Aweng Chuol Cannot Be Boxed In

November 22, 2024

Before she took her first breath, Aweng Chuol’s mother knew that her child would be a rebel. Even with all eyes on her, she has no desire to live through people’s perceptions of her; in fact, it might be physically impossible for her to care about outside judgement.

The first born of a dozen children, Chuol chose a path she felt the universe call her to. One day, while she worked a closing shift at her local McDonald’s, an incantation of all that could be possible played through her mind as a woman handed her a card. “You’re going to be a superstar,” the stranger said to her.

Growing up amidst a war-torn South Sudan, the model and growing multi-hyphenate still loved the place she called home. She still finds that sense of home within the sanctuary of her body, an ability that has allowed her to take massive leaps and risks. At 18 years old, she snuck away to Paris to walk her first runway for Vetements, after which she was signed to agencies in Milan, Paris, and New York. Her unforgettable look and enchanting walk were stamped in all the greatest minds in fashion. She was “it,” and there was no doubt in her mind about it. While this story may sound like a whirlwind fairytale — a refugee one day and a supermodel the next — Chuol’s story is much more complex than that.

Photography Asger Carlsen
Styling Jahulie Elizalde
Talent Aweng Chuol
Interview Kerane Marcellus
Hair Izumi Sato
Makeup Rose Grace
Creative Producer Liv Solomon
Photo Assistant James Lynch
Styling Assistant Rebeca Flores
Production Assistants Rea Brayshaw, Abby Dillingham, Enzo Holdt
Editor-in-Chief Simon Rasmussen
Assoc. Creative Director Mitchell Connell

AWENG wears FULL LOOK by MIISTA

When Chuol immigrated to Australia with her mother and eleven siblings, she reached a newfound consciousness, new obstacles to overcome, and a new life to get used to. Throughout her formative years, she had finally arrived at a point where she could call Sydney, Australia her home. Over time, she found comfort once again in her long legs, high cheekbones, deep skin, and full lips. Everything that led up to that moment had proved to be worth it.

Discovered while she was a student studying law, it was kismet for the powerhouse model to become a household name. “Aweng” is a sacred name, meaning “cow” in her native language, an animal that brings pride to its people. Chuol is bringing pride to all iterations of herself. From her many geographical journeys, to her internal journeys of navigating life, love, and constant change, Aweng Chuol is a woman who cannot be boxed in.

On an early Tuesday morning, right after her meditation session, we spoke about her manifestations, her tenacious spirit, and the oral history that keeps her connected to her culture.

AWENG wears FULL LOOK by MIISTA

I appreciate how you’ve chosen your own narrative outside of what others have chosen for you. How do you stay authentic throughout your ever-growing career?

I think it's just having the right source of energy around you. All my friends, my agents, and you know, I'm a first born, I'm a double Libra, so it's like being grounded. It's innate in me because of the way that I was raised and my personal experiences before fashion. I'm not the model that had magazines as a kid. I’m not the model that was watching all these amazing films of Hollywood and like, New York City. I'm from Australia, that's just so out there from where I'm from. So, thinking about the 18 years of life that I got to live before I got into entertainment, definitely helps a lot, to be honest.

How would you describe punk culture and how do you interpret it?

Avril Lavigne is the punk-est culture I know. And when P!NK first came out, she was the epitome of punk in my head.

I like the way you dress yourself, like your personal style is so cool. How does your personal style align with punk culture and your identity?

I think my personal style fluctuates. It has its ebbs and flows. I think it depends on the season that I'm in, like, right now, I’m the hot girl season. So, I’m wearing the Matte brand, I'm wearing Ottolinger, I'm layering, like, and then even my CFDA look, it was the Di Petsa and their whole thing is body, water waves, my stylist added jewelry stacked jewelry. Adding gold, mixing color, mixing jewelry, I think it's my essence. If I'm wearing a hairstyle that's up, and my hands are empty and my legs are bare, then. I like to then layer jewelry on my hands and my ears.

What are some of the most rebellious things you’ve felt you needed to do?

I think my entrance into fashion behind-the-scenes was very rebellious. When I got confirmed for the Vetements show, when I first got discovered, they flew me from Sydney, Australia, literally my hometown, into Paris, and I had told my family that I wanted to go to Paris, and I had a big option in Paris, and, you know, they didn't, they didn't believe that I'm going to Paris to walk one show. Me and my parents kind of got into it, and I just basically sneaked out of the country.

You didn’t put that in your essay for Elle!

No, [laughs]. I literally ended up in Paris. And I was like, “Yeah, I'm in Paris, Mom!” What can you do now across the world, you know? Now you just pray that I get home safely and all of that. When I got home, I think I was grounded for two weeks straight, but then I already had the energy and the touch of traveling. So I was like, “Okay, I'm gonna go again.” And this time, obviously, I told him when I was going back to London.

You were 18 at the time right?

I was at the time in Australia, and you think, oh, you're an adult at 18, but [you know] African cultures.

Right! I also come from an immigrant household. When I turned 18 I thought I could do all these things but my mom was not about it.

Yeah! My mom was not letting me go into Hollywood.

Didn’t your mom say to reach out to that lady who gave you the card?

She didn't think that it would actually bring anything. When you're young, between the age of 16 and 18, I think that's when people tried to scout me for things. So, she didn't 100% think anything was gonna happen but I had another option right before Vetements and it fell through, and then the Vetements option came through.

LEFT: AWENG wears GOWN by C-PLUS SERIES, SHOES by THOM SOLO, RIGHT: AWENG wears TOP and SHORTS by MACCAPANI, BOOTS by LARUICCI

Your coming out story was a huge moment that you shared with the world. How did you come to the decision to let the world in on your personal life?

I think for me, I just did it. I was always the rebellious kid. I was always the black sheep. I was always that kid. My mom knew from a very young age I was gonna test her, like 110%. I was born at 7am in the morning when she was going for her walk. She said, "This child is literally a menace.” So coming out wasn't really coming out. I just bought someone home. I said, “Hey, this is this. Any objections?” I’ve always been a diplomatic kind of person and a justice [oriented] kind of person. One thing I realized, too, is people will get comfortable if you decide whatever you decide on that day. That might be uncomfortable for a while, but they will have to just get comfortable. That's just it, if they're gonna stay in your life.

I related to the way that you wrote about feeling guilty for leaving your family. I’m also first-born from an immigrant household. Does that guilt still come up sometimes or has it subsided?

100% it does. I even had my therapy session yesterday morning. I have therapy every Monday at like 8am and my therapist, an amazing Black woman, by the way; she and I were speaking about the feeling of whether your siblings resent you for doing life in a way without them being fully involved. My siblings, they're all in Australia. Australia is not like Miami or Los Angeles or New York. It's 25 hours, and that's on a good day. I can't really get up and leave when I'm trying to build an empire or a career, or longevity in my career here. I have 11 younger siblings, so I watched a lot of them be born, and then now graduating. So the guilt never really goes away, but I've just learned that we're all individuals in this life, and we all have paths that we have to follow. It's obviously ultimate love and unconditional love.There'll be a point where I'll be able to go there, or they'll be able to come here and stay for a bit longer. I think it's growing pains, that's the thing about siblingship. There are a lot of growing pains that society doesn't really speak about.

Are you close with your mom as well?

My mom is 15 years my senior. So she and I grew up together. I watched my mom go through her 20s, and now I am going through my 20s, and she's in her 40s. I'm like, I get it. I kind of get why you were wilding out [laughs].

If there was any place you could go at the snap of a finger, where would it be?

I would go to South Sudan, because my grandma is there, and she is the sweetest woman ever. When I go back to Sudan, all she does is wake up and have coffee with ginger and then speak to me about her entire life and her mom's life. She just loves to tell stories. I'm more of a writer, so I don't really have much to say to her. So, that exchange is so intimate between her and I, and she's just my peace. She's literally just my peace, my dad's mother. Then another choice, selfishly speaking, Hawaii, I've never been, but I just think about being under coconuts. and Bretman Rock lives out there, and I feel like he lives such a peaceful life. I would love to just experience that first day, even with the chickens and everything. He's living his best life. That's my favorite manifester, right there. He's amazing.

I love the way that you talk about your grandmother. Passing down oral history is so important.

So important, because libraries get burned down. We know that now. They get removed by politics. So, oral knowledge is so important for the human experience, and culturally, we actually do more oral passing down with my native language. They haven’t started having books on it until recently.

Even those traditional types of things being passed down. I saw a dad practicing haka with his baby.

I think it's so spiritual. I saw the haka being done in the New Zealand Parliament. I went to law school, so I love politics. I can talk about politics all day, and I just I cried, because they ripped the paper and then to performed. And being able to be stopped—that's just so powerful. I hope it gets passed the way they wanted to pass it, to be honest.

Oh, wait, did you finish law school? Like you finished?

I didn't get to finish. I have one more year left, and I have two years to decide whether I go back or not. It's just my schedule. I have so much that I want to do in fashion and entertainment, period. It's one of those things. I will go back to school 100%, I want to get multiple degrees. I just want to learn. I think I'll go back, it’s never too late for that.

Definitely, never too late. I don't think it's ever too late to just start over. What type of law did you study?

I did International Relations, majoring in International Policies. So I wanted that to be my ultimate goal. I wanted to be part of the United Nations body for South Sudan. I was 17 when I decided that. I just started working extra hard, getting extra credits, getting in early, and then the universe was like, “You need to go into fashion.” I was like, “Okay, let's go!”

You don't really seem like a person that really cares to present themselves a certain way, I like that you're not really fearful of being perceived. Do you see yourself as a role model like the supermodels that came before you?

For my siblings, I've always been a role model, because I'm the eldest sibling, and I grew up with my mother. I think there were instances in our relationship where she saw me as a role model versus when I saw her as such. I see her as a role model because she's my mother, you know. I definitely do think I'm a role model. When I walk outside, kids, teenagers, people in the industry, or my peers come up to me and I'm like, “Thank you.” I know I'm being perceived. I am careful with some things, but in essence, I'm just a Aweng. and a Aweng is busy doing this, or Aweng just did this cover, or this campaign.There's perception there, but I think in being a role model, I just try to kind of make sure anyone that's watching me knows that the world's a mess but we're gonna be okay and to be kind.

AWENG wears DRESS by TAOTTAO, BOOTS By THOM SOLO

Going back to the Vetements runway, you said that you felt already at home in your essay for Elle. Are you at home in your body anywhere you go?

I think being a former refugee, you kind of have to find homes then and there. Wherever feels safe, where there's a roof over your head, that's home. I’m a girl growing up on an island in Australia, in a different society. My grandparents in my mom's home, my step dad's house — I was always moving. So, now that I have my own place and I make my own decisions, the adult autonomy has finally entered the chat. I think it's really in my body, and it's really in where my mind is at and what kind of morning I've had, is what I would say. There are some days where I am just moving for the plot. That's what I'm doing right now, and that's just it. I think it's important to give myself permission, some days, to not have an agenda of where home is right now. You know, sometimes you’re just here to have fun or here for vacation. I kind of detach a little bit, is what I would say, too. I'm always moving. I can't get attached to every hotel room, I can't get attached to every flight seat or airline seat or whatever. So I think it's really the body, I think the way I carry my body, the way I'm moving, the way I speak and the way I carry my tone, I think that's where home is.

Beautiful. So, when you moved to Australia, did you struggle with assimilation?

I think moving to Australia, literally, the moment the plane landed, I was like, “Oh, this is consciousness. I'm here, okay.” We landed in the middle of April. So it was basically summer in Australia. I went into autopilot. I'm learning the language, learning the culture. It was a culture shock and that was just two years of just mindlessness, trying to survive, a mode of fitting in, or getting settled. After that, it was okay. This is home now. It took me a while to call it home. It definitely took a few years to feel safe.

Who’s your favorite upcoming designer at the moment?

Grace Ling. I love her work. She's a sweet, sweet woman, very nice to me, very nice to everyone, and I like the way she moves. She just moves in such light. Like, girl, what's your secret?

Who are some of your favorite models right now?

Anok Yai, of course. Alex Consani, one of my good friends, Awar Odhiang, she's amazing, and she had such a great season. We love, love, love, love, love her.

What advice would you tell your younger self?

Slow down!!! That song by Billy Joel, “Vienna” — play that over and over and over and over and over again for 15 year olds. I was in a rush. And now I’m here and I'm like, “Okay, great! You figured it out, but what was the rush?

Let’s manifest. What does the future hold for you?

I think it holds a lot of peace. I'm trying to get into more philanthropy now. So, I’m working on that behind-the-scenes. Hopefully an acting debut is in the skyline, shortly. And to continue on slaying the girls, and the boys, and the gays.

I like the way that you're so knowledgeable about the fashion that goes on, yes, like within your industry, I feel like sometimes models are just models and they're not really into fashion. They're doing what pays the bills, but I enjoy how you know the names of designers, photographers, stylists.

I think it's important. I think it's important once you're out, you know, what did you get, besides the covers and the campaigns? Did you get the names of the stylists and photographers? Has anyone passed away during your career? Is anyone you wish you had met during your career? That’s important to think about.

What advice would you give to anybody who is interested in becoming a model in today's age?

Do your homework. Find your niche, study what you want to actually do when coming in. You're going to get a lot of “no’s”, but the world is not going to end on a “no.” I feel like a lot of aspiring models, or want-to-be models get really taken aback when they get their first or second or third “no,” and it discourages them. Entertainment is like any industry, you're going to get “no” from your bosses. You're gonna get “no” from your dream. It happens. So, if you really want to do it, you’re going to need to keep pushing to do the work, because there is work. Being a model is not easy. There is work! Oh, and get your passports, because you do need your passport. I promise you. And enjoy the ride. I think where I'm at right now in my career, I'm really enjoying the ride. I get to aspire for more.

LEFT: AWENG wears GOWN by C-PLUS SERIES, SHOES by THOM SOLO RIGHT: AWENG wears FULL LOOK by MIISTA,

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The party's big tent approach to a fusion of Latin sounds and bleeding-edge club music manifested with iconoclasts like Arca, Isabella Lovestory and Bad Gyal, but the 13-hour run also included Rick Ross, Yung Lean & Bladee and Python's IDM and downtempo collaboration with Ana Roxanne, Natural Wonder Beauty Concept. Of course, Miami and suero love to party, and this instinct manifested most clearly in Nick León's heady, masterful live A/V collaboration with Ezra Miller and Snow Stripper riotous, 3 AM finale. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess—long live the unpredictable suero sound.

Culture

Meet Mili Tekiva Clayton

October 23, 2024

When was the last time you had your face painted? Maybe it was at a childhood birthday party or a local fair, where your chosen mask sparked a day of pretend play. Revisiting this childhood ritual, artists Angel Velluto and Janina Zais took us across London to meet eight seniors whose stories revealed resilience and strength. Each participant was asked to fill out a Proustian-inspired questionnaire, and their responses were discussed with the team before being translated into unique masks by Zais. During the process, we had the chance to chat with each person to learn more about why the face paint they chose felt like a fitting tribute to their lives.

Mili Tekiva Clayton, a 70-year-old breast cancer survivor from Canning Square, London, volunteers alongside others to care for the vineyards of Forty Hall Estate in Enfield. Born in New Zealand, Mili’s journey as a dancer and teacher has taken her around the world. After receiving support from the New Zealand Arts Council, she traveled to New York, where she studied under renowned modern dancers and choreographers like Murray Louis, Hanya Holm, and Alwin Nikolais. During her time in New York, she began to connect her movements with her spiritual relationship to the oceans — honoring her Polynesian and French descent — and how the oceans have allowed her ancestors to thrive.

Creative Angel Velluto
Producer Angel Velluto and Janina Zais
Interview by Angel Velluto
Photography by Jan-Micheal Stasiuk
Face-Paint by Janina Zais
Director/DOP Ruby Harris
Editor Helen Teixeira
Casting by Angel Velluto

Where were you born?

New Zealand.

Where do you feel most comfortable?

Outdoors.

What quality do you think defines you most?

I’m brooding, and introspective but prefer my more extroverted, happy side. I’m generally creative and frustrated by my inability to establish boundaries & structures more readily.

What do you look for in a companion?

Loyalty, fidelity, transparency, and authenticity.

What is your biggest weakness?

Wine: I have to fast from it as I enjoy it perhaps a bit too much. Yet I was a teetotaler in my early adulthood. Like with great coffee, less is best.

What is your biggest strength?

My greatest strength is my faith in El Roi, Jehovah Rapha, El Shaddai, Christ, and prayer life, which sustains me.

What has surprised you most in life?

The biggest surprise in my life is watching my daughters emerge as adults and my grandchildren. There are 6; 3 girls and 3 boys ranging from 3 to 18 years of age. My sons-in-law are of Caribbean descent so I consider my grandies as pan-cultural.

What does your perfect day look like?

For me, a perfect day is balanced and productive, spent enjoying the camaraderie, and friendship of others. I also feel centered, grounded & more tranquil being outdoors despite the weather.

What is your favorite color?

Turquoise, ranging from emerald green tones to those like oceans reflecting sky and sunlight. It is different depending on which hemisphere one is in and the time of day.

Who are your favorite fictional characters?

I don't have favorite fictional characters but have many favorite authors, including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Janet Frame, Witi Ihimaera, Hone Tuwhare, Alaister Te Ariki Campbell, then Dickens, and Thomas Hardy.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

My upline/coach SVP Barbara Stewart-Anderson, whom I aspire to be like, even if to a lesser degree. Before, my inspirations were dance teachers/artists/choreographers in New York: Murray Louis, Hanya Holm & Alwin Nikolais.

What is your favorite food?

Fruit salad, combining papaya, watermelon, kiwi fruit, star fruit, apricot, and nectarine.

What quality do you dislike most in someone?

Envy.

What is your earliest memory?

I was at my paternal grandfather Louis' funeral with the Charlett clan gathered, including my parents assembled for a photo in Marsden Valley Cemetery, Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand. I sat cross-legged with my older cousins kneeling in the front row. I wore a bonnet & held a doll with a cracked head, in my lap. The adults stood behind. I was 2. Seeing a photo of that occasion later in my life was gratifying.

What is your biggest luxury?

Travel.

How do you show someone you love them?

I show love to those significant to me by giving of myself, financially, and relationally, and showing as much commitment & support as I can muster. I endeavor to be as authentic as I can be. Self-care and self-love facilitate this. Counseling, mindfulness, and prayer help tremendously in integrating a healthier self.

What is your biggest achievement?

Teaching children as an educator in the UK/NZ and raising my two daughters as a solo parent.

Culture

Wake and Bake with Edie Parker

October 21, 2024

Edie Parker was always all about elevated fashion. The brand’s founder, Brett Heyman, started the brand as an homage to the mid-century modern era and her inner child, rolling out ornate evening bags that were the perfect cherry on top to standout looks. But after spending some time in the elevated fashion lane, the label began a new chapter as it evolved into high fashion — literally.

Taking a leap of faith and unveiling Edie Parker Flower, Heyman decided to stand her ground in the heavily male-dominated cannabis industry. And she really puts her money where her mouth is, with a women-led team and products that personify her bubbly outlook. Through her color-explosive products and imaginative perspective, she has found a way to make weed accessible and welcoming, no matter how you identify.

Interview by Kayla Curtis-Evans
Photos by Matthew Kappas

Stepping into Heyman’s technicolor home oasis, office chatted with the founder about the transforming cannabis industry, circulating education and heightening accessibility, and her favorite go-to munchies.

Kayla Curtis-Evans— I actually have never interviewed someone after smoking before. This is a new one for me. What are your favorite strains? When you want to relax after a long day, what would you reach for?

Brett Heyman— Really, I'm not so strain-specific. I love our vapes and I love the flavor of the hybrid the most. Usually, the flavor is what dictates what I smoke. But I keep the hybrid and the sativa in my purse. That's such an old lady thing to say [laughs]. But that's what I usually smoke, I rarely smoke indica.

What treat are we making today?

Treat is kind of a misnomer. I don't think of it as a treat exactly, it's just the only thing I can bake from memory. It's a banana bread loaf with flax seed, buckwheat flour, chia seeds, and cottage cheese that I eat for breakfast every morning. It's very high-protein and very filling. What do you eat for breakfast?

I eat a lot of oatmeal for breakfast. Or chia pudding.

I make chia pudding a lot too.

When you smoke, do you have a go-to snack for the munchies?

I love a white cheddar popcorn. That's usually my snack. Although, I've recently learned that some of those popular ones out there aren't really good for you. The best popcorn that's packaged is that Himalayan Pink salt one. So that's mostly what I'll go for.

Do you think that you bake better when baked? Or do you have any other activities that you feel you execute better when that edge is taken off?

Well, I mean that's the thing with cannabis, right? It just heightens all your senses. So I'm of the belief that it makes everything better; it certainly makes eating better. And smelling things. Sex is a big thing for me with cannabis. I am enjoying every part of this. Not that I wouldn't without cannabis, but it just makes everything a little bit better. Having said that, cottage cheese smells disgusting. High or not.

The fact that smoking kind of heightens everything is what freaked me out a little bit the first time I tried it. I returned to it later because I have trouble sleeping and that was the only thing that helped.

It's so personal. So many people have had bad experiences, or maybe they haven't found the right strains yet. It's about testing use cases and finding what's right for you. Because I believe there's something for everybody.

I totally agree. You've created this new frontier within cannabis. When you started Edie Parker Flower, how did you aim to shift some of the stigmas or stereotypes that exist around cannabis? How did you also aim to shake up a very male-dominated industry?

We came in during the California green wave. We thought that cannabis was the new, big business and that there was going to be almost no stigma around it. We really underestimated the fact that the stigma remains and there's still a reluctance. We came into this scene and we found that there were no women in the cannabis space. Or at least very few women in the cannabis space and certainly no brands that were speaking to women on the shelves. There weren't a lot of brands that were approaching it like we did, through accessories first. Our goal was that we wanted people to engage with cannabis like any other product in their lives — as a consumer product. We thought that if we made things that are pretty and not intimidating or overly masculine or medicinal, then we could help destigmatize and normalize cannabis.

When we launched, we had a store on Madison Avenue, and we sold all of our cannabis accessories alongside these expensive evening bags. I think that really helped — just seeing beautiful cannabis-related accessories alongside products that you were used to engaging with. All of this helped with destigmatizing within certain audiences, but as you said, we still have a lot of work to do.

That was my favorite part about the brand when I first discovered it. These are palatable products that you can have on your table and they actually look cute. So many smoking tools or accessories are so ugly. But your approach is super whimsical. I see the affinity for color carrying over, even into your home.

Yes. It's a genuine affinity.

What inspires your playful, colorful outlook?

I think the world can be quite dreary. When we started Edie Parker, it's not like I thought that there was this need for these whimsical acrylic evening bags with your name on them or with fruit inlays. But my philosophy has always been that life is very serious and your accessories don't have to be. I think our surroundings should spark joy. And maybe living in a sea of grey or beige is what makes you happy. But for me, patterns, vintage things that tell a story, things that people are curious about — like this Murano fruit glass chandelier, it's my favorite. Everybody who comes over wants to talk about it. I love having joyful things that make people smile or at least ask questions, which coincidentally is exactly (philosophically) what we thought about the handbags too. These are pieces that will make people engage in conversation with you. So if you're a real introvert, maybe they're not for you [laughs.]

What intrigues you about the mid-century modern era, design-wise? Why is that something that you often revisit?

I like it because it's this really creative time Post World War II, particularly in America, which is where the acrylic bags were created. America was setting fashion trends globally, and other trends within industries like the auto industry with the use of plastics. That was my inspiration for the bags and what initially drew me to mid-century furniture and mid-century handbags. I think it's just exciting to see the development of trends across the globe by means of these little items. They mean more than meets the eye.

What similarities can you draw between what you were doing with the brand when it was strictly fashion-forward and this space you're in now, with functional, cannabis accessories? The products are different, but I still see the overall vision aligning.

Thank you for saying that because it's hard. The purpose of the bags is to surprise and delight. We always say that these are joyful little pieces of art and we don't see the cannabis accessories any differently. It's how we felt justified getting into the business. We already made all these other pieces that are meant to be displayed, so we thought why can't cannabis accessories be displayable and collectible, much like bar accessories? Why do they have to be like your ex-boyfriend's disgusting, gross bong that's meant to be hidden away? And again, we felt like if we could make things that are meant to be shown off, shared, and gifted, it would help with normalization, de-stigmatization, and all of the things that we're up against.

You take inspiration from a lot of food. Where does that stem from?

I just love food. My favorite kind of design aesthetic is something that feels really nostalgic. Something that evokes a memory and that's also a little bit unexpected. So I think food accessories usually feel like that. They're instantly recognizable, but we make it a little bit more unexpected and certainly subversive. We like to make things that make people smirk a little.

How else do you think that we can create more inviting environments within the cannabis industry?

I think there are a lot of ways, but I really think the onerous marketing restrictions around cannabis make it hard to talk to people on social media in a normal way. It also makes it hard to advertise in a normal way. And those are both very valuable things. I think if those were eased a little bit, we could help people see more people who look like themselves engaging in cannabis. I think it's hard to see an entry point if you're curious because of the ‘stoner bro’ archetype. So seeing more people like you, like your parents or your coworkers, engaging with cannabis in healthy ways would be helpful. And then the other way is, obviously, just through having more legal cannabis retail that starts to look like other retail in your life. Spaces that feel non-intimidating and welcoming. And then seeing brands on the shelf that don't feel intimidating. We're still so early in this industry. I hope these positive changes will come.

What are some of your favorite Edie Parker accessories to use when you're smoking? I know you mentioned the pen; do you have any go-to pipes or lighters too?

I love a lot of our other accessories for decor purposes, but I'm also not a good joint roller. So if I am, the cones are great. I love all the pipes. We made a lime pipe when we first launched that I still use. But I think smoking out of a banana is the most fun. I also really like the birthday candle one-hitters that we have.

So far, you've really shaken up the industry and debuted a lot of different funky shapes and ideas. Do you have anything else in the works besides what we talked about that you're really excited about?

We're so excited about edibles. We're 10 women, give or take, in the office. And all of us love edibles. So I really wanted our own but we wanted something true to the brand ethos, which is, simply, to have a good time. We want to give people permission to just get high and have fun. There doesn't have to be an anti-inflammatory component or a sleep aid. So we're designing something that we think hits those marks. The packaging will be really fun and multipurpose. Like most of our products, I don't know if you'd noticed, but we love this marriage of charming form, but also functional form. So everything has dual use. Fun flavors, of course. One day, I'd really love to have a dispensary and I'd love to have an educational aspect there as well.

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Aweng Chuol Cannot Be Boxed In

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