V iolet stories/ ideas/ activism/ culture/ style
The fight against fast fashion/ golden hour/ boob shaped pots/ recycled toilet roll/ ethical eating Issue 3. ÂŁ4
what’s inside
Welcome to Violet What’s Inside 3 What we love
Hello..
4-5 What’s happening 6-7 The expensive cost of cheap fashion
8-9 Golden Hour 10-11Book Club Who’s who at Violet magazine
Get in touch, talk to us
Editor: Alice Bird Founder: Alice Bird Content: Alice Bird Design: Alice Bird With content from: Sarah via Goodreads (Violet Book Club) Illustration: Zoe Bell
Email: info@violetmag.com Press email: press@violetmag.com Subscriptions: sub@violetmag.com Contributions: join@violetmag.com Book Club: bookclub@violetmag.com Social Media: @Violetmag
With special thanks to Olivia O’Brien & Tara Perry
Welcome to issue 3 of Violet magazine.Violet is an independent magazine with a desire to make a difference. Every issue we talk about important things, celebrate amazing people as well as showcasing talented artists and writers work. Here at Violet we want to start a conversation about important topics and educate our readers in the most relaxing way possible. That’s why the theme for issue 3 of the magazine is sustainability. In the issue we show you enviromentally friendly toilet roll, zero waste shops as well as discussing the enviromental impact of the fashion industry. We hope you love the magazine as much as us.
Alice x editor and founder
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cool stuff
What we love
A handpicked selection of some of the coolest, most interesting things in our baskets and on our minds this month. words Alice Bird
Zoe Bell Textiles Zoe is the artist behind our beautiful illustration on page 6. She hand paints botanical designs inspired by the English countryside to be printed onto textiles. Zoe also does cards and illustration commissions! 16zoebell.wixsite.com
Lemons
This may seem like a weird one but bare with us! Lemons are not just great for putting in your drinks. Here are five things you can do with a classic lemon. w
1 Rub half a lemon around your windows or shower to remove dirt- works a treat and smells delicious!
2 Soak a sponge in lemon juice
then leave in the fridge to absorb bad smells.
3 Mix lemon juice and cream Potyertitsawayluv These handmade pots are a perfect gift for a loved one or to treat yourself to. Celebrating all things boobs, Emma hand makes every pot and accepts commissions so you can personalise yours. To ensure everybody is celebrated Emma also does pots with piercings and mastectomy pots.
Who gives a crap
Who gives a crap is a toilet paper company that makes a difference. They make all the paper from enviromentally friendly materials and dontate 50 per cent of all their profits to help build toilets for those in need. So far the company has donated over ÂŁ1million to charity and saved a crap load of trees! (bad pun intended) Uk.whogivesacrap.org
of tartar to remove permanent marker stains.
4 Add lemon juice to body scrubs and creams for silky smooth legs.
5 Massage two tablespoons of
lemon juice into your hair then wash out to remove dandruff.
Anti black Friday We know it’s hard to resist a bargain, especially when they are being advertised everywhere. Brands like COW Vintage are making it easier for you by boycotting Black Friday in an attempt to tackle the enviromental impact of fast fashion. Instead of selling items for cheaper, COW will donate all of their online profits made this Friday to Greenpeace. Read more about fast fashion on page 6.
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news
What’s happening A lot of the time most of the things you see on the news are bad or upsetting. Here at Violet we want to spread some positivity while also keeping our readers up to date. Here are six stories to show good things going on in the world. words Alice Bird
The UK needs vegan chefs
The demand for vegan chefs in the UK is rising as new figures show one in eight Brits consider themselves to be vegan or vegetarian. Vegan Chef, Day Radley, who made the tasty food in our image, has founded The Vegan Chef Institute which offers fast track courses to train up chefs in the art of plant-based cousine. The Institute opened in November.Violet did some research of our own and found 95 per cent of 129 people know more vegans and vegetarians than they did five years ago, with 24 per cent of 131 people considering themselves a vegetarian. For more information www.Veganchefday.com
Saturday By Megan Ellaby
Manchester blogger Megan Ellaby has launched her very first clothing collection. Named Saturday By Megan Ellaby, the first collection sees five capsule peices of knitwear. The knits are made from 100 per cent Italian Marino Wool and are designed to last you a lifetime. Megan named the collection Saturday after her favourite day of the week and also the day she was born on.You will have to be quick to grab one of these knits, with a dedicated fashion loving fanbase, Megan’s designs are selling fast! Prices range from £70 - £75. To shop the collection visit Saturdaybymeganellaby.com
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Speed mating is back
Flourish Foods
Girl gang Manchester’s ever popular speed mating is back this December more more mating! Forget speed dating, ‘mating’ is the future. Speed mating is the perfect way to enjoy a night with friends while also making new friends. If you’re new to the area or just fancy a laugh then Speed Mating is a great event to attend. Girl Gang Manchester prides itself on being inclusive and welcoming so everybody is welcome to the event. Speed Mating will be in town on the 6th December at Plant Noma from 6:30 until 9:30 and tickets are only £3! For more information find Girl Gang Manchester on Facebook
Flourish Foods is aiming to be Manchesters first zero waste shop. The shop runs pop-up events around the city selling its zero waste goods in cafes, shops, and kiosks. The enviromentally friendly shop sells items such as plastic free toilet roll, bulk foods like pasta without the wasteful packaging, and reusable nappies! You can order the food and hygeine items online too. Flourish is run by by Nikki, who’s been zero waste for 17 years! Keep an eye out as the shop is set to move into a permanent space in the new year. For more information visit flourishmcr.co.uk
Covergirl is cruelty free
The Dachshund cafe is back in Liverpool this December for the biggest paw-ty Yard and Coop has ever seen. The event welcomes sausage dogs, Frenches, and Pugs to Liverpool where there will be tasty treats, festive fun, and a paw-parazzi. Dogs can meet with furry friends while owners can bond over cocktails and cake. The cafe will be in town on Sunday December 16th from 9am until 4:20pm. If you want to pop along and bring your dog with you it is essential to book in a slot via Facebook to make sure there’s enough room for all. For more information find the Dachshund Cafe on Facebook
Covergirl cosmetics has taken the leap and announced that all of their products are now cruelty free. The brand is now leaping bunny verified by Cruelty Free International, meaning all items are cruelty free in every country they are sold in. Covergirl announced it converted to cruelty free in November saying they don’t believe you should have to choose between the beauty products you love and the values you believe in. Covergirl is the biggest makeup brand to achieve leaping bunny certification. For more information visit covergirl.com
Dachshund Cafe
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The expensive cost of cheap fashion As the Christmas period appraoches it is easy to be drawn into the flash sales and cheap clothes. Consider the impact this is having on the enviroment before you spend your money this year. words Alice Bird illustration Zoe Bell
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s a child you were probably told “I want never gets”, but this principle does not translate into our consumerist society. Everywhere you look there are advertisements for clothes. The ease of acquiring new garments for unprecedentedly cheap prices means that in 2018 I want (normally) always gets. Undoubtedly, the speed at which new fashion is released alongside the low prices is great for our wallets, but where humans are benefitting from fast fashion, the environment is suffering and the consequences are devastating. Fast Fashion is the term used to explain how quickly designs move from catwalk to the highstreet. Once upon a time fashion brands released clothes seasonally four times a year. Now fashion has 52 “micro seasons” with new clothing being released on an almost daily basis. In order for fashion to work this quickly, environmental corners have to be cut. Fun, exciting coloured fabrics are among one of the things that attracts consumers to clothes. Figures from the University Institute of Fashion Technology suggest that textile dyeing, used to create garments, is the second biggest polluter of water globally, beaten out only by agriculture. Patsy Perry, the senior lecturer in Fashion Marketing at The University of Manchester explained the process. She said: “The water used to dye clothes is full of toxic chemicals, it’s not cleaned or filtered and it’s just outputted into the local rivers.”
The dire effects of this pollution were highlighted in the documentary “The True Cost”, which explained how in Kanpur, India, 50 million litres of toxic waste water flows into local farming and even drinking water every day. This chemical ridden water is catastrophic not only for the local environment, but for human health, with the area experiencing rising rates of diseases like jaundice and children born with birth defects. The future of fashion and the environment is not completely bleak, with 80 companies so far signing up to Greenpeace’s “Detox My Fashion” campaign. Set up in 2011, the campaign aims to rally support and tackle the issue of manufacturers using toxic chemicals and polluting waterways. Retail giants such as Nike and Puma are among those who have accepted the challenge and promised to eradicate the use of harmful chemicals on their garments. In order to keep up with demand, most of the cotton now used to create clothes is genetically modified. This unnatural cotton is not sustainable, but that’s not the only issue. Patsy explained: “The non-organic cotton is grown with pesticides, often farmers are stuck in a cycle buying pesticides from big companies, but then the pests evolve and get used to them, so the pesticides have to get stronger and the farmers have to spend more money on them.” Womenswear retailer Monki recently announced its plan to now only use sustainably
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sourced cotton to create their clothes. Despite these changes being encouraging, Patsy said that the amount of organic cotton used is “very tiny” in proportion to genetically modified cotton. With manufacturers churning out clothes at a colossal rate, it’s no surprise that the textile waste produced by fast fashion is immeasurable. The world is drowning in clothes, with approximately 80 billion new garments produced every year. An estimated £140 million worth of this clothing ends up in landfill where it sits for hundreds of years. Sometimes the clothes don’t break down, or if they do popular fabrics like polyester break down into tiny micro plastics, which are not biodegradable, and often find their way into the sea to be inhaled and eaten by sea creatures. This seems shocking considering to create just one T-shirt it takes approximately 2,700 litres of
clothes out there, we just need to redistribute them.” Both Patsy and Daisy agree that while there is no easy fix with regards to the damage already done by fast fashion, if we all began to shop more in our own wardrobe then the demand for new clothing would slow down. Daisy said: “There is a reason you bought the item in the first place, so we need to get people to revive and reconnect with their clothes.” While there’s little evidence to suggest fast fashion is slowing down, there is evidence to show consumers and businesses are waking up to the problem. Patsy said: “People are seeing the impact their clothes have and are saying hang on I didn’t sign up for this.” Every year the Copenhagen Fashion Summit is held, to demonstrate to retailer’s ways in which they can be more sustainable. Alongside
£140 million worth of clothing ends up in landfill every year water, which is enough for one person to drink for two and a half years! Patsy said: “Sometimes the clothes we buy are not even worn, or are worn once or twice, it just seems incredibly wasteful “People don’t really love the clothes they buy so they are just worthless and disposable.” The vast amount of textile waste is not something going unnoticed, and now a lot more people are stepping in to try and moderate the issue. Personal stylist Daisy Schubert created the Walk in Wardrobe event nearly four years ago after realising how many clothes she owned that remained unworn. She said: “I had an emotional connection to all my clothes, but some I never wore or they didn’t fit me, I wanted to see others love them as much as I did.” The event, which goes ahead twice a year, sees people bring in their old clothes, and browse the rails of other unworn clothes. Customers have to try on every piece of clothing they like and if it fits them first time then they can purchase it. Daisy explained how: “There are enough
this, the need for change is introducing more innovation with new textiles being introduced such as Piñatex, a natural leather alternative made from pineapple leaves. Popular brands are also beginning to make the switch, with Patagonia now only making their clothes from recycled materials, hemp, or organic cotton. In order to really make a difference, Daisy believes a conversation about fast fashion needs to be started, she said: “It’s ironic that the word sustainable isn’t that sustainable “It’s hard to keep up momentum talking about something like this, but we need to talk about it to make a change.” With so much information highlighting the destructive impacts fashion has on the planet, perhaps next time you go out shopping you will feel differently about the clothes you buy. Patsy believes: “Less is always more. Buy things you absolutely love and don’t be afraid to wear them over and over again.” For more information on the Detox My Fashion campaign visit Greenpeace.org.uk “The True Cost” is available to watch on Netflix
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photography
Golden Hour
Model Olivia O’Brien Photography Alice Bird & Tara Perry Clothes Photographer’s own Shot in Manchester
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The Golden Hour, shortly before sunset, juxtaposes the harshness of winter with the bright, soft light. The Golden Hour proves that even on the darkest of days there is still so much beauty in the world and light will shine on.
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book club
Violet book club This month we’ve been reading ‘Normal people’ by Violet favourite Sally Rooney.
Words Alice Bird Images Alice Bird
U
pon reading the blurb of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, you would be forgiven for assuming the book is nothing more than a cliché romance novel.You would also be wrong. Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018, Normal People is in fact a twisted and sensual story, told over four years, of two on-again off-again lovers navigating their way into adulthood, on a journey of self-discovery, torment, and acceptance. Set in Sligo, Ireland, Connell and Marianna – two awkward and confused teenagers- go to school together. Marianna lives in “The White Mansion” and Connell, from more humble beginnings, lives with his mother who is Marianna’s cleaner. The teenagers often find themselves in each other’s company when Connell picks his mother up from work. From the outset, it’s clear that the pair are intrigued by one another, they don’t understand each other, yet the sexual tension between them is palpable, “he fears being around her, because of
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the confusing way he finds himself behaving, the things he says that he would never ordinarily say”. Readers don’t have to wait long until the two act on their impulses, which sees them hesitantly enter a passionate and strictly private relationship. The latter because Marianna is not popular at school. Considered by her peers as “different” her status is the polar opposite of Connell’s who, although naturally shy and aloof, has a charm that oozes onto the pages. As the two begin to see each other on evenings, sharing intimate conversations and tender moments, they attend school and act like strangers. Connell’s inability to admit his feelings for Marianna, because of his fear of being mocked, and her willingness to go along with his casual cruelty at times made me wince. Even with Marianna’s hard demeanour, it’s impossible to not sympathise with her lack of self-worth as Connell ignores her in any setting other than his bedroom. When the teenagers are both accepted into Trinity College Dublin, their relationship intensifies and becomes more exhilarating. At times being so turbulent that it’s hard to distinguish whether Normal People is a story of love or lust, but whatever it is, there are moments where Connell and Marianna’s inability to stay away from each other is so intense I felt like I was living it with them. As the two grow older, the themes become more emotionally demanding, delving
into depression and eating disorders. Rooney’s clarity of language paired with her clever social commentary means the complex themes do not hinder the readability of the novel, they in fact just make it more addictive. At college Marianna flourishes, partying and socialising. Connell on the other hand struggles, with Rooney heavily (and bravely) implying that his social class is what sets him apart from his peers. Reading how Marianna’s friends take pity on Connell and criticise him due to his underprivileged background, with phrases like “I doubt he even owns a suit” is equally as uncomfortable to read as it is enlightening. The novel constantly subverts the idea of what is “normal”. We assume Marianna’s privileged life is normal, with Connell, the product of a teenage pregnancy, having a less conventional life. But as the story unfolds we discover Marianna has grown up with an abusive brother and a maternal disliking from her mother. These revelations allow Connell, and the reader, to understand Marianna more, and realise that her frosty exterior is a by-product of the love her family failed to give her. Such revelations offer a deep insight into the personal turmoil found beneath social performances and allow the reader to consider if anybody is really “normal”. Normal People is a book about love, but also about pain. It highlights the heaviness of life, but also shows us the lighter sides and how “life offers up these moments of joy despite everything”. Rooney’s writing is witty, eloquent, and so heartbreakingly addictive that when the novel finished I was truly sorry to see the characters go. Normal People by Sally Rooney is available from all good retailers now.
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Reader review If you read the book email us your review for the chance to be featured in the magazine: bookclub@violetmag.com
Maddie
I will officially read (and likely love) everything Rooney writes. I prefer her debut to this one but the consistency in her writing and the themes she explores make her and her works a landmark to understanding our current generation -- which can be misinterpreted as very many things (according to the media,
most of them not good) but, mostly I think what makes me and many other people in my generation connect with Rooney is the subtlety of her writing and the nuances of dread and bleakness she puts into everyday situations, in particular human relations. “For weeks now she has had this feeling, the feeling of moving around inside a protective film, floating like mercury. The outside wold touches against her outside skin, but not the other part of herself, inside.” Words Maddie C via Goodreads.
What you thought @Becciesimms
@Jess watts
@Oliviaobrien
“Loved it. Laughed, cried, this book really got to me #Violetbookclub”
“#Violetbookclub This book restored my faith in true love and soulmates”
“#Violetbookclub I can’t believe how angry but happy this book made me”
@Katie Atkinson
@Beccamcgrath
@Shaunabrownx
“#Violetbookclub Normal people my book of the year. Loved it”
“Read it in one night. Addictive! #Violetbookclub”
“#Violetbookclub Normal people is real and raw. I really liked it”
For our next #Violetbookclub, we will be discussing Killing Commendature by Marakami In Killing Commendatore, a thirty-something portrait painter in Tokyo is abandoned by his wife and finds himself holed up in the mountain home of a famous artist,Tomohiko Amada.When he discovers a strange painting in the attic, he unintentionally opens a circle of mysterious circumstances.To close it, he must complete a journey that involves a mysterious ringing bell, a two-foot-high physical manifestation of an Idea, a dapper businessman who lives across the valley, a precocious thirteen-year-old girl, a Nazi assassination attempt during World War II in Vienna, a pit in the woods behind the artist’s home, and an underworld haunted by Double Metaphors.
Get involved, read along with us Joining our book club is really easy! Simply get hold of the book - from a library, book store, a friend, or on your kindle - and give it a read. Once you’ve read the book just share your opinions on social media at #Violetbookclub. We will share your thoughts via social media and in the magazine and hopefully other members of the club will respond and start a discussion with you. Every once in a while we hold a #Violetbookclub meeting based in Manchester where we discuss the book over wine and snacks. Keep an eye out on social media and the hashtag to get involved in the next meet up. For more information you can email bookclub@ violetmag.com Happy reading
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