FEMMEHOOD Magazine by Amy Elliott

femmehood

To empower. To inspire.

“We are the first generation of women who don’t need anything from anyone”

FEMMEHOOD

- Stacy London

FEMMEHOOD

nuala convery

FEMMEHOOD magazine aims to inspire, empower and invigorate the young millennial woman. FEMMEHOOD discusses the social and political issues that touch the females of today, to ignite discourse and plant the seeds of change in the minds of progressive and thoughtful individuals. We profile inspiring and empowered girl boss females who are embracing success in their respective creative spheres through independence, strong mindedness and sheer talent. We provide a platform to both inspire the future creative minds of today, and to celebrate the current creative talent the young British female population has to offer. This is is a celebration of what it is to be female, to be independent, and to have a strong, unapologetic opinion; this is FEMMEHOOD.

FEMMEHOOD

from the editor

FEMMEHOOD

the modern

Petra Collins “My main thing is to create images that aren’t being seen,” said photographer Petra Collins, discussing her decision to depict female body hair and menstruation in her images. As part of Style Like U’s ‘What’s Underneath’ series, she discussed how she came to the decision to stop shaving her body hair and her struggles growing up with her own self-confidence and experiences of gender inequality. As an artist, and feminist frustrated with the overwhelming onslaught of sexualised images of females out there, she is driven to photograph from the female gaze - showing the beautiful reality of women’s bodies in place of the sexualised, false images we are so accustomed to seeing. Her attitude is very sorry-not-sorry when it comes to the images she produces - we’re just sorry she wasn’t around sooner to help further the feminist conversation. 06

Tavi Gevinson

http://www.rookiemag.com/

FEMMEHOOD

Founded in 2011, her online magazine Rookie ushered in a new era of female focused sites with a difference, ones that were smart and encouraging of girls thinking differently; and instead of following the media status quo, celebrated young girls being themselves. It had a knock-on effect, five years on we are saturated by Instagram collectives and handstapled zines that challenge what it means to be young and female. Tavi comments, “I’m thrilled that more and more people feel confident to self-publish and find their community! Rookie can’t be everything for everyone, but if it encourages someone to start something new, that’s what I wanted all along.”

lina esco A passionate anarchist, founder of the Free the Nipple movement, Lina Esco, has never been one to bow down to authority. Running away from her strict Catholic home for Europe at the tender age of 15, before becoming involved with The Cove, the 2009 documentary about dolphin hunting in Japan; Lina found a passion for defying social, and political, boundaries. During adolescence, her attention soon turned to gender inequality as she experienced its sting first hand, as every woman undoubtably does. This set the wheels in motion for Free the Nipple.

FEMMEHOOD

Free the Nipple is a movement founded on the fierce opposition to the legal and social inequality of men and women, finding its ground in targeting the criminalisation of women’s nipples in America. Currently illegal in 35 states, a woman can be arrested for going topless, regardless of circumstance or weather temperature, the exposure of nipples even in carrying out their purpose, their most natural use breastfeeding - is punishable by law.

contradictions in our media-dominated society, where acts of violence and killing are glorified, while images of a woman’s body are censored by the FCC and the MPAA.

Unsurprisingly incensed, Lina set out to make a film to launch a movement. Free the Nipple follows a group of young women who take to the streets of New York City topless, to protest the archaic censorship laws in the United States. Activist Liv and With set out to start a movement and change the system through publicity stunts and graffiti installations while armed with First Amendment lawyers. The film explores the

What was originally intended to be just a film has now spawned into a fully fledged social media movement. The process was set in motion when Lina contacted friend Miley Cyrus, who tweeted the now commonplace #FreeTheNipple, and it went viral. The movement has since been endorsed by many highprofile figures including Cara Delevingne and Lena Dunham, and inspired many protests. The subsequent social media explosion actually superseded the film in galvanising women, with Instagram alone boasting over 3 million #FreeTheNipple hits. But Lina isn’t about to stop at winning over the Internet; she wants to conquer the final, and most important, hurdle by taking the battle to Congress. “All of this has been leading up to one thing,” she says, excitedly, “and that’s going to be to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in America. Not many people know this, but America doesn’t have it in its constitution that men and women are equal. I’ve already aligned myself with some very powerful women in DC, I’m shooting a docu-series about it, and I’ve teamed up with change.org to create a petition. It will solve everything from breastfeeding in public to making sure you get paid as much as your male co-workers.” 08

Adwoa Adboah The 24-year-old model and actress has struggled through the darkest and toughest days of her life in the past two years, battling depression and addiction - an almost lethal combination which climaxed at the end of 2014, with a suicide attempt. It is her personal turmoil and experience from which her unique point of view is born, alongside her determination to create a safe space for girls to voice their issues. Out of her battle comes triumph in the form of ‘Gurls Talk’. “Gurls Talk is for every girl who’s growing up and needs someone to talk to,” states Adwoa. It is a movement that strives to create a platform where girls can openly share their experiences and feelings in a safe and trusting environment.

FEMMEHOOD

After only beginning in 2016, the success of GT has snowballed - their Instagram page has upwards of 62 thousand followers and continues to rise as the word spreads, and the movement has just held its first gathering of supporters. Hosting performances from Lykke Li, the event of late 2016 heard speeches from both Adwoa herself and others to an intimate but rapt audience. Images and footage from the event were shared with followers on the Gurls Talk site. Despite gaining increasingly open support recently, the topic of mental health is still somewhat a taboo subject, and one that requires just as much attention as physical health, which it seldom receives. “I had no idea what depression was, I had only seen it in films. I had no idea what addiction was - I thought it was someone lying in the street with a needle in their arm - but there are so many definitions of both,” Adwoa explains. In terms of statistics, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders in comparison to men, meaning support for females is imperative. After attending a support meeting compromised solely of female addicts, Adwoa herself reaped the benefits of honest female-to-female conversation. “All these women were sharing the most intimate details of their lives…From their relationships with their husbands, to their exhaustion with their children, their sex lives… All the things one might feel too ashamed to talk about in front of men, or even in front of each other. But there was no competition, no judgment, no shame,” she said. “I suddenly realised that I wasn’t on my own,” she reveals, “it made me think how beneficial it would be to just get girls talking.”

She believes she will achieve her goal through utilising relatable and inspiring female role models. “My goal with Gurls Talk is to give girls the chance to spend time with women they relate to - artists, writers, CEOs women who inspire them and who can introduce them to new worlds and new professions after school,” she stated. “As a society we need to concentrate more on the emotional stuff,” she says. “Why is that not as important as the academic? We must learn to talk, share and be honest about how we are feeling, because it’s only when we share our innermost thoughts and feelings that we regain our power.” TEXT AMY ELLIOTT IMAGE GURLS TALK

FEMMEHOOD

un-

model EMMA DAVIES photos, styling & creative direction AMY ELLIOTT

010

d o n e

influenced by contemporary fashion

FEMMEHOOD

011

An exploration of stripped back femininity

012

FEMMEHOOD

bodysuits MISSGUIDED & ASOS, sleeves H&M FEMMEHOOD

013

014

FEMMEHOOD

bodysuits MISSGUIDED & ASOS, shirt H&M, belt & tee STYLISTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OWN FEMMEHOOD

015

HOW POP CULTURE EMBRACED THE

FEMMEHOOD

F word Saturday, November 5th 2016

‘Feminism’: the buzz word of the last few years

The real turning point was Beyoncé’s performance at the 2014 VMAs, when 8.3 million people tuned in to see their Queen B standing in front of a backdrop of words taken from Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk, We Should All Be Feminists. One hundred foot-high pink letters spelled out the word ‘feminist’ in block capitals as Beyoncé sung ‘Flawless’, and an academic movement was borne into the mainstream. When Adichie gave her talk in London in April 2013, it was heard by a small group of African thinkers and academics. In 2014, the same words were brought to an audience of millions thanks to Beyoncé’s performance and went on to wallpaper Facebook and Twitter profiles across the world. This is one step further than the ‘girl power’ of Destiny’s Child and the Spice Girls; this is saying a little more. It’s not, ‘girls stick together to stand up to men’ this is ‘women stand up and fight for equality’.

which began its reign on the timelines and Twitter headers of pop culture in 2014. A word once synonymous with negative connotations of manhating, the F word has now been granted entry to the hallowed halls of pop culture fame. There has never been a better time for women in pop culture than there is right now, with Theresa May occupying 10 Downing Street and Hillary Clinton days away from potentially becoming the first female US President, girls may just be about to rule the world (shoutout to Beyoncé). But these aren’t the figures young women are idolising or posting pictures of captioned ‘Queen’ onto Instagram. That space is occupied by the Beyoncés, the Rihannas and the Kardashians of the world. Most recently, we have seen Lina Esco’s ‘Free the Nipple’ movement blow up, with support from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Kendall Jenner, Naomi Campbell and even Orange is the New Black star Matt McGorry to the tune of millions of Instagram likes. Topless protests have taken place from LA to Brighton beach as women have dared to bare parts of their bodies which Instagram would like to pretend don’t exist.

Andi Zeisler, author of We Were Feminists Once however prefers to call this ‘marketplace feminism’. The modern self-labeled feminist, Zeisler argues, is binge-watching Orange Is the New Black while courts continue to lock away women who were simply defending themselves against an abuser. Her book club read Girlboss, but she has no idea 016

The modern self-labeled feminist is bingewatching Orange Is the New Black while courts continue to lock away women who were simply defending themselves against an abuser Andi Zeisler in We Were Feminists Once

FEMMEHOOD

that domestic workers are organising for better legal protections in her own state. Whilst many pop culture ‘feminists’ may not fit the bill of a traditional feminist or be out on the streets protesting for justice and equality, they may just be opening a gateway to widespread conversation that leads to something more substantial. If this is the way to plant the seeds of empowered equality in the minds of millions of young women, who are we to complain? “It’s not my revolution if I can’t dance to it” said Emma Goldman; a phrase which rings true literally (music wise) and figuratively - if we weave feminist values into much-loved sources we instil them into the hearts of millions, rather than the select few hardcore supporters who live and breathe activism. Sure, we want all women to stand up and fight for equality, but not every woman is willing or able to do so; perhaps this new breed of watered-down feminism which keeps the access bar quite low is the answer to begin the moulding of young minds. Or as Ann Friedman succinctly puts it, “get people dancing, and it’s possible to pull them into harder, more meaningful activist work.” TEXT AMY ELLIOTT 017

FEMMEHOOD

‘WE WERE FEMINISTS ONCE’ 018

Wednesday, November 9th 2016

Post-election, the previous article appears just to

be the glossy surface of America’s attitudes towards women. A projection of the educated millennials mindset, which rests unsteadily atop a pile of deep-rooted resentment belonging to the majority of the electorate. The US election dug deeper under that surface and revealed the true, ugly nature of the nations thoughts to the tune of Donald Trump smugly accepting his new position as President of the United States. The glass ceiling of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City became the perfectly ironic setting where thousands of dreams of hailing first female President of the United States were shattered on the night of November 8th. Hillary accepted her loss with the same grace and dignity that had defined her 18-month campaign, and delivered a heartbreaking speech to re-inspire her disillusioned supporters. She acknowledged, “we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but some day someone will and hopefully sooner than we might think right now”. The most poignant and re-blogged statement was addressed to, “all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.”

forgotten in polling stations whilst the fact that Clinton was a former Senate and Secretary of State who had stood strong for her country during two wars cast aside? Why were Trumps bigoted, sexist and xenophobic views dismissed because Hillary was ‘an untrustworthy warmonger who couldn’t use email’?

What was it that persuaded America to elect Trump over arguably the most qualified individual ever to run for office? Was it him bragging about grabbing Jill Harth ‘by the pussy’? Was it him announcing women should be punished for exercising their right to free will? Or was it him vowing to ban Muslims from entering America? Why were these events

Human beings are emotional creatures; and in the face of fear they act without rationality or logical thought, caring not for the consequences that will become the harsh slap of reality when their conscious brains eventually kick in. All it takes is a ruthless demagogue to recognise and exploit this fear, and ride its wave to victory; and this is what the electorate found in Donald Trump.

TEXT AMY ELLIOTT 019

FEMMEHOOD

Trump’s campaign found its ground in the quietly resentful thoughts of the individual who watched an immigrant ‘take their job’, and in the locker rooms where talk of grabbing women ‘by the pussy’ was considered nothing more than a joke. Whilst we as a society consider ourselves progressive, and these instances nothing more than anomalies which existed in the realms of the uneducated and underdeveloped, we overlooked the fact that these individuals make up a considerable group of the electorate. A considerable group who panicked at the thought of a woman stepping into their carefully cultivated, all-white male territory, and voted for a racist, xenophobic and misogynistic billionaire who resides in a gold-plated tower as the 45th President of the United States.

020

FEMMEHOOD

021

022

FEMMEHOOD

bodysuit MISSGUIDED, sleeves H&M

023

024

FEMMEHOOD

bodysuit MISSGUIDED, shirt H&M, belt STYLISTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OWN

FEMMEHOOD

025

FEMMEHOOD

THE FUT

FEMA 026

TURE IS

027

FEMMEHOOD

ALE

FEMMEHOOD

REBECCA ELAND The North Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s golden girl

MODEL REBECCA ELAND PHOTO CAMILLA LUCINDA MAKE-UP LAUREN AMY MAKE UP

028

FEATURES / REBECCA ELAND

orn at Christmastime in Harrogate, the young Rebecca Eland grew up doting on golden dreams of occupying Alexandra Shulman’s throne at the helm of Vogue UK. Nowadays, she is carving her path in the world of blogging from Newcastle to London and beyond; building a beautiful platform in the form of luxury beauty blog Golden Whispers. ‘For the women who sleep in silk, and dream in La Mer’, GW is for the woman who romanticises life. She dreams of faraway places, people past and present, and old and new adventures. Rebecca’s aim for GW was to create a space where women could visit, feel connected to the imagery and have unquestionable trust in every product that is recommended. The site is an ode to that feeling you get when you feel at your most fabulous and powerful. FEMMEHOOD caught up with Rebecca for some of her scintillating words of wisdom… What does the term ‘sisterhood’ mean to you? Sisterhood means supporting each other’s choices and ventures, being present for one another through the thick and the thin. Why are women designers so important for fashion? Specifically because they know exactly what women want…. Thank God for Phoebe Philo! In your opinion, what is the advantage of women designing clothing for women? I think only women can understand that she could be wearing a fabulous dinner jacket teamed with frayed jeans and Nike trainers and still feel at her most powerful.

goldenwhispersonline.com @goldenwhispers TEXT AMY ELLIOTT Based on interview with Rebecca Eland Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

029

FEMMEHOOD

Who’s your ultimate favourite empowered woman? I just adore Rosie Huntington-Whitely. She’s got charm, charisma, a voice and she is a business woman aside from being one of the most beautiful humans in existence. I love that she doesn’t let her man define her and he is a powerful man. I also have so much gratitude towards Michelle Obama for her strong and kind voice. For humour I am obsessed with the Foster sisters (Erin and Sarah) who take modern day society and mock the sh*t out of it in the best way possible. My final mention has to go to Selena Gomez- her honesty and vulnerability is so empowering and important for the new generation. Do you think pop culture provides young women with authentic feminist icons? It’s an impossible conversation. I believe it goes against all my understanding of what feminism is to judge another woman on her choices. Feminism does not condemn all women to behave a certain way, I think it allows them to be whoever they want and I would hate to pass judgement on whether anyone in the limelight was unauthentic. All I will say is that we are the ones who choose our own icons and I don’t care who yours are as long as your reason for idolisation is based on more than purely physical appearance. Who would you class as ‘the modern suffragettes’? Oh gosh! Can I say the ‘ordinary’ woman? The women ALL around us that are making choices every minute of every day based on what they want.

“I

Courtney Simon ow

kn n’t do

u’

re from,

”

you

FEMMEHOOD

’re

i go

’t

Tipped as one of Dazed and Confused magazine’s ‘Fashion Graduates to Watch Out For’, Northumbria graduate Courtney Simon is poised to take the world of fashion in her stride off the back of her highly acclaimed collection’s success at Graduate Fashion Week. Bold, sassy, and successful, just like herself, Courtney’s collection was born in the Caribbean roots of her father and the Apartheid movement, embodying the effortless cool and confidence of 90s hip hop and r’n’b. We caught up with Courtney to find out about the girl behind the clothes and what it’s like to take GFW by storm... 030

Images: graduatefashionweek.com & northumbriafashion.com

FEATURES / COURTNEY SIMON

031

What does the term ‘sisterhood’ mean to you? To me sisterhood is us girls sticking together and supporting each other. I’m such a gals gal, I’m so loyal to my friends and love seeing them succeed! I hate this whole women putting other woman down, we don’t want that! We need to empower each other girls! Why are women designers so important for fashion? I think women designers are so important because they bring a different perspective. They have different styles and abilities. I’m such a firm supporter of girl power and showing that we can do just as good a job, if not better, than males. All hail the woman designer (they also tend to be super sassy and fab). What is the advantage of being a woman when designing for women? I always think it’s so much easier to design for a woman because I know what I’d like to wear or how it would feel on me. I often think how do women design for men? How the hell do you know what they even want!!! Obviously all women are different and have their own styles, but I just feel like it’s that little advantage of being a woman yourself! Plus you can wear what you design which is always a bonus. Who’s your ultimate favourite empowered woman? Hands down the queen herself…BEYONCÉ. She slays at life. She is just everything. She’s an independent woman, she’s powerful, she’s inspiring and she’s so so sassy. I just adore her and hope I come back as her in my second life. Do you think pop culture provides young women with authentic feminist icons? YES YES!! I think there’s so many out there, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Rita Ora; all women who are powerful and in my opinion, independent women. I just think young girls need role models which allow them to think, ‘yes I can grow up and be a fabulous independent woman!’ I mean Destiny’s Child ‘Independent Woman’ (no more needs to be said). TEXT AMY ELLIOTT Based on interview with Courtney Simon Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity @simon.cdesigns

FEMMEHOOD

What are the main influences/inspiration for your final collection? My main inspiration for my collection was my Dad! He’s just the best person ever. I was so interested in his heritage and background growing up a black man in a very white dominated place. I took his passion and love for his Rasta roots and played with it (hence all the red yellow and green). I mixed Dad’s background with the Apartheid movement as I love taking historical events and creating something new and exciting from times of sadness and inequality! I love RnB and hip hop from when I was younger. So I looked into the silhouette and effortless swag of 90’s hip hop, the likes of Ashanti and Lil’ Kim. I love to work with inspiration close and personal to me. Were there any quotes/mantras that inspired the mood/attitude of the collection? One quote my Dad told me right from the start which stuck with me throughout and now in life was, ‘If you don’t know where you’re from, you don’t know where you’re going’. And that’s what he said about how he felt growing up! I love that because it’s just so true. I used a lot of quotes from the Apartheid to create my prints and badges in my collection about equality and freedom. I dream of one day the world being equal, regradless of race, gender etc. and I felt a lot of the quotes I used represented that. If you could use 3 words to describe your collection what would they be? Sassy, sparkly, sports chic. What’s the craziest thing that’s happened since GFW? I’ve had quite a few crazy things happen! I got chosen as one of nine ‘Fashion Graduates to Watch Out For’ by Dazed and that all went a bit crazy. I got featured in a few print magazines and online: Dazed, Hunger, Sunday Times Style magazine, Vogue, Debut, Love magazine and the Guardian. Everyday I had friends messaging me like ‘Court you’re on Sunday Times Style magazine today do you know?’ And I was like ‘what no!’ I had a lot of requests for shoots and things but the best thing was Olly from the band Years and Years, who wore my collection to a festival and I got to watch by the side of the stage and met him, that was pretty dreamy! I also got asked to send one of my coats to New York for Rita Ora. I’m about to send my garments off for a shoot with Hunger magazine (Issue 12) and that’s a really exciting opportunity (gotta keep on down low for now though so can’t mention much more). So I’ve had a few pinch me moments it’s all a bit overwhelming when you’ve spent the last year working so hard for it to actually pay off!

sk-n FEMMEHOOD

non-binary

model EMMA DAVIES photos, styling & creative direction AMY ELLIOTT

032

FEMMEHOOD

033

034

FEMMEHOOD

035

ible cern o dis ve n at ha rts th y pa f bod

o tion ora expl

er gend

FEMMEHOOD

phic

ra otog A ph

036

FEMMEHOOD

037

038

FEMMEHOOD

039

040

FEMMEHOOD

041

042

FEMMEHOOD

FEATURES / NUALA CONVERY

nuala convery Describe your brand, FEM. Fatale, in three words Feisty, powerful, relatable Tell us about the brand... FEM. Fatale started off as my final major project in uni last year! I’m working to try and put the brand into production IRL* so keep your eyes peeled! Basically what started the idea for FEM. Fatale is that I’d noticed a huge trend in the popularity of activism and feminist thinking. Magazines like Polyester zine were really inspiring me and there were a lot of feministdriven issues happening at the time (and still happening now!) that were important to young women - I wanted to create a brand that they could connect with. What type of woman do you envision wearing FEM. Fatale? Fierce young babes, probably creatives, girls who are passionate about what they believe in. The first collection designs aren’t for the faint-hearted either though. So probably a girl who likes to stand out. What does success look like to you? I’d love to run my own business, that would feel like success to me – to have a business that has a loyal following and that represents something I’m passionate 043

about, and to have sound people supporting my brand…that would be amazing. What do you admire about other creative women combine their talent and issues that they’re passionate about? I think that people using their creativity and their place in the media to raise awareness for issues is so amazing and also so necessary. Young people are more interested in social and cultural issues that ever before IMO* and it’s because information is so accessible to them. It’s so important that designers and cultural influencers use their talents to change things up for this generation – and show young people that they can do it too. What advice do you wish someone would have given you in your final year of uni? Choose a final year project that you’re genuinely passionate about - don’t do something just because you think your tutors will like it. Be true to your own taste. Go to all your classes. Train yourself to wake up early. Do exercise, meditate, drink loads of water, eat well. Don’t compare yourself to others! Your work is unique and you are unique also.

FEMMEHOOD

Fashion design and illustration are just two of the things Nuala Convery does with authenticity and genuine talent. Utterly confident in who she is and what she stands for, Nuala has no problem admitting her designs for FEM. Fatale’s first collection are not for the faint-hearted. And nor should they be. Her work is authentically her, and that’s what we love about it. Read on to find out exactly why we chose her as an empowered and inspiring FEMMEHOOD gal…

FEMMEHOOD

What does the term ‘sisterhood’ mean to you? Girls supporting each other, being kind to each other, boosting each other up and being proud and happy when your ‘sisters’ do well. Big up your girl gang! Any personal anecdotes where sisterhood has really helped you out or helped you achieve something? I’m lucky enough to have a ‘girl gang’ of mates who supported me the whole way through uni – we lived with each other and were also in the same class so we were basically like sisters really. I found my whole class group had a very ‘sisterhood’ vibe as well, in final year the handful of boys who had been in the class had all dropped out, so it was just a big group of girls! Everyone was really supportive and kind to each other and would help each other out – for example if anyone saw an article or something that would be relevant to someone else’s project they’d always share it with them and stuff like that. That sort of environment is so much nicer than bitchyness or super competitive vibes. I learnt so much from my class mates too, and would also help anyone if they were struggling with something that I knew how to do already. Who’s your ultimate favourite empowered woman? My mum!

044

FEATURES / NUALA CONVERY

“Be true to your own taste. Go to all your classes. Train yourself to wake up early. Do exercise, meditate, drink loads of water, eat well.”

**IMO = In my opinion IRL = In real life ILLUSTRATION NUALA CONVERY Based on interview with Nuala Convery Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity 045

FEMMEHOOD

Do you think pop culture provides young women with authentic feminist icons? If yes, who? Mmm yes and no – you still get a lot of people refusing to use the ‘feminist’ title, even though they fully stand for gender equality. Then you also have big names like Lena Dunham, Emma Watson, Taylor Swift etc. coming out as being feminists on the media but also doing problematic things. Grimes, Brook Candy, Adwoa Aboah, Clio Peppiat, Ione Gamble are all famous people who have been feminist influencers for me. I think that Instagram & social media culture plays a huge part in it too because most of the people who truly inspire me are my feminist friends, and feminist peers who I’ve connected with through social media. Who would you class as ‘the modern suffragettes’? Activists of today like the people who run ‘Free the Nipple’, ‘The Homeless Period’ (I’m involved in the Belfast branch of this!), and the ‘Everyday Sexism’ campaign. People who are shouting about tampon tax, abortion rights, genital mutilation, the gender pay gap, sexual harassment…the list goes on.

FEMMEHOOD

Breaking the mould of the male-dominated electronic music industry, 20-year-old producer, songwriter and singer Anna Straker takes full creative control; refusing to be relegated to the shadows as just another breathy female voice on a catchy hook. Born in West London, before being raised across the continent from Italy to quaint little Lincolnshire, Anna is back in the capital and is making her presence known. Her debut selfproduced EP Serious explores vibrant retro synths and dancey chord progressions that echoes through idiosyncratic themes of youthful rebellion (“How We Are”) and industry dissatisfaction (“Serious”). Taking a stand against a notoriously misogynistic industry is no mean feat, and naturally we wanted to know more…

046

Image: Betina La Plante

anna /

Where were you born? West London.

Where do you live now? West London! I moved to Italy shortly after I was born. And then moved to Lincolnshire. I moved back to the big city as soon as I turned 18. What was your dream career when you were a child? To be a pianist. I learnt classical piano from when I was about 7. Then I discovered Alicia Keys and wanted to sing and play! Who has been your favourite collaboration so far? Fono - Everybody Knows. So cool to hear that in clubs. Was such a fun song to sing. Who would be your dream collaboration? Daft Punk. If you could use 3 words to describe your music what would they be? Unapologetic, youthful, unorthodox What’s the craziest thing that’s happened in your career so far? Singing backing vocals on three different number 1 albums! What type of person do you envisage listening to your music? Anyone! But especially my generation. I write a lot about being young and all the beautiful clichés of having no responsibility. It’s a cool thing to be able to relate and inspire young people, as we are going to be the future. My song ‘How We Are’ is especially about that. Favourite song of yours? Late Night Swimming. What do you do or where do you go if you’re in need of inspiration? I find it really good to take breaks when in the studio and have a walk around. Look for things you don’t normally notice going on around you: noises, what people are saying, nature, the colour of the sky, where the sun falls. What does the term ‘sisterhood’ mean to you? Girl power! I have three sisters so for me it refers to all the amazing women I have grown up with. But also every girl - we are all sisters and we all should stick together.

047

Any personal anecdotes where sisterhood has really helped you out or helped you achieve something? Being in a nightclub and having some guy persistently chat me up after telling him I wasn’t interested. A group of girls noticed and came up to me pretending I was their friend to get me away! Who’s your ultimate favourite empowered woman? The Black Madonna. She really struggled in the beginning of her career as a female DJ/producer. She pushed passed the stereotypes of how she should look, what she should play, and just rose above the sexism that is still rife in the industry. Everyone should watch her Resident Advisor ‘Between the Beats’ film. It’s truly motivating. Do you think pop culture provides young women with authentic feminist icons? If yes, who? Yes. There’s so many powerful female pop stars, not just at the moment, but from all time. Madonna, Tina Turner, Lady Gaga, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Beyoncé, Kate Bush, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Joni Mitchell...too many to count! Who would you class as ‘the modern suffragettes’? Just any girl, or boy, who continues to fight for gender equality. Girls that don’t back down. My advice for young women in the music industry would be to take control of your art, don’t just dismiss it because it’s ‘a boy’s job’. Just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you just have to look pretty and sing. Don’t let people put you into a category. What advice would you give to young women in the USA who are probably feeling very disillusioned and angry right now, post-election? Stay strong. I could not believe Donald Trump could say such hateful things toward women and be elected. It is beyond me. But as long as we keep educating people and pushing past these bigoted idiots that still believe we are not equal, we can still prosper. It may not seem like it, but we are heading in the right direction. It’s just little things. Listen to Anna’s music on Spotify & on her Soundcloud page @annastraker

FEMMEHOOD

straker

FEATURES / ANNA STRAKER

FEMMEHOOD

w h a t m a k e s y f

o e

u e

048

d 049

FEMMEHOOD

My Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m

only

platfo so

5''2

FEMMEHOOD

I have a pair of heeled tanned patent I feel

in the world when Alongside my Celine

I wear the bag, that m

A Saint Laurent style suit jacket. I team underneath/with a jumper. Always

050

orm I

love

feeling

shoes. tall.

boots from Mango and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so fab. like the

em (although they makes me feel a

kill my feet). million dollars!

m them with my CK t-shirt/with nothing feel empowered with a suit jacket!

051

FEMMEHOOD

A photographic response to the answers respondents gave when asked:

“What items make you feel empowered?”

“My black patent boots go everywhere with me” 052

FEMMEHOOD

“My Omega watch”

053

FEMMEHOOD

“A fur coat or diamante choker”

054

FEMMEHOOD

“My fave jewellery” 055

FEMMEHOOD

“My pink silk Nike TNs” 056

FEMMEHOOD

057

058

FEMMEHOOD

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This amazing sequin dress I wore for my 21st.

FEMMEHOOD 059 I just wore it with trainers and fishnet socks but felt so empowered!â&#x20AC;?

060

FEMMEHOOD