KL Publishing Group Launches Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk and Reintroduces The Indie Hotspot as a Standalone Publication

KL Publishing Group Launches 2 New Titles

KL Publishing Group expands its luxury portfolio with the eponymous Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk & The Indie Hotspot, featuring John Michael Ferrari on its first cover.

Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk: Fashion Without the Intimidation

Presented by AGENDA, the eponymous Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk gives Kaylene Peoples’ decades-long philosophy about fashion a publication of its own: great style is not reserved for celebrities, supermodels, or people with unlimited budgets. The inaugural issue combines serious fashion coverage with practical advice, beauty, memoir, shopping discoveries, fashion history, and the irreverent humor that has long characterized Peoples’ approach to the subject. As she writes in her introduction, “Fashion should never intimidate you. It should inspire you.”

That philosophy runs throughout an issue that moves easily between the runway and the real world. International runway photographer Arun Nevader takes readers inside Milan with Global Fashion Collective Spring/Summer 2026 collections from Lisa Grodek, Orfeo & Aida, and James Dimech, while the Black Design Collective, curated by Debbie Lee, is represented through coverage of Project Runway Season 22 designers Aaron Potts (APOTTS) and Octavius Marsion. The issue also features a conversation with designer and educator La Tanya Louis, highlighting La Mode, a fashion presentation showcasing the work of her Santa Monica College fashion design students. The issue revisits the work of milliner Lisa McFadden, explores the story behind Peoples’ Byron Lars In Earnest cover look, and brings back AGENDA’s Haute Off the Rack with attainable alternatives to designer fashion.

Peoples’ irreverent riffing helps set the tone throughout Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk. Whether recounting the Met Gala — “At some point during the Met Gala, I stopped asking ‘Who are you wearing?’ and started asking ‘What am I looking at?'” — or describing her adventures with TEMU as “Surely this flowing chiffon blouse will evoke a vaguely Pre-Raphaelite muse wandering barefoot through candlelit villas quoting Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Instead, I looked like I had been styled by TikTok and betrayed by lighting,” Peoples moves freely between fashion commentary, memoir, and comedy. The result is a wildly entertaining read that refuses to take fashion — or its editor — too seriously.

Beauty receives the same candid treatment, with Peoples putting highly promoted products to the test, including Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Eye Temporary Eye Tightener and Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray, alongside the memoir Next Time, I’ll Wear My Tom Fords, in which a casually dressed Peoples walks into Sephora, finds herself followed by security, and ultimately turns the experience into one of the issue’s more unexpected shopping stories.

The Indie Hotspot: A Longtime AGENDA Feature Finally Steps Out on Its Own

If Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk represents a new extension of KL Publishing Group, The Indie Hotspot represents the return of an idea nearly two decades in the making.

The Indie Hotspot was born inside AGENDA in 2006 as a feature devoted to creative people building careers outside conventional gatekeeping systems. For eight years, it introduced AGENDA readers to filmmakers, musicians, authors, designers, artists, entrepreneurs, and other creative voices. As AGENDA transitioned into print in 2014 and its editorial demands expanded, The Indie Hotspot appeared less frequently, with its last substantial appearance coming in 2020. Now the feature has emerged from what its inaugural issue jokingly calls “editorial hibernation” to become a standalone KL Publishing Group publication.

Its mission remains rooted in the same curiosity that inspired the original feature: finding compelling creative stories without waiting for the rest of the world to discover them first. The inaugural issue examines the changing world of independent creativity across film, music, books, technology, and fashion, asking what happens when traditional gatekeepers give way to new platforms, new tools, and creators willing to make their own opportunities.

Together, the two publications illustrate the expanding editorial range of KL Publishing Group. Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk makes fashion accessible, useful, personal, and frequently funny. The Indie Hotspot returns to the creative independents it was conceived to champion, now with enough room to tell their stories on its own terms.

Both inaugural issues are available in print through Amazon. Information about the publications and purchase links are available through KLPublishingGroup.com.

Press Contact

Name: Sean McKenzie
Email: Contact Us

About KL Publishing Group

KL Publishing Group publishes memoirs, novels, art and photography books, canons, and luxury magazines in the book-periodical format, spanning fashion, music, film, arts, entertainment, culture, and the performing arts. Its expanding luxury magazine portfolio includes AGENDA, Virtuoso Bass, Schmooze Jazz, The Performing Artist, Jazz Influencers, Kaylene Peoples Fashion Talk, and The Indie Hotspot, with additional titles in development.

Published Release: PRUNDERGROUND

The Performing Artist Magazine Debuts with Levy Lee Simon’s Powerful Journey from Stage to Memoir!

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The Performing Artist Magazine Debuts with Levy Lee Simon’s Powerful Journey from Stage to Memoir!

Kaylene Peoples launches The Performing Artist magazine, boldly exploring stagecraft, comedy, podcasting & more—curated to inspire today’s performers

Los Angeles, CA (PRUnderground) April 21st, 2025

Levy Lee Simon graces the cover of the inaugural issue of The Performing Artist, a genre-defying magazine that explores the full spectrum of creative expression—from writers and memoirists to playwrights, screenwriters, actors, comedians, podcasters, and more. Featuring original content, exclusive interviews, and thoughtful tributes, the debut edition shines a spotlight on the unsung heroes of performance while establishing the magazine as a vital new voice for those living life in the spotlight.

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A prolific composer, award-winning publisher, and classically trained jazz artist, Kaylene Peoples is the founder of KL Publishing Group. With five magazines under her leadership—AGENDA, Schmooze Jazz, Virtuoso Bass, Jazz Influencers, and now The Performing Artist—she continues to elevate underrepresented voices and challenge industry norms through powerful editorial platforms. As author, curator, and executive editor, Peoples leads this launch issue with both her pen and vision—shaping its themes, contributing original writing, and steering the magazine into uncharted creative territory.

“I’ve lived this life—from the stage to the scoring studio,” she shares. “This magazine is a curated reflection of the artists I’ve admired, learned from, and collaborated with. It’s personal—and it’s time.”

The debut issue centers around playwright and actor Levy Lee Simon, whose memoir Odyssey Towards the Light traces his deeply personal journey from Harlem to Broadway and beyond. In an intimate interview, Simon reflects on transformation, addiction, and the evolution of identity through art. “I just feel happy that Book I is written,” he says. “Writing a memoir is a new experience, much different from writing a play or a movie script.”

A highlight of the issue is its tribute to the 77th Writers Guild Awards, with guest contributor Sheryl Aronson joining Peoples in honoring the screenwriters who shape the narrative spine of film and television. “Without writers, there is no performance,” says Peoples. “Their voices are the foundation of our industry, and they deserve the spotlight too.”

In her Editor’s Letter, Peoples describes how the issue was sculpted around the world of memoir and theatre—two profoundly expressive forms of storytelling. Publishing Simon’s memoir gave Peoples rare insight into a creative process she had long admired. “How does a playwright, screenwriter, and actor transition into memoir writing?” she asks. “Once that question came into focus, the entire issue seemed to create itself.”

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In the feature From Stage to Page, the magazine explores that very question—highlighting literary pioneers like Tennessee Williams, August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, and Ntozake Shange, who transitioned from playwriting to memoir and reflective prose in powerful, culturally defining ways.

The magazine also confronts the darker realities behind comedy in “Laughter & Loss: The Tragic Genius of Freddie Prinze and Robin Williams,” revealing the often-hidden mental health struggles that accompany comic brilliance. Additional features explore the legacy of Lucille Ball, the Marx Brothers, Laugh-In, The Muppets, Dave Chappelle, and Seinfeld—offering a compelling timeline of comedic evolution and cultural relevance.

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Wellness is another major theme, with a dedicated section offering grounded advice for staying mentally and physically healthy while navigating a life in the performing arts. From self-care and emotional boundaries to pacing and perspective, this section reminds artists that longevity in the spotlight begins with balance.

The issue also embraces podcasting as a fast-rising, performance-based storytelling medium. In “The Voice Behind the Mic,” Peoples explores the growth of podcasts and their new role in modern entertainment. As a fan of the medium herself, she offers both admiration and practical insight. Additional features tackle the real-world challenges that performers face—from burnout and rejection to creative reinvention and resilience—offering thoughtful, experience-driven guidance from seasoned thespians, vocalists, dancers, and multidisciplinary creators.

Among the standout features is A Star’s Tumble, an original fictional drama by Peoples that captures the raw chaos and unexpected triumph of life onstage. Mastering the Stage curates performance philosophies and career reflections from legends like Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, and Meryl Streep, offering readers timeless wisdom from the masters.

With stunning visuals, expert contributions, and Peoples’ visionary leadership anchoring every page, The Performing Artist stands not just as a magazine, but as a tribute to the courage, complexity, and brilliance of those who live for the craft.

The print and digital editions of The Performing Artist are available now. Visit KL Publishing Group for more information, or Email Us for media inquiries, interviews, or review requests. Now available on Amazon (U.S. and select international stores)!

About THE PERFORMING ARTIST

The Performing Artist is a genre-defying print and digital magazine that celebrates the full spectrum of creative expression—from stage to page, from podcast to performance. Created by award-winning publisher, composer, and jazz artist Kaylene Peoples, the magazine champions the voices of actors, musicians, dancers, comedians, writers, and multidisciplinary performers who shape the cultural narrative of our time.

Each issue features original content, exclusive interviews, and curated insights that spotlight both iconic and emerging talent across the performing arts. From memoir and screenwriting to stagecraft, podcasting, and wellness, The Performing Artist offers readers a deeply personal and professionally enriching experience. We explore the realities behind the spotlight—the discipline, the doubt, the reinvention—and honor the courage it takes to live a life of performance.

With powerful features on industry legends and rising innovators alike, the magazine exists to inspire, inform, and elevate artists navigating an ever-evolving creative world. Through thoughtful storytelling and expert-driven commentary, The Performing Artist serves as both a muse and a mirror for those who live to perform.

For more information, visit the official website at www.theperformingartist.orgThe Performing Artist is a KL Publishing Group magazine.

Release by: First Take PR

Kaylene Peoples Graces the Cover of Cosmopolitan UAE

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Kaylene Peoples, a true Renaissance woman whose work spans across music, film, and publishing, is now the latest cover star of Cosmopolitan UAE. In the feature article titled “Kaylene Peoples: A Creative Force Redefining Music, Film, and Publishing Across Decades”, Cosmopolitan UAE spotlights Peoples’s illustrious career that continues to inspire and influence across industries.

From her early days as a chart-topping jazz and Bossa-Nova artist to her celebrated work as a filmmaker and the visionary behind AGENDA Magazine, Kaylene Peoples is a creative force that has left an indelible mark on every field she touches. Her versatility shines through as a composer and orchestrator, having worked on blockbuster films like American Pie 2 and Serendipity, while her string arrangements for the post-grunge band Oleander are considered groundbreaking in the rock genre.

Peoples’s Cosmopolitan UAE feature delves into her passion for genre-blending music, with special attention given to her upcoming projects, including the highly anticipated Romantic Bossa-Nova 2 and Doppelganger, which promises to push boundaries with its fusion of spy jazz, fusion, and lounge music.

In the article, Peoples reflects on her legacy: “Art is an evolving conversation with time, and my goal has always been to contribute something meaningful—whether through sound, visuals, or the written word—across every medium I engage with.”

This latest cover feature not only highlights her incredible accomplishments but also sets the stage for the future, with Peoples’s projects continuing to break new ground in both the creative and publishing spheres. Her trailblazing work with AGENDA Magazine, a top publication in Los Angeles, along with her endeavors to support emerging female composers through her initiative Bella Composers, demonstrates her dedication to nurturing the next generation of talent.

Kaylene Peoples’s feature on Cosmopolitan UAE is a testament to her far-reaching influence, showcasing her as a multi-dimensional artist who continues to redefine creativity across music, film, and publishing.

For more on Kaylene Peoples and her cover feature, visit Cosmopolitan UAE.

I HAD A CONVERSATION: “THE HIGHER SELF” BUNNY BRUNEL PODCAST PART 2

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BY KEN HADA:

This is the second part of Bunny Brunel’s interview with Ken Hada.  Bunny talks about iconic jazz instrumentalists Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams, and more. He discusses EDM, RAP, PRODUCERS, AND DJ’S. And the music business, studio recording, music companies today, and how to play your instrument at the highest level.

Check out the interview here:  https://www.ihadaconversation.com/bunny-brunel-part-2/