When adidas fragrance asked me to collaborate on their new scent, adidas Born Original I first fell in love with the scent – a sassy mix of apricot, bergamot and orange zest with notes of candy apple, coconut and jasmine. The bottle is incredibly unique with rough, organic shapes and a gorgeous rose gold finish. The men’s scent is equally inviting and Gerhard has stolen both bottles for himself! But what most intrigued be about the fragrance was the campaign which focuses on a sense of identity or rather creating a new identity with a kind of creative ‘rebirth.’ It made me reflect on my journey of the last 25 years. For most of my life I’ve been pushed to adapt to new environments. I was born in Southern California and then, at 5 years old, we moved to Minnesota. Then two years later we packed up for Michigan and then a short two years after that we landed in Kentucky. For me growing up always meant finding new friends, new hobbies and reinventing myself in new cities across the states. When college came around I decided to head to a larger city where I didn’t yet know anyone, Nashville, Tennessee. Life is an adventure and I love moving around. When I first came to New York City to intern in the summer of 2009 I fell in love with the bright lights. New York was a colorful playground where you could be whoever you wanted, totally anonymous in a sea of strangers. One of the things I remember most from that summer was crossing the bridge into Brooklyn. I felt home. The feeling was so strong. Looking at the beautiful brick buildings littered with little black fire escapes, I knew this was where I wanted to be. When I finally moved here after college in 2012 I set my sights on Williamsburg. The industrial buildings and hip, beautiful young people lit up the neighborhood with life. But what I love about New York is not the buildings or the bridges or the lights. It’s the energy, the hustle, the fire to push harder and survive in a city that weighs on you. It’s hard to be complacent in a city like this one. I feel like I was reborn in Brooklyn. It’s here where I came into myself, learned who I am and worked to find my identity in the sea of strangers. I shot in Dumbo (Down Under Manhattan Bridge O