247 MARLBOROUGH
WORLD CITIZEN Lorde
Changing the Fate of Modern Pop
GINGER MAYO KAZAKHSTAN A new world economy with a penchant for luxury
ISSUE 1
Letter from the founders
As we started our junior year at Newman we wondered what kind of projects to take on that would both challenge us and offer something to the student body. An arts, global issues and luxury goods focused magazine turned out to be the solution. 247 Marlborough hopes to offer a new medium for Newman Students to share their unique, global perspectives with the rest of the student body and to express themselves intellectually and creatively. The goal is to share our voices and explore the international community that makes up the Newman School Ben Glassner & Maggie McMorrow
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Collaborators & Creators
Editor in Chief Benjamin Glassner Creative Director Maggie McMorrow Junior Editor Ginger Mayo Executive Supervisor Leslie Goldman Research Contributions Emily Davis Ludmila Anisimov Samantha Steefel
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Kazakhstan
The Rise of a Nation and Their Demand For Luxury
Two Shoppers at Saks Almaty
Almaty, Kazakhstan is an urban hub filled with culture and energy so alive its palpable. Though on the outside it may look unsophisticated and cut-off from the world, that could not be further from the truth. Filled to the brims with driven people with purpose flowing through their veins, Almaty is on the brink of something huge. It may not have the flash and glam of Las Vegas, but there is definitely a extravagant side to this town, along with the well educated and cultured crowd that fill its streets. Out of all of central asia, Kazakhstan certainly has the biggest economy and growth po-
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tential. The wealthy of central asia used to have to fly to Europe or Dubai to obtain their designer goods, but Kazakhstan has been developing rapidly, giving them the ability to travel to Almaty for their spending binges. In this past year, an international market intelligence firm named Euromonitor estimated that Kazakhstan’s clothing market is worth $4.8 Billion. The rest of central asia does not hold a candle to this estimate, with most being less than half of Kazakhstan’s market size. They also estimate that Kazakhstan’s clothing market with double in the next four years alone. Along with the expanding apparel market, the high-net worth individuals of Kazakhstan are expected to increase by 81 percent in the next decade. This means that the number of individuals worth over $30 million will reach 244 by 2022. Euromonitor also estimated that over the past five years the number of people with annual disposable incomes over $75,000 has doubled. The increasing wealth that the population of Kazakhstan has experienced can be attributed to oil, and gas and mineral deposits. The mind-set of what is considered well-made in terms of luxury goods has also changed with craftsmanship becoming a top priority. While some of the wealthy are merely looking to expand their collection of designer
The new Gucci store in Almaty
goods, others are generally trying to create their own unique style by mixing the labels. The younger generations in Kazakhstan were not around during the times of communism and therefore are affected by the harsh aesthetic of that era giving them a more global mind-set, and thus a more eclectic sense of fashion. A major turning point in Kazakhstan’s rise to the luxury good seen was the placement of Hermes in Almaty. “This was the first signal that luxury retail in Kazakhstan could reach a new level… and this year Chanel and Prada are on their way. For us, it is a huge breakthrough because it means our consumers do not need to spend as much money outside the country as they used to,” says Zhanel Bertayeva who serves as a co-founder of a popular fashion news website called TheFrontRow.kz and The Kazakhstan Fashion Institute. At this point the only thing that could slow down Kazakhstan’s growth would be the high taxes on importation of luxury goods. Up until 1997, the Kazakh elite were forced to travel abroad to purchase luxury goods, how-
ever Almaty entrepreneur Liliya Rakh opened the now famous boutique, Sauvage, introducing designers such as Alexander McQueen and Comme des Garcons and other greats to the expanding market for designer clothes within Kazakhstan’s former capital, Almaty. Another important player on the scene is Viled Group which is creditedt for opening up stores such as Cariter, Van Cleef & Arpels, De Grisogono and Piaget. Viled Fashion (a spin off of Viled Group) is also to credit for the opening of Almaty’s first Saks which brought with it some of the worlds most recognizable designers. In malls across Almaty stores range from Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior to Topshop, Zara, and GAP. With this range of stores appealing to the different classes and tastes of the people of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan also recently moved up eight places on A.T Kearney’s Global Retail Development Index all in one years time and is now the 13th most attractive developing country in the world. As Kazakh shoppers and street style stars become more and more recognized globally, so will the country as a whole.
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I had the pleasure of interviewing my close friend and Newman Graduate Diana Tulemaganbetova, an Almaty native and one of the most stylish Newmanites around, on the past, present and future of Kazakhstan and their rapidly emerging economy with a focus on their fashion industry.
with countries like Russia, China, United States of America and many countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. From the first day of independence, Kazakhstan wanted to become a modern country with a diversified economy that would become part of global economy.
In the past few years, what effect has the expanding presence of international brands and luxury goods in Kazakhstan had on the people of the country? @DianaTulemaganbetova
Why do you think the Kazakh economy has flourished while other economies in Central Asia like Uzbekistan haven’t done as well? The economic situation in Kazakhstan today is the result of a twenty two year period after the fall of Soviet Union. Kazakhstan had a promising resource base, everything going for it: enormous natural resources from oil and gas to gold, uranium and rare earth metals. Since independence, Kazakhstan has adopted a wide range of economic, political and social reforms. My country’s booming oil and natural gas industries attracted foreign investments, which became one of the main reasons for economic growth. Kazakhstan also has very good relations
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The development of the fashion industry has become one of the most topical issues in the social and contemporary life of people in Kazakhstan. Since independence, Kazakhstan is changing, as well as its people. People across the country want to stand out, they follow the latest trends of the world. After the fall of the Soviet Union opportunities to study and travel abroad opened new horizons for people in Kazakhstan and other Soviet countries. As well as the economy of the country, the fashion industry in Kazakhstan is developing very fast. The increasing number of different fashion events and openings, famous designers and stores from all over the world show that fashion in Kazakhstan has grown beyond the beginning and the country and its people are ready to enter into the
Why do you think the Kazakh economy has flourished while other economies in Central Asia like Uzbekistan haven’t done as well?
Though Kazakhstan is beginning to be more prominent globally, why do you think it has taken so long for the country to be recognized as the developed and cosmopolitan nation that it is?
Historically, fashion originated in France, then later appeared in other countries of Europe, and other parts of the world. The fashion industry in Kazakhstan is developing, as well as, its designers. Every year there are new talented designers, who create and show their unique collections.Now, the country has its own fashion week, Kazakhstan Fashion Week. Last few years, some Kazakh designers have been represented on Paris Fashion Week. However, the fashion industry in Kazakhstan hasn’t reached the level of famous European brands because of its comparatively short history and a lack of financial investment in professional designers of the past. With time, this situation should change, thanks to young talents. However, local designers have already found their key to success: they don’t try to compete with world-famous fashion houses but create and offer unique products. For now, there are many talented designers, who create very unique collections.
I think for all Soviet countries it was hard to be recognized after the fall of Soviet Union. One of the reasons why the Soviet Union collapsed,was because the economy was very small and it was really hard to control all of the countries as one. People all over the world thought that CIS countries wouldn’t rise like Russia and would dissapear, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan didn’t take a long time to be recognized; the country just started its way up, because 22 years is nothing for the 9th biggest country in world. It took centuries for countries, like Russia, US, UK, France, Germany etc. rise up and to become as strong as they now. Kazakhstan started from the bottom, and achieved a lot in 22 years, like no other countries have done in such a short time. According to The Economist Intelligent Unit, Kazakhstan is one of the world fastest-growing economies.
Foreword by Maggie McMorrow and Interview by Benjamin Glassner
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WORLD CITIZEN GINGER MAYO
What Brought you from Singapore to Boston? I was basically really sick of Singapore. I’d spent most of my life travelling from place to place, and I really liked the fast paced feel of everything. I love new cities. There’s something so intensely satisfying about finding your place in a foreign area/city/ community, and that’s one of the perks of travelling and moving around. I had been in Singapore for a solid six years, and I was beginning to lose my appreciation for the place.I didn’t want the experience to turn sour, or to become pessimistic about where I was.
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It was also the last year for my sister who graduated, and I really didn’t like the idea that me and my two sisters would be separated by a twelve hour time difference and a twenty five hour plane ride. The choice was between New York, New Mexico and Boston - honestly my first choice was Manhattan, but rents are insane there and there were no openings at the UN School, where I wanted to go. So we chose Newman, and Boston!
So far how has your experience with also has a lot going on. I also really like how patriotic Bostonians are, and how they just love Newman and the City of Boston their roots. There’s something really special been after going to one of the top about that. IB schools in the world and living in such an energy filled country? Does Newman seem like a community that fosters and stimulates international Singapore definitely has the reputation thinking and global problem solving? of a ‘energy filled’ place, but i actually think it’s pretty mundane. The entire government and infrastructure caters to a specific type of person and seriously neglects the needs and goals of the majority of the population. The main goal of the government is to create the highest possible revenue through catering towards the extremely wealthy and the foreign. There’s a huge luxury industry in food and shopping, but there is an essential lack of culture because of this overwhelmingly narrow minded approach to the country. There was no sense of community structure, and it was almost impossible to go out without spending at least one hundred dollars. There was just no middle ground for students or people who didn’t want to spend money all the time. I was really put off by that. My school was great, for sure, but it definitely adopted that attitude, too. There was a very elitist approach to the social environment, and i wasn’t really into that. Boston is great - it’s a cute middle ground between a place like New York or London and a small town. It fosters that cozy, small vibe, but
I don’t feel like i understand Newman enough to make any assumptions about the type of community it is. I think the IB is an excellent program to encourage students to independently adopt their dedication towards globally relevant issues, and i think ultimately a school that encourages the IB program has these intentions evident in their student body. It’s interesting because the most culturally different thing is probably the social structure/social life - it’s completely different from that of Singapore, and i’m still learning all of the rules and getting used to stuff that seems off or weird to me. But yeah, i think Newman does encourage a degree of global awareness. I attribute that mainly to the diversity of the student body though. There’s no evident division between the International students and the American Students, which is really encouraging and cool because it gives us a chance to benefit from the services and knowledge from abroad.
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I've heard you have an interest in social issues and alternative politics. Could you tell me a little bit about your background in these issues? I definitely do have a personal fascination with politics, especially in America. Singapore had a really rigid political party that was practically a dictatorship, in the sense that the power was held by a concentrated group of people and within one specific family. The leadership style was intensely patriarchal, with government influence in practically every aspect of life. The drug laws were so strict that you could receive the death sentence for marijuana possession. Which is crazy, because there are a lot of stupid kids who get into stupid situations and find themselves facing incredibly detrimental charges, with overwhelming fines or being deported. But America is so different, because it really has developed it's own micro world where everything happens within, without much attention to the exterior. I think the biggest problem with politics in America, is that it's just too big. It's really difficult to get things done, no matter how impactful or successful the politician, because there will always be someone who feels the need to block the progress. This comes from both political parties - republicans and democrats sabotage each other
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routinely instead of finding a successful common ground. I just don't think that America can afford to keep doing this, because we're seeing these increasing issues with wealth gaps, environmental disasters, health issues and reckless treatment of foreign affairs. So i guess in that sense i don't really believe in either political party, because the only viable solution towards success is a party and a leader that is completely focused on the goal rather than the rhetoric that accompanies politics. I think its really terrible that we have entire networks (MSNBC, Fox News) based on biased reporting. It's just not fair to the American people. Of course that's not USA specific, but i feel like the nature of competitive politics is really concentrated here.
OUR LORDE AND SAVIOR It’s no secret that modern pop has taken a spin towards the extreme. Everything is frivolous, sensationalized, sexualized and exploded by a soundboard that the simple song structures that once reined the charts have been promptly buried in layers of thick auto-tune and heart stopping bass drops. But with the release of Lorde’s first LP, Pure Heroine comes hope for the future of modern pop. 16-year-old Ella Yelich–O’connor is a New Zealand native who released her first EP in November of 2012. She was catapulted into stardom in early summer with the spontaneous popularity of her single ‘Royals’. It was the perfect summer song – featuring all of the formulaic successes of a summer anthem; catchy beat, relatively easy rhythm, sick harmonies and sultry vocals. Royals was destined for the explosion it experienced, just recently reaching number one on the pop and alternative charts, topping Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry respectively. Her sound is an incredible hybrid of Grimes’ eldritch vocals, witty lyricism of a teenage Fiona Apple and pop hooks that envy early Britney. Her look is acutely unique, with dark voluptuous ropes of curly hair and scathing stare. She brings what no one else has brought in such a long time – authentic energy. She’s divided her album into to potential categories – epic pop ballad, adorned with repetitive hooks and bass or fresh pop anthems that place themselves easily at the top of the charts – creating the ‘perfect’ recipe for a new pop success.
How Lorde is Changing the Fate of Modern Pop Not only does Lorde have all the qualities to succeed as a pop artist through her music, but her style and fierce attitude have only helped grow her success. She’s fed straight into to the heart of Tumblr, which is potentially the strongest fan base to franchise towards because they’re essentially dictating what is in style. She’s an outspoken feminist and critics her peers, all while fighting off accusations of inauthenticity with the mere statement that Pop, “in it’s essence, is all about inauthenticity.” She went so far as to reject a position of opening act on Katy Perry’s world tour for ‘Prism’, because she felt it wasn’t really her ‘thing’. Lorde comes at a very important time, when a handful of leaders who have dictated the style and popularity of the genre have relatively dominated Pop. A few years back, it was all about being the most outrageous, with Gaga in her VMA Meat Dress and Nicki Minaj rapping in a faux British accent while wearing a sea foam wig. But because of Lordes authenticity, sincerity and audacity as a young artist, she’s veering the competition to something a lot more exciting. Lorde is completely changing the game, and has a future in the pop industry for years to come. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/ Tumblr. Ginger Mayo
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