#12
5 pages
Issue 12
55pages Creative Director Editor-in-Chief Christopher George chris@55factory.net Editor Sara Darling sara@55factory.net Contributing Editors Charlie Noble Jonathan Bright Fashion Editor Sara Darling Picture Editor Christopher Sims Holly McGlynn Art Editors Christopher George Marcin Cybulski Contributing Art Editors Jaswant Bhachu Daniel Vais BERT Contributing Beauty Editor Vickie Ellis Contributors Ross Pollard Julia Wilson Lauren Alice Daniela Suarez Designer Lyn Devenney
We’re back! Since the heady days of 2011, we have tightened the scope of 55pages. It’s taken us twelve issues, but each issue has become stronger and more direct, which is an uncontrollable reaction to our position in society. It has always been our aim to take more social presence in the media landscape, and we hope you enjoy what you read. Our house style is to be as frank and challenging as possible with our content. We have spent the journey for this issue, pulling together artists who we believe reflect the society we all have to live in, and those who have relevant social commentary on how our urban lives are affected. For issue 12 we focus on the medium of photography. So along with our striking fashion shoots, our aim was to source photographic articles that will make you take a closer look and question your own beliefs and lifestyle. 2016 was a rocky year, and 2017 doesn’t look to be any easier on so many levels. That isn’t to say, we should just accept the shit we are dealt. It is crucial that we do not become de-sensitised and numb puppets, to what we do not accept. Otherwise we will simply believe what we are force fed, and not attempt to change it. Change is inevitable, and all though uncomfortable it has to be in our control. You can make yourself happy (and those around you) with small and significant acts. Don’t believe your voice doesn’t count. We hope you enjoy what 55pages has put together. It’s a LABOUR of hope!
Technical Consultant Demir Sayiner Joe Barbour Publisher Christopher George
Join us on social media instagram.com/55factory twitter.com/55factory facebook.com/55factory youtube.com/user/55tvc info@55factory.net www.55factory.net +44 (0) 7956 932 679
Cover Talent- John-Paul Pryor Photography - Christopher Sims Grooming - Julia Wilson Suit - Matthew Miller Shirt - Anders Andersen Glasses - Vintage BOY LONDON
5
Article: Christopher George Artwork: Al Boy
SOCIETY’S ASSASSINs
In a world seemingly gone crazy, it’s become a chore to remain stable and see many items with clarity. We have emerged, in the flick of an eye, into times of extreme leadership - to the point of a ‘virtual’ dictator-ism. What we thought was over there, is actually hovering uncomfortably over here. And unless we take swift decisive action, as a populace collectively, we are in circumstances that could allow the freedom that we have taken so long to achieve, rapidly disappear. Since Brexit has been triggered, and a potential trade deal looming between the USA and UK, our independence seems uncertain. The National Grid has been flogged off already with speculation the NHS will be sold to the highest bidder. Are we in danger of becoming just another suburb of America, ironically when we have just stepped out of being a suburb of Europe? Our leaders and governing bodies have increasingly adopted the identity of Queens and Kings, with apparently no reality checks on themselves or their courtiers. It’s all become rather ‘Monty Python’ in a medieval way. Political figures ability to spin agendas and lies, is out of control; With a stream of fabrications, U turns, fake and biased news is delivered from behind hollowed eyes and no responsibility assumed. It’s enough to leave any mildly sane person in disbelief. The window of opportunity is diminishing – and at this point in history we are in need to resume more control as the people, with less unconditional control for society’s assassins. www.christophersims.com
Article: Ross Pollard Illustration: Bert Gilbert
THE PRICE OF FASHION
The Price of Fashion? 26p an hour. Where does this random lowly figure come from? It is the minimum wage for children in Myanmar, for the four hours they are legally allowed to work each day. However, some British high street and couture labels manage to avoid paying this. They prefer to pay 13p an hour. Well they did, until investigations uncovered this atrocity, and certain companies are trying to drastically backtrack and distance themselves from their sordid supply chain. Ironically, some of these labels also boast of ethical efforts elsewhere. The skill of ‘green washing’ to hide other sins, is now as important as product marketing in the 21st century. By using their ‘ethical’ assets- for example, using environmentally safe dyes, or paying a fair wage is their way of trying to brainwash the buyer to glossing over their negatives. With so many horror stories of mistreated workers, the exposure of supply chains should be acknowledged by brands and consumers. Canadian author Naomi Klein’s ‘No Logo’ was a cultural manifesto on capitalism, highlighting with a no holds barred expose on how a capitalist society has had a direct effect on developing countries and workers’ rights. This book was published almost 20 years ago, and was intended to be a wakeup call, but it exposes issues that are still relevant today. International job flight what is this? alongside improving the odd factory isn’t gradual progress, it will inevitably be a long process. Many fashion companies are talking about a ‘commitment to audit’ and publish what’s going on in their supply chains- yet few are following through. It is expensive to undertake and yes it will take a lot of time; But let us see the progress rather than empty promises. There are many conscientious shoppers, who are aware of the hidden agendas and of course it seems unfair that they incur the cost- whilst others pretend not to notice the ridiculously cheap price of their ‘fast fashion’. These consumers continue to enjoy the huge fiscal rewards of sweatshops. However, the pound in your pocket is actually very powerful, and can add weight to change. Taking responsibility for your own choices is easy to do. The question- do you want to be part of a system that pays a child 13p an hour for a shift far longer than they should be doing, instead of looking to purchase a more ethical or sustainable product? Do you want to purchase items that are produced in such a toxic environment that it pollutes the rivers and land around the factory, poisons wildlife and causes major environmental issues? Has fast fashion become so important that having new collections in store every week is more important than a belief that a child belongs in a school with a future, who will grow up in a community where drinking water is safe and the earth isn’t potentially damaging? I’m as guilty as others of sometimes making the wrong choices, but I also recognise right from wrong. At the moment, it is not just individual lives that are being destroyed, but children are consigned to a sweatshop, and a lifetime of labour- struggling to afford food in a factory dormitory. The price of fashion shouldn’t be the 13p we are ashamed we pay, it should be the fair price we are proud to pay because it isn’t the exchange rate of misery.
www.fashionworked.com www.bertgilbert.co.uk
Article: Sara Darling
RADICAL BEAUTY
Scallywag Fox
Radical Beauty is the first international photography project, which focuses on models with Down syndrome, where the termination rate of foetuses in the UK stands at 90%. Daniel Vais began this art project to purposely challenge our ideas of beauty, where he deliberately entertains a controversial response.
Zuzia Zawada
These powerful campaign-worthy images have been undertaken with the same creative passion as any high-fashion shoot; but provoke self-questioning, as we look at our own concept of disability, beauty and inclusiveness. Visually breaking boundaries to showcase that fashion can be diverse, and disabilities should not be the sole purpose for exclusion.
boy/girl Dor Sharon Redefining the norm, these dynamic photographs have been taken by an array of professional photographers, stylists, hair and makeup artists from around the world. Which will ultimately culminate in a coffee table book. What is the future for society and creativity, if beauty is homogenized and so narrowly defined? Where will we find diversity if difference is so objectively rejected? www.radicalbeautyproject.com www.diaryofafashiondarling.com
9
Article: Christopher George
PARKING YOUR BUM
When is a chair just a chair?
It’s a fascinating and mildly unnerving thought. They are everywhere- across all continents, in public spaces, mountain tops, even remote coastal beaches. And appearing oddly in people’s living rooms and on the side of motorways! So from now on, you will never quite look at that white plastic garden chair again with out thinking; how many are there?? Sorry to leave that with you.
Keystone- Work Shop of Wonders
Possibly when you are looking at one of those white garden chairs that have been mass-produced to such an extent, that there seems to be no recorded figures of how may have been manufactured.
The chair an object that we have taken for granted for so long, has been around throughout all major historical moments. Most recently, at the triggering of article 50- Teresa May sat on a chair with her two sister chairs seemingly guarding her either side. It has launched war, signalled the end of wars, and is one of the items that bring us all together. Yet we look at it simply as a piece of insignificant furniture. On my recent trip to the Netherlands for Art Rotterdam, the international Art Fair that always surprises me and get my legs marching around for the three-day duration. Ironically, getting inspired by chairs when it was probably one of the least times I get to sit down! On this occasion, I was captivated by the number of chairs on show during OBJECT Rotterdam.
‘The end of everthing’- Joep Van Lieshout
Mae West Lips- Salvador Dali- Kunsthal Museum
of artist Joep Van Lieshout, with his brutal industrial installation, ‘The end of everthing’ where the chair plays a key role. Chairs as an art form, range from the practical to the damn right uncomfortable. The visual statement or just an insignificant block to place yourself on. All of us have a personal style but need a chair for same purpose, which has opened my eyes yet as to people’s lack of aesthetic thought to what they acquire. I’m a design addict and avid collector of chairs, so much so that our house, as my partner would remark unkindly, resembles a junk storage warehouse. I strongly disagree, but must admit sometimes the array of different chairs does start to look somewhat chaotic and at odds with all the other ‘bric a brac’ I accumulate! This obsession I have leaves me constantly criticising or admiring other people’s chairs and arrangement. It’s a curse I suffer from, and get no peace. Berlijn- Work Shop of Wonders OBJECT Rotterdam, the design week was held on the spectacular SS Rotterdam, a mid century luxury trans Atlantic liner, perfectly preserved and moored in its home city of Rotterdam. Having been de-commissioned some years ago, it was due to be scrapped; but within its last moments, saved and meticulously refurbished and transformed into a luxury hotel, and this is no exaggeration. It takes a lot to impress my mid-century design salivation glands, and they were in full melt down throughout my time on board. It really is worth booking into the hotel on the unique ship, just to sample the delights of its interiors and hang out in the authentic bar where Frank Sinatra would have sipped cocktails after performing. It is thanks to the SS Rotterdam, that I became aware of the art of chair design, and captivated by its practical uses and extraordinary idea of form. With chairs on show ranging from the infamous Mae West lips sofa by Salvador Dalí, (which is now on show during the Mad About Surrealism exhibition at the Kunsthal Museum in Rotterdam), to the apocalyptic and utopian metaphor
Scheublin & Lindeman
Visser En Meijwaard
Lounge- SS Rotterdam My obsession with chairs has passed into these pages with much delight and relief that the thoughts are out my head (for the time being anyhow). And it will hopefully leave you paying more attention to what delights can be sampled by visually appreciating and not just the functional use of a chair. After all, sitting is an activity that has been happening since the birth of man’s basic intellect and self-importance. By placing an ego driven ass on a chair (Throne) then declaring to the populace “I Am Your Leader/Queen/ Preacher/ Dictator /Private Dancer”… Get my drift of how elaborate the chair can become? I will leave you with the thought: what am I sitting on? A chair of no description, or a utilitarian piece of art and design. www.christophersims.com www.rotterdam.info www.holland.com www.artrotterdam.com www.ssrotterdam.com www.objectrotterdam.com www.kunsthal.nl www.workshopofwonders.nl www.scheublinlindeman.com www.vissermeijwaard.nl
Red Wealth Soviet Design- Kunsthal Museum
AND
SUNDAY MORNING Photographer- Christopher Sims Fashion Editor- Sara Darling Makeup and Hair- Vickie Ellis Models- Delano Van Dalen & Eduadro Starke @ Lenis Location - 55house
55pages Black shirt- Paul & Joe. Leopard skirt- Laurel. Hat- Misa Harida
Floral dress- Suncoo Rings – Imogen Belfield Bag- Cambridge Satchel Company Socks- Item M6 Shoes- Chie Mihara
55pages
17
Shorts suit- Soulland. Polo shirt- J Lindberg. Glasses- Retrospective Future. Watch – Vintage Rodania
55pages
Top- Airfield
55pages
Bra & white shirt- Jayne Pierson Trousers- Ashley Isham Shoes- Jones the Bootmaker Choker- Monki Bedding - Marks & Spencer Bed - ARGOS
55pages
Shirt- Scotch & Soda Underwear- Bjorn Borg
55pages
Print top- Monki. Vest- Paint Official. Shorts & Belt - Paul & Joe Sister. Socks- Item M6. Shoes- Samsoe & Samsoe. Glasses- Black Eyewear
55pages
Print top- Laurel Dress- Won Hundred Socks- Penfield
55pages
Dress- Marc Cain. Headscarf- Stylist’s own. Handbag- Paul & Joe Sister. Glasses- Black Eyewear. Beaded bracelet- Dollie
55pages
Article: Jonathan Bright Illustration: Jaswant Bhachu
CITIES UNITE
London - Manchester: Loud, proud and never to be cowed
As an aside, I would like to remember and pay respect to those souls that needlessly lost their lives in the Westminster attack of Wednesday 22 March 2017 and the Manchester bombing on Monday the 22 May 2017. It’s unfortunate that in doing so, I can’t help but recall the words of the vile Katie Hopkins and the re-tweet of the bilge by the equally detestable Nigel Farage. According to these self-serving wastes of good oxygen, London and Manchester are divided by fear and has cowed to terrorism. Sure, whatever gets you back in the headlines. I could say ‘go screw yourself’, but that would infer that they possess the requisite human genitalia to do so. I could say Hopkins is the personification of clickbait, but that rather dehumanises the abstract concept of clickbait. Mind you, Hopkins did get done for libel so we should really encourage her to spout some other attention-grabbing piece of unfounded garbage and bankrupt herself. Meanwhile, with Article 50 now signed and Brexit sadly being realised, we have to face reality that we are leaving the EU. It is a point to mention here that in some boroughs of London, over 70% voted to remain. And the majority was 59% of Londoners across all boroughs voted remain. But with the overdue collapse of UKIP, things are not all bad. However, this being said- has UKIP just relocated its ‘supporters’ over to the right wing swaying Conservative party? The mind boggles does it not? As cities, we are not divided. We will never, ever be bullied or be disheartened by any form of terrorism, and we are not scared of coming to or being in these great city’s. I got on the Victoria Line at Vauxhall to cross town about half an hour after the Westminster attack, and the only person I saw anxiously rocking back and forth was the guy still up from the night before at the Fire Club! Life goes on as usual. The only thing that divides London is the River Thames. You want to see division? Try telling someone from Walthamstow there’s a party in Peckham. Suddenly a marathon of re-runs on Dave seems overly appealing. Try as it might even a Tube strike won’t shut London down. We’ll still queue patiently for an overcrowded bus rather than sit at home feeling like we’ve somehow been held to ransom. London’s diversity is legendary for outnumbering any bigotry you may read in the tabloids. We have in this special city, a culture that is coveted from around the globe. So anyone who protests there is a fear within the locals does not know London. What keeps this great city’s heart thumping is a collective unity of acceptance and acknowledgment, even if most of the inhabitants are not actually from London. You know what actually prevents people coming into London? The property ladder, £6 pints, and Southern Rail.
@brightywriting www.55factory.net/jaswant-flora
Article: Christopher George
TERI HAVENS American TV is the glorified sensationalism, of veneered lives, but the US is becoming more a hybrid of isolation, abandonment and addiction.
It is easy to overlook a lost generation, but delve a little deeper and there is a cast away section of society that is growing rapidly. Forgotten people and abandoned places trapped between TV stations, alcohol, prescription drugs and a huge lack of education, no health service and minimal social support. This stark realism, which is evident across America, has been captured by photographer Teri Havens. Her isolated landscapes lack any signs of human life, yet we believe there are people within these scenes- thrust in a lonely existence that’s softened by alcohol and dim lighting.
Much of Havens’ landscape work is shot at night and captured by long camera exposures, which drains light out of the atmosphere, keeping it eerily real; As life has been drained out of the locations- the life is being drained out of the people inhabiting them- each with their own sense of abandonment. Havens’ portraits of people photographed during the day with available light expertly capture the polar-opposite of night and day. These portraits show the isolation, as lonesome as the structures on the landscape.
This story line is a global script playing out across the West; The detachment of families, communities, cultures and generations is evident everywhere. The Internet and TV have replaced communication, meaning many are left with no real sense of belonging. While Havens’ works portray a resolute loneliness, the compassion for her subjects projects a proud and defiant independence for survival in a nearly forgotten America. You are invited to admire these characters in their portrayal and find fascination in their story.
www.terihavens.com www.christophersims.com
Article: Christopher George
FuFANU
Originally from the remote city of Reykjavik, it was difficult to engage with FAFANU. They seem to have a suspicion about themselves, or maybe it’s an indifference to outsiders. I didn’t put this down to the general ‘coolness’ of being in a band - well maybe just a bit, but more down to their origin. The climate (for part of the year) has hardly any sun, and for the rest of the year literally no night. This along with the extreme isolated location of Iceland is enough to make anyone rather distant emotionally. Having visited Reykjavik many years ago in the early 90s for a music festival, (along with Ian Brown and a bunch of crazed journalist and photographers), I was witness to this unearthly climate and setting, where 12am and 12pm look the same during the summer months - only daylight. Add to this a mix of alcohol, the general 90’s extra curriculum entertainment adding to minimum sleep within the music scene, throw in a few thousand Icelandic clubbers- you would begin to believe you were at a festival on the moon with unearthly people… This all has a point, and not just a diary of my past press trips! I am attempting to figure out the sound and music of FUFANU, and also figure them out if that is at all possible. All musicians are influenced by their surroundings- and this obscure island is certainly going to dictate the music they make. FAFANU formed in 2008, consists of Kaktus Einarsson on vocals along with guitarist/programmer Guðlaugur Einarsson. Sharing a passion for electronic music at school, their first project was techno and was enthusiastically put together in just a few weeks, under the name of Captain Fufanu. Originally having an electronic core, the band has incorporated a more instrumental and rock sound, completed by their final band member, Erling Bang on percussion. Stating that they are creating very similar music to the original concept, but with a broader approach- steering away from simply dance floor and club tracks. Listening to their music, it is important to remember that solitude is a natural part of their identity, and a situation that generates their sound. The long dark winters in Reykjavik becoming a catalyst for their working methods. Due to the cold and dark environment, they spend more time in the studio, laying down what the summer has created artistically with its milder climate. It seems a strange and positive mix, when the sun and good weather give you the inspiration and ideas, along with the face to face, physical communications that are lacking in the winter, but when the nights draw in, it offers a perfect opportunity to craft these ideas into musical formats. Living in London was the first time lead singer Einarsson experienced a different kind of existence, and a different kind of nature- away from the harsher extremes of Iceland- which I am assured, keep the members of the band quite sane! Releasing their second album has resulted in a more mature sound. Although playing live isn’t automatically a natural environment for them, these live events bring new concepts for FAFANU, taking the music further and encouraging different opportunities and meanings from the crowd’s reaction. After the production and mixing of their music, performing live brings new meaning to their material. During the tour for this album, FAFANU as they put it are collecting the clay for their third album. For them it’s about taking the sound further, carrying on experimenting, which seems very likely to happen when they descend back into the studio, during the harsh winter months in Iceland.
www.fufanu.net www.christophersims.com
Article: Jonathan Bright Illustration: Marcin Filip Cybulski
The Ires of March
I know, I know. Another general election, which is really another referendum on the EU referendum, meanwhile President Trump is dropping mega-bombs on Afganistan without having the decency to ask anyone if he could and is getting ready to start World War III in North Korea. We’re weary of geopolitics. But let me tell you, now is not the time to take your foot off the accelerator. The libtards must continue to rise. Less than 12 months ago, I’d have probably assumed a libtard was a generously fitting Lycra onesie. Of course, it’s meant an insult to anyone with left wing political views, but I think that does a disservice. It seems to apply to anyone who thinks things of late might have gone slightly titsup, and let’s face it you’d need a much tighter onesie for that. It’s a lazy contraction that does well not to insult its intended target, the liberal, but still it all feels destined to backfire. Which is why we need to keep pushing, keep marching, keep signing, keep shouting, keep creating, and keep doing whatever it is in your power to make a difference. You can’t change the world overnight, but every one of us can lend a tiny hand. Our second wind
leaving a major loss for the French far right in the form of Marine Le Pen. This showed there was reall hope and point to the activism. As such, we wait with baited breath to see how long this blip actually looks like it will last. Whilst we look and hope towards a fairer future, in the meantime we can only look after each other in the present. People have decided as one to make a stand against the injustices that seem to have propelled certain people to absolute power unabated. We stand, and we march. Occupy The marches are pissing people off and occupying the headlines. In that respect they’re doing exactly what we want them to do. Following the inauguration day of President Donald Trump, 2.6 million people marched in over 60 countries as part of what is now known as the women’s rights marches. Tens of thousands marched across central London to oppose the ‘travel ban’, which sounds more like a Tube strike than the actual rhetoric of it being a Muslim ban. And let’s not mince words here; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani recently told Fox News: “When [Mr Trump] first announced it, he said, ‘Muslim ban.’ He called me up. He said, ‘Put a commission together. Show me the right way to do it legally’.”
Personally, I think we’re in a blip. Populism, for want of a better word, is having a second wind after Brexit and Trump. It’s changed direction, and I’m thinking there’s going to be a whole swathe of people left with a permanent grump on their faces.
Question everything
The Dutch far right candidate Geert Wilders, for example, lost the Dutch election by some margin. Despite being neck-and-neck in the polls with the incumbent centre-right prime minister Mark Rutte only two days prior, he won just 20 seats in the Dutch parliament versus Mark Rutte’s 33 seats.
The women’s rights marches were allegedly part-funded by a very pro-Hillary Clinton and anti-Trump contingent, ipso facto, they weren’t women’s rights marches at all; rather, they were anti-democratic. On the other hand, that contingent also funds Planned Parenthood amongst others, which is a potential future victim of Trump. The counter-agendas are evident and multitudinous when you dig a little.
The Netherlands’ was a closely watched election by those buoyed by the hope of better days, following Austria’s decision to reject its far-right candidate, Norbert Hofer, in December 2016. And the outcome of the French presidential election, with Emmanuel Macton taking control,
Questions have been raised over the people that mobilise and fund these movements and their reasons, as they should, and I’d advise anyone to do their homework on this.
es, Trump was just the trigger; if it took his level of brazen misogyny to really drive home to the world how unequal our equal rights still shamefully are, then so be it.
Then, there’s the co-chair of the women’s marches, Linda Sarsour, former executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. Depending on your sources, she’s either an extremist Muslim hell bent on imposing Sharia Law, or an outspoken activist and now victim of a worldwide campaign of misogyny which has been crafted to shut her up. Now, I don’t pretend to know the deepest intentions of any of these people. Equally I’m unsure of the relationship between Trump and former KKK grand wizard David Duke, a famously vociverous Trump advocate who Trump failed to denouce on several occasions. Do I assume that every Trump supporter is therefore a white supremacist? I mean, when your policies are signed off by a white supremacist movement, does that not ring an alarm bell? Do you not think then you might be doing something wrong? But, this is not what concerns me for the purposes of this article. I would encourage anyone to hold the organisers of marches to account, as they would anyone else. What I do ask is, at what point does this matter? At what point are these people speaking for me? Or you? At what point does the KKK speak for Trump or his supporters? At what point do the ‘alt-right’, throwing Nazi salutes, chanting ‘Hail Trump’ at his rallies, speak for the president or his chief strategist and self-proclaimed mobiliser of the ‘alt-right’ movement, Steve Bannon? I don’t know, but it’s worth asking. They are your morals We only do what is right by our own standards and morals. What is in front of the faces of so many is a rhetoric of division. And, ironically, it is that that has mobilised millions of people, as one, into saying “we will not stand for this”. In the case of the women’s march-
If you’re marching for a common good – standing up for somebody downtrodden, then for crying out loud keep going. The bastards will try to get you down; they’ll tell you you’re sitting in an ivory tower; they’ll tell you you’re weak; they’ll tell you marching doesn’t work. Forget them. History is on your side and compassion and decency will always win. It might not win tomorrow or the next day, but it will win. I don’t march against democracy or patriotism; I don’t march against a foreign, democratically elected leader, I march against bigotry. I march against the validation of bigorty in so many others. I march for the freedom of everybody to be who they want without fear of persecution or oppression. What are your reasons? This is about nailing some libtard colours to the mast. I mean that literally. Create things. Write stuff. Make poetry. Paint. Sing. It’s times like these that honest humans can shine. Art is the purest human honesty – a window to the soul and the only answer in the world that seeks transparency, openness and empathy. Again, history is on your side. The blues was a response to slavery and dire oppression. The Vietnam War did wonders for rock ‘n’ roll. Renaissance always meets turbulence, and this generation feels like it’s flying a 747 through the billowing plumes of Mount Etna. Sure, politically we’ve dealt with harder times in the past, but that shouldn’t diminish how we view the threats before us. Who’s a snowflake? Why is it that the left get called ‘snowflakes’ in the same week that Sean Spicer accuses US comedy show Saturday Night Live of being ‘mean’ to Trump over Alec Baldwin’s frighteningly brilliant impression of the autocratic apricot? Because they’re all running scared. This is an exercise in sparring and they threw the first punches when they decided to become leaders of the free world on a platform of division. As did everyone that signed off on that rhetoric. Everybody that went to that polling booth with the bigotry, the misogyny and the xenophobia
laid clear on the table and said “That’s OK with me”. Frankly, I’m done being polite about it all. Stupidity is one thing; it’s wilful ignorance that I will not stand. And seems like quite a few would agree. So go ahead and march. And, while you’re at it, remember to continue holding to account. Continue to occupy the headlines, but keep in mind that things happen while heads are turned. Listen to all sources; scrutinise every one, every agenda behind a news story and every clickbait need behind those Facebook memes that suddenly speak your language. Believe me, those things aren’t there to be political. They speak to the masses for different reasons. Everything that happens now is an exercise in distraction. Trump attacks the ‘mainstream media’ (another lazy term) to distract you from real investigative journalism that can hold his rhetoric to account. It allows his word to be unaccountable; it validates that irate tweet at 3am as an assumed truth. The tweet that manages to boil down complex geopolitical problems to a conclusion of ‘sad’ or ‘bad’. While everybody slept, for example, Trump proposed a bill to scrap the Environmental Protection Agency. He’s proposed the ‘right to work’ bill, which effectively weakens the unions and will likely lead, some say, to greater unemployment and lower wages (so much for standing up for the Rust Belt). He’s proposed to defund Planned Parenthood, preventing any federal funds going to Planned Parenthood unless it can be absolutely proven that these funds are not providing abortions. By the way, this is already illegal. Why the need for the change? That’s misogyny, guys. It’s taking away a woman’s right to choose and making a big deal out of it. Or, there’s the punitive bill against so-called ‘sanctuary cities’, such as New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, openly defiant against deportation policies on immigrants or the travel ban. Cutting their funding is just appeasing the xenophobic. Why else would you need the punishment? There are others; as I say, do your homework. Distraction is destructive these days, so make sure you’re making sure that destruction happens on the right side. @brightywriting www.weartstudio.co.uk
But you know what all that means? It means the resistance is working. If he’s having to rush through bills that continue to divide and create rifts, then that means he’s scared. Because the only way people like that can win is by dividing us. Marching works. Creativity works. Journalism works. Scrutinise and then support and uphold these things. They are your voice, and we need as many vocal cords in our collective throat right now as we can. Keep your eyes open on all sides – be wary of distraction because it is in the shadow of chaos that malice will hide – but be not deterred in your resolution. Libtard or otherwise, if you feel it is right to stand in solidarity with a fellow human, then do so. We stand against all forms of division. And in that we’ve never been so united.
JOHN-PAUL PRYOR
Top- Nico Didonna Jeans- London Denim
Interview: Charlie Noble Photography: Christopher Sims Grooming: Julia Wilson
John-Paul Pryor is thin, soft-spoken and feline, making his plosive discourse somewhat disconcerting. A polymath, he has had a multi-faceted career to date. Having trained as an actor, he then rerouted into editorial work for several prestigious magazines, wrote Spectacles, a novel artist Marnie Weber described as ‘the most disturbing work I have ever read’, and fronts ‘alt-country’ blues band, The Sirens of Titan. He spends much of his time travelling, and his multi-hatted approach to work offers him rare insight into the ever changing global political and artistic landscapes. Between flying back from a job in LA, and starting work on a new film with poet Greta Bellamacina, we sat down with him to discuss both his expansive career and the current political situation. What is your response to the triggering of Article 50? What’s happened with Brexit is fucking crazyhow have we let a public opinion poll based on pretty shaky, no, a complete lack of evidence, lead the country? If we really cared about referendums, we’d still have hangings in this country, because the general populous wanted to keep hanging. The notion of democracy doesn’t mean the rule of the mob. It’s never meant that, because people aren’t that well informed. The notion of democracy is that we elect a group of people with a decent moral compass, who are well informed, who will make the best decisions for their constituents. I’m no economist, so I followed the news and even in that paradigm, not once did I see the economic fallout of such a decision outlined by anybody. You also work a lot in the States. Has it been interesting watching the rise of Trump from both sides of the pond? It has been interesting seeing Brexit from the States, and seeing the response to Trump in the UK. Both tie into this darker energy that seems to be prowling around at the moment. It will be interesting to see what it leads to. If you tune into it all, Trump, Russia, Brexit, and all these many elements that just seem completely insane, then you’re going to think that the world is teetering on the brink of terror. But what’s more scary is
that it’s becoming normalised. People are sick of seeing Trump’s face, sick of seeing Farage, there’s this despondency, and it’s easy to have a crack at those people, who don’t vote, but they really just want to get on with their lives. It’s only when it comes directly into your life and affects it, that you go ‘I probably should give a shit’. There are themes of violence throughout your work, particularly in your novel Spectacles. Do you think violence is an innate quality of human beings and, if so, is the ‘darker energy’ you describe in politics at the moment reflective of that? I think there’s a sense of violence and rage in the male psyche that seems to be innate. I don’t think we all go out enacting, but most of us can imagine it, which is worrying to a lot of individuals. We’ve definitely seen the rise of this protectionist, right-wing, male energy, but I think that it’s just a last kicking and screaming against the fact that we are probably moving into an era of globalisation, a more automated age where the only way forward is the redistribution of wealth, so we’re seeing this wave of greed and the power of the one percent, which is railing against that. When I wrote Spectacles, I felt that that really needed to be explored, as the desensitisation to violence at the time was just salacious. So what do you do? I think this notion of resistance if important. Our album cover is a girl brandishing an AK47, which was meant as a feminist riposte to this whole situation. The solution really is down to the genuine emancipation of women.
Each x Other x Jefferson Hack: If You Can’t Afford It Steal It
‘What’s happening in America seems to overshadow Brexit, but I think Brexit tipped the first domino.’
If I think of my youth, I spent a lot of it in female company, so there’s definitely that aspect to me, but I can also be stupid, aggressive and malethough I haven’t been for a long time. There are definitely parallels with what you said there and the novel too, as the perspective flips between masculine and feminine. I feel somewhat vindicated in that, as the person who read it at the launch was Rebecca Lenkieweicz, a feminist playwright. If, as you put it, the ‘notion of resistance’ is important, how have your editorial roles played into that? Does print media have a political responsibility? Print media that I’ve worked in has been political in intent, without being overtly political. You’re commenting on culture and cultural activation, and by giving certain cultural activations a platform, or pushing certain social agendas, you’re pushing forward the growth of the collective consciousness. You are being open instead of closed. I did this magazine through Saatchi, for Topman, which was obviously such a high street fashion thing, but we were able to subvert that by getting the Chapman brothers to do an interview. We were able to push these cultural markers out to a generation who weren’t necessarily looking for that kind of media, so we were helping them discover it. Speaking of the Chapmans, who have often made political statements with their work, do you think that there will be an artistic response to the things we have been discussing? There are whispers of artistic revolution in the air. I think that art has always been a response to whatever is going on in society. Tumultuous chaos is always going to have interesting spin-offs. But I don’t think you need tempestuous environments to have interesting art. If you look at art historically, you can pick any year between now and a few hundred years BC, and every year you will see something interesting being made somewhere- the cultural outpouring of a group,
or of an individual. Whatever our journey as a species, it is always going to be combative, we are always pushing, trying to get to level ground, so art is always made along that journey. There is a lot of art made by people who live very comfortable existences, as well as by those who are struggling. But there is another side to art. For many, art isn’t about revolution, it’s an asset; It’s about investment, about locking it away until it accrues value. The tough thing for artists is that, in order to make money, they have to be part of the ultimate capitalist system. Do you think the same is true of music? Yes. Look at Hip Hop. Hip Hop started as a movement of people who were disenfranchised by the mainstream. Now what we hear is the mainstream. It is so different from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five or Niggaz with Attitude. How did Hip Hop get so appropriated by the mainstream, when the people it matters to are the people being victimised by the mainstream, the Black Lives Matter movement? It is an interesting petri dish of identity that is subsumed by the mainstream and then spat back out in a saccharine parody of it. So you don’t think that this art and this music represent the authentic voices of the people?
Each x Other x Flaunt Magazine: Oh La La Land
This dichotomy between male and female is prevalent throughout your work. The allusions in your lyrics include the tragic female voices of Plath and Mary Magdalene, and the more aggressive, male Vonnegut, de Sade and Huxley. Is this duality reflective of you as a person, or your vision of the world?
I think we’re living right in the zenith of inauthentic culture. You’ve got a reality TV president for fuck’s sake, it doesn’t get much more weird than that. How does someone who hasn’t given any of their time to civil duties then run a country? The interesting thing about Trump and the recent focus on fake news is that during Nixon and the Watergate scandal the emphasis was on objective journalism, on fighting to get to the truth, but Trump was voted in with people knowing that he was a heister, that he was a snake oil salesman, that there are several thousand people who sued him for fraud. So, if you’re going to vote someone in already knowing all of these things, then truth goes out the window. Social Media has changed the definition of truth, we’re living in an era of propaganda that’s in the palm of your hand and, not only is it available faster than we could ever have imagined, it’s personalised and can feed off of your emotional impulses because it’s based upon information bias. It’s a weird mix of 1984 and Brave New World- other people have said that and it’s definitely true. Do you think the future is as bleak as those books suggested? Do you think we’ll make it? Do I think we’ll make it? Yeah. I think even if it goes really tits up, which I pray to God it doesn’t, there’ll be people crawling out of the rubble ready to repopulate whatever is left. Hopefully there’ll be no insane escalation of nuclear conflict. You never want to live through an iteration of The Road, (laughing) it would be rubbish. But we must remember that we’re not there yet. I’m not one of those people who think we live under the cosh of the right, because we don’t really. I live a very lucky, fortunate life in a free society and there are some wankers in government, but I don’t think we’ll get to that place. And I’d like now to do something to serve those less fortunate. I’d like to do it in a real and physical way because it’s the necessary thing to do right now.
Jacket - Matthew Miller T Shirt - Anders Andersen Jeans - DIESEL
www.thesirensoftitanband.com www.rokonto.com www.christophersims.com www.juliawilsonmakeup.com
55pages
Opposite Page Knit Dress- Helen Lawrence @ Young British Designers Trousers- Scotch & Soda Shoes- Havva @ Young British Designers
Jacket- Preen Line Skinny JeansJoe’s Jeans Shoes- Teatum Jones
RED REVOLUTION Photographer- Holly McGlynn Stylist- Daniela Suarez
Hair-Makeup- Lauren Alice Model- Olga Motovylets @ First Model Management Photography assistant- Conor Clarke Styling assistant- Jamila Asunction
55pages
55pages
Jacket- Jiri Kalfar. Trousers- Jiri Kalfar. Bra- Stylist’s own. Shoes- Teatum Jones. Earrings- RDLux @ Young British Designers
Coat- Scottacus Anthon Shirt- Joe’s Jeans Earrings- RDLux @ Young British Designers
55pages
Red Dress- JH Zane
55pages
Top- Scottacus Anthony Sheer Trousers- Faustine Steinmetz @ Young British Designers Leopard Knickers- Scottacus Anthony Shoes- Rue St
55pages
55pages
Coat- Scottacus Anthony Trousers- Preen Line Earrings- RDLux @ Young British Designers Shoes- Havva @ Young British Designers
55pages
Red Velvet Jacket- Stine Goya Leopard Bralette & Knickers- Scottacus Anthony
Article: Sara Darling
LIFE’S AMAZING I’M DEPRESSED
What does being happy mean to you? Is it having 75K Instagram followers and the filtered lifestyle that comes with it? Does it mean possessing the most up-to-date designer garb? Or could it be the craving of your adventure (whichever form that might take). Throughout the ages, mankind has indulged in all manner of pursuits with the basic instinct of finding happiness which is often attached to objects; and research shows that this ‘happiness’ is only ever experienced in short bursts, which are automatically followed by longer spells of stress and anguish. Without question, this existence is life as we know it. But can this conditioned narrative be altered, and become a state of mind that makes you feel good, and accept the now? Everything has its polar-opposite; the opposite of happiness, being sadness or disillusionment, so why do we crave this ‘happy high’ so desperately, when we know there will be a crash? Guilt is the automatic expectation when we verge on happiness. Our lives are naturally pretty static, and our normal state, routine. It is easier for us to survive in this flat, unemotional phase without blips or bumps to the mundane. But, when the feel good emotion kicks in, there is a sense of not feeling worthy, which overpowers the happiness. Ideally, should all live in the moment, but in reality, there is a subconscious fear about the unknown comedown that will inevitably follow. Life is rattling at breakneck speed, and it is tough to pinpoint what makes a generation happy in the 21st century. With so many external forces influencing our lives, we are losing track of what is real and what is fake. We communicate via 4inch square phone screens. This is what we use to portray our glossy lifestyle of heroics, holidays and revelry. The blurred lines of social media approval are taking over the pleasure of seeing someone laugh. Ludicrously high numbers of followers and likes are deemed to be what makes you successful. But with people buying likes and followers, is it any surprise we are living in a depressed vortex? Being popular is coming at a cost. No longer is craving the adoration of stardom on reality TV shows the optimum goal for some- now anyone can be famous with the introduction of the superstar blogger or vlogger. By all accounts your followers count. With this kind of competition, it is easy to judge yourself unfairly and slip into a self-depreciating spiral where the anti-happy kicks in. What’s the matter with me? Why don’t I have anything interesting to say or show? I’m unpopular, my life sucks. This becomes the reality of a vacuous existence that has no real content, and a constant craving for happiness, when we should all be searching more for value to our lives. I’m not suggesting that we should all be giggling extroverts, going about our everyday lives talking to strangers and laughing hysterically on the bus! But there are ways to help ourselves, and not judging ourselves by others perceived euphoria is the first step. Getting rid of life’s stereotypical expectations and embracing your uniqueness will attract positive vibes, and positive people. Associating with other cultures can really give you a perspective of contentment- and practicing compassion on a daily basis, can break the stream of self-indulgent, negative thoughts. Joy can manifest itself in many forms. If you enjoy a challenge, take up a new hobby or project. This doesn’t have to be expensive and is a great way of getting out of your normal mundane routine and meet new people. Alternatively, grab some quiet time to sit and chill; Or think about how much a pet could enhance your life, or just borrow one for a cuddle now and again. Pick up a pen and write- get those thoughts insecurities of life out of your head, no one needs to read themunless you have always considered yourself as a writer, in which case find a creative writing course. Getting active and sweaty (endorphins are fabulous creatures) will relinquish stress and give you some distance between thoughts and feelings. Bond with friends and make some new ones in real (not virtual) time! Be random, push yourself to do something unexpected, and connect with those less fortunate where you can. Being selfless is an increasable gift that ultimately comes back to you. Social media is a phase, and won’t last forever- so if you can get your head around the fact it is not a competition, that’s a start! Just be happy with the little things in life- smiles attract smiles after all- and who wants to look at a moody Instagram account full of pouts? www.diaryofafashiondarling.comW