Alright? Issue 1.
May 2021
Get In Loser! We’re heading out of lockdown....
Alright? Magazine
Editor’s Letter Hello there, and welcome to the first issue of Alright? Magazine! This new magazine aims to provide a unique take on the recent going ons within the industry as well as its wider events. Through surrealist imagery and hard hitting journalism, Alright? aims to be your new ‘go to,’ niche magazine. Growing up in the North of England I was always close too, and surrounded by, the natural world. Having to experience lockdown in such an area, allowed me to really begin to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around me. In this issue, we reflect upon these personal experiences of lockdown and the areas that interested us during this time. It is my hope that this issue will work to be a coherent reflection of the current situation, as we begin to move out of lockdown; and embrace the new ‘normal.’
Brodie Willis Lead Content Editor Contact: Brodie.willis@gmail.com
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Contents Pages 1-10 Article 1 - ‘Get In Loser’ Exploring the benefits of the outdoors, as we begin to move out of lockdown.
Pages 11-12
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Break - ‘You still Alright?’
Pages 13-18 Article 2 - ‘Lockdown Fashionistas’ How the luxury fashion sector coped, as the world ground to a halt.
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“G In Lose
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As lockdown’s end and restrictions on our every move begin to recede, we dedicate this issue to looking back at the recent events of the pandemic and the resilience of the human spirit. In this story we begin to look at embracing the outside and moving on from the recent events; both physically and mentally.
Get n er!”
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With the onset of lockdown and the prospect of being locked within the four walls of our living rooms; many turned towards embracing the outside world and its endless possibilities. But apart from clearing one’s head after a stressful day of ‘Zooming,’ or home-schooling, being within the open air can provide some major health benefits. With the sale of indoor planters between the months of January and May 2020 seeing a 79% year on year rise, it now becomes time to venture into the great outdoors. Being clinically proven to lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression, pencilling in some time to sit in the garden may be the most accessible remedy to overcome the post-lockdown worries. With some studies suggesting that even simply looking at a tree for an extended amount of time can have an effect on our general mood, the benefits of embracing the natural world appear unparalleled. Don’t worry reader, we aren’t suggesting you become an avid bird watcher, however if you’re anything like us; a break away from unrelenting screen time is definitely needed. If all of that wasn’t enough to convince you to read the rest of this article at the park, being outdoors has also been shown to have an effect on the aging process. In a study by the ‘Journal of Aging and Health,’ it was found that adults over the age of 70 who spent more time outdoors experienced fewer sleeping difficulties and had much further improved mobility; compared to those who preferred to stay indoors. Additionally, researchers
in a different study found a link between spending time outdoors and an increase in the body’s ability to recover from trauma. However, the ability to improve the aging process by spending time outdoors goes much further than improving bodily responses. In fact, the age old hobby of tending to one’s garden, has been proven to improve and protect cognitive function as we grow older. Being a known treatment for patients suffering from dementia within Germany and the Netherlands, it was actually a 2014 Korean study that worked to fully determine this link. Within said study, researchers gave 20-minute gardening activities to dementia patients, in which they were asked to rake the earth and plant vegetables. Upon the twenty minutes being up; brain scans of the patients worked to demonstrate an increased growth in nerve cells within the brain, that are usually associated with memory in both men and women. This in turn works to demonstrate that the benefits of the great outdoors can be felt within as little as 20 minutes of exposure; meaning we don’t have to become the next Monty Don or Alan Titchmarch, in order to truly enjoy our outdoor spaces. With all of this in mind, now comes the perfect time to embrace the natural world in style. As the seasons change and temperatures are set to rise, an afternoon spent relaxing in a beer garden may not only benefit our seemingly unstable social lives, but also our overall health and wellbeing (minus the alcohol of course).
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“Now comes the perfect time to embrace the natural world in style.”
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“Lockdown Fashionistas.”
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With many industries facing ruin during the Coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to look back at how the luxury fashion sector coped. Being an aspirational sector for many, the trials and tribulations of this area are unmatched compared to any other area of the industry.
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As global lockdowns began to take full effect, many of us began to wonder how much could actually be achieved while stuck in the house. This in turn gave birth to a tidal wave of consumers turning towards the fashion industry in order to help them get through the pandemic. With an overwhelming onslaught of loungewear sales, creating a comfortable and relaxing environment became a new norm. However, this was not the case for everyone, as sales within the luxury sectors also began to see an increase. This led us to question exactly how a seemingly struggling sector of the industry was able to make such a strong comeback, while other sectors faced irreparable decline and ruin. Right back in 2019, the luxury sector was noted as seeing its sales shrink by a fifth, with some of the biggest brands trying to find new ways in which to reconnect with their audiences. This was only further heightened by the onset of the pandemic in 2020; as designers began to become panicked with collections starting to become refused from general sale. With cases first originating in China and quickly spreading to Japan (the second and third, largest markets in the sector), even higher losses were predicted. However these predictions were quickly proven wrong, when both of these territories began to recover exponentially quickly. This is believed to have been caused as a result of the aptly named ‘revenge spending,’ an act in which a consumer purchases an 15.
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expensive item to enjoy at home or upon the ending of lockdown. Additionally, as these markets began to open back up, ‘reunion dressing,’ became another phenomenon within these markets. In this instance, consumers used the disposable income they had saved during the pandemic in order to splash out on a new outfit for their much awaited reunions with friends and family. This increase in sales is believed to have been so monumental, that brands are now looking to expand and invest further into these markets. In Western markets, wealthy consumers who had no social events to spend their money on began to invest in material goods. With luxury handbags, jewellery and 100% cashmere tracksuits being among the most popular items. In terms of wider consumer groups, items which featured large and easily recognisable brand logos were seen to skyrocket in sales. Working to act as a symbol of success and survival through such trying times, these items acted as an outward reminder of the time before. These apparent boosts in sales have allowed the industry to be set to make a full return by 2021, with sales expected to make a full recovery between 2022-2023. With such virulent and unrelenting success, forecasters are expecting luxury brands to emerge stronger than ever before. However this is majorly due to the rise of online shopping. With every online purchase being able to be tracked and monitored, brands have developed the ability to be able to understand their audience more than ever before. This in turn has allowed trending products to be pushed even further, and encourage more sales.
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