surround his designs is Chavarria’s disarming warmth and earnestness, particularly in an industry where success is often assumed to come with a standoffish armor. As we filed out of the historic JP Morgan Building after his last show just a few days ago, other attendees and I exchanged our favorite Willy stories, recounting all the times he had shown an unexpected kindness to us or someone we knew, in a moment when he didn’t have to. Behind the scenes of his cover shoot for this story, his publicist tells me how often she has to remind him not to hand out his personal phone number so freely to the admirers and aspiring collaborators he meets.
Text by: BROOK ASTER
BLAIR BROLL
CASTING DIRECTOR, ARTIST
Blair Broll is a casting director, artist, and frontwoman of the band Girl Dick. Starting her career at 19 as a model-turned-intern for a casting director that originally scouted her on the street, Broll has since cemented herself as a singular visionary and subcultural icon in New York’s downtown scene. As a model scout and casting director, Broll has lent her acute taste to countless editorials, campaigns, runway shows and more, with clients including brands like Fendi, Miaou, and Interior and publications like Purple, Interview, and, of course, office.
Notably for someone whose job could be grossly oversimplified as “finding pretty people,” Broll feels most fulfilled when she forms real connections with the individuals she scouts and casts. Her passion for understanding the people she works with sets her apart in an industry often solely focused on appearances. Despite the flashy rooms and larger-than-life personalities her work often surrounds her with — or perhaps, in part, because of them — she is remarkably firm about separating her self-worth and self-image from her accomplishments and looks. “As long as I make a positive impact on people interpersonally in my life,” she says, “that's enough for me.”
Text by: BROOK ASTER
BLAIR BROLL
CASTING DIRECTOR, ARTIST
Blair Broll is a casting director, artist, and frontwoman of the band Girl Dick. Starting her career at 19 as a model-turned-intern for a casting director that originally scouted her on the street, Broll has since cemented herself as a singular visionary and subcultural icon in New York’s downtown scene. As a model scout and casting director, Broll has lent her acute taste to countless editorials, campaigns, runway shows and more, with clients including brands like Fendi, Miaou, and Interior and publications like Purple, Interview, and, of course, office.
Notably for someone whose job could be grossly oversimplified as “finding pretty people,” Broll feels most fulfilled when she forms real connections with the individuals she scouts and casts. Her passion for understanding the people she works with sets her apart in an industry often solely focused on appearances. Despite the flashy rooms and larger-than-life personalities her work often surrounds her with — or perhaps, in part, because of them — she is remarkably firm about separating her self-worth and self-image from her accomplishments and looks. “As long as I make a positive impact on people interpersonally in my life,” she says, “that's enough for me.”
Text by: BROOK ASTER
HEMAL SHETH
OWNER, ICONIC MAGAZINE
From stylists and photographers to cover stars and writers, nearly every New Yorker who has so much as dipped a toe into the magazine industry has paid a visit to Iconic Magazines to find a copy of their work. Our third September cover star is Hemal Sheth, the man whose dedication lies behind the beloved store. Sheth’s passion for the art form of the print magazine and his commitment to a constantly evolving and robust catalog have cemented his business as part of the beating heart of one of fashion’s global metropolitan centers. One of the final remaining mainstays of Manhattan print magazine sales, Iconic Magazines stocks countless publications in its stores, from household names to inaugural issues — stocking print issues of office from its first issue in 2014 til its final issue earlier this year. Hemal Sheth’s passion for the magazine business was cultivated by his father, who bought him magazines to pore over as a child. After immigrating to New York in the early ‘90s with plans to pursue a graduate degree, he found himself integrating a greater selection of magazines into his uncle’s convenience store where he worked, until one day they had become part of the store’s signature. Three decades later, Sheth has expanded his ownership with multiple Iconic locations in addition to this year’s purchase of Casa Magazines, another beloved downtown magazine store.
Text by: BROOK ASTER
HEMAL SHETH
OWNER, ICONIC MAGAZINE
From stylists and photographers to cover stars and writers, nearly every New Yorker who has so much as dipped a toe into the magazine industry has paid a visit to Iconic Magazines to find a copy of their work. Our third September cover star is Hemal Sheth, the man whose dedication lies behind the beloved store. Sheth’s passion for the art form of the print magazine and his commitment to a constantly evolving and robust catalog have cemented his business as part of the beating heart of one of fashion’s global metropolitan centers. One of the final remaining mainstays of Manhattan print magazine sales, Iconic Magazines stocks countless publications in its stores, from household names to inaugural issues — stocking print issues of office from its first issue in 2014 til its final issue earlier this year. Hemal Sheth’s passion for the magazine business was cultivated by his father, who bought him magazines to pore over as a child. After immigrating to New York in the early ‘90s with plans to pursue a graduate degree, he found himself integrating a greater selection of magazines into his uncle’s convenience store where he worked, until one day they had become part of the store’s signature. Three decades later, Sheth has expanded his ownership with multiple Iconic locations in addition to this year’s purchase of Casa Magazines, another beloved downtown magazine store.
Text by: BROOK ASTER
HEMAL SHETH
OWNER, ICONIC MAGAZINE
From stylists and photographers to cover stars and writers, nearly every New Yorker who has so much as dipped a toe into the magazine industry has paid a visit to Iconic Magazines to find a copy of their work. Our third September cover star is Hemal Sheth, the man whose dedication lies behind the beloved store. Sheth’s passion for the art form of the print magazine and his commitment to a constantly evolving and robust catalog have cemented his business as part of the beating heart of one of fashion’s global metropolitan centers. One of the final remaining mainstays of Manhattan print magazine sales, Iconic Magazines stocks countless publications in its stores, from household names to inaugural issues — stocking print issues of office from its first issue in 2014 til its final issue earlier this year. Hemal Sheth’s passion for the magazine business was cultivated by his father, who bought him magazines to pore over as a child. After immigrating to New York in the early ‘90s with plans to pursue a graduate degree, he found himself integrating a greater selection of magazines into his uncle’s convenience store where he worked, until one day they had become part of the store’s signature. Three decades later, Sheth has expanded his ownership with multiple Iconic locations in addition to this year’s purchase of Casa Magazines, another beloved downtown magazine store.
Text by: BROOK ASTER
KEEGAN DAKKAR
TATTOO ARTIST
Our fourth september cover star is multi-hyphenate tattoo artist and impossibly cool new york native Keegan Dakkar. Raised in the Lower East Side at the height of the anarchist and punk community of the 90’s, Dakkar’s practice distills a lifetime of cultural influences and exposure. His visual art defies categorization, with group and solo exhibitions of his drawings in New York and Tokyo, a jewelry and fashion design portfolio including work for Marc Jacobs and Supreme, and a dedicated cult following of his idiosyncratic custom tattoo work.
By his estimation, keegan began tattooing “5 or 6 years ago,” and in that time, his art has found its way onto the bodies of hundreds of New Yorkers (including two members of our on-set crew) and the screens of tens of thousands more online admirers. He gives nearly exclusively custom tattoos, creating the design in collaboration with the tattoo’s recipient and embracing the improvisation of the moment.
On the evening of Dakkar’s birthday, we paid a visit to musiquarium, the Greenpoint studio he shares with a handful of other artists. For proof of his love of spontaneity, look no further than this story; dakkar simultaneously gave an unplanned custom tattoo to our makeup artist Cass Lee.
Text by: BROOK ASTER
KEEGAN DAKKAR
TATTOO ARTIST
Our fourth September cover star is multi-hyphenate tattoo artist and impossibly cool New York native Keegan Dakkar. Raised in the Lower East Side at the height of the anarchist and punk community of the 90’s, Dakkar’s practice distills a lifetime of cultural influences and exposure. His visual art defies categorization, with group and solo exhibitions of his drawings in New York and Tokyo, a jewelry and fashion design portfolio including work for Marc Jacobs and Supreme, and a dedicated cult following of his idiosyncratic custom tattoo work.
By his estimation, keegan began tattooing “5 or 6 years ago,” and in that time, his art has found its way onto the bodies of hundreds of new yorkers (including two members of our on-set crew) and the screens of tens of thousands more online admirers. He gives nearly exclusively custom tattoos, creating the design in collaboration with the tattoo’s recipient and embracing the improvisation of the moment.
On the evening of Dakkar’s birthday, we paid a visit to musiquarium, the Greenpoint studio he shares with a handful of other artists. For proof of his love of spontaneity, look no further than this story; Dakkar simultaneously gave an unplanned custom tattoo to our makeup artist Cass Lee.
Text by: BROOK ASTER
CREDITS
office ICONS x WILLY CHAVARRIA
Photography @a_damp_owl
Videography @jp_blair
Styling @dylan_andrewss
Interview @brookaster
Talent @willychavarrianewyork wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Makeup @cvsee
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice
office ICONS x BLAIR BROLL
Photography @a_damp_owl
Videography @jp_blair
Styling @jardnassac
Interview @sahirahmei
Talent @blairbroll wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Makeup @cvsee
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Fashion Assistant @clairewisemann
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice
office ICONS x HEMAL SHETH
Photography @a_damp_owl
Videography @jp_blair
Styling @dylan_andrewss
Interview @brookaster
Talent Hemal Sheth @iconicmagazines wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Grooming @cvsee
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Location @iconicmagazines
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice
office ICONS x KEEGAN DAKKAR
Photography @a_damp_owl
Styling @john_colver
Interview @brookaster
Talent @keegandakkar wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Videography @jp_blair
Grooming @cvsee
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Location @musiquarium.nyc
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice
office ICONS x ‘THE CONNIE GIRL’ FLEMING
Photography @a_damp_owl
Videography @jp_blair
Styling @jardnassac
Interview @brookaster
Talent @therealconniegirl wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Makeup @grey__hoffman
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Location @girlsclubny
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice
office ICONS x KYOTA UMEKI
Photography @a_damp_owl
Videography @jp_blair
Styling @john_colver
Interview @sahirahmei
Talent @kyotaumeki wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Grooming @cvsee
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Location @starteam.eastvillage
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice
office ICONS x MARCELO GUTIERREZ
Photography @a_damp_owl
Videography @jp_blair
Styling @john_colver
Interview @sahirahmei
Talent @marcelogutierrez wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Makeup Assistant @kaiashiamua
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Location Eiron’s Cut
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice
office ICONS x MARÍA ISABEL
Photography @a_damp_owl
Videography @jp_blair
Styling @jardnassac
Interview @sahirahmei
Talent @mariaisabel wearing @alphaindustries MA-1 Heritage Bomber
Creative Direction @mitchism
Hair @tak8133
Makeup @cvsee
Photo Assistant @voyeur1
Video Assistant @i.a_n_
Fashion Assistant @clairewisemann
Creative Producer @livsolomon
Production Assistant @sophcollongette
Design Direction/Art Direction @w_e_studio @claudineeriksson @pierawolf
Graphic Design @w_e_studio @hannahmfn
Special Thanks @joeandthejuice