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editorials Jordan Barrant Kathryn Capo Sienna Kwami Dana Nguyen
articles
Jordan Barrant Kathryn Capo Mandusu Sidibay Sienna Kwami
illustrations Ishrat Qureshi
editing team
Sienna Kwami – editor in chief, head of design Mandusu Sidibay – creative director Aisha Revolus 4
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ight about now. At least three issues of Fleur should have come out. Originally named LUX, the magazine flopped as the surrounding excitement died down. But through all of this the Fashion Club brings you Fleur, a magazine filled with inspiration, student work, and artist interviews. This street style inspired issue will mark a great start, to Fleur, and send everyone off to vacation right with our Spring/Summer issue available for any day you need a little fashion assistance. Hopefully you enjoy this issue of Fleur.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS CURRENTLY COVETING 009 SUMMER STYLE DECODED 011
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TOP 10 INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTs TO FUEL YOUR STYLE 016 THE MODERN MAVEN: BLOGGER INTERVIEW 021 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LUSH COSMETICS 024
THE NEW AGE: ARTIST INTERVIEWS 026 STUDENT EDITORIALS 045 YOU DID NOT EAT THAT! 071 SUMMER PLAYLIST 076 8
This is not your typical wedge. It may have the netting of the sneaker but don’t try and run in them. The only running these shoes will be doing is running the fashion scene as a trend that will last a long time. You may be surprised to know they’re from the brand PUMA by Hussein Chalayan. Ranging from $90 to $190 these classy wedge booties will spice up almost any outfit. The class of a wedge and the comfort of a sneaker is finally combined as one. This collection is selling out fast, so get your pair NOW. PUMA HAKKODA WEDGE $90 – K.CAPO
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Photos courtesy of PUMA
Photo courtesy of Front Row Shop
After Chanel walked this necklace down the runway for their Spring 2014 collection, the fashion industry has been going wild with pearl chokers. But the lot of us aren't going to be forking out $1950 anytime soon, so it’s good that imitation pieces are on the market. If you’re looking for the right one, Front Row Shop may just have what you need. For only $34 you can look like Cara and not break the bank. –S.KWAMI frontrowshop.com 10
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By Sienna Kwami
$35.90 zara.com
$79.90 zara.com
THE MODERNIST
$53.35 asos.com
$132.09 cosstores.com $65.21 cosstores.com $9.95 hm.com
$39.90 zara.com
$104.80 Asos.com 12
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By Mandusu Sidibay
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by sienna kwami
10 INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO
FUEL YOUR STYLE @XYMDE features clean cut, simple style with a basic color scheme sure to please today’s minimalist.
Popular typographer and blogger, @jasminedowling, graces the gram with her effortlessly modern and cool style.
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@vintagesoulau, or Emily, describes her account as “a photo diary” and this Australian style-blogger’s diary inspires us everyday.
Fashion and music blogger, Courtney Trop, reeks the essence of “modern-cool” . A plus to her photos? Captions like “Wearing XL layers with zero sex appeal today on Always Judging”. GO FOLLOW HER NOW 17
Anyone trying to achieve an edgey style, look no further. The perfect account for easy to wear but effortlessly stylish outfits is Aubrey’s.
Blogger and owner of vintage store Vintage Mavens, Shareen, just moved to Chicago and is looking amazing in her new habitat. Simple and simply perfect outfits are your newest find on her account.
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Chloe Hollywood’s insta description is basically why she’s in our top 10, “FASHION is about the style not the price tag!” Chloe’s #ootd’s have the store and price of everything she’s wearing!
The classy blogger of the blog Damsel in a Dress, has an eclectic style which goes from modern, to girly, to tomboy, to bohemian. Style inspiration for every type is why Janice made our top 10. 19
The Pink Diary posts outfits a little differently. Usually in a clothing layout, daily outfits for every type are posted as well as cute pictures of peonies and ice cream. If you’re into food, follow her alternate account @thefirstbite
Model and blogger of Fire on the Head, Rima, has a bright white photos that surround her simple, modern, tomboy style. Along with her bangs. 20
THE MODERN
MAVEN Get to know the blogger fueling modern style.
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ALYSSA LAU /
www.ORDINARYPEOPLE.ca
lyssa Lau, the 22 year old blogger behind Ordinary People (which she runs with her cousin Kurtis), is a style maven, braving the cold of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada while still looking amazing. Fleur got a chance to talk to Alyssa, read on for her favorite travel destination, style, and more. FLEUR MAGAZINE: So, first off, how did you come up with the name, Ordinary People? ALYSSA LAU: When my cousin and I originally started our blog, we were just two students from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with no formal background in fashion. And we still are. But that's the beauty about fashion blogs--its that anyone can start one. FM: Your style has definitely evolved over the past two years. What has been your biggest style influence? 22
AL: Most of my inspiration comes from editorial and street style photos from the infinitely vast e-mixing pot that is Tumblr. FM: You've traveled to some pretty cool places, do you have a favorite? AL: Tokyo, by far. There are just so many things to do, and so many places to see in one city.
FM: Any style icons? AL: Kiko Mizuhara--she has such a playful and interesting sense of self that is channelled into her personal style. FM: Favorite stores?
AL: Most of my favourite stores are from Canada, incl. Coup Boutique (www.coupboutique.co m), Oak + Fort (oakandfort.com), and Gravity Pope (gravitypope.com)! FM: Anything cool or interesting you'd like readers to know about yourself? AL: Currently addicted to Diablo 3: 23 Reaper of Souls.
I’m sure many of you have heard of the latest cosmetic blogger obsession : Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. if you haven’t you must’ve of been hiding under a rock since 2013 when the brand exploded into the beauty world. For those of you who don’t know what Lush is the name pretty much it explains itself, its fresh its handmade and its cosmetics. They sell basic things like lotions, body soaps and facial cleansers and also things they’re more known for bath bombs and lip scrubs. Something to love about Lush is the fact that it’s natural. These days when you buy a cleanser you have no idea what kind of chemicals are in it, what it’s made of or what the people who made it may have gone through. But with Lush on every product you can see the person who made it. If that’s not impressive enough by itself I don’t know what is. Lush is also prodigious because of their values. Some of their main beliefs are to
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have 100% vegetarian cosmetics, handmade cosmetics and fighting animal testing. Their products are also safe for the environment and are like I said before fresh. Even outside of the company itself the workers at Lush are kind and their priority is to help the customer. Lush's products are extremely affordable which although is great for the consumer doesn’t result in any extensive pay for workers. however at Lush even with that said employees aren't helping you just because their manager might be watching them or something's its because they genuinely want to help. even in name brand stores sometimes you can’t even find that kind of customer service and dedication. Currently there is no other cosmetic brand that is even remotely similar to Lush’s products and values. I suggest after you read this the first thing you do is head to your local lush so you can experience the exaltation of Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. By Jordan Barrant
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THE NEW AGE
The next generation of artists are making their mark. But this time it’s through social media
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BROOKE STONEHOUSE
BRROOKE STONEHOUSE is a 19 year old artist, currently residing North of London. There she creates magical drawings of all things imaginable
FLEUR MAG: So when did you first become interested in art? BROOKE STONEHOUSE: I've always been quite creative since a child, I think it stemmed from making dressing up outfits and face painting, then one day I saw my granddad drawing Disney characters and portraits and I fell in love. He was such a magnificent artist, so one day I asked him to teach me. He taught me how to draw an eye, I just kept at it and I ended up finding a huge love for Fine art in when choosing my GSCE's and took it into college, and now I'm due to study illustration at university! FM: What medium did you start off with? Do you have a favorite? BS: I started of really basic with pencil and coal, sometimes pastel's. I used to hate anything that I needed to use a brush for. How that's changed, I love working with acrylics, Indian inks and pens! 27
FM: What do you seem to gravitate towards when drawing?
BS: More than often I end up drawing, girls, women, bearded men and animals. I've started to work on some slightly different stuff lately though, some floral work, pattern making and such. FM: Do you have any artists that inspire you?
BS: I could name a million, some of my favourites have to be Dessie Jackson, Charmaine Olivia, Henrietta Harris, Lucy Garland, Carmel Seymour, Miranda Skoczek, Natalie Foss, Noel Badgespugh, and Jenn mann. FM: Your work is truly amazing, what inspires you when you start a piece? BS: Usually other people's creative work, weather it be a photograph or a song it can really range. More than often, photos, blogs or fashion. FM: Not only is your art cool, but your style is as well. What piece of clothing are you currently coveting? BS: At the moment in England, London is quite humid and sticky... without sun, typically. So I've been lusting over baggy plain boyfriend T's from h&m basic range and matching them up with skinnys, shorts, skirts and all sorts. They are so easy to dress up or down. 28
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FM: Favorite stores at the moment? BS: My first choices would be charity/second hand shops or boot sales. Then I would go on to base the rest of my buys around them from shops like Topshop, H&M, American Apparel, Forever21, Zara, Verge Girl, Sass and Bide, Triangl Swimwear, Senso, Asos, Office, LovingYou the Label, Shop Dixi, Frida the Label, 80’s Purple, I Love Lilya and so many more! FM: Anything cool or interesting you'd like readers to know about you? BS: I'm not sure I would consider myself cool or interesting enough to answer this, I think you have all of the good stuff but I'll leave you with some info'. I sell my own work, originals a prints and I also take personalized illustrations. For all the info and pictures of my work you can visit my instagram - @brookelynsh or my blog/society6 http://brookestonehouse.tumblr.com /Shop http://society6.com/brookecreativec orner
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Natalie fong We got a chance to interview Natalie Fong, who describes herself as “a lover of art and a follower of Jesus Christ.” as well as “a photographer and student at NYU “.
FLEUR MAG: When did your interest in photography start? NATALIE FONG: I started taking photos when I was in middle school. My friends and I would dress up, put on silly makeup, and have "photo shoots" in our backyards. Since then, I've experimented a lot with my images, shooting film as well as digital, doing client work starting my sophomore year of high school, and eventually doing weddings too. I think my work really started to become my own when I got to college last fall and began doing more expressive work with conceptual photographs, but my love of creating art with beautiful portraits has always remained the same. FM: What type of photography do you mainly do and/or want to do (i.e. portrait, conceptual, fashion, etc.)? NF: I am very interested in many different types of photography so I wouldn't be too quick to put a specific label on myself, but I am mainly interested in creative portraiture, fashion, and conceptual photography. 31
FM: What are some artists that inspire your work? NF: There are a lot of artists that I really admire, but here are just a few photographers off the top of my head: Tim Walker Oleg Oprisco Katerina Plotnikova Alex Stoddard Michal Pudelka Evelyn Bencicova
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FM: Is there anyone who you can't believe you got the chance to work with? NF: Yes! Emily Soto is an amazing photographer that I have been so blessed to have the privilege to intern with. I love being on set with her and her team, it's such a great learning experience for me and sometimes I still have to pinch myself to make sure that it's real.
FM: What are some things you've gotten for exposure of your work? NF: I think the most noticeable gain that I have received from exposure is an increase in my fan base online. It is definitely not something that I take for granted and I am so thankful for those who support me. 33
FM: What's your favorite part about going to school in New York? NF: My favorite part about being in NYC for school is the people that I have met. I am incredibly fortunate to have really talented classmates and I've also had the opportunity to meet and work with other creatives/photographers/designers that I could've only met in the city.
FM: Is there anything interesting you want people to know about you? NF: I think it's important for people to know that I'm a Christian and my work is frequently inspired by Bible verses and my faith in general. I also really love other types of art. In high school, I did a lot of drawing and some painting. I also grew up with music; playing piano and saxophone for a number of years. Art and my faith have always been a part of my life and I don't see that 34 changing anytime soon."
Honey forestier @honyforest or Honey Forestier, quite possibly has one of the coolest Instagram feeds you’ll ever see. In that feed are amazing sketches and we got to interview Honey on her process and more. FLEUR MAG: When did you first become interested in art? HONEY FORESTIER: At a very young age, I was a very creative kid. I used to draw a lot in front of tv and paint with my mom. FM: What medium did you start off with? Do you have a favorite? HF: Watercolor was my very first love, and still is one of my favorite medium now. But as I grew up, my drawing got better and now I mostly work with graphite pencils. FM: What do you seem to gravitate towards when drawing? (i.e. people, plants, etc.) HF: People, definitely. It is pretty much the only thing that I really enjoy drawing. FM: Do you have any artists that inspire you? HF: I do have a lot of artists that I like and have been inspiring me like Elizabeth Peython. Her painting really resonates within me. But I try not to focus so much on other people's work. 35
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FM: You have a nice mix of candid and more serious drawings, what inspires you to start a piece? HF: It really depends on how I feel and if I have a new idea in mind. If so I will rotate around that idea and try to make it what I wanted it to be. But since I am a real perfectionist, I can easily get stuck at some point in the process, not liking what I do. So I would try to let it go by drawing more freely in my sketchbooks. FM: Your art is exceptionally cool and one to inspire, any advice to artists starting out?
HF: First thank you that's crazy. And I would just tell any aspiring artist to make what they love with consistency, I think that's really all there is to know. FM: You also take photos, how does that tie in with your illustrations, if it does at all?
HF: I take photos for myself as well, and I think as they reflect what I see it might tie in with my illustrations in terms of personal style. FM: Any favorite stores or a piece your currently coveting? HF: I'm a big Topshop fan really.
FM: Anything cool or interesting you'd like readers to know about you? HF: I was the lead guitar player and singer in a silly girl band during my teens and I miss it. 37
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Photographer (amongst other things) Danielle Hulls best describes herself as “A young creative from the southern west of Sydney, Australia, with a lust for adventure. Not an ounce afraid to be covered in mud, drenched from head to toe by waves taller than her, tread into foreign places where fear should inevitably be first sense, a few cuts, a couple of bruises, a sniffle here and there, all to create what she loves most.“
Danielle hulls
FLEUR MAG: When did your interest in photography start? DANIELLE HULLS: I never particularly had an interest in photography. I asked for a new point and shoot camera some what to two and a half years ago to replace the one I broke, and received a DSLR instead. I wanted to study graphic design and work closely with musicians, but took an enroute to study photo imaging, which taught graphic design and photography. From there,
I started taking pictures. It was meant to be. One of the most important events of my life was opening that gift under the Christmas tree in December 2011. FM: What type of photography do you mainly do and/or want to do (i.e. portrait, conceptual, fashion, etc.)? DH: As a child, I would create art conceptually. I loved developing concepts through drawing, painting and writing, which struck my love for conceptual photography once I first clasped my hands around my first DSLR. With this, I like to derive this passion of mood and emotion into my portraiture and fashion work, which has become to be a definition of my style, and also branches out to my photojournalism work. 39
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FM: Who are some artists that inspire your work? DH: Like many, I try not to delve too deep into the work of others as I find it blocks my own creativity flow, but I find the biggest inspirations for my work through music. When I shoot, I shoot to a musical score, a certain mood, flow and beat. Artists like Bring M the Horizon, Gabrielle Aplin, Hopes Die Last, Lucy Rose, Panic! At the Disco, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Silverstein, Stone Sour, 30 Seconds to Mars (just to name a few) – are my biggest inspirations for my work. FM: Is there anyone that you love working with? DH: Every sweet individual I have met along my journey has definitely been a pleasure to work with, but my good friend Georgia has definitely taken top of the reigns. Not only is she one of my photographer friends in the industry, she has also become one of my biggest muses for my conceptual work who takes on the role of ‘model’ more and more frequently as of recent. FM: Favorite type of place to take photos? DH: I love everywhere and anywhere to photograph. What I love most about locations and which is the biggest challenge is to shoot in the location, and not reveal where it is. I generally love shrub dense locations, often having access to water, which is my favourite aspect to shoot in.
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FM: What are some positive things you've gotten from exposure of your work? DH: I’ve had my Facebook page running since December 2013 (www.facebook.com/daniellehulls) and Instagram since January 2013 (www.instagram.com/ellhulls) - from the exposure of my work I have met an immense amount of wonderful souls in the industry, spoken with creatives from around the world, a flood of my email inbox, and the warming giggles I get when people appreciate the art I love to create with their comments and lovely messages. FM: I see you live in Australia, Is there anywhere in Sydney that people have to go? DH: As I live in the suburbs, the end of the Sydney train link before the country, the locations I thoroughly enjoy shooting in or at are a minimum of an hour away from home. When it comes to the collaboration with others in the industry such as make-up artists, models, designers etc., I will generally take the initiative and travel closer to them or meet in a mutual location such as the city and shoot in the surrounding amenities. FM: Is there anything interesting you want people to know about you? DH: Some random facts? I was a national streamed gymnast for eight years of my life and expressed myself through the power and grace of the sport, I’ve played instruments such as the guitar, drums, piano and clarinet, and I enjoy making a mess and being dangerously fearless while being creative. I generally carry my camera with me now these days everywhere, as my love to play and manipulate light grows more and more every single day
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photographed by dana nguyen
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YOU DID NOT EAT THAT!
An interview with your new favorite Instagram account with Mandusu Sidibay 71
ecently, I had the chance to interview the self proclaimed, “a funny and light-hearted take on the fashion and entertainment industry's obsession with taking pictures of food and using ice cream cones and macarons as pretty props.� The instagram account has since gained global recognition, with the account reaching nearly 100,000 followers. I asked the anonymous instagramers a few questions:
. MANDUSU SIDIBAY: What is/was the inspiration behind the Instagram? YOUDIDNOTEATTHAT: We started @youdidnoteatthat to make a joke of the trend we are seeing on Instagram with fashion designers, celebrities, bloggers, etc staging these elaborate photos with food, particularly desserts. We felt like we couldn't get onto Instagram without seeing at least a dozen pictures of macarons, doughnuts or ice cream cones, and that all of these people posting those images were following some unspoken formula on how to get lots of "likes" for their photos. And ultimately, the pictures just can't all be real - it was getting so bad that we saw one blogger posted 4 separate photos, over the span of a week, of the same pink doughnut with sprinkles in different settings - at the beach, on a road trip, on her lap...the list goes on. So we were inspired to speak the truth about what we were seeing and to point out the 72 humorous side of this situation.
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MS: How would you describe it to someone who hasn't heard of it? YDNET: It is a funny and light-hearted take on the fashion and entertainment industry's obsession with taking pictures of food and using ice cream cones and macarons as pretty props. We are shedding light on this successful formula that these big Instagrammers are employing: take a picture of some sort of colorful dessert, wear a trendy fashion item that is just in the frame (the current blogger favorite is a pair of Valentino Rockstud Stilettos), photograph the dessert in front of a large (preferably chic) landmark like the Eiffel tower, and boom! you have 10,000 likes. This is just not real life though and we would go so far as to say that most of the people that are using this formula day after day just aren't eating all of the things they are posting. They're solely using them as props. MS: What do you have to say to the critics about the body shaming? YDNET: We are not here to body shame, that isn't the intent at all. We are not saying "youdidnoteatanythingatallandyoushouldbeashamedforbeingthin ." We think most of these ladies look absolutely stunning, they have lovely figures, great style, the whole package. But we are pretty sure they don't look the way they look by inhaling pizza, ice creams and macarons all day every day, as their Instagram's would suggest. Sure, there are people out there that can consume every dessert on the planet and maintain a size negative 2, and they appreciate the message and the laugh we are all sharing! 74
but they are the exception, not the rule. The point of this Instagram is to not take it all so seriously and to laugh at the industry's obsession with food and sweets. But with any joke, people can become offended and it is unfortunate that some have taken this as a body shaming insult. On the flip side, we have had so many people reach out and say that they love the account, it makes them feel good about themselves, MS: Favorite moment running the blog so far? YDNET: Our favorite moment was definitely when NY Mag/The Cut featured us as one of their favorite new Instagram accounts. We read The Cut on a daily basis and to be featured there and for the editorial team to really understand the message of the account and to laugh with it was incredible. Before The Cut article we had 2850 followers - one week after The Cut we had over 50,000 (today we have almost 75k). Goes to show the power of media! MS: Anything else you'd like to share/comments/questions? YDNET: Social media is a powerful platform and a very interesting place to express an opinion. Many people have called us the "whistleblowers" on all the fakery that is seen in fashion and have thanked us for having the guts to call out the "cool kids" for something that isn't real. While we didn't start this to become some giant social commentary, we suddenly have an unexpectedly large reach, and for people to support us the way they have, and to enjoy the underlying message, really resonates. 75
// S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 P L A Y L I S T //
by mandusu sidibay
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1. High Hopes by Kodaline This song has made the cut because of how much of a reality check it is. It’s not a simple cliche’ love song, it’s a song about real life. Kodaline’s music in general all have an airy, light tone to them. You will not catch a single synth pop beat in their music. This song is one of my personal favorites. 2. Sleeping With A Friend by Neon Trees You probably remember this band from their hit in 2012, ‘Everybody Talks.’ If you liked that song, you’ll like Sleeping With A Friend. The single is rooted from their new album, Pop Psychology. Lyrically, the song is a tale of someone falling in love with their friend. Stylistically, the song is quite well orchestrated. The song sounds similar to a psychedelic pop record, but with a much darker, deeper, and personal meaning. 3. Boom Clap by Charli XCX If you’ve seen an advertisement for the new, destined to be Summer blockbuster of 2014, you’ve probably heard Charli’s vocals. This song is a synth pop record with loud, electric beats. I guess I love this song so much because it’s just a cute, pop record. Charli’s vocals complement the track stupendously. If you are familiar with The Fault in Our Stars, this song is scheduled to play during the Amsterdam scenes.
4. Shark in the Water by VV Brown This song is a bit of a throwback, it came back while I was in 5th grade I believe. I remember hearing it from Degrassi and I was obsessed with it. I heard it recently again and the same truth holds, the song is amazing. It's not your typical pop song, and has more of an indie pop song. Lyrically, the song is a metaphorical record about anxiety. You can hear that theme through lyrics such as, “But when I’m in doubt//I open 77 my mouth//And words come out, words come out like.”
MEET THE TEAM
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Meet the team To thank all the members who contributed, “Meet the Team” was created. Thank you Fashion Club 20132014, you guys made this year fun. ENJOY
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Sienna kwami Sienna Kwami, president and editor-inchief, is the Adventure Time-obsessed style conscious person who dreamt up FLEUR. Magazine design and the organization of everyone as well as the blogger and artist interviews can be credited to her.
Mandusu sidibay Mandusu is the newly appointed Vice President, as well as one of my biggest helps this year. From emailing anyone, to producing necessary content and fueling and creating ideas, she has helped the club and magazine move forward in positive direction. Mandusu also obtained the coveted interview with YDNET.
Kathryn capo This crazy pretty photographer, stylist, and writer (triple threat), brought you the “Currently Coveting, as well as the “Street Culture” shoot. Aside from being an amazing contributor, she makes Fashion Club more fun every meeting.
Dana nguyen
Dana graced FLEUR with it’s cover shot and energizes every Fashion Club meeting.
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Jordan barrant Jordan has graced the club with her style and presence this year, as well as the magazine with her review of LUSH Cosmetics.
Lilian Dong Model and Tumblr-updater Lilian, is most prominently featured in the “Street Culture� editorial.
Aisha revolus Aisha, organized the girls, and made sure all assignments were up and ready to go for them to see and get right to work.
Ashly thelusma Without Ashly, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr would be very barren. Thanks to her we have content-filled social media pages.
Ishrat querishi Fashion illustrator, Ishrat, brings us the opening illustration in FLEUR, along with her upbeat positive personality.
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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU The biggest thanks goes out to
Ms. Kelly! Without her this club would have never existed, new friendships would never have been made, and FLEUR wouldn’t be real. We can’t even express how awesome and amazing you are and thank you so much for the opportunity to share our love for fashion with you! 84