INSIDE:
2021 SPRING TRENDS.. FASHION WEEK INTERVIEWS.... ALBUMS THE BRIDGERTON LOOK... TACKLING MASKNE...
OF THE YEAR
GET 1
2
Editor’s Note 2021, a fresh year but a not so fresh start. We are so close to the end of what seems the thick of the pandemic and after all the struggles and sacrifices we’ve been through in the past 12 months we can finally say that there is some light emerging from the end of the tunnel. We might get to enjoy a normal summer and we are all for that! Issue 14 is our 3rd (and hopefully last) issue made almost completely from home. Everyone who contributed did so through some of the most unprecedented times and their efforts and continuous creativity are appreciated now more than ever and celebrated throughout this issue. Our first issue of 2021 is all about a new beginning, a second start to the year and preparing for the spring, touching on everything from homeware, beauty tips, trending pieces and mindfulness. We know how hard it can be to be motivated and inspired during these times and Carbons’ aim, especially in this issue, is to inspire creatives. On that note, we hope you are taking care of your body and mind. Continue to stay positive and continue to be your most creative self. Better times are near!
By Caitlin Coughlan-Léon & Chloe Louise Sharp
3
LIFESTYLE 106
Olivia - ‘happy Mother’s Day, Dad’ Katie HW - ‘hairstyles for spring 2021’ Yvonne - ‘East Asian influencers on Instagram’ Klára - ‘carbon recommends; film edition’ Emily Benison - ‘celebrities babies 2020/21’ Charlotte - ‘10 sustainable beauty swaps’ Cody - ‘room decor’ Tara - ‘top 5 Nintendo switch tik tok accounts’ Ellie Bicknell - ‘10 books to fill you with positivity Scarlett - ‘fashion Instagram influencers’ Bea - ‘photographer interview’ Eloise Trim - ‘how to stay motivated while staying at home’ Lottie - ‘Kylie skin review’ Lottie - ‘love island changing the new concept of beauty?’ Katie HW - ‘10 healthy foods you need to eat’ Makeup tips and tricks - Bella Makeup culture on tik tok - Bella misguided new makeup line - Abby T Best for blondes - Isabelle Whitlock Home decor - Isabelle Whitlock Isabelle Whitlock - gold jewellery Fitness plan - Isobel Gunderson Maskne - Isobel Gunderson Cody - Glitz and glam Beauty hacks - Hannah green Korean beauty - Yvonne Safe space home - Lauren Murphy Wardrobe organisation - Scarlet Filmer
FASHION 012
4
Emily Grillot – predicting trends for 2021, Amy – “Upcycle your spring wardrobe” Cody Alexander - “Fashion that will transport you straight to Paris” Meghan Swales - Alice Thurley brand owner/influencer Zinnia - 6 people style the same item of clothing, Anya - History of the corset Ellie Bicknell - accessories for spring, Bryoney - ‘The Trapstar handbook’ Scarlet - Monika Tilley achievements and her brand, Anna -spring fashion from PrettyLlittleThing, Emily Grillot - Padding bras to lacy bras Meghan Swales - are an interview with a fashion photographer Tara Larkin - ‘Monster High Fashion’, Meghan Swales - tracksuit look book Michaela Piontkova - “when music meets fashion” Ellie Bicknell - article ‘who was Pierre Cardin’, Hannah – patchwork photoshoot Charlotte brooks- Harry Styles is the icon for gender-neutral fashion, Caitlin CL - “renting fashion” Beata Gerasimovaite - 8 classic pieces you should have in your wardrobe Anya - living lavish, Emily Benison - this seasons Riverdale best fashion pieces Lottie – sweetheart neckline dresses, Hannah - all the bags that you need right now, Mia Curtis – “Butterfly season” Charlotte brooks - ‘A day in the life of a stylist’ an interview with the stylist, Ellie Bicknell - Recreation of Kendall Jenner pink dress Mia Curtis - “Bags&Boujee” Jennifer Harriman & Katie - “how to get the Bridgerton look”
HEALTH & WELL-BEING 178
Did students suffer in lockdown? by Eloise Trim The ultimate workout by Bryoney Taylor 2021 Spring skincare to try by Amy Hardy Digital Detox by Caitlin Hammond Sleep routine advice by Caitlin Hammond Pets for life, not just a pandemic by Tara Larkin The Bubble Brand Review by Jennifer Harriman “Addressing Acne” by Jennifer Harriman Head in the Clouds by Victoria Horton Practising positivity and mindfulness by Beata Gerasimovaite, Female body empowerment by Emily Grillot Spring Detox by Klára Volfová Self-care 101 by Caitlin Hammond and Anya Wyeth Abby T - Sustainable skincare The growing popularity of men skincare by Micheala Piontková Positive mind over negative matter by Mia Curtis Top four at-home workouts by Anna Dalligan
CONTENTS
CREATIVE POLITICS 222
Abby T- Harry Styles breaking down social norms. Lauren M- Fashion industry facing decimation over Brexit trade deal. Caitlin CL- Buying black. Victoria H- How are you feeling? Just peachy. Klara V- Sexism in the film industry does not leave men out of the picture. Amy H- Before and after, how social media can show a false representation. Caitlin CL- Diversity behind the camera
ART & CULTURE 280
GALLERY Emily ralph by Charlotte Brooks Hattie gates by Charlotte Brooks Katherine Ramshaw by Charlotte Brooks Sister brand by Sakinah
308
Magali Ledoux by Sakinah Alice Anna Smith by Sakinah
Design by Alice Derrica
I’ll dunk you back Kobe Bryant edition,- Victoria Horton Inside Basquiat’s mind - Alice Derrica Daniel Arsham and the future vision, - Alice Derrica Freelance photographer interview,- Victoria Nieto 10 true crime documentaries on Netflix, - Olivia Clayton Rewind to the 2000s - Bryoney Taylor Interior design history and artist behind them - Helena Polanska How millennial pink turned into gen Z brown - Helena Polanska How did beauty ideal change over the years - Michaela Piontková Photo spots in London - Rebecca Conroy Gracie Marie - Tara Larkin
5
S R O T U B I R T CO N LEO IN OR ITL IT
CA
CH
MEET THE TEAM 2021!
N
ED
P AR SH OR
E LO EDIT
MIA C
I RT
U DE ED PUTY ITO R
S
EM
I
A KOV
GR
AR E LA T P & ED CU IT LT O U R RE
LY RT OR A CT RE DI
T ION
M IC
HA
I LLOT
A R IC
V IC TO
ON
RT
ALI
C
HO RE IA LTU R CU E & GN T ESI AR D
DE E D ER DI PU RE TY CT AR O T R
R
GE OR RE
U LT CU M A & E RT T
TIE LOT
GE
A
MI
AR T
NN
BE
A
RE
CL EA A TI V ED E P IT OL OR IT IC
YT ON
V IC TO
S
AR T
U
HY RP S
EN
M
C TI LI PO ER E V N TI SIG EA DE
UR LA CA
CR
TE
ROYAM
CS TI
ON
LI PO
C
EA AM TI VE Y PO LI
CR
HA RD
TI CS
Y
6
ETO NI
BEC
VE TI EA
CR
RE
R
& TE CU AM LT
IA
U
ET
OLI V I
CR
SS
& Y TE CU AM LT U
TE
AM
RE
CHA G
AL
RL
LE
OT T
E
FA S CAR SH LET IO FIL N W EE K ED IT OR
ED IT O R
BR
RY
M
KS OO
ER
C OD
LE AM
SAMEAM KT
EE
NW IO SH FA
YV
TE
R
NE
ON
E ND
EE
XA
AM
W
K
I LLOT
TE
I
R GR NE IG ES YD ER
M FA TA US
ER Y
LL
INA LL H
GA
IO N
LY
GA
EM
SAK
YA
FA SH
I
K OC
FA S SY WH SH IO ITL N W EE K TE A
M
A NY
WY
ETH GNER
A ION W
EEK
SI DE
KA NS LA TOR O I P N IO
ED
SH FA
ME
G
N IO SH FA
ES S R E
GN SI DE
VA
O G EIN LLB A & WEOR H LT EDIT EA OLF
V RA
H
ES
AL
FA HA SH N SW IO N TE AM
MA TT
LN
HO
KL
HE L
EN
A
H FAS
A NN
N
OVAG ITE
HA
SIM
DES
EN
RE
N IO SH FA
R EL TA LTH & WIGNER
HEA
I R A LBE GE WEL & AM TH TE AL
HG
BEA TA
AR K IN A L LBEING
HE
ND SE
O SH IO WN N TE AM
M
A TE
H
ANN LT H
TL
IN
AD AL
L
M
HA
G N EI LB EL W & AM H E LT T
I TE W AM ELL BE IN G &
N GA
EA
H
CAI
EA
OND
M
Illustrations by Emily Grillot
ABB FA Y T
7
E LL IE
T
R IM LE
R O IT ED
IZZ
TY ES
ES TY LE
D ES IG N ER
LE
S
D
K ATI E LI HA F R
G
ON RS DE NER UN ESIG
R ATE W Y
Y
C SI U M
F LI
WI
CZ
AL E
XL
M UC U SI ZA C TE AM
K IE
EM
LI
BE
ST Y
M
TE A
NE
R
AM
IN
M
BE L
U SI C
LA
SK
TE
LE
B LI
FE
ST Y
ELL A
LL
OR
AM
N
RE
TE
SO
AR
NI
LE
ON
US EY IC T TE A AM
M
YL
FE
BRY
ILY
KATIE HA LIF
EST
R LE YET W
YL
EA
E AT
M
RS
ELL IE F
LI
BI
TE
NE
LE
CK
ES TY
LL
AM
F NI
N
NA
HA N
H JO
H E ICH
- CA
R BON D
IG ITAL EDITOR 8
LOR
JEN
EDITOR IN CHIEF
AN
OR IT ED
L
B-
E
UR
CT PI
R IM
EL
AM
ER
R HA
CH
IN - ART DI R ECTOR IN V L CH I HA EF W
RA
9
Interests Fashion journalism Future aspirations I would like to write for a fashion publication, or to work in marketing or PR Instagram @C1.leon Would you model for the magazine: Yes
THE TEAM Meet a handful of the faces behind this issue of Carbon magazine
Interests Journalism, social media and article writing Future aspirations I would like to be editer in chief for a high end magazine Instagram @Lottie.georgex @the.lottie.look Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Politicis, protests, graphic design, reading and writing Future aspirations To run my own buisness selling fashion graphics prints Instagram @victoriahortonx
Designed and Written by Ella Titman, Photography By Emily Benison
Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Photography, styling and social meida
Interests Article writng
Future aspirations Fashion PR or a career in social media relations
Future aspirations I would like to be happy and successful
Instagram @Hannahmariegreenn
Instagram @_ellietrim
Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Article writing art and culture, creative politics, graphic design and photography Future aspirations I wish to be a succesful owner of a buisness related to fashion and art. I would also like to collaborate with big names in the industry Instagram @issalice Would you model for the magazine: Yes 10
Editor Alice Derrica Interests Journalism, music and the arts Interests Jjournalism, art and culture, Future aspirations To bedesign, an online music, creative politics, graphic marketer for a fashion company or to work photography as a stylist Future aspirations Owner of own Instagram @zinniaev3_4 buisness @zinniaecbridgman Instagram @issalice Would you model for the magazine: Yes Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Fashion journalism, art and culture and sustainability Future aspirations Fashion writer for a high end magazine Instagram @fashioniswheretheheartis_ Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Fashion journalism Future aspirations Happy and successful in something I enjoy Instagram @scarlet.filmer Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Editing, phorography, wrting, photography and videography
Interests Article writing, journalism and photogrpahy
Future aspirations Owner of my own buisness
Future aspirations To be successful in whatever career path i choose to follow
Instagram @jennifer.harriman
Instagram @Abby.townsendd
Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Graphic design, styling and Editing Future aspirations To work as a graphic designer for a fashion company Instagram @_lauren_murphy_ Would you model for the magazine: Yes
Interests Journalism, styling and social media Future aspirations To be a fashion editor for Vogue in New York Instagram @meghanswales Would you model for the magazine: Yes
11
FASHION
12 | Fashion
Fashion | 13
for Loungewear
If you love staying inside If you love staying but wish to still look inside but wish to still stylish get some trendy look stylish get some loungewear to keep trendy loungewear warm, comfy and chic. to keep warm, comfy and chic.
minimal Simple, classy and understated but still making a dramatic statement. Less is more!
face masks
Match your face mask that keeps you and everyone safe during this pandemic with your outfit so you can carry on looking like the fashionista you are.
tennis skirt /sweatshirt/ shirt combo
PUFFER JACKETS Whether you’re a fan of puffers, trenches or oversized teddy coats, there’s no way to deny that the humble coat is an absolute necessity.
14 | Fashion
This new trend has suddenly taken off in a big way and continue to do so. Mixing both sport and fashion is an exciting contemporary look.
ss21 animal print This trend doesn’t go away and is still ruling the fashion world and other sectors. It’s a sense of sophistication, style and versatility.
crop tops
Double denim Should you or shouldn’t you double up on your denim? Twice the denim = twice as good. Lots of celebs agree as they’re hopping aboard the trend.
Crops tops are now more pretty than provocative and sophisticated unlike people thought in the 1990s with the Spice Girls. Most crop tops go with everything from basic to a full going out outfit.
knitted sweatervest
mesh
This is versatile trend and are literally everywhere right now. They might not scream warmth, but they’re actually the perfect insulating base layer. Perfect for every season.
Fashion | 15
Text, Page design: Emily Grillot, Images: unsplash.com
We love a good “grandma” trend, but it’s now time for the grandpa fashion. This upcoming trend is so wearable, for example layered over a button-down shirt or worn as its own top with jeans.
Upcycle your
written and designed by Amy Hardy, photograph on front cover by Amy Hardy, imagery from Prettylittlething.com, Shein, Missguided, Etsy
Spring wardrobe do your bit to help make our world a better place fast fashion is killing our environment why not upcycle your clothes and save money
16 | Fashion
So... How can you help our planet this Spring? The new fashion industr y is something like never before. The industr y is extremely fast pace which means you can get your hands on the latest styles instantly. Although this is great for us, the customers. It’s not so great for our planet. As more and more style’s come out, more and more waste is being produced which is polluting our planet. The fast pace fashion brands are producing clothing items at a ver y low cost. This means the quality of some of the products are not ver y good, these items get thrown away and re-bought as the price is so affordable. This also means that the fabrics used for these products are not sustainable and they are harming our environment. Plastic is polluting our planet and the fashion industr y creates tons of waste which all ended up in landfills and even in our ocean!
Denim is a product we all love, and it comes back around in fashion ever y single year. But this product does not love our planet. In the making of this product a lot of water is used such as dyeing, washing. This means the making of denim has a massive impact on our water footprint. We should not be producing as much denim as we are, and we really don’t need to! People will always be buying denim; it is a staple in our wardrobes. But instead of throwing it away because you are bored of the style or a new version has come out why not re-create a style yourself or sell it online and buy a secondhand style you do like. Upcycling your old clothes means you can reinvent new styles all by yourself. For your 2021 Spring wardrobe you can grab that old denim jacket you haven’t worn in years and add detail or patch work
to make it a brand-new style whilst saving your money. If you don’t fancy doing this yourself, you can help the environment by shopping in second-hand stores such as charity shops and vintage shops. An app that has become ver y popular over the years, especially for the younger generation is Depop. On this app you can buy and sell second-hand clothes at affordable prices. There is a wide variety of items on the app so you can be sure to find what you are looking for. Designer brands to high street brands all available to buy. Here are some Spring 2021 upcycled and recycled styles for your wardrobe this year.
Fashion | 17
1
Patch-work denim Jacket
3
2
Face mask using materials from clothes you dont use anymore
Crop Your oversized T-shirts to make them cute again
4
Print images off and stick onto your basic clothes
18 | Fashion
5
Tie Dye your old clothes that you don’t wear anymore
7
6
Create your old scarfs into cute tops
Crop your old denim jeans and make them into shorts, perfect for this Spring
Buy different badges a sew them onto your denim clothes making a whole set or to wear seperatley
8
Fashion | 19
Designer: Cody Alexander, Writer: Cody Alexander,
FASHION STATEMENTS THAT WILL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO PARIS
Everyone knows the Parisians know exactly how to dress, style and design fashion. From the dreamy veiws and cute cafes to the timeless vintage films we all dream to be in. Paris has it all, and i’m here to show you the fashion statements that will transport you to directly to “La Ville Lumière”. 20 | Fashion
Paris, the place known for dictating the rules of fashion and beauty throughout the ages. Producing some of the top fashion designers of all time. A few such as, the one and only Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Balmain and many more top prime designers. With that being said, Paris is where everyone looks to for all things fashion and I’m here to show you the top “in” looks this season and how to repucate them, on a budget. I’ll have you feeling like Emily in Paris in no time.
Shop the look...(on a budget) Vila trench coat in beige Asos.com £48.00
Leather look shorts Newlook.com £20.00
White t-shirt boohoo.com £2.00
Dupe GUCCI tights Etsy.com - JordanInteriorsand £28.99
Shop the look...(on a budget) Snakeskin belt Accessorize.com £10.00
Beth Rib Tank Top Weekday.com £8.00
Camel wool Beret Isawitfirst.com £25.00
Beige Trousers Topshop.com £45.00
Fashion | 21
Shop the look...(on a budget) Stone oversized Blazer Misguided.co.uk £35.00
Scoop Neck Crop Tank Top Shein.co.uk £6.49
Shop the look...(on a budget)
Dark Blue Wash Wide Leg Jeans PrettyLittleThing.com £25
White Satin Shirt PrettyLittleThing.com £22
22 | Fashion
Pocket Detail Baggy Jeans Shein.co.uk £21.99
Women clean belt uniqlo.com £24.90
Shop the look...(on a budget) Tan Boyfriend Blazer Misguided.com £38.40
Black Square Neck Corset Vest NewLook.com £8.99
Cameo Rose Black Matte Leather Look Leggings NewLook.com £12.99
Gold Look Molten \buckle \ Belt Misguided.com £11
Shop the look...(on a budget) White Houndstooth Boucle Tailored Blazer Dress Misguided.com £32.25 Black Double Sole Over The Knee Boots PrettyLittleThing.com £45
Black Faux Croc Shoulder Bag NewLook.com £11.99
Black Wool Beret ISawItFirst.com £8 Fashion | 23
twenty one & thrivin’
Read this exclusive interview with influencer Alice Thurley as we talk all about her new brand Thurley&Co. What do you study at University? I’m currently in my final year of University, studying Fashion Marketing and Branding. When did your interest in fashion start growing into something you wanted to pursue in the future? I knew I was meant to be in the fashion industry ever since I was young. I loved cutting out my mums magazines and putting togther my favourite looks! I first wanted to be a fashion designer! What made you want to start influencing? I didn’t really go into it thinking I’d be labelled an influencer, but as my following grew, I started to work with more and more brands which I guess then led me down the influencer path. How long did it take for your Instagram to start growing? My Instagram took off within a year! I still have a long way to go by all means but I remember this year I only had around 2-4000 followers, I’m now on nearly 11k.
Designed & Written by Meghan Swales.
How do you make yourself stand out in such an overpopulated industry? This is really hard as I struggle to find my niche within the industry, however, I think Thurley&Co has helped me massively, as I share my story through my platform and help share tips by engaging with my followers through this.
24 | Fashion
What made you want to create your own brand? I always saw myself working for myself. At the end of second year we learnt about branding and how to start up a brand so I just took the plunge to start up my own business.
@thurleyandco @alice_thurley
Fashion | 25
thurley&co
26 | Fashion
What was the inspiration behind Thurley&Co?
Thurley&Co is inspired by many different things, but sustainability was a real one for me, I wanted to make a change to the fashion industry and also feel like I was making an impact on girls of my age opinions on buying smaller and more ethically. The fashion inspo comes from different things, for example the main colour scheme is neutral tones which I think links well to the sustainable feel of things and our main style icons are Princess Diana and Bella Hadid. How did you decide the aesthetic of your brand?
The aesthetic came naturally to me as I feel like I completely knew the look and feel of the brand from what I had dreamt of. Pinterest has helped my creativity massively, I don’t know where I’d be without it! What was your aim when creating your brand?
My aim was actually not to become a huge brand, I actually like the fact it’s a smaller brand, I would just like to educate and create sustainable pieces for my consumers. How did you manage the stress of university along with starting up your own brand?
The stress isn’t too much to be completely honest, I love being busy and that’s exactly what my life is at the moment, it’s about giving time to each thing equally. What were the biggest challenges you faced when creating your brand?
The biggest challenges yet are indeed the models/influencers I choose to market my brand through on social media. Today’s society is much more accepting which is amazing, however in some ways, it means you have to be extra inclusive to not upset people. I think I find it hard to actually include everyone as such a small business with smaller budgets and costs. How did you find starting up your business during the pandemic?
The pandemic did not set me back once, apart from my samples arriving slightly later. I don’t believe the pandemic has set me back. What has been your proudest moment to do with Thurley&Co so far?
The proudest moment of Thurley&Co was being involved in my most recent launch of Season 2, it was amazing to be involved in the shoot, as I styled, directed and shot the images myself. What tips would you give to someone wanting to start up their own brand?
Don’t try to be like someone else or another brand, you will only succeed if you are completely yourself with your own set of brand values. Do you have any exclusive insights into what we could be expecting from Thurley&Co?
I can’t give too much away as of yet but I did recently give a sneak peak on my own Instagram of a sweatshirt we are going to be releasing very soon! All I can say is embroidery and neutral tones! We are going for a vintage feel for the next one. Where do you see yourself and your brand in 5 years time?
I see myself working full time on Thurley&Co, with a full range of sustainable pieces. Fashion | 27
S TYLE I T 6 W AYS FIND OUT HOW 6 DIFFRENT PEOPLE STYLE THEIR BLACK WASH JEANS!
Jacket: Florida Leather Shop Jumper: Primark Jeans: Primark T-Shirt: HMV Shoes: Primark
Jacob Russ
Words by Zinnia Bridgman, Images taken by the people in the images
Jennifer
T-Shirt:Adidas Jeans:H&M Shoes:Nike Watch: Hugo Boss 28 | Fashion
Blazer: H&M T-shirt: Hollister Jeans: Primark Shoes: Nike Airforce
Tony
Scarlet
Jumper: PLT Shirt: Old School Shirt Jeans: Shein Jewellery: Missguided
Coat:SlipStreet Hoodie:Dark Wear Jeans:Primark Shoes: Timberland
Tara
T-Shirt: Shein Flared Jeans: H&M Shoes: Doc Martins Fashion | 29
History of
Co r se t s
Corsets were once a staple in every woman’s closet, centuries later they still are. After years of change and adaptation to trends, the classic garment continues to carry years of history in its boning and lace.
Written and designed by Anya Wyeth. Images sourced from Pinterest.
At the beginning of 2021, the word ‘corset’ was at it’s peak of popularity when being searched on Google. Other popular terms relating include ‘milkmaid’, ‘brown corset top’ and ‘corset top pattern’. Of course the reason for a high demand in this garment is the Netflix show Bridgerton. Due to the popular show, people are taking an interest in vintage, waist tightening corsets rather than the modern style of cropped and simple.
During the 15th Century, you would only see wealthy French women wearing the garment. They wished for a thinner waistline and achieved this by using stiffened linen undergarment, using lace to tighten the front or back. Other terms for them was ‘stays’ or ‘bodies’. The mistress to Charles VII of France started a trend where she wore a gown that would fully expose her breats while wearing the bodie. Coming into the 16th Century, the popularity of wealthy women wearing corsets grew and grew. A massive change to the bodicies was instead of shaping clothes to it, they were just conformed with clothing instead. They way the corset was shaped was different in multiple countries such as in Spain, England, France, Germany and Italy. Corsets would also be worn with a ‘farthingale’, it held out skirts in a stiff shape and turning the upper torso into a cone shape. Corsets in the 17th Century would range from high neck to very low and would be made from linen and bones. During this time, having a prominent bust was a must and corsets were made to accentuate this feature. Exposing the breasts was a sign of beauty in upper class. 30 | Fashion
In the 18th Century, the design of the corset had an even more constricting shape to it. A very fashionable new design had shoulder straps. This would pull the shoulders back until the shoulder blades almost touched. Another change in design was the corsets were highly decorated. Corsets were starting to have a more natural shape to them in the 19th Century. A huge innovation to the corset during this century was the front fastening buck. This was introduced so women could apply their corsets independently.
Now starting the 1900s, the corset had changed the body to create an “S” shaped silhouette. While corsets were at it’s peak, the discussion of them having an affect on womens health had come into place. Doctors were blaming corsets for respiratory diseases, deformed ribs, damage to internal organs and miscarriages. Before, corsets would only be worn by wealthy women but in the 1900s the garment was being worn by upper, middle and working class women. Between the 1920s-1940s, the corset was worn under the bust to mid-thigh. This was done to slim the hips and thighs to create a straight silhouette. Elastic materials were introduced in the 1950s and this helped with creating stretchy materials.
The popularity of corsets got re-introduced in the 1980s. Designers started using celebrities and supermodels to display the garment. Madonna wore corsets in the pop culture world, using them as her stage outfits.
Today, corsets are probably more popular than ever and easier to get your hands on. Young women, celebrities and models are wearing them on a everyday basis. The overall design has changed significantly. Rather than from the bust to midthigh, you are finding cropped corsets from almost every fashion retailer. Most corset tops now are designed more for the look rather than design in tightening the waist. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner also wear corset training tops, to develop a natural small waist figure. There are countless styles of corsets these days and due to trends on Tik Tok and the Netflix show Bridgerton, corset styles from the 19th Century have become a massive trend again. Who knows, more styles from the past may come back into fashion too.
Fashion | 31
ACCESSORIES SPRING TO TAKE IN TO
PEARLS A new trend that’s revisiting is pearls, on necklaces, bracelets and earrings and more. They were everywhere during London Fashion Week and are already being sold by companies such as Gucci and are slowly coming in to more high street stores. Gorgeous pearl accessories have already made their way in to 2021 and will continue to become a much bigger trend through Spring.
Bangles
w t, in tim e for the ne ing in to sh op s fas com d an ck ba er are eth d wh Ba ng les pe ar ev ery wh ere an su btl y sta rte d to ap ce ag ain . on Sp rin g sea so n. Th ey big ing ng les are be com ba y, gle sin rn wo or les tha t the y’r e sta cke d or sil ve r da int y ba ng gin gin g to sle ep go ld be are s nd jum p bra to ny dy Ma yo u’r e no t rea wi th an y ou tfi t, if y ull tif au be go pe wo uld ati ve s are rfe ct ’s, thi s da int y alt ern 00 20 the to in ck str aig ht ba for yo u.
32 | Fashion
Gold Chains The third accessory that could be classed as an essential for Spring 2021 is a gold chain necklace. Chunky or delicate, gold chains will be an essential part of your accessory collection to bring all your outfits together. Layering jewellery is also going to be a big trend in the months coming and having a gold chain necklace would be the ideal starting piece.
Hair Clips
in dif fer en t ha ir cli p. No w com ing the is ts ar he r ou k k pu t t alr ea dy too sty le ha ir bu t sti ll loo An oth er ac ces so ry tha ry ma ke s it ea sy to so ces ac nt the y ga d ele an s thi tre et sto res col ou rs an d sh ap es, se cli ps in mo st hig h-s the on s nd ha ur yo t sil y ge tog eth er. Yo u ca n ea de in thi s ne w ye ar. ha irs tyl es an up gra ur yo e giv so , me eti als o las t a lif
Mitch-match Earr
ings
A br an d ne w tre nd co mi ng in fo r Sp rin g 20 21 is mi x an d ea rri ng s an d to ma ma tch in g ke th is tre nd ev en ea sie r to ac hi ev e, str ee t sh op s ev er hi gh yw he re ar e be gi nn in g to se ll th em Wh et he r yo u ch oo as se ts. se to be bo ld an d bi g or su bt le an d mi s-m at ch in g yo ur da in ty, ea rri ng s is th e wa y to go .
Finishing with your new favourite watch, Spring 2021 is bringing a more minimalistic and vintage style to watches. You’re going to see more square faced watches with dainty straps, making the overall watch smaller and easier to style. Brands such as Olivia Burton are starting to introduce them in to their collections but if you’re shopping more on a budget, ASOS are selling cheaper alternatives. If you’re looking to create a new fresh style, starting with this simple watch style could bring a whole outfit together for an easy going new look.
Fashion | 33
Written and designed by Ellie Trim
Dainty Watches
0 2 20
THE HANDBOOK
34 | Fashion
TRAPSTAR OVERVIEW In 2008, three friends who met in school from West London decided to start making their own T Shirts. Selling them at Portobello Market making some money from them it then gave motivation to make more lines. Trapstar is now a global fashion brand, worn by stars like Jay-Z, Stormzy, Nipsey Hussle and Rihanna. ‘Trapstar takes its name from Trap music, a subgenre of rap that originated in the southern United States. The label was founded by Mikey, Lee and Will who, despite their success, are trying to maintain a degree of anonymity’ - BBC NEWS “It’s like the second coming for us.” Finally, after 13 hard working years Mikey Trapstar feels like his brand is getting the recognition it deserves. Over a decade, Mikey and his 2 friends brand Trapstar has gone from a little secret, to one of the best goto apparel for this generations grime and rap fans in the UK. The gothic logo can be seen from celebrities on Instagram to Fashion Week runways to rap concerts.
“Stores would only want brands who were getting major press. So, our whole concept was to invade,” says Lee. “We were the super underdogs within the streetwear community at a time when there was no separation between the UK market and the rest of the world, you simply had to be able to hold your own against the bigger brands” - THE FACE.COM As on 2020 their list of achievements is long. Official merch designers for one of Rihanna’s tours, a Puma collab and a co-sign from Stormzy and an investment from Jay Z have all helped to expand the brand massively. “We never looked to artists to keep us relevant but we’ve maintained personal relationships with them, they’ve introduced us to a whole new audience,” Mikey emphasises.
awarded Best World Fashion Supreme were - THE FACE.COM
That link between streetwear and music has provided this connection. Trapstar have collaborated with rapper Blade Brown, on a collection named ‘The Trap Revolution Will Be Televised’ they have also released a mixtape with Section Boyz “I feel like we’re going through a sort of renaissance right now where the UK underground scene now controls what happens in popular culture,” Mikey enthuses.
It may look like Trapstars rise in fame has been meteoric, but in fact the hard work needed to get to this stage started long before the term ‘streetwear’ was even a thing or even a multi-million-pound industry.
Even though they have had massive global success with the likes of Cara Delevingne, The Weeknd and ASAP Rocky promoting their famous hoodies, they are still fully aware of how much the UK scene plays a big part on their growth.
“In September 2019 the label was Streetwear Brand at the first annual Awards. Stüssy, Palace, Off-White and among the nominees in their category”
In 2005, Mikey was with his co-founders Lee and Will, and they then decided to create something that would serve and satisfy their friends and peers. The friends shared a common interest in music, trainers and style. They originally began to make their own customised tees in an effort to try and outdo each other and make things that suit their individuality into their garments. What then followed was a memorable conversation with Lee’s Dad who described them as “hood celebrities trapped in the system”. Not being happy with this comment, Mikey challenged him by responding with, “There’s a star trapped in all of us.” In that moment, Trapstar as a label was made. Designed and Written: Bryoney Taylor, Images: Trapstar & THEFACE.COM
Their big moment came across when ‘Supra’ owner Dylan Alkaff asked them if they would want a weekend pop up slot. This would be the first of many of what they eventually called ‘Trapstar Invasions’
As Trapstar became more popular and as demand increased, the trio decided they wanted to become bigger and expand.
'It goes way beyond just fashion. It's bigger than that. The reason we are here today is that a particular culture has supported us. We started at the bottom and worked hard to get to where we are. We now have a responsibility to give back, we have to make sure we keep the culture alive
“Sounds easy, but the decision was initially met with cynicism. “In the beginning no one wanted us to win,” Mikey explains, “and no one wanted us in the industry, so instead of knocking down doors, we had to build our own.” - THE FACE.COM
Fashion | 35
36 | Fashion
T MASK
IRONGATE T STRAPBACK 2.0
AW20 IRONGATE SPECTRUM PANEL ZIP TRACKSUIT
SPEED DIAL HOODIE
DECODED PANEL HOODIE TRACKSUIT
AW20 HOODED IRONGATE QUILTED SLIM FIT JACKET
IRONGATE T BAGGY CREWNECK TRACKSUIT
CHENILLE DECODED TRACKSUIT - CANDY EDITION
BEST SELLERS OF 2020 - AND PERSONAL FAVOURITES
Fashion | 37
Monika Tilley
Writer: Scarlet Filmer Images: created using Adobe Spark
July 25, 1934 – December 23, 2020
38 | Fashion
On December 23rd 2020 the fashion world lost Monika Tilley at age 86. She was a renounced fashion designer and active wear pioneer. Born in Vienna she gained her master’s degree from Vienna Academy of Fine Arts which gave her the opportunity to land a role working as an illustrator for Harper’s Bazzar. Tilley was extremely talented and her activewear, loungewear and racy swimsuits made it onto the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine. Due to her talent, she was hired as a designer of children’s wear at Anna Cole and further went on to work with brands such as Anne Klein and White stage, to name a few. After working with these brands, she found confidence in her designs and set out to make her own brand, creating Monika Tilley Inc. where she attracted clients like Levis Strauss & Co. Tilley would always try and spice up her designs so would add saucy touches such as little bits of lace, shown in the white one- piece Cheryl Tiegs modelled in for the Sports Illustrated cover in 1983. Furthermore because of this, her collections and designs were known for the “sexification” of swimwear in the 70s. She created her designs thinking they would become a very unique American style of dressing. Through her designs Tilley combined a sense of athleticism with an open embrace of sex appeal in a way that would further influence future swimwear. In the 80s Tilley’s signature line of loungewear for Vassarette, featured ankle-length sweaters with bold strips, worn over monochromatic tops and leggings. She created styles that would not be out of place today, showing quite how forward thinking she was. Being very athletic herself and being an expert in skiing, Tilley took an interest in creating very sporty loungewear. She would add notched collars and made housecoats that had a close resemblance to men’s shirts. Moreover, her love for sport pathed the way for her to design the parade uniforms for the American teams at the Winter Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. During her evolvement with sports she also had the opportunity to create a line for celebrity Caitlyn Jenner when she was a track star in the 70s; they became good friends and Tilley designed many more lounge and active wear looks for Caitlyn Jenner. She travelled to universities and colleges around America to speak with deans and students, creating programs that will continue to nurture new talent. Tilley ensured the future of fashion was ready with willing young designers.
Monika Tilley was a founding member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. This group of designers has been around since the 1920s and today has members including Ashley Olsen and Ralph Lauren. The organization develops future American design talent through scholarships and resources in high schools, colleges, and post-graduate schools. The CFDA also provides funding and business opportunities for working designers, where they can get the opportunity to work alongside top designers. The programs they run are amazing opportunities and a great way to get into the industry and it introduces you to a lot of big names. Additionally, the Council of Fashion Designers of America Foundation is a notfor- profit organisation, which was created to raise funds for charity and industry related activities. Through partnerships with different brands, retailers and members of the CFDA designers, the foundation has been able to leverage fashion and with the addition of generate awareness and funds for the charitable causes. A few charitable causes they have raised money for are Target Breast Cancer, HIV/AIDS research and the Initiative for Health, Safety, and Diversity. Tilley remained an emeritus member of the board. Tilley was an award-winning designer, being a recipient of two Coty American Fashion Critics’ Awards in the swimwear section. the iconic bathing suit in which she won one of her awards with is still displayed in the Met Museum, where people can go and admire her work.
“Use fashion as a form of expression: how you feel about yourself, how you present yourself.”
Fashion | 39
spring
PRETTY LITTLE
Design, writing and styling by Anna Dalligan. Hair and Makeup by Helena Burton. Model: Helena Burton
Pretty little thing are undoubtely one of the biggest fashion brands worldwide right now, therefore making them the obvious best place to look for the hottest new trends for spring 2o21!!
SMART CASUAL 40 | Fashion
ACID BLUE MOM JEANS: £21 WHITE COTTON OVERSIZED SHIRT: £16 BL ACK TINTED OVERSIZED FL AT TOP SUNGL ASSES: £7
A white shirt and jeans is a GO-TO for when you’re given that ‘smart casual’ dress code but not sure what to wear!! Paired with sunglasses and some layered jewellery, you can’t go wrong! A cotton shirt is perfect for spring, especially as we all know how unreliable the British weather is, this piece can be worn comfortably on both colder and warmer days, day or night!! Styled here with acid blue mom jeans and sunglasses, you’ll look stylish no matter what !!!
ST
RA
LIG
HT
BL UE H J E A T L E WA S G H NS : £ DEN 15 IM IG
P O POF COLO UR PIN
Want to add a pop of colour to your wardrobe, but don’t know where to start!? Fear no more as PLT have endless cute and colourful tops in stock to help gradually introduce colour into your wardrobe!! a pink bandeau is incredibly versatile, as it can easily be dressed down with a basic pair of shorts to keep cool on a hot day, but also can be dressed up with a black blazer and necklaces to add a pop of colour to a night out look! Here it has been styled with a pair of baggy jeans and glasses, making it the perfect mix between a day and night look! Lilac is an adorable colour to add to your wardrobe, and perfect for spring! This fluffy lilac top is the perfect transitional piece, as this material will be sure to keep you warm on a cold day, but the vest shape and colour of the top is perfect for those sunnier spring days! Once again, an amazingly versatile piece that can be styled for day or night, paired with denim jeans and sunglasses you’d be ready for any occasion!
KB
AN
DE
AU
TO
P:
£7 OV
SU
BL
AC SIZ K TI NG ED F NTED LA S S L AT T ES : £ OP 7 ER
BL ACK TINTED OVERSIZED FL AT TOP SUNGL ASSES: £7 LIL AC SOFT-TOUCH HALTER TOP: £16 ACID BLUE MOM JEANS: £21
Fashion | 41
BRA TO BRALETTE Tired Of Your Restricting Bra? Turn It Into a Bralette With These 3 Simple Steps
The trend ‘bra to bralette’ rose to fame on TikTok as a new comfy way of wearing your old and used bras. It means taking out the overly stiff padding and revealing the lace overlay design, creating almost a completely new bra but in a more feminine and sensual way. Gone are the days of uncomfortableness and awkward re-adjusting. The new way to wear your bras ensures those days are gone, because no one wants to be trying to act natural in Tesco when the underwire is stabbing your chest while grabbing a packet of mini eggs for easter holidays right? I thought so ladies . So this new trend is a saviour to us all! let’s save us some coin from splashing out on Victoria’s Secret new range or Lounge Underwear at £50+ a set (even though it’s all to die for) and focus on re-designing our bras into something new we can learn to love again. This step-by-step guide will mean that every bra left in your drawer to gather dust will have a new lease of life, and ultimately look good doing it. So what are you waiting for? Grab that pair of D.I.Y scissors and spice up your intimates wardrobe!
42 | Fashion
STEP BY STEP GUIDE Step 1:
Choose a bra that you’re ready to part ways with that has a lace overlay and go get the scissors.
Step 2:
Pinch the lace from the padding to make sure you don’t cut into the lace. Start to cut away the thread at the top of the bra and work your way round the cup.
Neaten up the edges to give it a professional look and there you go, your new lacey bralette is ready to wear. Fashion | 43
Text, Page design, Illustrations: Emily Grillot
Step 3:
44 | Fashion
BEHIND THE SCENES of a
fashion photographer
24 year old fashion photographer, Beth Boreham, gives us an insight into her career and tips for aspiring photographers. What does a typical day in your life look like? As a photographer, each day can vary from the next which is all part of the fun. Some days I will be out on location shooting with a client, and others are spent at home on my laptop editing or completing admin. I love working for myself and being able to control exactly what my working days will look like. What do you love most about your job? I’d describe myself as quite a social person, I love meeting new people and chatting! My favourite part of my job is of course being behind my camera, getting creative and snapping away, but more than that I also just really love meeting new, like-minded clients and having a good old laugh on shoot! How would you describe your photographic style? When talking with clients, the word they’ve used to describe my work is every time is ‘natural’. Mostly it’s the ‘in-between’ candid shots that make the cut when I come to select images from a shoot, rather than super posey ones. I enjoy capturing natural moments and I think that comes across in a lot of my work. My editing style is often bright and natural too, I don’t like to use any heavy filters, I just tend to create slight tweaks and keep things bright and airy. How do you edit your images? I mainly use Lightroom Classic for photo editing, it’s great for colour grading. I’ll also occasionally use Photoshop if there’s something in the image that I want to remove i.e. a person in the background. I do all of my editing on my Macbook.
What is the most challenging part about your job? I think we are all our harshest critics and critiquing my own work is part of my job as a ceeative, I am often hard on myself which can be frustrating at times, I’m definitely a bit of a perfectionist, but at the same time it pushes me to achieve my very best. What is typically in your camera bag? Well of course I have things like my camera, lenses, spare batteries and SD cards, but I also carry a few other items around with me on all my shoots that you may not think of. I have a small compartment in my camera bag where I place things such as eyelash glue and spare hairbrush. Often on location shoots it’ll just me and the model - we don’t have a stylist or an assistant helping. I was once caught out on a shoot when a model’s false lash came off and we did not have any glue to stick it back on with, we had to postpone the rest of the shoot for another day. I won’t make that same mistake again and I now carry eyelash glue around with me in my camera bag (I haven’t had to use it yet though!) What tips would you give to an aspiring fashion photographer? Practice, practice, practice! I started my photography journey by offering as many complimentary shoots as I could possibly fit in, with an array of different models in order to broaden my experience. Even now as somebody who makes a living from being a photographer, as a creative I will never stop learning and so the more people you can get in front of your camera, the better!
Where do you see yourself and your career in the next 5 years? I’m so happy to have found a career that I am truly obsessed with, and so in five years time I’d be over the moon to still be doing exactly what I’m doing right now, just with even more lovely clients! It would be a dream to work with some big fashion brands too. Fashion | 45
Written and Designed by Meghan Swales
What has been your favourite shoot location so far? Ah that’s a tricky one! Generally, my favourite shoots are often street style, and I love discovering new street locations local to me that have the sort of aesthetic you might typically find in London. I can’t wait for the day I can shoot further afield, but because of the pandemic I’ve kept things relatively local this year. I also discovered a local wheat field during early summer last year, I took a client there to shoot and once I’d posted it on Instagram I had so many messages from other clients wanting me to shoot there too - it was definitely a popular location with my clients last year!
How did you get into fashion photography? I did A-level Photography back in sixth frorm, and for the last five years I’ve been active online as a fashion blogger/influencer. I decided to put the two together to become a fashion photographer, mainly focussing on creating content for online creatives. I got an insight into this sort of work back in 2016 in the early days of my blogging when I met the lovely Lydia Collins (Instagram: @lydiaxcollins) for a photoshoot in London. I completely admire Lydia’s work and would say she is my main inspiration, without discovering Lydia I wouldn’t have known that a career like this was possible!
Monster, H i g h Fashion
Want to get monster, high fashion? well, Everyone talks about Bratz Dolls, but what about Monster High Dolls? They were the rebellious teens that we all aspired to be. Well, now you can be them. Take these style inspirations and turn them into your own! Become the best ghoulfriend you can imagine. Monster high fashion starts with platform shoes, chains and layering! Why not give it a go?
‘freaky just got fabulous’ 46 | Fashion
t
Fashion | 47
Dynamic Draculaura Draculaura was the pink and black queen. She always gave us the perfect ensemble of cuteness but still that gothic edge. Use layers of black fishnets against a baby pink bodycon dress to achieve the perfect silhouette. Her shoes were to DIE for, always chunky heels. To add to her vampire background, try the iron fist x ash costello boots for reference!
6 d 48 | Fashion
Gorgeous Ghoulia Ghoulia always gave us practical, sophisticated vibes with the cutest layered yet comfy options. These are perfect for a trip to the library. Experiment with hair accessories, dark eye makeup and a red lip to brighten up the darker tones! Then, layer long-sleeves and crop tops together, giving the fit dimension and cinching the waist in! Cargo trousers are a go to, especially with a chain, to stay comfy but on trend. For a day studying, move away from the platforms and give a good pair on Converses a go, you literally cannot go wrong with these!
0
6 C Fabulous Frankiestein Frankiestein served us a classic school girl look with a monochromatic scheme, perfect for a clear aesthetic. Using a similar colour palette in one fit really makes it flow. Try a v neck sweater vest layered over a classic shirt, paired with a plaid skirt, chain and of course, the highest Demonia platforms you own! For practicality but cuteness, always throw in a handbag, preferably black, to tie the whole look together!
Fashion | 49
but make it cute...
sweats
Photography and Design by Meghan Swales
You may feel as if all you have worn for the past year is sweats, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look cute at the same time. Here are 4 different tracksuits you should buy to ensure you feel put together whilst lounging around.
Missguided Mocha Oversized Hoodie - £21 Missguided Mocha Oversized 90s Joggers - £22 50 | Fashion
Sisters and Seekers Get Over It Hoodie - £34.99 Topshop Black 90s Oversized Joggers - £25.99
Fashion | 51
PLT Cream Crewneck Sweater - £18 PLT Cream Cuffed Joggers - £20
hoodie season 52 | Fashion
comfort >
PLT Ash Grey Oversized Hoodie - £18 Topshop Grey Oversized 90s Joggers - £25.99 Fashion | 53
WHEN MUSIC MEETS FASHION Have you ever seen someone in a band T-Shirt and thought “Wow, this looks so cool!” but never got to buy it because you didn’t know where? We have good news! You don’t need to know any specialized shops! Here are our tips on common stores that surprisingly sell merch clothing!
H&M H&M is known for their collaborations with different designers as well as with famous music artists. From Justin Bieber to Billie Eilish, they always manage to make a collection that solds out immediately. However, did you know that besides these seasonal merches they also sell a stable range of printed clothes? Those include logos of movies, tv series and musicians. You can find there bands like Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd or AC/DC on both T-Shirts and hoodies. Sportsdirect Even though you probably wouldn’t expect a store that specializes in sportswear selling music inspired prints, Sportsdirect offers a wide range of mostly men’s merch T-shirts. From heavy metal bands like Slipknot to rapper Eminen to country singer Johnny Cash to pop phenomenon Justin Bieber, they have it all. The only disadvantage is that 99% of the printed clothes are for men and only T-Shirts. However, if you either are a man or you don’t mind wearing men’s cuts then there is a high chance you will find what you’re looking for.
Written, Designed and Collage by Michaela Piontková
Primark Yes, Primark really has it all. Although it is not their regular offer, you can still find some cool merch clothes there. And for good prices as well!
54 | Fashion
Boohoo & BohooMan Most of us associate Boohoo with trendy clothing for both women and men but that is only a part of what you can actually get. If you take a look in the print section, you’ll be surprised how big it is. There are many different motives including the bands’ merch. Not only that they are affordable which is a big plus considering that those can be quite pricey but they also offers them in both female and male brunch so everyone can find what they’re looking for. Amazon Ah, good old Amazon. You might not be surprised that you can find merch clothes there like, well, basically everything else, however you might not know the wide demographic they target. Whether you are buying a T-Shirt for a man, woman, adolescence or a kid, they got you covered. It is true that the prices are a bit higher than for example Boohoo, however they are still cheaper compared to the merch from official websites of the bands.
Fashion | 55
WHO WAS
Pierre Cardin?
The French fashion designer who looked at futuristic ideas, extravagant designs and architectual like clothing. Pierre Cardin was born in 1922, near venice in Italy. His family then moved to france when he was 2 years old. Cardin lived in Vichy through the war and worked with The Red Cross helping poor people. In an interview he said that despite the war, he was fine, and got through life. After the war he decided he no longer wanted to work for The Red Cross. He went and saw a fortune teller who read his cards and told him that he would be very successful and that his name would be known across the world. Cardin says that at the time he thought she was crazy because he had nothing. She then gave him a name of a man in Paris so that he could get started working for a fashion house. After moving to Paris he found the fashion house and man the fortune teller had given him. His fashion career started here, working for Paquin. He helped to cut and sew film and theatre costumes for Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bete. Cocteau then introcuded Cardin to Christian Dior. Dior hired him as head cutter for coats and suits for the New Look collection of 1947. This involved difficult techniques due to its ‘extreme fit and high volume’. Cardin left Dior in 1949 to start his own house. He was wished well, sent roses and clients to his workshop, by Dior. His customers included Eva Peron and Rita Hayworth, who requested extravant clothing. Cardin went on to create 30 masquerade costumes for a famous 1951 Venetian Ball. This paid enough for Cardin to rent the rest of his studios premises, floor by floor. By 1953 he had taken over a mansion on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. Here he was able to experiment with menswear on its street frontage, which was later turned into a boutique.
56 | Fashion
By the time Cardins full collection was ready in 1957, couture had started to veer towards his radical outlines. In 1959 he created one of the first designer ‘ready-to-wear’ collections for women. And created the first designer ‘ready-to-wear’ collection for men in 1960. In 1959, Cardin helped design part of the bridal trousseau for Japans Emperess Emerita Michiko, for her wedding to the then Crown Prince Akihito. Cardins unisexuality appealed to the 1960s. His menswear appeared far in advance of anything else available. Due to this, The Beatles aquired versions of his simple jackets with no collars or lapels. He went on to share female fashions brief ‘space age’ with Andre Courreges and Paco Rabbane. However some of the concepts dated quickly (vinyl visors and plastic paillettes) and Cardin developed Cardine, a synthetic fabric, just as taste returned to natural fibres. His principle of base layer solid tights and a stretchy t-shirt has become a long term female staple. At the height of actress Jeanne Moreau’s career, he designed her outfits that appear unflattering and unsympathetic. It is rumoured that Cardin went on to have a five year affair with the actress.
Cardin took his name further when he realised that manufacturers would pay for a couturiers name on their products. It did not matter to them if Cardin had designed them or supervised the making. His name was in 140 countries, on 800 products that he claimed to be involved in. These included sardines, mineral water and even frying pans. This move spread his name far and wide and Cardin would say “My name is more important than I am”. Creating the first truly global fashion empire. All his deals were signed off and checked over personally as he had a distrust for lawyers and banks, plus he new what buissnesses wanted from him.
“My
clothes are not
Fun,
This led to journalist Richard Morias writng an unauthorised biography called “The man who became a label”. Cardin presented a collection to communist China in 1979 when it was still mostly closed to the outside world. And two years after the Berlin wall came down, Cardins fashion show on Moscow Red Square attracted 200,000 people.
they are
In an interview with Alaine Kann, Cardin stated that he had been around the world twenty seven times. He said that the world is now small to him, not the same size it was when he first got into fashion.
worrying;
it is like listening to
Also within the same interview he suggests that elegance is about concealing. And when questioned for his opinion on the likes of Prada, Gucci and Armani, he says that they are commercial brands.
contemporary
He emphasises that the banks did not make his brand, he did and he is the only owner of it. He adds that designing wearable clothes is not creativity.
music”
Fashion | 57
The Patchwork EDIT: Ser ving you our favourite streetwear patchwork, Jaded London vibes without the price tag.
Phorography, Styling and page design by Hannah Green
A street style wardrobe is not complete without a feature of patchwork. Patchwork is intricate needlework in which small pieces of cloth in different designs, colours, or textures are sewn together. Using natural tones and overlaying seams with the same pattern or even funky new clashes is a total look. This is a look book of slaying and styling some affordable garments that you need to cop. Fast fashion brand Pretty little thing offer a huge varied section under patchwork on their website and app, not only this pretty little thing has been offering daily deals such as free next day delivery or 30% of all bottoms/tops. So definitely head over to PLT, Nasty gal and Misspap have also stepped up their game, adding a street style aesthetic to their collections. Using chains, diamontes and tie-dyes added to patchwork has caught our eyes and we can’t wait to see more of this trend in the future! Throughout this look book we present you three different ways how patchwork can be worn and styled, giving you ultimate inspiration . 58
k
Chocolate Mesh High Neck Patchwork long sleeve bodysuit. Available in other colours Pretty Little Thing £12.00
59
Tan frayed patchwork denim jacket £13.00 Tan frayed patchwork denim mom jeans £21.00 Pretty Little Thing
60
Multi Bandana Print Patchwork Long sleeve crop top Many different patterns available £12.00 Pretty Little Thing
61
HARRY STYLES: the
ICON of gender-neutral fashion From boy-band superstar to global fashion style icon, Harry Styles has changed the world of male fashion and diluted rigid stereotypes. With his innovative and fluid style grabbing the attention of fans all over the world, there is no doubt to why he is an inspiration to society.
Written & designed by Charlotte Brooks/ Illustrations by Charlotte Brooks
At only 26 years old, Harry styles has managed to not only be a member of one of the most recognisable and successful boy bands in the world, but to be established as the biggest style icon of the modern dyand have a major impact on the fashion industry. Back in 2010 when One Direction formed on The X Factor, Harry dressed in typical male fashion but by 2013, his style started breaking boundaries and was viewed as more unique and eccentric compared to the other members of the band. Occasionally he could be seen wearing a Burberry shirt, an eccentrically printed jacket, or a silk scarf which led to him being awarded a British Fashion Award for his style in 2013. Since then, Styles’ fashion has only evolved further, with signature brands such as Gucci, Burberry and Saint Laurent making a regular appearance in his wardrobe. His fashion icon status was fully established in 2018 when it was announced he was the face of Gucci’s tailoring campaign. Styles has been expressing himself in a genderneutral way for many years, with one example being his outfit for the celebrity portraits on Saturday Night Live 2019. Styles dressed in a baby pink ballerina style tutu embracing himself and showing off his femininity. Fans praised him for letting go of his masculine side with confidence and showing others if he can be a ballerina, they can as well. The singer is known for wearing heels on the red carpet, occasionally wearing jewellery such as pearl earrings to the Met Gala and regularly having manicured and painted nails, expressing his feminine side. Styles regularly works with gender-fluid fashion designer Harris Reed, who prioritises the idea of changing how we view acceptance and fluidity rather than the clothes themselves which the singer was a huge supporter of. In December 2020, Harry Styles became the first solo male to be featured on the cover of US Vogue magazine which is a huge achievement for both him and the progression of gender fluidity in 62 | Fashion
society. And why is this? Harry was pictured wearing a custom-made Gucci ballgown dress with lace trims and a tuxedo jacket. Although Vogue has included men on the covers of their magazines before, it has always been part of a couple such as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber. The images of Styles caused the internet to explode with fans admiring him for openly expressing his style and Vogue for accepting gender-neutral fashion. In the accompanying interview to the pictures, Styles commented on the progression within the fashion industry and how ‘the lines of what you should wear based on your gender are crumbling away’. He views gender as a barrier and a limitation in life and said that once you remove these you open up different paths. In the interview, Styles also expressed his love for fashion and explained how fashion is a significant part of his personality. He views style as a form of creativity and a way to communicate his individuality through fashion and express kindness and acceptance.
The impact of Harry Styles’ fashion and confidence to express himself can be seen massively online. Videos have been made and published on YouTube of both men and women recreating iconic Harry
Styles outfits with their own clothing in their wardrobes, one of which has over 126,000 views (created by Jordan O’Brien). One particular rainbow patchwork cardigan that Styles wore on the ‘Today’ show in February 2020, has been replicated by fans all over the world and shared on the popular social media video creator appTik Tok. Many fans knitted their own cardigans as the one Styles wore, which is now acknowledged as a piece of fashion history in the Victoria and Albert Museum, was $1560, a little out of most young people’s budget. Just by fans replicating and recreating Styles’ fashion, it shows the vast acceptance young people have regarding genderneutral fashion.
they want to be and by having widely known influencers around them showing them that they can challenge traditional boxes and do not have to conform to societie’s rules if they don’t want to, it makes the process a lot easier than what it used to be. Since Harry Style’s success, he has redefined what it means to be a man with confidence, expressing power instead of toxic masculinity. At Carbon, we believe that this is what the future needs, whether it be in the same way as Styles or different. Be comfortable in your skin, dress how you want and be the person you want to become. Don’t let anyone define who you are, no matter what they say because no one will be truly happy otherwise.
Generation Z is growing up and figuring out who Fashion | 63
Written & designed by Charlotte Brooks/ Illustrations by Charlotte Brooks
Although the responses to Harry Styles’ fashion and in particular the cover image were positive, several controversial comments were made against his style and success. US author Candace Owens tweeted “bring back manly men” after the front cover was released which is extremely traditional and unempathetic. Others did not appreciate the admiration Styles received from his fans, claiming many other celebrities such as Mick Jagger and David Bowie dressed similarly and merged gender lines. Styles also received backlash as some claimed when Bowie was seen wearing a dress he was labelled provocative for breaking social norms. However, there were a vast number of people who disagreed with the criticisms and here at Carbon we also disagree. We believe that nowadays society is going through a process of unlearning and relearning social norms, breaking down barriers and accepting those who do not fit into rigid boxes. We also believe Harry Styles is an icon for exerting confidence within the way he dresses and is continuing to be a massive influence for younger people who have grown up with One Direction, showing them they can be whoever they want to be and dress however they please. Although celebrities such as Mick Jagger and David Bowie similarly expressed themselves, Style’s has a wider platform to influence, with the benefits of the internet and social media being able to reach out to a wider audience and perhaps those who specifically relate to him.
Renting fa s h i o n Today’s generation is one of thrifters, depopers and now, more recently, fashion renters. The fashion industry itself remains the third most polluting industry and the rise of throw away garments has done nothing but aggravate the figures. With all of us becoming more environmentally aware, looking for more sustainable shopping options, for-rent occasion-wear is seen as the ultimate solution to the throwaway culture jumpstarted by the growth of fast fashion, designer rental services have become the answer to our overconsumption. I spoke to Emily Batters, vintage fashion lover and founder of Vault Magazine, about her newest pursuit, Vault rentals.
and rare collections that are highly sought after are considered treasures and have been traded and collected for years and years.” Where did your love for vintage designer come from? “My love for vintage designer has defiantly developed but it all started from my love for charity shops and Depop etc. I’ve always loved luxury items but they are just way too unattainable due to the expensive price tag but vintage designer bridges this gap as you can get a high-end piece for a fraction of the price.” What made you want to get into fashion renting?
How did you jumpstart Vault magazine? “Vault started as a magazine about second-hand clothing as I just love finding a bargain and the thrill that you get when you find a piece of clothing that is truly unique! The high street shops were never for me. I wanted to shine a light on secondhand clothes in a different way as people can associate preloved clothing with someone’s old hand-medowns! Therefore I wanted to create a community with my magazine for these fashion lovers but to also educate more people that these clothes can be styled and made to look high end. I realised that secondhand didn’t always mean a cheaper price tag - the polar side of secondhand where luxury goods are traded at a higher value than their sale price
64 | Fashion
“I feel like it’s the next natural step that fashion is taking to become more circular. The fashion industry is estimated to create 92 million tons of textile waste annually, so it is a big issue that needs to be solved. Renting is the natural solution to this especially with the Instagram ago of worn it once can’t wear it again attitude. You can rent a designer outfit for a fraction of the cost of buying whilst not adding waste to your wardrobe pile. Luxury goods are also more durable due to their nature so they last longer = more people can wear that one outfit. We all are guilty of not having a top to wear on a night out and so end up scrolling through our friends Instagram photos to find a top that we can ask to borrow. I see renting as the same concept like this but just made into a business model!”
to their nature so last longer = more people can
we will possibly expect this to branch out into other
wear that one outfit. We all are guilty of not having
fashion markets.”
a top to wear on a night out and so end up scrolling through our friends Instagram photos to find a top
Do you have any sustainable wardrobe tips besides shopping
that we can ask to borrow. I see renting as the same
vintage and fashion renting?
concept as this but just made into a business model!”
Its quite a new thing to alot of people, how did you learn about it? “Research and looking at upcoming trends on WGSN. Whilst doing vault magazine as well I starting seeing rental shops popping up that were renting designer luxur y goods. It still seems
“Upcycling! I recently made my old Air Force 1 look brand new just by giving the stitching a lick of paint and bleaching the laces. There are so many ways that you can improve your wardrobe to save money but also reduce waste so it’s just win-win! Also, all of the clothes that I no longer want anymore will always be sold on Depop
quite taboo to rent clothing but
or taken to the charity shop
I see this as the future of what
as
the fashion industr y will look like as we are already seeing the fall of the regular high
adapt to customers changing towards in
a
are
moving
higher
interest
environmental
trash
is
fashion find?
like Topshop are failing to which
else
What is your favourite vintage
street as we speak. Retailers
needs
someone
another person’s treasure.”
“I
recently
found
myself
some Roberto Cavalli jeans that I love on eBay for an
issues.”
absolute bargain price but unfortunately, they don’t fit me! But that’s the risk you
Have you ever done it before, if so from where and how was the experience?
take buying second hand.”
Rental platform, HURR, also has a feature that allows you to list your own designer pieces using ID verifcation and geotagging, for others to rent.
“I can’t say that I have ever rented from anywhere before but I plan to ver y shortly! I need a good event to go to but thanks to the coronavirus my social life is non-existent! The idea that you can dress up in an expensive dress or suit that I can be rented for £20 is just fab to me. As I, like most people, don’t like wearing the same thing twice!”
Will Vault rentals be exclusively ‘vintage’ designer?
option
all
while
With major formal events being cancelled daily, investing in expensive pieces may not be the right move especially as we have little knowledge of when life will be going back to normal. Hiring ready-to-wear may be a more economically friendly keeping your wardrobe clutter-free.
“I feel that naturally, rentals will work better with more high end and luxur y goods as there is a bigger desire for these and it’s more exciting to wear a Gucci suit for £30 than say to rent a top from Zara These high-end goods are also higher in quality and more durable to their nature and will have a longer life span, meaning they can be worn over and over again. As renting becomes more normalised
Created by Caitlin Coughlan-Léon
as you could probably just buy it for that price.
Fashion | 65
8
Classic Pieces To have In your
Wardrobe
With fashion trends changing season after season, it is nearly impossible to have every single trendy item hanging in your wardrobe. Especially when you’re on a tight budget. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here we give you some timeless pieces you should be investing in. Elegance will never go out of style.
66 | Fashion
Little Black Dress A white shirt ZARA £19.99
Coast £69.30
Black sunglasses PRADA £126
ZARA £27.99 Jeans to suit your figure type
& Other Stories £59
8
Ted Baker £69
A-Line skirt
Nude trenchcoat
A black blazer
Office £55 White sneakers
Fashion | 67
Writen and designed by Beata Gerasimovaite. Images from google.com
MANGO £79.99
Page designed and written by Anya Wyeth. Logos redesigned by Anya Wyeth. Pictures sourced from brands website
68 | Fashion
LIVING LAVISH We have all dreamt of untying the ribbon on a Gucci box, revealing a gorgeous, luxurious item. However when it comes to looking at the price and that one item costs more than what you have in your bank account, the dream is crushed. Let’s have a look at the cheapest items at high end stores so you can still provide that slight flex.
GUCCI
BALENCIAGA
CHANEL
This gel face gloss is made for eyes, lips and cheeks, in one universal shade. This product is used to create a natural highlight and sculpt to the face.
While living in a pandemic and a face mask being a everyday essential item to wear, why not do it with a stylish brand.
Chanel providing a powdery texture thats available in multiple shades to create a long-lasting defined brow.
Éclat De Beauté Effet Lumiere gel face gloss - £18
Balenciaga Care Mask - £95
Crayon Sourcils - Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil - £21
LOUIS VUITTON Card Holder - £140
With a simple statement piece, these card holders have 3 slots to make use for dredit cards, transport cards and business cards.
DIOR
Backstage Blender - £15 The Dior sponge applicator has a high-density, soft-touch material that creates a perfectly even coverage.
lavish
/ˈlavɪʃ/
adjective
sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious. “a lavish banquet”
Similar:
sumptous, luxurious, luxuriant, lush, gorgeous, costly Fashion | 69
Designed By Emily Benison, Images from Netflix
Unique and iconic fashion looks from this seasons show...
70 | Fashion
Fashion | 71
72 | Fashion
Fashion | 73
74 | Fashion
Westfields, they are still staying strong on their online store. Missguided is known for their more relaxed, city-styled so their dresses are different to those of other brands. Their ‘Mocha rib knit bust sweetheart midaxi Dress’ is one for everyday wear, as it warm and comfortable -perfect for errands or even brunch with the girls. However, saying this I also found the ‘Pink faux leather sweetheart neckline puff sleeve dress’ which is an ideal date night dress. The faux leather gives the dress a sexy, seductive tone yet the neckline and puff sleeves also show a girly side to it making it perfect for any girl. Missguided is definitely the place to go for cheap diverse dresses.
With the end of lockdown, hopefully, ending soon we find ourselves getting separation anxiety from our joggers and oversized hoodies. Fear not, as here are the top shops to grab a super sexy sweetheart dress before the long awaited night out! Firstly, the go to shop for any night out, Oh Polly. Oh Polly is almost a safety blanket for any girl on a night out, with hundreds of different styles and looks for any occasions. When on the website, there were many sweetheart neckline dresses perfect for anything from date night to girlie shopping trips. The two most popular dresses I found were the ‘Long puff sleeve ruched mesh mini dress’ and the ‘Keepsake puff sleeve mini dress’, these dresses are definitely more for a night out yet are still simple and classy. The ruched mesh mini dress is a dress perfect for a date night, as everyone knows the LBD never disappoints. The keepsake puff sleeve, I would say it more a party dress as its vibrant blue will not leave you hiding in a crowd. Oh Polly always has your back with it’s reasonable prices and high quality dresses.
For our luxury lifestyle girls, I looked at House of CB. This brand if the one you go to when you get paid or, like many of us, when your student loan comes through. House of CB is very expensive with prices from £50-200 but the quality is amazing and the dresses are timeless classics- definitely worth every penny. However, they do not hold as many clothes as other brands like PLT, but the ones they do sell are all best sellers. The ‘Emerald green velvet corset dress’ and the ‘Polka dot puff sleeve midi sundress’ are the hottest two right now. Anything with velvet on is instantly gorgeous, this dress is an absolute must have for any night out or big occasion. The emerald green is a wonderful colour as it can be paired with both light and dark colours. The sundress is perfect for those summer romantic days out. The dress is such a classic and would never go out of style, perfect for the price being paid for it. The sundress can be styled up or down depending on occasion which is such a good quality to have in a dress.
Obviously, PrettyLittleThing is the next company any girl would turn to when in a fashion crisis. PLT , as usual, had hundreds of dresses suitable for anyone no matter shape or size. Unlike the other brands, PLT tends to keep their garments very simple so that the girls can dress up and style it to fir them which is why they are so popular. Some of the best selling dresses; the Shape black sweetheart hook and eye body con dress and the Cream structured rib sweetheart neck split sleeve body con dress are kept very plain, with no pattern and found in black and white. Even though they may sound dull, paired with some diamonds or a colourful bag and heels would turn the outfit into one that is unique and personal to the girl. Next up is Missguided, even though they have suffered a major loss loosing their physical shops in both Bluewater and
Mocha
us rib knit b
t midaxi r a e h t e e w s t
dress
Long p
uff sleev
e ruched
mesh mi
ni dress
Fashion | 75
All The Bags You Need For Spring 2021
We’re totally loving tote bags, they’re making a comeback and we’re seeing this in all sorts of designs, fluffy animal print, funky bright patterns or hand painted pretty designs. Small businesses are excelling with these gorgeous sustainable bags show your support buy supporting small businesses like @miskabags. Miskabagsn and many other small businesses sew eco friendly cotton bags that are hand painted for a small price, these are great for your shopping, for your work or just for your style and who wouldn’t want to support a small independent business? We’ve been freed of the fluffy bucket hat trend and now we’re onto fluffy bags, zebra print, floral, tie dye and block colours, we’re loving it all and we can definitely see brighter days in spring with these adorable bags. These would be perfect for Instagram storeys, picnics, beach days and woodsy walks. These bags have become available and very common on our favourite sustainable app Depop. Not just this, fast fashion brands like PrettyLittleThing and Shein have also started providing these funky fluffy bags. Chains are so in, gold, silver, matte and multi-coloured we’re all over it. Our necks are dripping in them! So why can’t our shoulders too? This simple but glitzy embellishment gives us such y2k vibes and it’s a necessity for spring. Prada bags are simply our dream however Urban Outfitters all creating some stunning affordable bags in lots of different colours and styles another trend we’ve seen Urban Outfitters following is this gorg teal and dusky pink tones one. Are neutrals on their way out? Tote bags are taking over and with many different designs, our favourite has to be the customizable Zara grey Merl bag. This gives us such sophisticated vibes and for when we’re back in our workplace or even university this would be perfect for organisation but keeping stylish as well. Keep an eye on the Zara website for more tote bags or personalization coming from them. We are also adoring the spring colour palette to come back we all need a bit of colour in our lives after this gloomy movielike past year we’ve had. Is it time to bring pretty pastels back? We think so and doing this subtly with a small accessory like a bag would be the best way to do it! Will we be seeing pretty manis to match? Why not match your mask with your bag? As you can see teal and dusky pink will be the new chocolate and beige and we’re here for it.
The bags we hope to see on your shoulder this spring. 76 | Fashion
Make sure you’re supporting the small business during these weird times were going through, it really means a lot to them. Even a simple like or follow on Instagram means a lot to a business.
Written and Designed by Hannah Green
Featured Bags : EGO SHEIN PRETT Y LITTLE THING ZARA URBAN OUTFITTERS MISKABAGS MAHINASBAG MISSGUIDED
Fashion | 77
Written & designed by Charlotte Brooks, photographs are from @jessiesteinstylist instagram
Secrets
STYLIng
@jessiesteinstylist Ever wondered what a typical day working as a fashion stylist would be like? Well we have all the details. We spoke with professional stylist Jessie Stein who has worked with celebrities such as Anna Vakili and Georgia Harrison about about her life. 78 | Fashion
What does a typical day as a fashion stylist look like? My days are never the same! I’m a freelance stylist which means that everyday is different. I can either be prepping for a photoshoot or on set, styling for a brand or doing returns. It really depends what kind of jobs I have at the time. If i’m styling a celebrity I’m responsible for pulling clothes from particular brands that would be suitable for my client. I then book in a fitting with that client which involves them trying on each item of clothing, putting outfits together and deciding if they like them or not. If they decide they don’t want the items, I’m responsible for returning them back to the brand. If I’m styling for a brand such as ASOS, I’m responsible for styling my rail of product that is new in and needs to be uploaded on the site.
How did you get into fashion styling and build up clients? I went to Nottingham Trent university and studied fashion communication and promotion. After I finished uni I did a short styling course at University of the Arts in London which was amazing. I learnt so much and it gave me loads of information I wouldn’t have known otherwise about body shape, skin tone, eye colour and red carpet events. When I finished my styling course, I reached out to loads of stylists asking to assist them, magazines to intern and T V companies to get some work experiencer; I had to put myself out there as experience is key. For 3/4 months I built up my CV and worked with some amazing brands and stylists. I then got given an opportunity to work on The Voice Kids for 3 months which was super intense but I learnt loads and built up experience. From here, I had to start building my portfolio because I wanted to show the industry what my own style was. I practiced with a lot of test shoots which meant becoming a creative director and exploring different stylesand figuring out what I liked best. The most important thing about test shoots is networking as you never know who you are gonna meet and although the styling industry seems big it’s actually small and everyone knows everyone. This is how I’ve got to where I am today through meeting people and making contacts with people at brands such as ASOS and Netaporter. I’ve always wanted to style celebrities so I emailed loads of famous people and their personal assistants to do free gigs which is annoying but you have to do it to put your footthrough the door. A lot of my work now is through word of mouth and building relationships with contacts. I don’t like to limit myself and I’m open to any opportunity.
Has COVID-19 affected your job? Yes, COVID has affected my job in many ways. People aren’t going out as much and there are no events or red carpets which means that area of work has completely stopped. However, more people are shopping online so brands need more help to upload onto their websites. Magazine companies are also publishing more fashion articles so that means more photoshoots which I would be the stylist for and decide what tbe models wear. I’m lucky I still have work but COVID has definitely changed the industry (there is a lot of Zoom styling!) and who knows if we will ever go back to the way it was before. How do you adapt to different clients who have different tastes and aesthetics? I love the fact that everyone’s different and everyone has their own unique style. That’s what makes my job so exciting! To understand what the client wants and knowing how to dress them to ensure they look their best, is one of the most important parts of my job! But when they feel amazing and confident within themselves, is hands down the best part of my job and makes me so happy that I was apart of creating that. Who has been your favourite celebrity/brand to work with? I love all my clients and the opportunities I’ve had! I don’t have a favourite as I’ve loved working and styling for each and every one. Fashion | 79
PINK to make the boys
WINK! 80 | Fashion
Kendall Jenner made heads turn in her H&M x Giambattis ta Valli Collab. While we are obsessed with this dress, it had us thinking; can the general public get away with wearing an out there dress like this? And if we could, how would we style this? Therefore, we have come up with four different ways this dress can be styled. So whoever you are and wherever you are going, you’ll look like this dress was meant for you.
First up we’ve styled simple and classic with a matching clutch bag and heels duo. The silver compliments the pink beautifully and is perfect for a party, a day at the races, or fancy cocktails with your friends! Fashion | 81
Above we have added two wardrobe staples so that anyone can use this look. This is ideal if you are trying to dress it down or prefer the trainer look. Layer this dress up with a long sleeved bodysuit and thick black tights to make this your winter outfit of dreams. Plus, who doesn’t love a pair of Dr Martens?
82 | Fashion
If you want to be the most powerful person in the room, this is the stye guide for you. An oversized hat, large black sunglasses and long satin gloves, no one will doubt your confidence again. Looking extra has never been so easy.
Now go get yourself one and own it!!
Fashion | 83
BAGS & BOUJEE
DESIGNER VS. DUPES THE ‘ORIGINAL’...
Gucci Horsebit 1955 Shoulder Bag GUCCI £1,670
THE ‘QUILTED CROSS-BODY’...
GG Marmont Small Matelassé Shoulder Bag GUCCI £1,600 iets frans... Monogram Shoulder Bag URBAN OUTFITTERS £29
Chevron Chain Crossbody Bag SHEIN £10.49
THE ‘BAGUETTE’...
Brightside Shoulder Bag GUESS £49.50
84 | Fashion
Baguette Large FENDI £2,490
THE ‘MINI TOTE’...
Alma BB Bag LOUIS VUITTON £990
Beige RI Monogram Tote Cross Body Handbag RIVER ISL AND £42
THE ‘NYLON MULTIUSE CROSS-BODY’...
THE ‘SADDLE’...
Issy Curved Cross Body Saddle Bag In Black Faux Leather EGO £14.99
Nylon Multi Way Cross Body Bag With Mini Bag BOOHOO £15.30
Fashion | 85
Page Designed & Written by Mia Curtis, Images from Unsplash & Google Images
Prada Re-Edition 2005 Nylon Bag PRADA £995
Saddle Bag DIOR £2,450
HOW TO DRESS LIKE YOU’RE IN
86 | Fashion
Written by Jennifer Harriman and Illustrated and designed by Katie Harley-Waters
It’s fair to say that everyone who has watched Bridgerton is OBSESSED! If you’re desperately trying to take style inspiration from Daphne, then let us guide you throwugh the must-have pieces for your wardrobe to help you achieve that regencyera look!
Pretty in Pearls Pearls are sure to add a sense of elegancy to all of your outfits, whether they be incorporated into your clothes, jewellery or hair piece. Pretty Little Thing’s golden pearl headband gives off major regency vibes with its expensive and classic look. Luckily, it’s very affordable and something any debutante needs in her collection! Brand: Pretty Little Thing Price: £8
A Mesh Moment Turn heads at any ball with this classic dress from the brand Lucuna. The mesh detailing on this dress adds an eye-catching element to the piece and allows for a fully ethereal and regency-era transformation for anyone who puts it on! The creamy warm tone of the fabric only adds to the beauty of the dress and the elegance is intensified. Website: YesStyle Brand: Lucuna Price: £20.39
A Bridgertonne of Bows To accessorise their casual looks in the show, the Bridgerton’s wore bows to continue a sense of elegancy on a day-to-day basis. This pack of six bows in varied colours is perfect to pull together any day time look – ensuring an easy and efficient way to spice up any hairstyle! Having a selection of colours means you’re sorted for any occasion and can avoid worrying about not having a hair accessory to match your outfit on any given day. Website: Amazon Brand: Fascigirl Price: £6.99
The Courting Corset If you’re looking for a more affordable option for a corset top, then PLT is you best friend! This corset is not only a unique and modern take on the classic corsets worn in the regency-era but the simplistic colour allows for the top to be matched with any clothes you desire! We’re certain that you won’t be promenading alone when wearing this breath-taking corset. Brand: Pretty Little Thing Price: £18 Fashion | 87
w
Modiste Mini
The Daphne Dress If you’re looking for a dress that’s going to allow you to embody Daphne Bridgerton completely, then look no further! This gorgeous blue maxi dress from Ghost Estela will capture the hearts of any suitor who lays eyes on you. Elegant and timeless are two words that come to mind when laying eyes on this piece – it’s an essential item for any true Bridgerton enthusiast.
Although most dresses within the show are of floor length, in today’s age it is habitual to want a shorter cut dress, especially for the hotter summer months. This flowy mini dress is the perfect way to merge the regency-era with 21st century dress code. The bishop style sleeves with the puff detailing around the shoulders allows for a truly elegant look. You’ll no doubt be the diamond of the season wearing this! Brand: Free People Price: £68
Featherington Bag
If you’re serious about investing your money into the Bridgerton aesthetic, then purchasing a satin or feather bag is a must! This particular bag by designer Rosantica combines the two elements to create the perfect regency-era bag. A romantic element is clear through the blush shade and incorporated gems – you’ll definitely be able to keep hold of your dance card in this bag. Website: Net-A-Porter Brand: Rosantica Price: £630 88 | Fashion
Website: John Lewis Brand: Ghost Estela Price: £112.50
Berbrooke Bustier Corsets are a staple piece for anyone interested in achieving the Bridgerton look. Don’t worry though, these tops aren’t going to cut off your circulation like the ones in the 1800s! This denim striped top from Miaou is sure to give you that regency look. Daphne’s iconic shade of blue is incorporated into the top and is the perfect colour for a spring outfit! Website: Net-A-Porter Band: Miaou Price: £96
The Debutante Attire
For a more minimalistic approach to the Bridgerton aesthetic, this puff sleeve maxi dress from Nasty Gal is perfect for a slightly more casual feel. Not only is the dress perfect for day-to-day wear, but it can also easily be dressed up with various accessories and hairstyles. A staple piece to have in your wardrobe that works for all occasions! Brand: Nasty Gal Price: £27.50
Diamond of the First Water When looking into purchasing items for your Bridgerton inspired wardrobe, it is important not to forget hair pieces. They can pull together any look and give off a royal, put-together feel. This particular hair comb from Accessorize is an affordable option to complete your hairstyle. Diamond look jewels are incorporated into the piece and represent a timeless trend that can win you a suitor any day! Brand: Accessorize Price: £12
Fashion | 89
90 | Fashion
Fashion | 91
London Fashion Week Break Down
Written and designed by Lauren Murphy. Images from Tagwalk
Autumn/Winter 2021-22
Every season Vivienne Westwood and her team design timeless peices that represent the brand and it hirritage. This season the brand has created a collection which really tells a story, featuring some of the biggest fashion trends from the past. Vivienne Westwoods collections are always fun and alternative but this season she took it an extra mile clashing patterns and texture, making the outfits look like the modles raided their grandmas wardrobe to play dress up, However, her collections are always extreamly inpiring, bringing back some iconic fashion trends and showing why it’s okay to clash patterns and colours. This season her collection could appeal more to a younger audiences, her green and baige patterned jacket and skirt co-ord is definatly something you would see in a lot of young people wearing and loving. So, what to take to take away from this collectionnas always with Vivienne’s collections her messgae if to have fun with your outfits and acsessories a lot with different textures and patterns. On the other hand a good patterned co-ord will make you look put together and stylish and it looks like beige will be making a retutn this winter.
92 | Fashion
This season Bora asksu took us back in time with a rainbow of colourful period style dresses and clothing. Some might say it feels like they took some inspiration from the popular T V show that everyone has been loving, Bridgerton. Their collection is elegant, playful and makes you wish going to balls was a common practice again. This season they also honed in of beauty of plaid and tartan, their coat, skirt and top co-ords are something everybody need in their wardrobe this winter. Their collection this season is extremely put together, each outfit is styled so well making the entire collection feel clean and organized. For a autumn/winter collection Bora definitely have kept the colours fresh and uplifting, adding pops of pinks and yellows to their outfits brings their whole collection together. So, what to take from this collection. Planning outfits is key, looking put together can be very powerful and the best way to look put together is to have your coat matching with your outfit whether that be through colour or the same pattern. Also, add a pop of bright pinks or reds to your outfits to make you stand out this winter.
Fashion | 93
Paul Costelloe and his team really embraces of pantone colours of the year in this collection making it all about the perfect shade of yellow. He too has shown that plaid is back and her to stay with trend dominating his collection. Maybe it’s time to dress more like the powerfull woman you as the deisgner embraces suite jackets and huge padded shoulders. He too is giving off early 2000s vibe with his yellow plaid blazer and skirt taken right from the set of our favourite film Clueless. Although his colthing collection are aimed more at older women I can see this collection appealing to us young soles. So what to take away from this colletion? Looking like a powerful boss is way to be this winter and we should all be finding our perfect shade of yellow. You may also want hold on to your suites and blazers as it doesn’t look like that trend is disappearing anytime soon. Padded shoulder are also trying to make a unwanted return to fahsion.
94 | Fashion
Molly Goddard has blessed us this season with colourful, patterns and textures. You may well already own something similar to her new collection peices as the return of the dad sweater vest and grandmar carfigans features in her collection. After sweater vests and knittened cardigans domintated last winters fashion trends, by the looks of thing Molly doesn’t want this trend end. The colour plattet used in this collection is definatly screaming 2000s tracy beker care worker vibes however, we are all here for it. The return of the bright red plade coast just add to the notstalgic feel to her collection. Her looks are comforting and cosy and maybe that what we need this winter. So what can we take away from this wonderful vibrant collection?. Nitted vest and cardigans are still is but this year it’s all about the pinks reds, yellows and blues. You also might want to fish out of plade coats as seen in many of the collection this season plade is back and more vibrant than ever.
Fashion | 95
This season Burberry are taken us back to good old high school musical days with the feature of the classic varsity jacket. Their new season mens wear collection features some interesting peices which may be the beginning of the return of some good old fashion trends. However, it wouldn’t be a Burberry collection with out their classic beige trench coat. The colour palett for this collection is definalty focused more on dull tones with the use of deep purple, blues and greens. When it comes to menswear there’s no messing with the bright side of the colour wheel. So, what to take form this toned down collection? If you still have your old varsity jack from back in the day then that great however, if it’s too bright and loud it’s probably best to leave it in the cupboard. Also, if you are a grown man and still don’t own a beige trench coat, are you feeling okay? The most important thing to take from this collection is that layering is the only thing you should be doing this winter.
96 | Fashion
On the other hand Qasimi is all about adding a hint of colour to your wardrobe however, don’t completely stay away from the comfort of black and dark tones. For them enjacting colour into your wardrobe is the new direction for mens clothing. If women can wear bright colourd co-ords than why can’t men. The brands collection also focused on the panton colours of the year featuring some amazing outfits dominted by the colour yellow. But yellow wasn’t the only colour running the show here, army green, blues and ornage tones also took thir place on the stage. So, what inspiration can we take from this collecion? Tapered trousers are your best friend and if you don’t have any yet, you’re missing out. Another brand which promotes the power of a greate trench coat. Most importantly go out and get some colour into our wardrobe, don’t be affraid to wear patterns or block colour outfits.
Fashion | 97
UP AND COMING AT...
LONDON FASHION WEEK
Linus Leonardsson
Written by Helena Polanska, designed by Olivia Clayton, images from londonfashionweek.co.uk
“Let There Be Light” is the Autumn/Winter 2021 genderless collection by Linus Leonardsson, inspired by digital utopias, everyday domesticity and escapist dreamscapes. This collection looks beyond national borders and into a digital realm where everything is possible. The concept of the collection is creation of dreamscapes and utopias in our mind. Call it daydreaming or escapism, but envisioning a better world is a necessity to bring ourselves to move forward.
Recycled synthetic jerseys with otherworldly shine, reprocessed poly- ester cords crocheted into statuary constructions and tight, figure hugging superhero-like pattern constructions all tell the story of a digital utopia where everyone can envision their own dreams. The collection is made entirely out of recycled, dead-stock, upcycled or low-emission fabrics and materials from European sources. After all, in order to achieve the future utopia of our dreams, we must first take care of the world of today.
PALMER HARDING Designer womenswear label palmer//harding has been, since the beginning, exploring, developing, and implementing ways in which to become more sustainable, conscious, and socially responsible. The brand places emphasis on producing timeless everyday pieces, from innovative pattern cutting to draping techniques. This collection is “a love story in three parts” - Spring 21/Pre-Fall 21/Fall 21 “The collection is inspired by the emotions of falling in love. Starting from the first moment, there is a lump in your throat and a nervous energy races through your body. Emotions cause 98 | Fashion
a surge of excitement, as if you are going to burst at the seams. Yet amongst this excitement there remains a fear that any confession of emotion may leave you vulnerable. So, you protect your heart through a silent language, secretly communicating the words ‘I love you’. As you become secure in your emotions, courage grows and you accept that the only way for love to flourish is to open up. As emotions unfold, a deeper connection develops, leading to a tender feeling of comfort that allows us to fully expose our heart for the world to see.”
RAY CHU The artist says that the pandemic has allowed him to push himself to a better understanding of creativity, which is the case for most people in the creative severe. It has allowed many young creatives to grow, explore and seek new ways of presentation. In this case the artist dabbled with CGI, partly because of the absence of in-person communication and made a film presentation for his AW21 collection in collaboration with
Pigo Lin. The film touches on the subject of genderless norms.” The characters depicted are both gay, straight and everything in between. The centipede character within all the graphics represents the epicentre of sexualism - are you the sexually centrist or, on the side of inclusivity. The artistic depiction of the graphics are both but also, neither “the artist wrote in a press release.
YUHAN WANG Inspired by the pictorial language of traditional Chinese landscape paintings that, traditionally, were always dreamt up by men for men, but for AW21 the Chinese-born London-based designer conjured her own. Yuhan Wang devotes her AW 21 collection to a study of women and nature. “I wanted to explore how time, space and spirit connect women together, and how nature is an ever-present teacher,” says Wang. Presented under the banner Women in Landscape, Wang
worked these watercolours into prints scattered throughout the collection, while also playing with exaggerated proportions, faux fur – spotted to match the deer – and black lace. And finally Closing London Fashion Week down for another season was Fashion East – where a crew of the city’s shining stars debuted what they’d been working on for AW21.
SAUL NASH Saul Nash presents T WIST, a collection and film for AW21 that looks at the cultural and societal landscapes surrounding designer Nash throughout his life. In the film, Nash explores honesty, bravery and acceptance, uplifting hostile ideas around sportswear and the mind-set of young men associated with it. “Twist is about movement in an everyday context, telling a story about the men who shape the way I dress. I wanted to look at preconceived assumptions about men of my generation, how we are perceived and who we really are.” says Saul Nash.
Maximilian Davis For this season the Manchester-born designer presented a slick collection that dove into the space-age futurism of the mid-1960s. Drawing inspiration from photos capturing her dressed up in her Sunday best, the designer reinterpreted the round-shouldered suits and column skirts of the 60s in far sharper relief, with tiny buckled minis offset by sculpted, batwing shirts and swingy
flared disco pants matched with pristine cinched tailored jackets. Rounding things off were psychedelic motifs that swirled across second-skin leggings and swimsuits matched with dramatic, showgirl-esque feathered headpieces and scuba masks.
Fashion | 99
Written and Illustrated by Katie Harley Waters, Images from Unsplash.com, designscene.net, hypebeast.com and rebeccaminkoff.com
FASHION WEEK W Y O R K
100 | Fashion
REBECCA MINKOFF Rebecca Minkoff’s S/S 2021 collection was one of the collections I was most excited to see as I have always loved her collections. Her recent Spring/Summer collection draws inspiration from the comparisonn of florals and the “downtown edge of the concrete jungle” of New York City. She made this collection to allow the modern woman to express herself in all moments of her life, giving a large variety of article of clothing for any occasion. The collection was hosted in a socially distanced format at Spring Studios Terrace produced by Klarna. She’s one of two designers who hosted a physical show on the roof of Spring Studios that commenced on the 16th of February, she started with her ‘Bohemian rocker’ collection. In this collection she wanted to include the combination of bohemian and rocker with both feminine and masculine elements. She has brought her collection together with a variety of animal prints, pastels, florals and maxi dresses whilst still including her rocker side of leather pieces and eyelets. One of the best added features to her collection was that Minkoff had made mask in different patterns and prints that would match every print that she used throughout her collection. She also streamed her collection to advertise it to her customers whilst still abiding by Covid regulations to keep everyone safe. The collection was shared via livestreams on TikTok and Instagram aswell as IMG’s NYFW.com platform. She also shared the Youtube video on her own website.
Minkoff even debuted her content with new partnerships, including with OnlyFans. Rebecca Minkoff has come to rely on the coverage and attention that NYFW brings, having participated in the event since 2009 as her usual audiences cannot attend. With NYFW being on a smaller scale this season, she’s relied on a variety of digital launches to make sales. Minkoff launched a partnership with Klarna, a financial technology company which offers a “buy now, pay later” scheme. Minkoff said it was a good decision since more than 20% of her customers already use buy-now, pay-later options already. She also wanted to be able to advertise to people who could not afford it straight away.
Fashion | 101
MAISON KITSUNE co-founded by Masaya Kuroki and Gildas Loaëc
Maison Kitsune debuted their S/S 2021 collection at the NYFW. Maison Kitsune showed off their collection via stream on the NYFW.com. The company streamed a fashion week set with IMG model and DJ Mona Matsuoka.
On the NYFW website has posted a full lookbook that were taken in Café Kitsuné within the Palais Royal Gardens in Paris, France ; which helps add to the Parisian aesthetic.
Their collections have inspiration drawn from Tokyoite and Parisian fashion, where both of the founders originate from.
Their collection sports clothing that could be worn in both a casual and formal setting even though their are mainly known as a streetwear brand. With the business shirts and trousers to the baggy jeans and rugby tops, it really stretches their customer audience as it can fit to many people’s fashion taste. Although it is a very pricey brand, some articles of their clothing can be affordable.
With this specific collection, new designer, Marcus Clayton wanted to reinterpret their traditonal aesthetic of the brand by combining the wealthy Parisian preppy look with the utilitarian Japanese streetwear. The designers have merged the youthful looks to create a edgy streetwear vision. Imagine the french clothing (striped rugby polo shirts, classic trench coats, sailor tops, cotton poplins, unisex maxi shirts) alongside with the Japanese street fashion (workwear cottons, waxed gabardines, silk Habotai bandanas). This collection seems to create quite a large silhouette using layering. We see the variety of authentic khaki, beige and camel shades which are conbined with the pastel blues, pinks and off-white tones. 102 | Fashion
I really like how they have produced both a lookbook and a stream so people can see their creative style and it gives the audience a bigger grasp of their collection. Their stream was combined with music created by one of the models who is also a DJ, Mona Matusoka which they likely had collaborate to keep the Japanese effect.
Designed and written by Anya Wyeth. Images from online source Elle and Evening Standard
not on THE RUNWAY
Fashion | 103
With all the focus being on what’s being walked on the runway at london fashion week ss 2021, let’s take a step outside to see what fashionistas are bringing to the street.
It’s inspiring to see what fashion lovers are bringing to the streets and sharing their own style to influence others. Although the pandemic has had a huge affect on this years London Fashion Week, this hasn’t stopped fashion chics walking the paths of London in their stylish lockdown attire.
104 | Fashion
Due to the unfortunate event of the pandemic in 2020, things have taken a strange turn when it comes to talking about London Fashion Week this year. Rather than a packed, shoulder-to-shoulder event, this year consisted with many designers deciding to take their show online. Brands such as Burberry created a pre-filmed production of their S/S21 collection. Although a lot of London Fashion Week took place virtually, there was still selected in-person appoitments as well as no more than 6 people at a time at a showing. Even due to the quieter circumstances, you could still find inspiring street fashion dotted round the city.
Fashion | 105
LIFESTYLE
106 | Lifestyle
Lifestyle | 107
10 HEALTHY FOODS TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DIET
108 | Lifestyle
AVOCADO
People have a split feeling on avocados, they either love them or hate them. Avocados are incredibly nutritious, filled with healthy fatty acids that help with the heart and are very high in fibre. Avocados can benefit you with high levels of healthy fats, potassium, folate and Vitamins B5, B6, C, E and K! There are many other benefits of eating this fruit is that it can lower your triglyceride and cholesterol levels, protect your eyes, relieve symptoms of arthritis and could help prevent cancer.
LEMONS
Lemons have been widely known as always being one of the healthiest foods to eat. The very sour fruit is actually a power food. They have strong antiinflammatory qualities and can prevent the growth of cancer cells. They help improve the function of the liver and bowel. Like an orange, they produce the same levels of Vitamin C. If you do not like eating lemons by themselves, I recommend infusing your water with the fruit.
BRAZILIAN NUTS They are some of the healthiest nuts available. Brazil nuts are an excellent source of protein and carbs. And also have high levels of Vitamin B-1, E, magnesium and zinc and is a very good antioxidant. They also surprisingly contain levels of selenium which is a mineral that is essential to maintain thyroid function.
SPINACH
Spinach is one of the best nutrient heavy superfood and is becoming more popular for its healthy qualities. It is packed full of energy and is a great source of Vitamins A, C, K and B-12. Vitamin K is important to maintain healthy bones and spinach is the best vegetable that provides Vitamin K. It is also a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and folate.
WALNUTS Walnuts can be one of the most beneficial nuts to eat. Walnuts have the most antioxidants out of all the nuts. They are high in Vitamin E, Omega 3 oils, healthy fats and serums. There are even studies that suggest that they are as effective as olive oil as they reduce inflammation and oxidation of the arteries after an unhealthy meal. However, you can only eat them in moderation as too many can be bad for you.
SALMON This very tasty fish is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids which studies have shown to link to reducing the chance of depression, heart disease and even cancer. A 3 ounce serving of salmon will contain 50 % of your daily dose of niacin. Niacin can protect the body against Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss, hence the nickname “Brain food”. It is also high in proteins vitamin B12 potassium, antioxidants and selenium. Lifestyle | 109
GARLIC DARK CHOCOLATE
BEETROOTS This root vegetable can be a bit like marmite, you either love it or hate it. But it is always overlooked as one of the healthiest foods around. Some would even call it a superfood. Beetroot is supposed to be very beneficial for the brain and its function and can even lower blood pressure. Recent health studies claim that it can boost exercise performance and can even help prevent dementia. So eating these in salads just before an exercise could help you work at a higher level. It is filled with folate, iron, potassium, manganese, fibre, magnesium and Vitamins C and B9.
110 | Lifestyle
So you would never think that any sort of chocolate would be good for you but dark chocolate can be beneficial to your health. Research shows that chocolate contains more antioxidants that more fruit juices especially dark chocolate which has a very high antioxidant level. Antioxidants give protection from diseases and may even help prevent cancer, improve your heart health and overall good for your cholesterol. Plus it is a mood booster as you feel like you’re having a cheat snack. However, this obviously needs to be eaten in moderation as it has very high levels of cocoa compared to other types of chocolate.
RASPBERRIES Did you know that raspberries are the most consumer berry in the world? They are filled with antioxidants, iron and Vitamin C. Research has shown that consuming these berries can decrease risks of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. They can also help promote a healthy glow, provide anti-ageing properties, increased energy and actually help you lose weight.
Writtenn and Illustrated by Katie Harley Waters, Design by Izzy O’Connor Images from Unsplash.com
Although it is a very aromatic food, the benefits definitely overpower. For hundreds of years, garlic has been used for its medicinal properties to fight diseases as it inhibits the growth of bacteria in the body. It lowers cholesterol levels, blood pressure and is a very powerful anti-inflammatory that can help prevent heart disease. Garlic contains manganese, Vitamin B6, C, B1, selenium, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus and iron.
Green goddess smoothie bowl recipe Ingredients
STEP 1
Slice the bananas and arrange over a small baking tray lined with parchment. Freeze for 2 hrs until solid. (You can now transfer the banana slices to a freezer bag and freeze for 3 months, or continue with the recipe.)
STEP 2
For the seed mix, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with parchment. Tip the seeds, coconut and almonds into a bowl, add the cinnamon and drizzle over the honey, agave or maple syrup. Toss until everything is well coated, then scatter over the baking tray in an even layer. Bake for 10-15 mins, stirring every 5 mins or so,
until the seeds are lightly toasted. Leave to cool. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
STEP 3
Put the avocado, mango, spinach, milk, nut butter, frozen banana slices and honey (if using) in a blender and whizz to a thick smoothie consistency – you may have to scrape down the sides with a spoon a few times. Divide between two bowls and arrange the fruit on top. Scatter 1-2 tbsp of the seed mix over each bowl and eat straight away.
Writtenn and Illustrated by Katie Harley Waters, Design by Izzy O’Connor Images from Unsplash.com
2 bananas , sliced 1 ripe avocado , stoned, peeled and chopped into chunks 1 small ripe mango , stoned, peeled and chopped into chunks 100g spinach (fresh or frozen) 250ml milk (unsweetened almond or coconut milk works well) 1 tbsp unsweetened almond or peanut butter 1 tbsp clear honey , agave or maple syrup (optional) For the seed mix 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 tbsp linseeds 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds 4 tbsp sunflower seeds 4 tbsp coconut flakes 4 tbsp flaked almonds ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 2 tbsp clear honey , agave or maple syrup To serve 175g mixed fresh fruit
Lifestyle | 111
TOP 10 ACNE SOLUTIONS
Written and designed by Izzy O’Connor. Images from Unsplash.
Top tips to help get your acne under control
112 | Lifestyle
1.
Change your drinking habits
Skip the fizzy drinks and caffeine; try and stick to filtered water as much as possible. The high level of minerals, metals and harsh chemicals like chlorine in hard tap water can lead to acne and even eczema as it weakens your immune system. Sticking to bottled, filtered or boiled water can help minimise your skin problems. Tip: Stock up on spearmint tea as it has been shown to reduce testosterone levels and has anti-inflammatory properties. There have also been claims that having two cups of Spearmint tea per day can reduce acne by 25%!
2.
Clean towels and bedding frequently
Stick to washing your face towel on a weekly basis, as towels can harbour bacteria which can lead to more acne. This is the same for your bed sheets and pillows. Try and wash your sheets one to two times a week to stop a buildup of bacteria. If this is too much to stay on top of, make sure you are at least changing your pillows weekly, and flipping them over in between washes.
3.
Cleanse your face daily
Keep your face fresh and clean by cleansing your face at least once a day. For those who have oily skin, when purchasing a cleanser look for one that contains salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or glycolic acid. If your skin is sensitive or dry stick to cleansers that contain lactic acid or ingredients that Recomendations: are hydrating, like CeraVe - Foaming Facial glycerin. Remember Cleanser Roche-Pose - Effaclar Micro to always moisturise LaPeeling Purifying Gel after!
4.
BE GENTLE WITH YOUR SKIN
People with acne tend to want to use a lot of harsh exfoliators too often. This, however, can actually have an adverse effect and irritate your skin and cause inflammation and redness. Stick to exfoliating no more than two or three times a week.
5.
REGULATE YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE
Regular sleep can help keep some of your acne at bay, as sleep deprivation can cause extra stress on your body. Stress is a well-known cause of acne so try and stay as stress-free as you can by making sure you’re taking the time to relax and unwind from your busy life and getting the sleep you need.
6.
MOISTURIZE!
Don’t be afraid to moisturise. You may feel anxious that moisturiser will worsen your acne, but in actual fact skipping this step is doing more harm than you think. Your skin overproduces oil when it is dehydrated, which can lead to an increase of blocked pores and congested skin. For oily skin, stick to lighter face moisturiser.
7.
stop wearing makeup to the gym
Go makeup-free when working out. Makeup can block your pores and prevent sweat from being released to the surface of the skin. The trapped bacteria make a perfect climate for acne. After working out make sure to wash your face and body as soon as you can! Inflammation can be caused by the bacteria from sweat when it makes its way into the hair follicles, which will not only cause acne on your face but on your body too.
8.
keep an eye on your diet
Avoid consuming too much dairy as it can contain hormones that will intensify your acne. Give your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs through plenty of fruit and veg. These are rich in antioxidants which will increase skin quality and help minimalise inflammation.
9.
clean your phone screen!
Your phone is a breeding ground for bacteria build-up. Now consider how often you touch your phone and your face and the problems that it causes for your skin. When talking on the phone stick to using headphones or keeping it on the loudspeaker to minimise phone-to-face contact.
10.
birth control
For all you ladies, consider giving the birth control pill a try. This can help get your hormonal acne under control. Make sure to discuss this with your DR or GP so they can give you the best advice about this option before giving it a go. Lifestyle | 113
MISSGUIDED BEAUTY
At the beginning of 2021, online fashion retailer Missguided launched their very first makeup line. With a large range of products, including foundations, concealers, blushers and eyebrow pencils, the beauty line has landed a lot of publicity online and plenty of praise and reviews from influencers. The brand has also ensured they included an impressive range of product shades, ensuring they are accessible to a large demographic. Here at Carbon we decided to see what all the hype was about for ourselves Here are the products were tried and what we thought: Meet your match demi-matte foundation (£12.00) Shade:12
Stop I’m blushing high pigment matte blush (£8.00) Shade: Catching feelings Our rating: 7.5/10
Our rating: 8/10
Dew gloss multi dew pot (£9.00) Shade: Angel baby Meet your match liquid concealer (£8.00) Shade:130 Our Rating: 8/10
114 | Lifestyle
Our rating: 5/10
Instant vacay bronzing duo (£10.00) Shade: Light our rating: 6/10
Lip juice supershine lip gloss (7.50) Shade: First date
Our rating: 9/10
Their Meet Your Match foundation provided mid to full coverage and worked so well on the skin. It also worked perfectly with their Meet Your Match concealer, which covered blemishes flawlessly. The Stop I’m Blushing blush blended smoothly onto the skin and gave a subtle yet effective rosy tint to the cheeks. The blush also worked really well with the bronzed, which I used the bronze and sculpt my face. Both the blush and bronzer had a matte finish to them.
Our favourite product was Missguided’s supershine lip gloss, this lip gloss was a beautiful rose shade and added the perfect level of glossiness to the lips without being sticky. Overall, we at Carbon feel that Missguided’s new makeup range is a huge success. The products sit perfectly on the skin and blend seamlessly together, creating a flawless complexion.
Lifestyle | 115
Written by Abby Townsend Photos by Missguided and Abby Townsend
We used their Dew gloss multi dew pot to add shimmer on the eyelids, as well as highlight my cheekbones and nose. Overall, this product was very sheer and didn’t stand out too much. It added a subtle glow however would need to be topped up with another product to have more of an effect.
Carbon Recommends In a world full of negativity, it is important to allow time for letting go of stress. Therefore we have put together a list of 10 books to enlighten, uplift and surround you in positivity!
1.)
Surrounded by idiots
Thomas Erickson
People irritate us everyday, fact. And it can be unbelievably frustrating when others dont see your point of view. This book will leave you able to get the best out of people, hone your social skills, handle conflict with confidence and improve family/ work dynamics.
2.)
Badass affirmations Becca Anderson
We all need to be reminded of how badass we are. And we also need to remember to put ourselves first. Becca Anderson is the queen of affirmations, therefore this book will help you to strenghten your self esteem and take control of your own destiny everyday.
Written by Ellie Bicknell Design by Ellie Bicknell and Ellie Trim
3.)
Random acts of kindness Brenda Knight
In the current situation a small act of kindness can go a long way. But we get easily distracted by everyday life running here and there, sometimes we need reminding. This book will help you re imagine kindess and find easy ways to change other peoples lives, starting with yours first! A weekly guide will lead you through 365 days of positive change.
4.)
Small habits revolution
Damon Zahariades
A simple step by step guide is always a win, especially when trying to create new habits or change those stubborn old ones. This book will help transform you into having a more fulfilling lifestyle, and teach you how to make those good habits stick.
116 | Lifestyle
5.)
Good vibes good life Vex King
Its so easy not to see how negative the energy around us can be, and it is difficult to know what we can do to change that. It is so important to feel positivity from ourselves and those around us. Vex king shares his wisdom in this book on how to cultivate a positive lifestyle.
6.)
How to stop procrastinatin Daniel Walter
There are hundreds of excuses and distractions in life, especially with social media. If you are finding it hard to get things done and focus on the important stuff then this book is for you! Shatter procrastination and live a life of purpose. Time to start achieving some goals!
All books can be found on Amazon
7.)
How to be present in an absent world Daniel Montgomery
Feel like the world is running away beneath you? Dont worry, we all do. It is important to be present within your own life, in a world so distracted by everyone else. This book is a guide to rediscovering what it means to be present and to take control of your life again.
8.) The
life changing magic of not giving a f..k Sarah Knight
For some reason there is an underlying need in life to please everyone else before oursleves. But it is time that our own happiness comes first. A simple method of sorry not sorry, throughout this book, will help you to let go of guilt and de clutter your brain, so that you can spend time and money on the things that really matter to you.
9.)
Ten times happier Owen O’Kane
Our minds can be balls of stress on a daily basis. Finding ourselves obsessing over the wrong things and not knowing what to put first or what to let go of. Ditch harmful patterns and negative perspectives through following the latest tools and techniques, to provide yourself with empowering solutions.
10.)
How to be happy
Anna Barnes
Sometimes we all need a boost in the right direction. Happiness is not always easy to find, but when it is there, it radiates off you and onto everyone else. This book will give you the help and inspiration you need to get there. With tips, statements and fun activities, you will find your way to happiness within yourself. What more could you want? Lifestyle | 117
THE GLITZ AND THE Glam - Spring EDITION -
Start your 2021 with a fresh face and be ready to conquer all! Leave behind the dullness of 2020 and say hello to impecable makeup with our best reccomendations, tips and tricks to keep you looking #flawless all year round.
Designer, Writer: Cody Alexander, Model, Photographer: Carris Povey
Sick of loungewear and no makeup? Say no more. These loo’s created by Carris Povey, will have you picking up that lipstick and beauty blender in no time. Say hello to spring with a fresh new look and take this year back in style.
Jump into Spring feeling bold and fabulous! This look has the most perfect bold eye and lashes to compliment. The winged like eyeshadow creates a lift to your eye to make them appear bigger. Soap brows are the way to go this Spring. Create this look using the Westburn Co. Soap brow kit. 118 | Lifestyle
carbon Beauty
This beautiful look is perfect for any occasion, who doesn’t love a smokey eye? This was created using the Urban Bible Palette. Carris loves a soap brow and so do we! When outlining your brows with concealer, the tip is to not use too much! Just one line of concealer is enough. You don’t want to coat it all over the eye as it doesn’t then highlight correctly and it becomes cakey and you end up wasting product.
This is such a gorgeous, unique look that will have you feeling Instagram ready in no time. Using The Ordinary foundation, Carris has also created a flawless look. Feeling sorry for your red lipstick throughout lockdown? Let’s bring it back. Who doesn’t like feeling like a million bucks, rocking a red lip and in sweats at the same time! This gorgeous eye look was created using the same palette and was perfected using the Dip Eyeliner. The key to any smokey eye is to blend! But not over blend. You need to establish the perfect shape of where you place the product so that it enhances your eye shape. Carris completes her signature brows using Westbarn Co Soap Brows, which retails for £12.50 on beautybay.com. These gorgeous looks are all done using affordable products so anyone can be ready to face the new year of 2021.
ALL PRODUCTS USED: • • • • • • • • • •
The Ordinary Serum Foundation Jouer Cosmetics High Coverage Liquid Concealer RCMA No Colour Powder Revolution Roxxsaurus Highlight & Contour Palette Makeup Revolution Blusher Reloaded Keilidh Cashell Urban Bible Pallette Essence The Dip Eyeliner Essence False Lash Effect Mascara in shade Princess Black Doll Beauty Doll Light Highlighter Westbarn Co Soap Brows Lifestyle | 119
Written and designed by Isobel Gunderson and Izzy O’Connor, Images from TheHappyBodyPlan.com and LondonTV.com
I'm a
Celebrity! Get me a
Fitness Deal
Celebrity fitness plans… do they work or is it all a scam?
120 | Lifestyle
"Loose up to 5 pounds in 7 days!”
The happy body plan was advertised to be something easy. Only 10 minutes of fitness a day!!! Alex believes that 10 minutes of a HIIT workout every day and a healthy diet consisting of 1400 calories will get you your ‘happy body’. I started this and after the first week I had lost a bit of weight but as the weeks went on, I started to lose less and less. The 10 minutes she advertised was just not enough. I scrapped the workout videos she provided and found some free HIIT workout videos on YouTube that were longer. However, there were benefits to this plan that helped me to stay motivated. There was a private Facebook page with everyone who was doing the plan on it. Here they share what they have achieved and pictures of their transformations. This was very positive as it was nice to be able to talk to people with the same goals or get help from people when I was struggling. Some of the recipes in the plan were also good, there were alternative ways to make pizza! Pizza is my favourite so not being able to have it was a nightmare. The Gordy shore star, Vicky Pattisons plan ‘The 7 Day Slim’ is quite similar to ‘The Happy Body plan’, they both follow the 10 min HIIT exercise a day. These fitness plans, however, do advertise a quicker way to lose weight. To the big number of people that want to lose weight fast, this is a lifesaver. I’m here to tell you that to lose weight in a sustainable and healthy way takes time. ‘Lose up to 5 pounds in 7 days!!’ the way that these are advertised is to ultimately make them money. So, after doing a fitness plan myself would I recommend it to a friend? I found that the plan itself, knowing that I had paid for it, gave me the motivation to do it as I didn’t want to waste my money. However, I did find that it was a bit expensive for what it was. You can find free healthy food recipes online. There are free HIIT exercises, which I found better, on YouTube, and you can always show your friends your transformation to give you that extra motivation. Overall, I don’t regret this experience it has taught me ways to lose weight and stay fit and healthy, the knowledge I have gained I can take away for the future. So if you’re looking at losing weight and you want the extra help from a fitness plan, don’t be impulsive, research and look at reviews first.
If you’re like me then you’ll probably agree that losing weight is not the easiest thing in the world. I struggled for a while to find that motivation and drive, a cosy night in with a Dominoes does sound more appealing than running on a cold wet field with a sweaty red face. However, lockdown came swiftly upon us back in March and after binge watching episodes of Games of Thrones, I soon came to realise that I was going to have to do something better with all the time the lockdown had given me. Sitting there bored on my bed, I thought about what I could do to get the motivation I needed. When scrolling through Instagram, I came across a before and after picture of the love islander Alex Cane. She had started her own fitness plan after losing weight herself. The plan was called the Happy Body Plan, the positive name persuaded me to have a look and I soon bought the plan. I had ups and I had downs but after 90 days I had lost 1 stone. But after paying nearly £60, was it all worth it? Many celebrities like Ferne McCann, Scarlett Moffatt, Charlotte Crosby and Vicky Pattison have fitness plans and have earnt a lot of money from them. After looking into them more there are many rumours about how it’s all a way for them to earn big bucks. Lifestyle | 121
Writtenn and Illustrated and designed by Katie Harley Waters and Ellie Trim
HAIRCUT TRENDS TO TAKE OVER 2021 These are some of the major trendy haircuts you should consider to get when the salons open in 2021 122 | Lifestyle
SO RAE
MI
N
L
ADDI
C Y RU S Y E
The Modern Mullet E
K AT E H U SO
SE
GOM
For the clients who have grown their hair out for years and cannot bare to give it up. Tell your hairdresser that you want an “invisible trim” that will get rid of those nasty split-ends but keep those luscious, long locks.
D
A EN
Z
L
Celebrities are now updating from the current shag trend to go back in-time to the 70’s. Stars such as Billie Eilish, Halsey and Barbie Ferreira are rocking this “business in the front and party in the back” look.
The Luxe Mane
N
The Texture Midi
For the women and men who have more texture to their hair, a midi cut with a long fringe will look amazing. If you want to enhance your curls, opting for a shorter do is the way to go as there will be less thickness to weight down your curls.
Short and Soft
Whether you’re making a big chop or already maintaining your pixie hair, try pairing a soft fringe and neckline. Celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson, Katy Perry, Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron have all chosen to sport this classic look.
Lifestyle | 123
Writing and design: Scarlet Filmer, Izzy O’Connor and Ellie Trim Images: The individuals instagram pages
124 | Lifestyle
Fashion Bloggers to Follow @_itskatiegrace Katie Grace is making a good start to building her fashion page. She has been working on this page since August 2019 so within a year and a bit has already built up quite a following. Katie shares fun photo shoots and outfit ideas, linking certain details of her outfits in the description of her post. She also has lived in many countries so has a different cultural idea of fashion, so it is always interesting to see how she styles certain pieces. Still being very young, she has time to really build her page and to work on producing even better content for her loyal followers.
@asos_quisha Quisha Rose has over 190k subscribers on her YouTube and over 100k on her main page @ quisharose, however, she created this page in collaboration with the brand Asos in order to improve her style. Working closely with Asos Quisha has been able to gradually build her fashion page and after not even a year she has gained a following of nearly 6000 followers. This account is clearly one to follow as her style is a very trendy, city vibe so would be great inspiration for those interested in swapping up their style or developing their current style.
@sammyyashleigh Ashleigh has dedicated a lot of time in to producing daily content for her Instagram blog. With growing her page for 2 years now she has come a really long way. Her page seems very professional, with a colour scheme to bring the page together and clear headings on reels or videos. Her style is very girly and would be perfect for someone who likes the Blair Waldorf type of look. Even throughout lockdown, she spent a lot of time making new content so her followers stayed active and didn’t get bored of seeing the same content around.
@itsolivialevett Olivia has had her account for over 3 years, so look back you can see how much her page and her own style has grown. She has collaborated with companies such as FarFetch, which is a world wide fashion company. Olivia has linked her Like to know page so her followers can go straight to the page she brought her outfits from. Seeing as she has grown her page for over 3 years it is clear she has invested a lot of time and effort into creating the best content she can for her followers.
Lifestyle | 125
THE
BEST for
BLONDES Tempted to go blonde? This year is the year to do it as we give you the top 5 hair products for bleached hair.
126 | Lifestyle
Written and Designed by Issy Whitlock Images from Instagram, Unsplah & Tagwalk
Lifestyle | 127
Written and Designed by Issy Whitlock Images from Instagram, Unsplash & Tagwalk
B
londe Hair ...
The Best Care
128 | Lifestyle
Olaplex No.4 Bonding Oil £26 @olaplex Philip B. Icelandic Blonde Shampoo £45 @philipb
1
3
Nexxus Humectress Moisturising Conditioner £34.95 @nexxushairuk
4
Olaplex No.3 Hair Protector £26 per 100ml @olaplex
2
Kérastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra Violet Shampoo
5
£19.10
@kerastase_official
Lifestyle | 129
HOME DESIGN & DECOR
Easy and elegant home decor to inspire your inner interior designer
130 | Lifestyle
Written and Designed by Issy Whitlock Images from Instagram, Unsplash & Tagwalk
Lifestyle | 131
Effortless ELEGANCE
Written and Designed by Issy Whitlock Images from Instagram, Unsplash & Tagwalk
Online Lighting Store Trude Black with Black Shade Pendant Light £20.96
Dunelm Steel back Siena Bar Chair £69 @dunelmuk Wayfair Aliaskar Dining Chair £132.99 @wayfair
132 | Lifestyle
The House Outfit Prints From £6.95 @thehouseoutfit
MONOCHROME
clear space clear mind Jo Malone Home Candle £60 @jomalonelondon
Clear crystal glass ceiling light £127.58
Lifestyle | 133
e n k s Ma ust-Haves M
Want to know the secret to stopping Maskne? Here are some top items for clearer looking skin. Freederm Overnight Clearing Serum Helping to minimise redness and spots, giving you that healthy skin feeling. 50ml @superdrug.com
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel Controls shine and minimises the appearance of blackheads and spots, gently washes off dirt and pollution away from the skin. Leaving fresh and clean skin. 200ml
£6.49
@boots.com
Written and designed by Isobel Gunderson, Images taken from internet sites featured in article, main image from unsplash.com
£12.50
Clinique 3-Step Liquid Facial Soap Mild Removing dead skin, dirt and debris whilst protecting the skins natural moisture. Leaving your skin feeling clean, comfortable and fresh, without leaving it dry. 200ml @clinique.co.uk
£18.00
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%Great for oil prone skin, as it targets breakouts and reduces pores. The ingredients niacinamide and zinc that are used are effective for quickly improving your skins overall health. 30ml Super Pure niacinamide + zinc serumA waterweight Niacinamide serum to reset and balance skin in four weeks. Nourishes skin, for visibly smoother texture and improved clarity.Reduces the look of congested pores without leaving the skin dry like acne treatments do. 30ml
@glossier.com
£24
134 | Lifestyle
@boots.com
£5.00
Clinique Acne and Anti Blemish Solutions Cleansing GelPerfect to control oil prone skin, clearing up breakouts and unclogging pores. Leaving the skin soft, fresh and calm. This also can be used on the body. 125ml @clinique.co.uk
£19.50
Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow MaskHelps to reduce spots by absorbing excess oils and sucks out impurities and dirt. This incredible refreshing mask also exfoliates and unclog pores giving you a healthy glowing finish in just 5-10 mins. 15ml @thebodyshop.com
£6.00
Lifestyle | 135
Written and designed by Lauren Murphy Photos from Unsplash and The New Bohemians Handbook
Colours, plants and comfortability, here is your guide on how to turn your bedroom into the sort of safe haven your lifestyle deserves... It is so important that you have a safe space with good vibes where you can relax and wind down in. The world, as we all know, can become very trying sometimes; education, work, relationships, and people, in general, can become extremely overwhelming and consuming, it can feel like you have nowhere to run. By creating a haven for yourself, you will have your own isolated paradise where nobody can impose or make you feel uncomfortable, a place where you need not worry about the actions of other people. When you are young your bedroom is your whole world, a place to make your own, to express what you like, a reflection of your personality. As you get older you tend to lose the sense of personalisation when it comes to decorating your room and often get swept up in the lasted decor trends, which more often than not leave your room feeling cold and empty. Your living space has a significant effect on your overall mental and physical well-being. Experts have proven that the organisation, decoration and layout can have significant impacts upon your mood and mental health. Things like clutter, obnoxious colours, and dull interiors can be a huge factor in depression and anxiety. Now more than ever we need a place to feel safe and comfortable in therefore, this guide will help you turn your room into a space you will never want to leave, a space that will keep your mood lifted and your head clear.
Safe haven loading.... 136 | Lifestyle
Creating Clarity The first step of creating a room with good vibes is to achieve clarity, both literal and figurative. Clear away the dust and the dirt, remove the unpleasant sights, sounds and smells, and purge any source of bad feelings, memories or associations. Let the light in and take a good look at what you need, what works for you and how you want to live. A deep clean can also do you and your room the world of good. Turn on your tunes and dig in, start from one end of your room and work your way down. Clean your windows, light fixtures and not forgetting the tops of shelves and wardrobe. Throw your bedding, throw and pillow covers in the wash, vacuum everywhere (even under your bed, if possible) and remove any dead leaves from plants. Open up all your windows and air out your space. Clarity is all about having an organized space filled with just things you love. Clutter can trigger anxiety and depression, clearing out unwanted things can help cleanse your mind and give you a fresh perspective. Get a cardboard box. If you don’t love it, toss it. If it conjures up bad memories, is broken, does not fit you anymore, isn’t comfortable it’s time to say byebye. Little changes like these can do a world of good for your mental health as well as making your living space more enjoyable.
Let in the light We humans have evolved to perform optimally in the natural light of the sun, something we students need to remember. Instead of hiding away in a dark room trying to escape your responsibilities, let the natural light shine in. Exposure to natural light will improve your physical and emotional well-being, sleep cycles and concentration. If your home lacks a significant amount of light consider adding mirrors across from existing windows to increase light and make the space feel bigger. As a lot of us are now working from home, moving your workspace so that it is directly in front of a window can help boost your work productivity. With natural light shining down on you, it’s hard to dose off or lose concentration therefore, if you struggle to stay awake during zoom meetings, try positioning yourself directly in front of sunlight to wake up your mind and get the creative juices flowing. Artificial light can also have a big impact on your mood, soft lighting can instantly make you feel more relaxed and calm. Try to fill your room with warm coloured laps or mood lighting, this will create a cosy environment perfect for chilling out after a hard day.
Lifestyle | 137
Calming colours
Written and designed by Lauren Murphy Photos from Unsplash and The New Bohemians Handbook
Colours have an emotional impact. They affect our moods, as well as how a room functions and feels. The colour of our bedrooms can completely change the perspective of the room, either by making the room feel larger or smaller, warmer or cooler, open or closed, romantic or professional, fun, sombre, lively or peaceful. The best colours to have in your room on the walls are muted, natural colours that inspire a sense of calm and tranquillity. From there you can inject colour into the room by decorating it with items that represent your personality and the thing you like. Having a neutral canvas allows you to hang anything on the walls without fear of colour clashing. The same concept can apply with having white bedding; it allows you to add any colour or patterned throw or pillows. Creating a safe haven is all about creating a place that makes you feel comfortable, therefore, if painting the walls a bright colour makes you happy then so be it, just remember not to unintentionally create a cluttered, busy environment with too many colours bold flying around.
138 | Lifestyle
Paradise Nothing breathes life into a space like plants can, a space full of living, growing energy can support and encourage your own personal growth. Knowing what planets work best for your space can be difficult, like us not all plants can thrive in the same environment. Plants are known for providing a sense of warmth and comfort, when surrounded by planets you feel content. Plants really can transform a room if you position them in the right places and cater for their needs. Tuck shade-loving plants in corners and on tables and shelves. Put sun-loving planet in front of the windows or in open spaces where the light will catch them. If you are a notorious plant serial killer opt for planets that can withstand low light and low water. Don’t just buy a plant for the aesthetic. To help you find the right plant for you and your environment here’s a little guide:
Plant Guide Plants which are easy to care of: - Monstera - Philodendron - ZZ plant Plants that thrive in windows: - Jade plant - Devils ivy - Pony tail palm Plants you can’t kill: - Air plant - Snake plant - Most succulents Plants you can hang: - String of pearls - Spider plan - String of heart
Lifestyle | 139
RISE
AND
SHINE!
For years I have been searching for my ideal skin kit, I’ve tried it all from Dermatological to Simple. Unfortunately, I have very sensitive skin and cannot even use products like baby wipes or face mask without turning my face into a tomato. Social media changes their opinions with one week some products are the ones we need in our lives and then the next week we should never be putting them near our bodies. So when given the Kylie Skin set I was very cautious when using it, however, now I cannot dream about using anything else.
1.
The first product in the set is the Foaming face wash. The packaging of the wash is amazing, with a nozzle that pumps out the right amount of soap which is already foamed up so it can be applied directly to the face. Some other products are hard to foam up and after a while, I find that it feels sticky on my face. The foam is lightweight and so easy to spread around the face, meaning not much is needed, which for the price means you can last longer with it.
Next, is the Walnut Face scrub, this product is one of my favourite in the set. The only downfall is you have to be careful how much you squeeze out, as if not paying attention you could end up with the whole bottle contents in your hand. The scrub is very gritty which is perfect for removing dead skin cells and excess makeup, yet, it does not hurt the skin or leave it looking red and raw like other products can do.
Written and designed by Lottie George Images from KylieSkin.com
3. 140 | Lifestyle
2.
After I scrub my face and wash it off I get a towel and pat my face dry. I read somewhere that you must always pat your body and face dry and never rub as it’s bad for the skin and as the person who believes everything she sees online I started following that advice. I then apply the beautiful smelling Vanilla Milk toner, which Kylie Jenner herself said “ I could have a bath in this toner”. This toner just wipes any excess oils or product left in your pores making sure your face is clean. All you have to do is apply a small amount on a cotton pad and run it around your face. The toner melts into your face and does not even take that long to dry.
Is Kylie Jenner’ skin kit worth the money? Will it have you looking like you’re a Kardashian? Here are my thoughts on the set!
4.
The Vitamin C Serum is next on the list. Now I won’t lie, when I first saw this product I had no idea what Vitamin C did to my skin and was just applying it because it was in the box. But after some research, I found the is has a lot of qualities for the skin, such as, firming and tightening the skin, thickening fine lines and is also known as an antioxidant meaning it protects the skin from any UV damage caused by the sun. The packaging is just a small bottle with a pump, the meaning is easy to carry around and also only pumps out a small amount with is all you really need. With all these products found the less is definitely more.
5.
Now I know by now you are probably so tired of standing in from of your mirror doing this skin regime. But trust me, if you stick with this your face will be glowing after this. Next, is the face moisturiser, this is so creamy you only need a small amount and it easily spreads over the whole face and absorbs extremely quickly, leaving your face soft and fresh. I find that a lot of moisturisers are sticky and thick leaving the face feeling heavy and dirty, this is not the case with the Kylie one.
6.
Lastly we have the wonderful eye cream. I always thought eye cream was something my nan would wear before bed hoping it would make her wake up 30 years younger. I never really understood the benefits it had on a younger face. But, since using this eye cream my eyes have been more moisturised and look refreshed, I don’t have bags or dark circles showing my regrets of staying up all night the day before. The applicator is made so all you have to do it squeeze the tube and use the end to rub it in. Kylie did this so you would not have to use your fingers and if you’re like me poke your eyes out with your acrylics!
Lifestyle | 141
Top Fiv e
Nintendo Switch
tik tok accounts
As well as the thriving social media app tik tok, the nintendo switch is one of the most popular things right now is the nintendo switch game console. We’ve seen so many consoles over time but the switch has saved us, especially through lockdown 1, 2 ... oh and 3. So much so, that many individuals have risen to tik tok fame by sharing their experiences, ideas and ratings with the console. So if you have a switch or are considering buying one, check these tik tokers out, they’ll keep you up to speed with everything involved in the console.
1
Written, Designed and Illustrated by Tara Larkin.
@nintendo.grl
Up first is @nintendo.grl who has the cutest aesthetic ever! Her small clips on Tik Tok showcase her entire gaming set up, allowing viewers to take note of how to achieve the cutest space ready for their switch and other consoles! She also shows gadgets that will enhance your gaming experience from using particular screens, headsets and more. Her main ambition and purpose is to ensure that you take time for yourself, to have fun and game! Oh and to wear the hell out of pink. She strives to show her cute aesthetic and also promotes small businesses for switch skins, accessories and more, which is so important, especially given the current circumstances in the world. 142 | Lifestyle
Next is @ageekychick who shows diversity in the gaming community. Many assumptions are made in this community and she excels in black female empowerment while doing what she does best; give alternative games to viewers, recommends her favourites and gives out tips and triks for any other Switch gamers out there!
2
@ageekychick
3
@leocrossing
Third is @leocrossing! Yep, you’ve guessed it! She gives us the best tips and tricks arguably t h e most popular game on the Switch; Animal Crossing New Horizons. With the game not having a clear end goal, there are endless possibilities and routes and Leo will guide you through the most vital and exciting parts of the game, making it as fun and adventurous as possible! @ Leocrossing also gives content that makes you think about your choices within the game, helping your development with the game and consider the choices that you are making. From
4 an
Animal Crossing lover, this is some serious stuff!
@Honey.brii is what we would call a yellow. She fills your Tik Tok feed with positivity by showing her favourite characters from all Nintendo games, sharing calming videos of game play and giving insight into the best places to by merchandise for your favourite games! She shares the reality of being fully obsessed with Animal Crossing (like the rest of us) but also pushes the idea of ensuring that gaming time is used as a break from reality. @Honey.briii goes through her journey of villager hunting on Animal Crossing, sharing her favourite and not so favourite villagers as well as her opinions on the designs and overall style of the game, allowing yourself to delve into the aesthetic of Animal Crossing and discover more yourself.
@honey.briii
5
@garbs4gamers
Finally, it’s @garbs4gamers! He always provides fresh content in line with Nintendo’s greatest releases and always shows the best games to play through using trending sounds of Tik Tok, making the clips engaging and always hilarious! He always stuns his viewers with his insane Nintendo collection ... just go ahead and search it up, you won’t be disappointed!
Lifestyle | 143
ST YLE STORAGE HACKS
Anyone with too many clothes knows it can be a real struggle trying to keep it organised. You may live by the rule where when you buy something, you must throw something out. But if you are not willing to part with any of your clothes, follow these simple hacks. We promise they are a game changer...
HACK ONE: ADD DIVIDERS INTO YOUR DRAWERS! This is a simple yet very effective hack, it allows for your sock and underwear drawers to be organised in a cost effective way. Or as an alternative you could use small baskets to keep your draws organised, which you can get for a good price anywhere. For sturdy ones you can buy them on Amazon for as little as £9, or you could opt for a DIY and use an old cardboard to create your desired divide.
HACK TWO: COLOUR CODE YOUR WARDROBE!
Again coming at you with a simple hack to keep your wardrobe looking organised. (It also pleases the OCD!) Not only will it help with organisation it will allow you to see what clothes you have making it so much easier when it comes to putting an outfit together! Simply, arrange all of your black, white, red, blue etc clothes together and VOILÀ your wardrobe is already looking put together.
144 | Lifestyle
HACK THREE: SHOE BOOKSHELF!
This hack gives me very pinterest vibes. You can create an organised aesthetic look to your wardrobe/ bedroom. So for this hack you will need a bookshelf or shoe shelf which you can buy from Amazon for around £20. When it comes to organising them onto the shelves you can follow a colour coordinated system or you could follow a occasion themed system, where you have trainers and then high heels etc. Here you can see what shoes you have whilst creating your own little shoe shop at home!
HACK FOUR:
UNDER BED STORAGE!
If you find your running low of space in your wardrobe a suggestion to making the most out of empty space under your bed by using storage boxes. At the end of the winter season you can use your under bed storage to store your winter clothes whilst you wear your spring/summer clothes. This will evidently free up space in your wardrobe allowing room for your clothes to breath and the possibility for more shopping trips!
TOP STORAGE TIPS 1. Dropping hangers, they allow you to hang lots of hangers vertically which saves space on the wardrobe pole. 2. Trouser hangers, these have space where you can fold your trousers over. So if you have smart trousers you don’t want getting stuffed in a drawer, these would be a good idea. When you bring your clean laundry up or you are getting dressed into your pyjamas of an evening, remember to put away your clothes. This will ensure you keep on top of cleaning your bedroom and it will keep your wardrobe and drawers nice and tidy. As well as doing this, you may also want to leave your outfit for the next day out, this will save you time in the morning!
If you worry about your wardrobe smelling old and then that transferring onto your clothes. You can use dryer sheets in your drawers or your wardrobe and this will keep them smelling fresh. On this idea another tip would be using old socks or tights and filling them with oats and a nice smelling oil. This will act as a diffuser and again keep your clothes smelling fresh.
WriTer: Scarlet Filmer Images: Adobe Stock
You can get different types of hangers that help with saving space in your wardrobe.
Lifestyle | 145
Happy Mother’s Day,
Dad. Text, illustrations and design by Olivia Clayton, images from Unsplash.com
In the UK, the fourth Sunday of Lent is just a normal day for the majority of people, where sons and daughters nationwide are able to spend time with their mums and show their appreciation for all they’ve done for them. Well, for 15% of the country, things could not be more different. For those who have lost or been separated from their mum, this is one of the hardest days of the year. Constant reminders in every shop window that you walk past: ‘Treat your mum this Mother’s Day!’ Or ‘Make it a Mother’s Day that she’ll never forget with 2-4-1 on all bath and shower sets!’. It’s a constant cycle of having the strength to be able to move on and keep positive, while simultaneously having the memories thrown back in your face by every advertising giant in the world. 18-year-old Sophie from Cornwall (this is a fake name given as requested by the interviewee) is still dealing with the emotional separation from her mum when she was just 9 years old. Her mum 146 | Lifestyle
moved to Australia in 2011 after separating from Sophie’s dad to start a new life. Sophie’s mum now lives with her new husband and two daughters that they have together in Australia; no doubt two daughters who barely recognise their own half-sister from a relationship built through Facetime. Sadly, this is the harsh reality for so many young people who are taught they must grow up and understand what is happening to them at such a young age. While the number of single mother families to single father families is incomparable at a 9:1 ratio, that doesn’t mean that single father families should be overlooked. In the UK, there are around 500,000 single fathers, who deserve respect and appreciation for what they do to support their children, especially those who are fathers to girls. It is people like Sophie who will spend most of their life without a lot of the things most
“You are always going to be loved by the family and friends you have around you”
daughters take for granted. Girly shopping trips, period talks, experiencing your first heartbreak crying in your mother’s arms. Most dads take the reins sometimes but for single fathers, a lot of them don’t have a choice. It’s the little things that need to be normalised going into 2021; a father struggling to tie up his daughter’s hair, or not knowing which pads to buy, or having a hard time painting their daughter’s nails in the perfect shade of pink. Despite the fact that Sophie has only seen her mum twice since she moved to Australia, she has learnt how to distract herself and is working towards having a stress-free positive mindset when Mother’s Day rolls around each year, “I tend to go for walks with the rest of my family, including my dad and my sister. We go and visit grandparents because they deserve the same praise as all mothers do”. With increasing flight prices and Covid-19 not settling down anytime soon, it is unlikely Sophie will be able to see her mum and sisters in the near future, however she knows that this doesn’t make any difference to the amount her mum loves her. In-fact, in her own words of advice to those suffering with loss or grief:
“Just because someone is gone, it doesn’t mean they love you any less”. And it’s true. A lot of things change when you lose a parent: You join a club that you never wanted to join full of people you don’t know with one common interest. You will find the simplest tasks like washing your hair, brushing your teeth, or getting out of bed, the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to do. Most of all, you will be jealous. Jealous of those who are graced with the presence of two parental figures in their lives; from this point on you will never complain about your parent again. But one thing that never changes, is the love your lost parent has for you or the love you have for them. On behalf of all the children out there living in a single-father home this Mother’s Day, hug your parents that little bit tighter next time you see them; listen to their words and appreciate what they do for you as you never know when the last time you get to say ‘thank you’ to them will be. Turn over for more:
Lifestyle | 147
5
ways to distract yourself this Mother’s Day: lockdown edition
1
Exercise. Probably the biggest serotonin boost you can get during lockdown is simply by going outside and feeling fresh air hit your lungs. It could be in the from of a run, a walk, or even just a car journey with the windows down. A short burst of brisk walking for 10 minutes increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood.
Make do-to lists. One of the most productive things you can do while staying at home is to write down all the things you need to do that day/week and slowly tick them off. The sense of achievement it can give you is huge and it really feels like you’re doing something worthwhile and beneficial, even if you’re ticking off that you got out of bed that day.
Text, illustrations and design by Olivia Clayton, images from Unsplash.com
3
Cook something new. Channel your inner Nigella or Jamie this Mother’s Day by cooking something new. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, there is no greater satisfaction than cooking an amazing meal that you made for yourself to savour and enjoy. Have you seen all the amazing meals on food TikTok? Or the delicious food porn pics on Pinterest? You can’t go wrong.
Zoom call your friends. There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned Zoom quiz. Let’s be honest, the first lockdown feels like a fever dream now, but what better way to try and relive (arguably) the best part of 2020 with a Zoom quiz. Jazz it up with a Where’s Wally round, make it personal by trying to guess the year of your friend’s baby photos, just have fun!
148 | Lifestyle
5
2 4
Binge your favourite show/movie. While staying away from social media may be difficult, one way you can distract yourself from the endless feed of Mum’s on Instagram, is to take an evening to rest and rewatch some absolute classics. Whether it’s romance, comedy or horror that resonates with you, don’t feel the guilt of your huge screen time and simply press play.
4
organisations that support single parent families
Gingerbread. Gingerbread want a society in which single parent families are treated equally and fairly. To get there, they provide information to help single parents support themselves and their family. They campaign and influence policy to reduce stigma against single parents, and make services more accessible to all families – whatever their shape or size.
2
Single Parent Action Network (SPAN). The website SingleParents.org.uk was born in 2008 and has supported thousands of single mums and single dads nationwide with every aspect of singleparenthood from coping with separation and/or divorce, understanding Court procedures, surviving domestic abuse to sharing parenting ideas, information on work and benefits and so much more.
OnlyDads and OnlyMums. They commission and publish professionally written advice articles to support their client group on key issues around the law, mediation, housing, finance and general parenting. They continue to develop their Green Phone initiative, and have 100+ family solicitors nationwide donating their time to offer victims of domestic abuse advice on their options.
4
1 3
Turn2us. Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations. Anyone can be a missed paycheque, illness or bereavement away from a real financial crisis, which is why they help people find the support they need to get back on track.
Numbers you can call for support. Emergency - 112 Samaritans for anything upsetting you - 116 123 SANEline for mental health problems - 0300 304 7000 CALM if you identify as male - 0800 58 58 58 Switchboard if you identify as LGBT - 0300 330 0630 Lifestyle | 149
Ultimate 2021 room decor - Small Spaces You can never beat the feeling of coming home to a freshly decorated room. Nothing seems to be inspiring you? Don’t worry, We’ve researched Pantone’s best colours for 2021 to give you the ultimate small room makeover while keeping in mind the regulations of staying in uni halls.
Designer: Cody Alexander, Writer: Cody Alexander,
COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2021
ULTIMATE GRAY 150 | Lifestyle
ILLUMINATING
ADDING YOUR ACCENT COLOURS Using Yellow as your accent colour allows the room to become increasingly more eye-catching and creative. Use this on home ware such as the light shade, pictures, flowers and decorative ornaments. A good thing to remember is that you want the yellow to stand out. This means you have to have a steady balance of grey surrounding your accents. For example, if you’re adding yellow cushions, make sure to use grey cushions as well, this allows the yellow cushion to appear more bold and vivid amongst your room.
When adding flowers to your room, you can choose from a variety of whites, yellows and greys. Colours that you should avoid are bright pinks, oranges, greens, purples and anything else that would drag the eye from your accent colour, Yellow. This is extremely important in small spaces, especially halls of residence as the space is smaller, it will become more automatic for someone to pick up the other colours that disrupt your desired colour scheme of Grey and Yellow.
Using your accent colour on light shades is a great way to break up the colours on your wall and ceiling. I recommend using a light shade that is of only one colour, otherwise, it could look too busy and overwhelming. If you have a lamp in your room, I suggest having a matching lampshade to your main ceiling one. This brings your room together a lot more and creates a more put together space. Using this technique immediately draws eyes to your room and gives off a bold appearance.
Lifestyle | 151
50 SHADES OF ULTIMATE GRAY For basic room essentials, you should focus on your base colour, in this case, that is Grey. If you can paint your walls then this would be the colour to go for, you could also paint your walls a neutral colour such as White. You want to use Yellow as your accent colour ONLY. This adds depth and gives your room more of a homely feel. Basic essentials include home ware such as beds, furniture. However, you can get away with adding a chair in your accent colour. This adds a really nice effect to the room. If you are in university halls and do not have a choice of bed, then my suggestion to you is to get a grey headboard and slide it down the back of the bed.
Adding a yellow throw to your bed will really bring threw your accent colour, this stops the bed from getting too overwhelmed with Greys and Whites. Using this technique will also correlate and match with your cushion layout, previously mentioned. Allowing for a balanced flow throughout your bedroom.
Adding wall art and decor items One thing that is an essential in any room re-design is to add art and decor items! Without this the room could appear boring and un-creative.
Designer: Cody Alexander, Writer: Cody Alexander,
In picking these items, it is essential that you stick to your colour scheme, because you wouldn’t want a lovely yellow and grey room with a bright purple picture up. This would immediately grab anyones attention and for the wrong reasons; It looks out of place. With this aside, any image or decor item that is either white, yellow or grey should do the trick. As long as you love it, you can’t go wrong. 152 | Lifestyle
CREATIVE DECOR LIGHTING Being creative with home ware such as lighting gives your room another aspect to it. Fairy lights do this amazingly. What’s even better than fairy lights? Decorated fairy lights! These fairy lights will match your ultimate room makeover perfectly. The yellow sunflowers complement the theme while adding a personal touch in to the room. You can get these specific ones on the “ROMWE” website for only £5! However, if you search flower fairy lights, you get so many options to choose from.
HOMELY ROOM Accessories Now for the fun part! Who doesn’t love adding the finishing touches to a newly decorated room? My advice is to effectively make use of your accent colour, but don’t forget about Grey! Include this in some of your accessories. For example; When choosing a rug you can get one that balances out your colour scheme like the one in the picture. One rule you should stick to is making sure that when you look into your room, you are not overwhelmed with your accent colour. So make sure to also look at Grey accessories as well as Yellow.
NOW.....GET DECORATING! Lifestyle | 153
HOW TO STAY
D E T A V I OT
M
DURING A
PANDEMIC Staying motivated and productive is proving to be much harder while we live through the tough restrictions because of the pandemic. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get back on you feet and ready for your day, making you more motivated to get on, work, and create a better you.
Written and Designed by Ellie Trim
Having a routine is key.
Whether it be a few small steps that help you start your morning right or a whole days plan that you follow, having a routine will make you feel more productive and you’ll begin to notice you’re getting more done. As tempting as it is to stay in bed, setting yourself a routine will bring a bit of familiarity in to you life. When starting your routine try and wake up early, add in some exercise or stretching before starting your day. This will give you a little added boost to begin your day. If you’re working from home, make sure you have little breaks so you’re not constantly staring at a screen. There is also always time for some self-care activities so make sure you add them in to your new daily routine. As a few days go by after starting a routine, you should begin to feel more organised and motivated while at home and don’t forget, it’s always okay to have an off day, if you don’t get much done, don’t beat yourself up about it, there’s always tomorrow.
154 | Lifestyle
Find the ideal workplace,
If you’re working from home and finding it hard to stay motivated, try thinking about your workplace - is it comfortable? If not, is there anything you could do to make it comfier, like a chair that good for you posture. Make sure this space still benefits your work so don’t swap a desk for your bed! Is there too many distraction? If so, leave them out the room! Do I have enough space? Make sure you have room for what you need to do and that you’re not squashed in to a corner. Try and make your workplace similar to what you would have at work, this will bring in some more familiarity as well as a better workplace for you. Overall, this will bring you a better working experience and keep you more motivated to complete your work.
Move you body.
Linking back to have a routine, try and exercise or stretch at least once a day. This could be an exercise routine in the morning before you start your day, an afternoon walk to get you out the house or some yoga in the evenings. Any of these activities will help move you body as the worst thing you can do while working from home is make your body stagnant. While being stuck at home, it is the perfect time to get yourself into a routine of moving your body and helping yourself become healthier.
Look after you mental health.
You might be finding this difficult times even harder. Staying inside all the time and hearing non-stop news about the pandemic can really take a toll on your mental health. If you are finding it hard that make sure you take the time to realise the things you might be feeling and don’t push them to the side. Connecting with friends digitally might also help bring back some positivity. Other things like exercising and going for walks can help clear you head and create a better mindset. However, if your mental health is taking a toll on you and you can’t seem to do anything to help, talking to someone may be there best thing for you.
Plan and set daily or weekly goals.
A good way to stay motivated is to create list and plans of your day that you can stick to. You could either write the small things down that you do daily or create a whole week plan. Either is a good way to set yourself up to be productive. Ticking your list or completing your plan feels rewarding, making you want to do this again the following day. This is also a good way to stay organised and time efficient, making your day much more productive!. You could even have some fun with this and create or buy a journal, this makes planning much easier as you only have to fill in the gaps!
Lifestyle | 155
Designed by Klára Volfová, imagery by Jacob Owens from unsplash and Google
Films Edition
Carbon recommends
Carbon recommends
156 | Lifestyle
Lifestyle | 157
Simple, Sustainable Beauty Swaps
Everyone loves a great beauty routine, right? A little bit of self-care is something we all need once in a while, but it is damaging our planet! Plastic packaging and toxic chemicals are having a huge impact on our environment and marine life. Here are some simple eco-friendly switches you can make in your bathroom to make your beauty routine more sustainable.
BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSHES
Conventional toothbrushes represent 1% of the waste in our oceans, as they are made from different types of plastic which cannot be recycled and end up in the ocean, damaging our marine life. Switching to a bamboo toothbrush stops this waste as is it biodegradable meaning it will easily deteriorate and reduces pollution. The antibacterial properties of bamboo allow it to cultivate without using toxins.
SOAP & SHAMPOO BARS
On average 80 million plastic bottles are thrown away globally every year, and many brands are switching to produce bars of soap for every part of your body to eliminate the plastic waste. Using soap bars reduces the use of water as it makes use of the water you are showering in. Another benefit of using soap bars is they save on emissions as they are a lot lighter in weight and take up less space being transported.
158 | Lifestyle
REUSABLE COTTON PADS
Instead of using face wipes which end up either in a landfill or flushed down the toilet, switching to reusable cotton pads to remove makeup and clean your skin could save the planet. It’s reported that wipes account for 93% of sewer blockages in the UK and there are build ups of product waste in our rivers. These reusable pads or muslin cloths can just be thrown into the wash and replace up to 500 face wipes.
REUSABLE COTTON BUDS
It is estimated that 1.8 billion plastic cotton buds are used and thrown away every year in England with 10% being flushed down the toilet. They end up floating in the oceans and contributing to the over 150 million tonnes of plastic waste. Swapping to reusable cotton buds or some made of bamboo eliminates this waste and can make a huge difference to the environment.
ALUMINIUM PACKAGING
Written & designed by Charlotte Brooks, photos taken from Unsplash and some product websites
Swapping to a complete package free cosmetic world would be the most beneficial to the environment. However aluminium packaging is the next best thing compared to plastic, which has detrimental effects on the planet. Aluminium is the only material which can be recycled and reused in the same form and there is more of a chance it will actually be recycled effectively compared to glass and plastic. This would reduce the build up of plastic in landfills and therefore create a beneficial change for the environment.
MENSTRUAL CUPS
On average an individual uses 11,000 disposable sanitary products in a lifetime and when multiplied by every woman this causes a lot of waste. The plastics used to wrap sanitary products are long lasting and difficult to break down as well as the transportation being damaging to the planet. The chemicals used to make these products are not only not great for the environment, but there are also reports they are unhealthy for our bodies. Switching to menstrual cups has a lot of different benefits including saving you a lot of money and can last up to 10 years. One cup produces 0.4% of the plastic waste that single-use pads build up, significantly helping the environment.
Lifestyle | 159
Pictures from Instagram. Writing and Design by Yvonne Sam
@aimeesong
ASIAN
Thao Nhi Le is a Vietnamese Fashion Designer and blogger. She has risen to fame through her blog named Daphale which means rhinestones in Vietnamese as she wanted to showcase her visual diary of her reflecting her own looks and styles. She has her own fashion line called Daphale Studios which is a lingerie brand based around her own sense of feminism and rebellion. Thao Nhi Le has over 400K followers on Instagram.
160 | Lifestyle
Influencers are a huge par t of our social lives. Open Instagram and you see all of these influencers on your timeline. Asian influencers are on the high right now! Here are some East Asian influencers that you should know about and should check them out!
@juliaadang
Aimee Song is a famous American fashion blogger, with over 5 million followers on Instagram. She has her own blog called Song Of Style and also her own fashion brand which is also called Song of Style. Her blog gets 2 million reads per day. She has been actively posting on Youtube showcasing her daily life. In 2016 she has published her first own book named Capture Your Own Style, which in the same year she was in the 30 under 30 Forbes Magazine. Her most recent book, Word of Style was published in 2018.
@thaonhile
Swedish fashion blogger and designer, Julia Dang has risen to the top in recent years. Producing her own brand called Dangsthlm. In addition to this, she has a Youtube channel called TheLineUp which is about her daily lifestyle and fashion fits. Julia Dang has over 100K followers on Instagram and over 500K subscribers on Youtube.
Ricci Pamintuan is a well known Youtuber, vlogger and designer. She is one of a duo called ToThe9s, which is her Youtube channel name. Her partner is also the co-founder of ToThe9s Youtube channel. She has over 130K followers on Instagram and over 600K subscribers on Youtuber. The content that she and her partner uploads on Youtube is based around fashion styles and their lifestyle, and new trends. She also has her own accessory, jewellery brand called Chippdtooth.
@riccipamintuan @weylie
Weylie Hoang is a beauty and fashion Youtube guru with over 1.7 millions subscribers. She has two Youtube channel, her fashion and beauty one called Weylie Hoang and she also has another called WeylieTv where she showcases her daily lifestyle. Weylie is the Co-Founder of Shopwomn which is a clothing brand based on originality and femininity. She has over 500K followers on Instagram.
influencers Lifestyle | 161
Glaurenn
I spoke to Laura Gudliauskiene, professional photographer and fine arts enthusist about working in the real world, her inspiration and her biggest influences
162 | Lifestyle
Tell me about your work. How would you describe it? What is your style?
What is your favourite photograph from your portfolio and why?
I would describe myself as a beginner photographer. I take a lot of different photographs: portraits, kids, maternity, events, fashion and I am still trying to find the right style, one that suits me most. I would love to become a fine art photographer, taking images that tell more of a story, I’ve always found that fascinating. Maybe one day.
Oh, that’s very easy to answer, all the images of my kids. But my favourite one would be of my first baby, sat on the grass, reading a book.
What is it that you want to say with your photographs? When I take images I want to show people’s emotions, their thoughts. Within any image, I try to tell a story and show that every single one of us is beautiful the way they are. Why did you decide to become a photographer? After my second baby, I was trying to find a hobby. Something that would help me escape from everyday routine, something that I would enjoy doing and something that would allow me to spend some time by myself with my own thoughts. Then I found photography, or photography found me. Well, either way, taking and editing photographs is something that makes me very happy.
Photography is my hobby, my biggest passions so I don’t have a particular person that influences me, I’m just trying to find my own style.
I am shooting images with my Canon 6D and I always carry two lenses in my photography bag: Canon 50mm 1.8 lens and Sigma Art 35mm 1.4 lens. For now, these work wonders for me, however, I always keep an eye on photography equipment I could invest in. Some say that photography is so expensive, but they don’t realise that it doesn’t have to be. You don’t need all these expensive equipment to achieve great images, all you really need is some imagination and then you’ll find that anything is possible. When it comes to finalising images, I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to edit the images. How do you make people feel comfortable in front of a camera? Is it hard to do direct models when photographing them? I always try to come earlier to meet the model before the photoshoot. It is important to create that closer bond with them so that they feel free and comfortable to follow directions. I always try to joke with them, ask questions and tell them how great they are doing so they are relaxed and confident. If the model is stiff in front of the camera it always translates into the images, so it is up to the photographer to make sure it doesn’t happen.
Where do you find inspiration when it comes to photography? I tend to look at different photographer’s work, I look at the light they use, composition of the images, colour schemes and other technical things. Nonetheless, it’s important to have the willingness to try new things and to learn from your mistakes, because otherwise, you’ll never achieve the images you desire. As well as this, I tend to find inspiration from Pinterest, you can find there anything you need, sometimes I just sit there and scroll and scroll and scroll.
How do you educate yourself to take better pictures? I am constantly reading books about photography, following other photographers work and taking photographs and editing courses. What is your advice for someone who wants to become a photographer? I would say, if you want to become a photographer, just do it. You don’t need a lot for it, only a good eye and imagination. Learn to work with natural light, because if you can make a subject look good when shooting outside in harsh sunlight you can do anything. Lifestyle | 163
Written and designed by Beata Gerasimovaite, photography by Laura Gudliauskiene (Glaurenn Photography)
What is your biggest influence when taking photographs?
What photography tools do you use when taking pictures and editing them?
164 | Lifestyle
Lifestyle | 165
Celebrity babies of 2020/2021
Find out what celebrities gave birth in 2020 and who are expecting in 2021...
Written and designed by Emily Benison and Ellie Trim, Images from instagram and google.
Gigi Hadid
Nicki Minaj
166 | Lifestyle
On the 26th of August 2020, Gigi posted this post commenting ‘growing an angle’ to announce she was having a baby with her partner Zayn Malik. She continued to post a feed of images from this shoot with extra comments also announcing that she was ‘33 weeks’ with a love heart emoji. After that, she shared 1 more pregnancy picture before posting the image on the right which announced her baby’s birth. ‘She commented ‘our girl joined us earth-side this weekend and she has already changed our world. So in love’ with a weepy face and heart emoji. This was on the 24th of September 2020 She later announced her little girl was names Khai
Dani Dyer
On the 22nd of July 2020, Dani Dyer announced she was having a baby with her partner. She posted this picture and commented ‘Little bubba can’t believe you are going to be ours.’ She posted many pregnancy photos throughout and updated her fans regularly. Then in January, she posted this picture announcing her sons birth commenting ‘After a very long day and night finally our special little boy arrived 23/01/2021 weighing 7 pounds...we are in a complete baby bubble...’ It was later announced she had a hard birth and had to have a C-section and also announced on her podcast that they had named their son Santiago, and she loves it and doesn’t care what people think of his name.
Cara Delahoyde On the 20th of July Nicki posted a series of images of her cradling her baby bump. She commented ‘hashtag preggers’ with a yellow heart emoji in one image and on another she commented ‘ Love.Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement and gratitude. Thank you for the well wishes.’ Apparently she gave birth to her son on the 30th of September and hasn’t been posting any photos of him until the 2nd of January 2021 where she showed a series of photos. She has not yet revealed his name but she refers to him as ‘papa bear’
On the 9th of March 2020 Cara revealed she was having her second baby with her partner Nathan Massey with this picture on the left from a magazine feature commenting, ‘we are so happy to let you know our very happy news.’ Later, on the 5th of May they released they are having a little girl!. Cara would post regularly throughout her pregnancy showing her bump. And later revealed on the 28th of July 2020 that she gave birth to her little girl. Commenting, ‘She’s here and home.’ Then on the 10th of August she released her name. Commenting, ‘Here she is, our princess. Delilah Delahoyde Massesy.’
Camila Thurlow
This Love Island couple Camilla and Jamie Jewitt released in a video on the 17th May 2020 that they are pregnant and expecting a baby. Commenting, ‘So Jamie and I have managed to make something pretty special.’ After releasing the happy news she would often show her baby bump in pictures. Then on the 27th of October 2020 she revealed they had a baby girl by posting the picture on the left and commenting, ‘Nell Sophia Jewitt, 4.42 am, 27th October, 6lb 50z. There may be a thousand new photos on my camera role, but none of them could ever do justice to the way you have lit up our lives’
Katy Perry
On the 5th March 2020 Katy Perry revealed she was pregnant with her first child in a slightly different way by announcing she was pregnant in her new music video by cradling her pregnant stomach at the end of it. She then also tweeted ‘OMG so glad I don’t have to suck in anymore... Or carry around a big purse lol.’ Then on the 27th of August UNICEF posted for Katy and her partner Orlando Bloom that they had given birth to a baby girl, commenting, ‘Welcome to the world, Daisy Dove Bloom! We are honoured to introduce goodwill ambassadors Katy and Orlandos new bundle of joy. Katy and Orlando told us “we are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter....”’
Halsey On the 27th of January Halsey released on instagram she was pregnant with her 1st child. Commenting on the post, ‘surprise!’ With a milk bottle, rainbow and child angel emoji. She has not posted since.
Rochelle Humes
On the 12th of April 2020 Rochelle announced she was having her third baby with her husband Martin Humes, by posting this picture on the left and commenting, ‘ There is a baby bunny in my oven...’ With a rabbit and pregnant woman emoji. The picture also shows it is due October 2020. Then later on the 12th of October she posted this photo on the left announcing the birth of her baby boy, commenting, ‘Blake Hampton Humes. On Friday morning at 8.44 am our boy arrived to flip the switch on 2020. I didn’t ever think I would fall in love with another man but this guy has stolen my whole heart and we’ve been in a love bubble ever since...’
Laura Whitmore Shortly after announcing her and her Ian Stirling had secretly got married Laura announced on the 16th of December 2020 that they were expecting a baby. She posted a long paragraph announcing it but part of it said ‘ Ian and I are expecting a baby in early 2021. Its been hard to keep such happy news quiet.’ After announcing this news she posted a series of pregnancy shots that came from a magazine feature on her that you can read about her pregnancy.
Meghan Trainor On the 23rd of December Meghan Trainor released she was pregnant by posting the picture on the right. She commented, ‘Happy Anniversary to the love of my life... thankyou for giving me the best gift ever’. Then with this picture on the bottom she posted on the 3rd of January commenting she has 6 weeks to go.
Lifestyle | 167
1. @SUPERDRUG
SOAP BROWS
Were all so obsessed with Brow lamination, but not so obsessed with so hers a cheap and quick alternative. To get your eyebrows in a free-flowing but placed alignment all you need is your spoolie, a priming or fixing spray and a clear soap. The pears are recommended as its only £00.99p in high street shops like savers and Superdrug. Lather the soap with the spray mix in the spray on top of the soap with the spoolie until a thin layer is formed on the brush, then use spoolie to swipe through the eyebrow hair in an upwards direction to get the laminated effect. To set this in place and allow to last all day tap into place using finger removing any access soap on eyebrows. Eyebrows will be left in place set and crisp, you can add any product before or after if you wanted a fuller brow.
2.
GLASSES MARK @SUPERDRUG
WEIRD
BUT WONDERFUL
BEAUTY HACKS
Written designed and photography by Hannah Green and Ellie Trim - images:UNSPL ASH or tagged
All the secret tips and tricks that you need for a flawless full glam, these life hacks will become a key part of your everyday routine.
5.
ACNE BE GONE
Fed up of forehead spots? Head and shoulders have got you! As weird as it sounds a key ingredient, selenium, in the anti-dandruff shampoo targets fungal acne what are the small bumpy spots that are commonly found on the forehead. Simply apply pea size amount of shampoo onto the forehead and rub in leave this for 5 minutes then wash off just like you would for any face mask! If you suffer from sensitive skin this is not advised, but a handy trick if you want to tackle that unwanted texture sat on your skin! Head and shoulders can be found in most supermarkets and drug stores for less than £3.00!
168 | Lifestyle
Would prefer to have a smooth finished skin without a glasses mark engraving into your skin makeup? Not only should you prime your face with a face primer to start your routine, but you should also now add a thin layer of eyeshadow primer before any foundation or concealer. This creates the perfect prepped surface to not let your base smudge or transfer onto glasses, sunglasses or even a face mask! Always remember to finish and lock in your makeup with a setting spray and translucent powder for best results and durability. See below for our recommended setting spray’s!
Carbon recommends @BOOTS
No makeup bag is complete without a setting spray, adding a spritz to your finished makeup look will keep it locked in place all day and night. Lots of different brands have a lot of variations, carbon recommends makeup revolution due to their collection of varied outcomes of sprays. Makeup revolution has a glow, matte, dewy, long-lasting, hydrating and many more fixing spray options. This sounds like a collection that you need, they’re available online at beauty bay or drug store shop Superdrug. @BEAUT YBAY
u ty B a
y
4.
If you’ve found your go-to shade this is the hack for you! Using one shade and only that one shade to build a put together final makeup look. That could be from a lipstick, eyeshadow, bronzer or blusher. To make a product into a cream product you will just need Vaseline, take loose pigments and mix into a dab of Vaseline to create a cream version of the shade this could be used on lips or face. And to take a cream/liquid product simply take a translucent powder and mix the products together this will need to take time to mix together, doing this on the back of your hand will allow ease of application and less mess. Matching up your eyeshadow, lips and blusher, or bronzer creates a warm put-together look that is commonly seen on the catwalk.
Morphe cosmetic has a varied selection on stippling brushes for a reasonable price available at BEAUT YBAY.COM.
3.
FAUX FRECKLES
7.
We’re all fantasising over cute natural freckles, however, not all of us are blessed with them. Here’s an easy life hack to achieve these freckles that stay for at least 5 days. @CULTBEAUAll you need if your face moisturiser, any fake tan and a stippling brush. Wash and moisturise your face to have a clean and prepped base for best results. Take a pea-sized amount of moisturiser onto a wipable surface and mix in a pump of fake tan until it’s blended into a smooth texture. Use a clean stippling brush pick up the new texture and simply tap onto the desired area creating these petite freckles. Leave for as long as the fake tan says then wash off for a natural finish and there you have some pretty faux freckles. Remember to wipe and remove the excess leftover product to avoid any random fake tan splodges!
6. HAIR hacks you need TY
Dreaming of luscious long locks but perhaps your hair is extremely damaged from heat, bleach and not caring for your hair? Here's a couple of tips and tricks that will switch up the game for you. Tip number one is to always use a heat protectant on your hair, this is vital when using heat directly to your locks.Vo5, Tresemme and John Frieda all have guaranteed protection in their products, not just this but they're also easily accessible from being sold in supermarkets and drug stores. To avoid ripping your hair out, when hair is wet/damp only use your fingers and hands to run through and initially de-tangle, using a comb or hairbrush commonly rips and tears clumps of hair out of your scalp without even noticing. For extreme hair growth grab yourself a bag of rice and simply soak in cold water drain rice but make sure you keep the water that the rice was soaked in and pour into a spray bottle container. Use this rice water and massage into the roots leave for 30-1hr then rinse off and shampoo hair. By doing this creates your hair to feel thicker, fuller, more manageable, and over time encourages your hair to grow due to the ingredient inositol that is in rice water.
silky shave After a smooth and silky skin that glides into your pj’s don’t you worry, we’ve got you with the ultimate shaving products you need on your shower shelf. We can all admit to becoming a bit lazy when it comes to exfoliating and scrubbing however you need to bring this back, it’s as simple as putting together household products sugar and honey together then rubbing in circular motions into the skin. Our fave Kylie Jenner has released her body scrub part of her kylieskin collection, this scrub is a coconut and kiwi infused scrub that will have you feeling and smelling like a dream! Now its time for the weirdness, use your ordinary hair conditioner onto your skin, rubbed in a thin layer, for the smoothest shave use a clean razor and shave in the direction your hair grows in. Using your hair conditioner softens the hair making it less resistant and also creating the razor to glide along your skin seamlessly. Once out the shower/bath dry off yourself and remember to moisturise your skin to maintain the silkiness.
@SUPERDRUG
@Bea
triple it up
Lifestyle | 169
Design and writing by Yvonne Sam. Pictures from Online.
K O R E A N
Interested in skin care and how to keep your skin feeling fresh and glowy? Here’s the place for you to explore skincare products from Korea that will absolutely change your life! Beauty and skincare products are immensely huge in South Korea. Not only do women have their skincare routine sorted out, but many males out there also do the same. Skincare is very important in everyone’s
As time goes on, both males and females are becoming more interested in their skin and how to take care of it properly. South Korea is known around the world to have the most best skincare products, even though some products may be expensive, it’s most definitely worth it if you want nice glowing skin. There are certain steps of how to should wash your face.
170 | Lifestyle
lives, whether male or female! Both men and women in South Korea are known for their impeccable skin. They spend a certain amount of time on their skincare routine and trust me... It’s not a 5 minute routine, more like 10-20 mins! When taking care of your skin you would wash your face twice a day, morning and night, and try not to miss a day.
The first step is usually removing all of your makeup which is then followed up by the cleanser, exfoliation, toning, essence, serum, face mask, eye cream, moisturiser and then lastly, night cream. As you can imagine a lot of products and time goes into this! Korean Skincare is popular all over the world, popular brands include, Laniege, Innisfree and Etude House.
B E A U T Y
LANEIGE LIP SLEEPING MASK A lip sleeping mask that soothes and moisturises your lips over night. Recommended for people who have dry lips!
INNISFREE MY REAL SQUEEZE MASK
LANEIGE WATER SLEEPING MASK A soft cream to apply overnight after you’ve finished washing your face! For a soft and radiant skin for the next morning!
A face mask to keep your skin hydrated and healthy.
SKIN RX L A CREA B MA M D
ECER
EAUT B K R A P SON & WATER PRIMERA MIRACLE SEED ESSENCE
Y
A
One of the best creams to use after you have finished your routine. Apply with fingers in circle motion, this will leave your skin moisturised up until the morning.
This is the perfect toner to use you have exfoliated your skin. Apply on skin through a cotton pad.
MALMONDE CLEANSER This product drenches your skin with hydration to maintain a natural oil and alter balance. It also helps with a refined complexion. Just apply on a cotton pad and gently tap onto skin.
SULWHASOO EYE CREAM
Lifestyle | 171
written and designed by Lottie George Images from Pinterest
The Love Island Effect
The coupling show that aims to help 12 singles find love has sparked controversy as it is doing more harm then good for the self esteem of people all over the country.
172 | Lifestyle
Feel a bit muggy... Love Island is a six-week reality TV show that puts 12 attractive singles into a huge villa, for them to find love. In England, Love Island it the show of the summer, with millions of teenagers tuning in to watch their favourite couple and all the drama that kicks off. Once the islanders leave the villa, they are whisked away to their new celebrity lifestyle of appearances, meet and greets and multiple interviews and meetings. Many stars start their line of products or clothing, but others go into promoting and modelling for other companies. This leads to them posing for photos for their social media in their well-known bikinis with their clear skin, beautiful hair and glowing tans. Many people seeing their photos are easily persuaded into buying the products thinking that they will look the same as the stars, which is not always this case. Therefore, causing the Love Island Effect. Weeks before the show starts memes are posted, tweets are shared and ex-islanders with their dogs are sharing throwbacks of their time in the villa. However, there is the other side of the love island media of the negative aspect of the show. Girls and guys posting on how they feel insecure about their bodies, about extreme diets and starvation and many more. Watching the islanders strut around with their “perfect bodies” may make the viewers feel insecure about their bodies. If the show brings on someone above a size 10, which usually is a woman, branding them as “plus-size” giving the wrong impression to the media about their ideas of what beauty is. This then has a chain effect on people feeling that they need to change to be accepted if their bodies do not fit the love island mould. Love Island producers forget to mention that they pick semi-famous people with a large following and the “desirable looks” for them to join the show. Weeks before going into the villa, the contestants spend hours every day in the gym with a personal trainer, perfecting their TV role and not perfecting their best chat-up lines.
Peer pressure is a construct that people have been practising for many years and is a major issue in the fashion industry due to the pressure of people having to keep up with the latest fashion trends. This tends to be shown mainly in schools without a uniform; due to some parents not being able to afford the newest clothes each month for their children. This issue affects children as it can leads to bullying and harassment due to the lack of designer clothes. Another spin-off from the fashion, is the bodies of the influencers, on which the clothes are displayed. The beautiful models shown on social media continue to promote this idea of an unattainable body image. But the rise of influencers, with enhanced body shapes, surgically enhanced breasts, snatched waists and fuller lips, encourage this idea of the perfect body. This negative body image can result in young people eating; Anorexia, Bulimia and Orthorexia. People with this disorder excessively focus on what they consider healthy eating. In doing this, they can actually start to damage their physical health. Studies have shown a correlation between orthorexia and obsessivecompulsive disorder, with some also pointing to a link between Instagram users and signs of orthorexia. Even though everyone sets their alarms for nine o’clock every night during summer in order not to miss all the “grafting” and “mugging off”. We do have to question if this reality show is worth the damage it’s causing mentally to the viewers. How can people enjoy the show when they are being knocked down by it? It could be said that Love Island is promoting the wrong morals and values; that you need to have the perfect body and looks to find love. The Love Island Effect is getting bigger every year and we need to recognise the dangers of it before it goes too far. Beauty is not skin deep.
Lifestyle | 173
Makeup Artists and subcultures on TikTok As TikTok is growing into the largest platform on the Internet, it’s so easy to find great and inspiring content, especially in the beauty community. Jandora Lewis, also known as (@jandorasboxboutique) with 111.5k followers on Tiktok and Instagram (@jandoras_box_boutique) with 34.2k followers. Describing herself as a costume designer, fashion designer, anime fan and cosplayer, Jandora has a unique style that stands out from the crowd, with bright and brilliant colours splashed all over her posts, with anime and cosplay influence very apparent in her work. One of her most viral TikToks with 24.5k views, in which she sneezes to the beat of a techno song, and transforms into an OC (original character) in Decora fashion style has an overwhelming amount of support as comments display their awe of her talent.
Written and Designed by Bella Skinner Photos by the creators.
Decora is a prominent Japanese fashion style that has become the face of Harajuku fashion internationally. The style features bright colours and a large collection of accessories. Although the style’s peak was in the mid-2000s, it is still popular and well-known in Harajuku. Jandora is also seen wearing a lolita fashion, another subculture from Japan that is highly influenced by Victorian clothing in many of her w. Her most popular TikTok with 103k likes shows her putting on a colourful outfit she’s pieced together, with an astonishing wig made entirely of paper, it’s evident she dedicates all her time making these amazing art creations. On TikTok, she said her inspiration for this look was an Instagrammer (@ caramelaw), an artist that makes dolls in crazy colourful Decora fashion. TikTok is a place where you can find any subculture being celebrated. Jandora is a host on (@subcultureparty), where cyber raves are held on the Zoom app. This tiny, tight-knit community of hyperpop and glitchcore creators have started a brand new refreshing movement, where it’s no longer just about your innate musical talents, but how you can use your musical prowess to post-edit the weirdest, most cinematic audio experience ever in roughly three minutes. The raves are every weekend, anyone is free to attend, as long as you’re in a subculture.
174 | Lifestyle
Roksana Swiderska is a local makeup artist and model who uses TikTok (@le.rox) and Instagram (@mua.rox) to share her content. I asked her some questions to get to know the world of makeup artistry on TikTok, and exactly how much work goes into it.
Your looks are amazing! When did you start creating content? R: Thank you! I’ve been doing makeup for a few years but I started making content about 7 months now. It’s a great experience and I’m always getting feedback from comments that keep me going.
What’s your favourite look you’ve created? R: My favourite look I’ve done so far has to be my buttery look (left) from my ‘Emoji inspired make-up’ TikTok, where I chose out 4 emojis and made up a look using just the emoji as inspiration. The whole video took me an entire 12 hours to complete!
Are there any artists you look up to yourself? R: Yes, I have loads of crazy talented makeup artists I follow on Instagram and TikTok, if I had to choose my favourite it would be @makeuppbyruthie on TikTok, she is only 17 and is so talented, I can’t believe she has 3 million followers! She does amazing transformation videos, there’s a great one where she turns herself into a stone statue with makeup and it’s amazing.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start creating content on TikTok? R: My advice would have fun, do what YOU want and not what you think others would want. Be yourself. Be authentic. Be proud of your work and never stop trying, practice makes perfect, you’re probably not going to get it perfect the first time. I’ve come so far already and I’m excited about the future.
There’s a fire in your house, you can only save ONE makeup item, which is it? R: Oh my Gosh, definitely my Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb lip gloss. It’s such a pretty colour and I don’t leave the house without it.
Lifestyle | 175
EVERYDAY FLAWLESS MAKEUP Use these quick tips to perfect you everyday makeup routine
BRIGHT EYED GIRL Apply a concealer a few shades lighter than
your skin tone to the inner corner of your under eye and the outer corner above your cheekbone and blend out with a beauty blender. This will give your face a lifted appearance
PUR-FECT CAT EYE This will work best with cat-eye winged liner. Trim the lash strip until it fits your eye shape. The strip should start at just past the middle of your eyelid. Apply the eyelash glue to the strip and wait 30 seconds before putting on the lashes to the middle and outer part of your eyelashes.
176 | Lifestyle
S
FAUX FRECKLES Dab your bobby pin in a brown eyeshadow and apply in sporadic places along your nose and cheeks, and anywhere else you like. Next, use a damp beauty blender to soften the appearance and pick up any excess eyeshadow. Then set with a setting spray.
ROSY CHEEK(BONES) This tip is so simple and effective. Apply blush
PERFECT SKIN To achieve a flawless complexion, first moisturise your face, or use a face primer. Powder and set your face with a setting spray and you’re ready for your foundation. The result is a smooth and poreless appearance.
Written and Designed by Bella Skinner Photos by the creators.
to your cheekbones and blend out into your temple. This works like a great natural contour and it brings your face up, rather than if you were to put it on your cheeks
Lifestyle | 177
HEALTH & WELL BEING
178 | Health & Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing | 179
‘The Per fect Body’
written,designed and illustrated by Emily Grillot
What is the true meaning of beauty?
Female empowerment is a movement having a strong belief in women and their potential to achieve great things. This can be through equality between the sexes and also through body positivity. Many people are trying to promote a world where women do not need to conform to set traditional stereotypes. Women can be what they want with hard work and passion and do not need to be defined by their size, gender or race. Empowerment is all about confidence, and fashion is an amazing tool giving women a sense of empowerment, confidence and freedom. For many years, fashion has depicted women in a submissive, shy and weak way but new trends are now showing women with a more positive attitude being strong, confident and happy. This is a much more real, inspirational and appealing image. The typical image is of slim, white, tall, young girls who have often been digitally enhanced therefore totally unrealistic and unattainable. Women are also actively supporting each other and being stronger together rather than working against each other. This is a really positive step for an industry such as fashion which has a ‘bitchy ’ and highly competitive image. Fashion can have a very positive effect on our emotions and has tangible mood enhancing benefits. This makes us feel more in control and helps boost our talents and achieve our potential. However, the fashion industry still needs to work on some very negative factors which include dictating what looks good and what doesn’t, imposing a narrow sense of what is beauty, the exploitation of workers (mainly uneducated women) in unsafe factories and causing ecological disasters. This has nothing to do with empowerment. Change is happening though, and we can see the emergence of positive initiatives for more ethical, inclusive and green fashion, empowering women and helping preserve the environment. Fashion icons are increasing their efforts in making sure women are properly represented, supported and accepted whatever their size, colour or background. Fake images are what contributes to low self-esteem, a study conducted by researchers In Maine, USA (2011) highlighted that 53% of girls do not like their bodies, rising to 78% when they reach the age of 17. The constructed images alter their psychology in their cumulative years, thus ultimately affecting what they perceive as beautiful; not recognising the image that they are striving for and comparing themselves against is intrinsically fake. 180 | Health & Wellbeing
The fashion industry is now taking on board the importance and beauty found in diversity. We all benefit and are made richer when fashion really represents all people. Previously, black people were often marginalised, poorly represented and definitely stereotyped in the industry. We are now seeing more mainstream brands, luxury brands and fashion shows beginning to include minorities which is a positive step to more mainstream acceptance. From a racial perspective into the fashion industry: out of 677 models hired, 27 were of non-white ethnicity or race which in statistical terms is 4%. This perpetuates the ideology that being Caucasian is the only way to be perceived as beautiful, which leads to, for example: women of African descent lightening their skin using bleaching products such as Hydroquinone which is described as “biological paint stripper ” as “light-skinned” is deemed more sought-after in today ’s fashion industry. Therefore, when billboards or mass advertising only showcase a demographic that is euro-centric, the end result is ultimately going to harm or alter psychologically the thought processes of what women and men around the world recognise as beauty.
We have to ask why young women are the demographic that the fashion industry claws their talons into. The fact we are so impressionable from a young age with our growth being controlled by what men perceive as desirable and to be ‘womanly ’ from our elders who have lived in a completely different era of morality has essentially altered our own thought process on how to progress as young women. The fact we strive for impossible beauty standards is damaging the integrity of the fashion beauty industry. They could focus on natural beauty, rather than a sole focus on ‘white features’: which began no later than the 15th Century after the rise in white European colonialism.
Health & Wellbeing | 181
3 Ways to turn your skincare routine sustainable
written and designed by Abby Townsend
w
182 | Health & Wellbeing
1.
Switch magic wipes for reusable cloths and makeup melts
Rather than using makeup wipes, try reusable cloths and cleansing products. Makeup wipes are non-biodegradable (and even the biodegradable ones often come in plastic packaging anyway) therefore, they can be extremely harmful to the environment. Rather than going through countless wipes, many companies now offer washable microfibre cloths, as well as cleansing butter to use alongside them. Carbon recommends: The Body Shop camomile cleansing butter (£5 for 20ml) Danielle Creations makeup remover cloths (£6.99)
Choose recyclable packaging and zero waste brands Despite many brands using plastic and non-recyclable packaging, there is plenty of brands out there that offer environmentally friendly and recyclable alternatives. By choosing products that come in recyclable packaging, you are helping to drastically cut the amount of waste that comes with skincare products. Ethique is a skincare brand that offers products with recyclable packaging, all while remaining affordable.
3.
2. Opt for vegan and cruelty free brands Another big change you can make to your skincare routine is switching to cruelty-free and vegan brands. Not only are these brands more ethical overall, but they also mean that no animals are being harmed for your skincare products. Lush Cosmetics is a vegan beauty brand which is known for its wide range of skincare products. Not only is Lush cruelty-free, but they also take part in many fundraising products and give back to charities, including women and animal charities.
Health & Wellbeing | 183
Practising
Positivity and Mindfulness
in a world full of 184 | Health & Wellbeing
negativity
1. Keep a gratitude journal. In recent studies, it has been shown that writing things you’re grateful for can improve your well-being and optimism. It only takes 5 minutes in the morning, so write down things you’re grateful for, your affirmations, and your goals for the day. I can promise you, practicing this every day will improve your overall happiness. 2. Wake up earlier and go to sleep earlier. Having a healthy sleeping pattern will improve your concentration and productivity, it will increase your social interactions and improve your immune functions. Furthermore, when your body is getting a good quality sleep it doesn’t crave as many calories. 3. Exercise. Even if it ’s only for 20 minutes. Exercising in the morning can increase your serotonin levels, which are your happy hormones. It instantly makes you feel better about yourself and more motivated to complete your daily goals. 4. Get out of your pyjamas. With lockdowns getting lifted and then reinforced again, it ’s never been easier to stay in bed and your pyjamas all day. But even if there’s not much to do, get ready for the day, dress up and do your make-up. It will make you feel better about yourself and you’ll be more productive. Get ready to conquer the world! 5. Love yourself. It is important to put yourself first. It improves your quality of life. You accept yourself, you become more confident, you eat better, sleep better and exercise more. As well as this, it allows you to have better relationships with others. 6. Surround yourself with positive people. Do you know the saying “We become who we surround ourselves with”? Well, it couldn’t be truer. As hard as it might be, you need to let go of all negative people that you surround yourself with, even on social media. 7. Clean your room or your house. How can you have a clear and positive mind if your room is messy? 8. Listen to music that puts you in a good mood. And dance around the room. Let your body move to the beat and stop thinking, clear your mind and let those serotonin levels increase.
conquer the world!”
written and designed by Beata Gerasimovaite, imagery from unsplash.com
In a world full of negativity, it’s not easy 9. Find hobbies that will bring you happiness. It decreases stress and relaxes to stay positive and calm when challenging you by taking your mind off concerning life situations. situations hit. So how Furthermore, you’ll find that you’ll be more productive, do we do it? How do we “Even if there’s not much with less time to spend watching Netflix. stay positive when bad to do, get ready for the 10. Always try to find a positive outcome in a negative thoughts start to poison our minds? Luckily, day, dress up and do your situation. Things happen for a reason. Life is our school; we learn things every day and all the situations that are Carbon has all the make-up. It will make you happening allow us to learn. So take them on and learn answers. Here we give feel better about yourself, to view them positively. you the top 10 tips on and you’ll be more how to combat negative emotions when they try productive. Get ready to to crawl back in.
Health & Wellbeing | 185
designed by Klára Volfová, imagery from Unsplash
designed by Klára Volfová, imagery by Jared Subia from Unsplash
Get ready for
Spring Deto
186 | Health & Wellbeing
prin
ox
Health & Wellbeing | 187
1
Organise your closet Donate things that no longer make you happy and take your winter coats to the cleaners.
2
Reconnect with nature Take a walk in the forest but with a little twist, leave your phone at home. Listen to what nature has to say. Do you hear birds singing and leaves rustling? Try to also listen to your mind.
3
Make a vision board People usually make visions board at the start of a New Year, but we believe in saying “later rather than never ”. Dedicate to the creation of a vision board one afternoon and start to think, what do you want your future to look.
4
188 | Health & Wellbeing
Take care of yourself
5
Social media detox Social media has an enormous impact on our lives. Those who have seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix know what I’m talking about. It ’s unattainable to cut social media out of our lives but from time to time you have to give yourself a little break.
6
Create Whether it ’s painting or singing, making art is a cure for a broken soul. Create a project for yourself. Paint all your flower pots or create a mural on your wall, grab a journal and cut the old magazine on your bookshelf. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
7
Meet with friends We understand it ’s difficult to meet with friends in times like these, but online dates might be fun! Cook delicious dinner and open a bottle of good wine and have fun. Having play night dates is also great. Have a round of Among Us or download Bunch. There are infinite possibilities.
8
Deep clean your room Change your bed sheets, clean your workplace, and get rid of everything that does no longer serve you.
Health & Wellbeing | 189
A Guide To A Better Night’s Sleep For many people getting to sleep is a struggle, experts say we should be getting eight hours of sleep every night. But with the fast pace of modern life, how is this possible? Discover our guide to maximising your sleep time, from learning how to get to sleep in the first place to mastering the art of how to stay asleep, as well as having a peek into the wonderful world of napping. Here is everything you need to know. Getting to sleep Listen to music when trying to get to sleep - Music can be a useful tool when attempting to get that desired night ’s sleep. Many people use music as an escapism; why not try listening to some peaceful, acoustic when unwinding. Cut back on caffeine - As relaxing as a cup of tea before bed sounds, try staying away from caffeinated drinks before bed as your body won’t thank you for it. Swap out the caffeine for a herbal tea alternative to fully chill out before bed. Write away your worries - Take some time out of your day before you hit the hay to disregard any worries by writing them down. This is a simple yet effective tip, as it stops you from laying in bed with worries whizzing around your head.
written and designed by Caitlin Teague-Hammond, imagery from Pinterest
Make sure your bed is comfortable - As basic as this sounds, it ’s important to make sure you are sleeping on a comfortable surface. It could be the root of your problems if you are sleeping on a mattress which isn’t right for you.
Staying asleep Once you’ve mastered the art of falling asleep, you now face a new challenge, this being- staying asleep. Try an app to track your sleeping pattern - There are plenty of apps out there designed to track and assess your sleeping pattern, so it ’s definitely worth trying some out. Find the right temperature to sleep at - Your bedroom should ideally be between 18-24 degrees, if you find yourself waking up in a sweat or slightly on the chilly side, then make sure to set your thermostat correctly during winter and have a fan ready for those hot summer nights. Napping Keep it brief - The optimal power-nap length is thought to be around 20 minutes or less. Naps are great for increasing alertness and boosting productivity. Longer naps can work too but consider that sleeping for too long can leave you not feeling your best or actually affect your ability to get to sleep later on. Breathe - If you find it hard to switch off and into nap mode in the middle of the day, try meditation techniques or breathing exercises to calm yourself down. You can also search up 10/15-minute-long meditation sessions to help put you in the napping mood. Choose afternoons to take your nap - Science shows that humans slump towards the afternoon, if you’re able to try to time your power nap specifically for the afternoon- or even early evening if you’re expecting a late night.
190 | Health & Wellbeing
Our Recommended Sleep Apps
Relax Melodies - Available on Android and Apple Relax Melodies is an app designed to help you, along with their community of 35 million users, to get to sleep. If you are having trouble relaxing into a restful sleep then this is definitely the app for you. All you have to do is select some relaxing sounds combined with a beautiful melody, then your sleep inducing tune is ready! Sleep Cycle - Available on Android and Apple Sleep Cycle analyses your sleeping patterns. The Statistics dashboard later displays graphs and analysis of your sleep phases, and the Trends dashboard details your sleep quality. The app can even detect, track, and measure snoring. Monitoring sleep with Sleep Cycle is easy, hassle-free, and may give you an extra spring in your step.
Pzizz - Available on Android and Apple Pzizz is a sleep and power nap app, which is guaranteed to send you to sleep at the push of a button. This app helps you to fall asleep fast, stay asleep and to wake up feeling revitalised. The sleep-optimized mix of sound effects, music, and voiceover quietens your mind and sends you to sleep for the optimum amount of time to feel revived the following morning. Nature sounds Relax and Sleep - Available on Android This app provides you with six-nature based soothing tracks, from high-quality water sounds, animal sounds, to white noise, this app has you covered. All of these tracks have been specifically designed to help you to relax and sleep well. Relax Melodies - Available on Android and Apple Relax Melodies is an app designed to help you, along with their community of 35 million users, to get to sleep. If you are having trouble relaxing into a restful sleep then this is definitely the app for you. All you have to do is select some relaxing sounds combined with a beautiful melody, then your sleep inducing tune is ready!
Sleep Cycle - Available on Android and Apple Sleep Cycle analyses your sleeping patterns. The Statistics dashboard later displays graphs and analysis of your sleep phases, and the Trends dashboard details your sleep quality. The app can even detect, track, and measure snoring. Monitoring sleep with Sleep Cycle is easy, hassle-free, and may give you an extra spring in your step. Pzizz - Available on Android and Apple Pzizz is a sleep and power nap app, which is guaranteed to send you to sleep at the push of a button. This app helps you to fall asleep fast, stay asleep and to wake up feeling revitalised. The sleep-optimized mix of sound effects, music, and voiceover quietens your mind and sends you to sleep for the optimum amount of time to feel revived the following morning. Nature sounds Relax and Sleep - Available on Android This app provides you with six-nature based soothing tracks, from high-quality water sounds, animal sounds, to white noise, this app has you covered. All of these tracks have been specifically designed to help you to relax and sleep well. Pillow Automatic Sleep Tracker - Available on Apple Pillow is a smart-sleep assistant, designed to analyse your sleep cycle automatically through your Apple Watch or you can just keep your phone nearby while you sleep. This app features a smart alarm clock too, so that you can wake up at your lightest sleep stage.
Health & Wellbeing | 191
PETS for LIFE, NOT A PANDEMIC. With the pandemic ongoing, people all over the world are feeling lonely, they are struggling, and have no one around them. Their instant answer for this loneliness is a pandemic puppy. But how long will these relationships last as things slowly get back to the norm?
written by Tara Larkin, photography and design by Tara Larkin
Throughout the UK, many dog rescue shelters have been emptied which is amazing, right? All of the pets are in loving homes, warm and safe. But sadly, this isn’t always the case. Many individuals have been taking pets under their wing just for companionship under the lockdown measures. As each lockdown was eased, the number of dogs being taken back to rescue centers were endless. This was because these individuals realized that they cannot give the animals what they need; love, attention, and exercise. When life was slowly getting back to normal, individuals identify that having a pet is more work than it seems and sadly, these pets are for life, not just for a pandemic. The demand for furry companions during the Covid-19 crisis is one of the largest in history. Staying in is deemed to be more fun with a best friend by your side. However, the public needs to be aware that these pets are their responsibility for life, not just while staying inside to save lives. During the pandemic, the family is everything as we are all staying together and living as one. Sadly, many families tragically lose their furry friends amongst the chaos of the pandemic, but many haven’t been able to rehome another friend due to the high demand of others. In response to the demand, some shelters have had to gather a waiting list due to the endless 192 | Health & Wellbeing
families waiting to find a furry friend to help them through the loneliness of lockdown. But the shelter ’s worry that this won’t last long for the pet. To reduce the number of pets coming back to the shelter after lockdowns, adoption organizations such as the Phoenix Rehoming undergo a series of checks to ensure that the family ready to adopt, is serious about the procedure and commitment required to look after the animal. The organizations ensure that it isn’t just while a pandemic is happening, that it is for life. Studies show that owning a pet reduces poor mental health and may help with depression and anxiety which is something we are all suffering from in this pandemic. Although this is a positive to many, the numbers of animal abandonment in the UK due to Covid-19 lockdowns increased but instantly decreased after being put in a third lockdown. With businesses crashing and jobs being lost, many can no longer cater to the animals due to financial reasons. But once the pets were placed back in the shelter, they were shortly snatched up again by those desperate for companionship as another national lockdown was looming. Fears arise that the shelters will go from empty to packed after this third lockdown. Similar to the Christmas and New Year scenario. At this festive season, the idea of a new pet is ideal for many as a present and the excitement overwhelms them. This rash decision is made, leaving organizations empty and the pets leave. But not long after, they all flood back to the shelters, after realizing that the novelty of a pet has worn off. Can you imagine shifting from home to home? We all know that there have been a series of trends throughout these three lockdowns that keep
us all going whether it be Zoom quizzes, baking, exercising, or painting. But now, the popular craze during this third lockdown is to get a puppy. For some, this has been something that they have considered for a long time and seeing as everyone is at home, it is a perfect time. However, for others, it is the sudden idea to hop onto this trend that feeds into the fear of numerous issues to come. 1. An influx will happen once lockdowns are completed. 2. When owners begin to return to work, there will be separation anxiety from pets. 3. Some may think they can’t cope when normal life is back. 4. Pets may not understand socialization when other friends or family members begin to step foot into their home. Some of these issues can be resolved with training however, not all of them can be resolved. The pandemic has left many feeling alone, but what ’s worse is a puppy being thrown from home to home once owners realize they do not have the time to cope with the animal. Please, before adopting an animal, consider if this is the best time for you, your situation, and your family. Reflect on the circumstances of the world, and ensure that you are in this for life, not just for lockdown. To support those organizations ensuring the pets get the perfect forever home, visit these websites and consider a donation of even £5 to keep them up and running in these difficult times of need. battersea.org.uk https://phoenixrehoming.co.uk/ https://www.bluecross.org.uk/
Health & Wellbeing | 193
Addressing Acne
written and designed by Jennifer Harriman, imagery from Instagram
With kyrie green Acne is something that many industries have always frowned upon. This may be through more subtle approaches such as airbrushing their models’ skin - but it still engraves in the idea that acne isn’t as beautiful as clear skin. During spring 2020, Kyrie began to notice a change in her skin, but she decided not to shy away from sharing her acne journey with the world. Kyrie is now an inspiration to many teenagers and young adults who struggle with severe acne as she encourages them to be confident in their skin and reiterates that acne is beautiful. She now has over 15 thousand followers on instagram and posts regularly showing her routines, testing out products and motivating others to not hide thier acne but rather, embrace it. We wanted to ask kyrie some questions about her experience so far and for any advice that she wanted to give to our readers! 194 | Health & Wellbeing
Q. First things first, why don’t you give yourself a little introduction? A. Hi! My name is Kyrie Green, I’m 24 and I’m from Leicester. Q. So you mentioned on your Instagram that until recently you never dealt with acne or frequent breakouts. When did you start to notice a massive change in your skin? A. It was in October 2019 when I firstly started to closely breakout, and then when I stopped taking the birth control pill in May 2020, it completely kicked off and my acne became severe. Q. Has your relationship with your skin changed drastically since your first breakout and if so, in what way? A. Yes it has changed a lot, I used to rely on my skin so much because it never broke out, so I trusted it to just stay clear for the rest of my life. But when it broke out I had to work harder to learn what products would be good for my skin so a lot of change needed to take place. Q. You’ve become an inspiration to so many teenagers and young adults through your inspiring and confident posts on your Instagram. What initially pushed you to start posting photos of yourr skin and inspiring others to feel more confident with their acne? A. Initially it was because I was so self conscious that I wasn’t being myself. I also didn’t want to have to go out and about and worry about people who followed me on Instagram thinking that my skin was awful in person, but then think that wasn’t how I portrayed it on Instagram. I also thought, what do I have to lose? Q. It has been implanted in society that acne is something to be ashamed of. Are there any common misconceptions about acne that you wish people knew the truth about? That I DO drink enough water! I get so many comments saying my acne is due to the fact that “I don’t drink enough water ” or that “I eat dairy or gluten” (when
“ I wa s s o s e l f c o n s c i o u s t h at I wa s n ’ t b e i n g m ys e l f . ”
Health & Wellbeing | 195
that was that the hormonal.
many people who have issues with their skin, so it definately comes up on my feed more. Acne has slowly been coming into the light more and more on social media but I feel like especially in the last year it has boomed completely.
Q. As we all know, it ’s important to keep on top of a skincare routine to maintain healthy skin. So what is your current daily skincare routine (if you have one)? I had to simplify it a lot when my skin started breaking out so now my AM routine is: Banish Mint Cleanser, Banish vitamin C elixir, Cosrx snail all in one moisturiser, Supergoop Sunflower SPF And my PM routine is: The Inkey List Oat Cleanser, banish Mint Cleanser, banish vitamin c elixir, the ordinary Niacinamide, the Inkey list peptide moisturiser and then the banish fighter gel. I also use ZitSticka products for spot treatments and a variety of products to chemically exfoliate (like ZitSticka PRESS REFRESH or Banish pumpkin enzyme mask.
Q. It is common for people take dips regarding their confidence and self-esteem. How do you deal with your low-points/bad days? I dont deal with them too well to be honest, but I just air out my feelings on my Instagram account and I get a lot of support and help that way from other people who are going through similar situations.
I was already intolerant to them anyway) so really frustrating. Especially since I never hid reasoning behind my acne was completely
Q. I’m sure you have tested plenty of skincare products over the past year, so what are your ride or die favourite skincare products? A. My Cosrx snail all in one moisturiser, the ordinary Niacinamide serum and Zitsticka’s PRESS REFRESH are all products I don’t think I would be able to live without! Q. It ’s common for various industries to airbrush or hide acne and spots in their advertisements. How do you think social media in recent years has impacted the visibility and normalisation of acne? A. I think it is becoming more normal for me especially, because I follow so
196 | Health & Wellbeing
Kyrie’s Essentials
Kyrie’s 5 top tips 1. Follow more social media accounts that are skin and body positive, and it will normalise not being perfect. 2. Make friends within the acne community on Instagram. 3. ACNE IS NORMAL! Not one person on this planet has clear skin 24/7. 4. What people say about your acne says more about them than it does about you. 5. I prromise. It does get easier. Health & Wellbeing | 197
STUDENTS N I G N I R E F F U S ? N W O D K C O L
written and designed by Ellie Trim
ARE
een e b v a h r. I hey es ove y t ugh ta k e r t h e tho demic ly s eth s a h e pa n t s , w h e y r e a l l e e f ile t ts uden how th year. d e n i d e w h f e w st u e st t a o se e pa y s he s M a n d t o t e rv i e w c h o o l t f o r t h t e s he p u s e d to i n i ty o r g o n l i n d s n deci univer learni t n i u be a bo feel
198 | Health & Wellbeing
Meg Uni Student
Has online learning affected you? “First of all, online learning has definitely affected me, in the most part it ’s been a massive knock to my confidence. As I’m learning more myself, it makes me second guess myself.” Have you been able to stay organised? “Organisation has been a nightmare but after finding a system, I find it easier but it ’s still not perfect.” What has been the worst part of learning online? “The worst part is most definitely the fact that you are expected to produce the same quality of work.” Do you feel you have missed out on anything? “I feel like I have missed out on things all the time, the constant anxiety of missing things is only making me more anxious. Are there any positives to take away from this? “I guess it really shows how passionate you are about your chosen subject and makes you realise how devoted you are to it. Anything else you would like to add? “I would probably say that it ’s okay to feel more unmotivated and that doesn’t make you a bad student!’’
Ashleigh Uni Student
Has online learning affected you?
“Definitely, learning online has made staying motivated extremely difficult because the lack of human interaction removes the familiarity that I’m used to from before. It also makes having structure to the day harder because although there are lessons, I often feel I am not learning as much as I would in an in-person class. Previously, I would wake up and build up the energy before getting to my lesson however now being remote, it means I lack the energy. Have you been able to stay organised? “To some extent, I have been trying to plan each day and before lessons. Ensuring I have what I need has been easier but staying organised with little energy is hard. Do you feel you have missed out on anything? “I feel I have missed out on the £9000 worth of education that I’m expected to pay for. Are there any positives you can take away from this? “Although there has been many negatives, there have been a few positives. I’ve had no time to build on my interests and learn new parts of my course that I maybe wouldn’t have had time before. I am also not worried about leaving resources at home as I have then all together. Is there anything else you would like to add? “The important thing I have found is taking each day as it comes will make it easier. Creating a plan and sticking to it also ensures the work is getting done and also gives time for self-care! Self-care and exercise are also important to keep you motivated! Health & Wellbeing | 199
Adie Uni Student
Has online learning affected you? “Online learning has made it difficult to be inspired and interact with students. It ’s more difficult to receive help from tutors/teachers as well.” Have you been able to stay organised? “I’ve struggles to stay organised due to lack of working space in my house. I have to pack my things away each evening and it leaves me feeling unmotivated to recreate my workspace every day.” What has been the worst part about learning online? “The worst part has been the difficulty to receive help and the lack of contact with my friends. Everyday has become monotonous and unexciting and I have become very unmotivated as a consequence.” Do you feel you have missed out on anything? “I am glad that everyone is in the same boat at the moment, but I am gutted that we are all missing out on the true uni experience. The final year was supposed to be one of the most exciting times in our lives, but all celebratory events have been cancelled.” Are there any positives you can take away from this? “The positives are that I have learnt to adapt to a new atmosphere and find new way to stay connected to people. I am quite comfortable working in my home, and it requires less effort then travelling to uni.”
Amber sixth form Student
Has online learning affected you? “ Yes” If it has in what way? “It has made me become less productive and caused major procrastination.” Have you been able to stay organised? “ Yes, I use different wallet folders for each subject which helps keep things organised” What has been the worst part about learning online? “Not being able to have proper discussion within the class” Do you feel you have missed out on anything? “I feel like I’ve missed out on having the experience of being a year 13” Are there any positives to take away from this? “It has allowed me to develop my tech skills and let me explore other options when learning.” Is there anything you would like to add?
200 | Health & Wellbeing
“My top tips - to create a routine and follow it to keep up with everything like you would at school.”
Taylor Apprentice
Has online learning affected you? “ Yes, online learning has affected me as in my industry (agriculture) a lot of is learnt by carrying out practical tasks. Most people go into the industry because they don’t fare well with pen and paper. What is the worst part about online learning? “The worst part of online learning is that I feel like lecturers and students can’t concentrate enough being in their own homes, I appreciate its more comfortable for them but stuff is always being missed out and we’re having to cram the same amount of knowledge we’d be taught over 2 weeks into one 3 hour session a week.”
Do you feel you have missed out on anything?
lucky to still be able to work full-time whilst getting what I can online.”
“I feel like a year of my life has been wasted as due to not being able to take assignments online whilst we aren’t at college we have two options. Either pass all online assignments for the year we’ve missed out on when we finally go back, all crammed into a week. This means no aided revision, no time to ask additional questions. If we fail any we’ll have to retake the whole year as we won’t have time to retake.”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Are there any positives to take away from this? “There are very few positives other than being unable to visit college meaning less chance of spreading corona, and the fact I am
“Staying focused is a big issue that I struggle with when sitting in-front of a screen for a long period of time, I find that I have to go out of my way to remove distractions like leaving my phone out of the room so I don’t miss bits. Because often during online sessions it ’s all rushed, and information tends to be railed through a bit quicker making it easy to fall behind. I always make sure to get a recording of the lecture as it makes it easy to go back and re-watch to take better notes.”
grace Uni Student
Have you been able to stay organised? “For the most part, yes. Time plans have definitely helped me to stay motivated and helps with keeping track of deadlines. Is there any positives you can take away from this? “A positive has been that I have become more creative in finding new techniques and solutions with the things I have around me.” Is there anything else you would like to add? “Just remember that it ’s okay to have a rubbish day and not get uni work done, mental health comes first!”
Health & Wellbeing | 201
2021 spring
skincare
products to give you a
glamorous glow this spring
written by Amy Hardy, designed by Amy Hardy and Tara Larkin, imagery from BeautyBay.com, LookFantastic.com.
1
We all want that fresh tan glow during the spring and summer seasons. Why not try the Isle of Paradise self-tan drops. If you are a lover of fake tan but you are fed up with clogged pores and bad skin due to tan on your face, use these drops and wake up with a tanned glowy face. These drops do not work instantly but overtime you will see a gradual tan developing. The drops are very versatile and can be used on the body as well. The tanning drops may be at a higher price, but they will not cause damage to your skin.
202 | Health & Wellbeing
2
The Ordinary has become one of the most popular skincare brands of 2020 and carry on being one of the best at such affordable prices. This Niacinamide and Zinc serum works to prevent future breakouts and helps to clear current breakouts. These ingredients are great for people that suffer with spots or acne prone skin. The product includes 10% Niacinamide and 1% Zinc. The Niacinamide works to help your skin health it also helps to add moister to your skin. The Zinc works to heal any scarring. Everyone should have this product in their life to help improve the health of their skin.
3
This is a Vitamin C moisturizer by The Body Shop. This product helps to rejuvinate skin making it look bright and glowy. Vitamin C is great for the skin and really helps to boost the health of your skin. If you suffer with dark circles or dull looking skin try this moisturizer and get that skin, looking bright again.
5
Day cream with Retinal by Facetheroy. Retinol has become a very popular product, for all ages. It helps with fine lines and anti-aging whilst also helping to prevent spots. Although Retinol is a grteat product to add to your skincare routine it can harm the skin in sunlight if your do not wear an SPF. However, this is a highly recommended ingrediant and great for the skin.
7 Finally, we have the Rose Quartz roller. This product has become very popular and an amazing hack in your skincare routine. The roller helps with puffiness on the face and also helps to reduce toxins in your skin. Massage your skincare products into the skin using this roller and help the flood flow around your face.
4
The Ordinary Caffeine solution 5% ECGC help to improve those dark eye circles that you just can’t get rid of. Caffeine helps to reduce dark pigmentation and puffiness so your skin can look bright and radiant again, perfect for the spring and summer season.
6
These are reusable cotton pads from beauty bay. As we all know our enviroment is suffering and we need to make changes now. These amazing cotton pads are soft and gentle on the skin. Simply apply your makeup remover onto the cotton pad and wipe away. You save money by not having to rebuy the pads whilst also helping the enviroment.
These products will give you the best glow! Health & Wellbeing | 203
designed and written by Caitlin Teague -Hammond, imagery from Pinterest
DIGITAL
DETOX
204 | Health & Wellbeing
Don’t get us wrong, we love our phones, they provide us with hours of entertainment on a daily basis. However, how long can you go without checking your phone? If, like most of us, you fall into the category of not being able to go a minute without frantically scrolling through Instagram, you have most likely had a digital overdose and maybe it’s time for a digital detox. Researchers have found that our increasing thirst for technology can have negative impacts not just on our mental and physical wellbeing but our personal relationships to- so is it time for your digital detox?
flowers. It ’s important to remember that life hasn’t stopped, you should take some time away from your phone to enjoy these small things. With social media being inescapable, it can be so easy to compare yourself to influencers, but just bear in mind that posting on social media is an influencers’ job, they want to show you the best parts of their lives as that is what they ’re being paid to do. As cliché as it sounds, it ’s important to remember that you must not believe everything you see, especially when it comes down to social media. Of course, people are going to want to show you them at their best, but someone else’s filtered life should not have an impact on how you feel about yourself. Just keep in mind too, that memories last a lifetime not Instagram likes.
Social media is addictive, everything is laid out to be intentionally appealing in order to keep you engaged for as long as possible (that ’s just the science of social media) but what should you do when this starts to have negative impacts? Social media enables us to be contactable whenever and wherever we are, which to put it quite frankly can be overwhelming; we no longer have space to fully zone out because one we can’t but also because we don’t want to. But why is it that? Well, the answer to put it quite simply is fear. The fear of missing out. Our FOMO may be worsened by the fact we are being constantly reminded by notifications that we are in fact missing out.
Although, yes, social media is addictive, it isn’t solely responsible for how you are feeling. It ’s important to notice when things turn overwhelming and unbearable, you have a responsibility to make choices on your own and you have the opportunity to take a break if you know the online world is getting too overwhelming. Instead of logging onto insta and lurking over the discover page for hours on end, take some time to do something positive for your own wellbeing, this could include talking to a friend, going for a walk, taking a bath- anything at all just leave the screen for the moment.
But how do we overcome this feeling, when we are drowning in social media?
A digital detox can come in many different forms but at the end of the day it all comes down to balance; it ’s vital you have the right amount of tech in your life but to recognise when technology is taking over.
Well- the important thing to remember is that you are not missing out, social media actually takes us away from enjoying the little things in life. Aren’t you afraid of missing out on deep laughs, those stunning sunsets to being so immersed in a good book that you actually lose track of time, catching up with your friends to noticing the shapes of clouds or smelling freshly picked
Health & Wellbeing | 205
written by Michaela Piontková, designed by Michaela Piontková and Tara Larkin, imagery from Unsplash.com
Growing popularity of men skin care
206 | Health & Wellbeing
Just a few years ago skincare was associated mostly with women. However, as we are slowly getting rid of toxic masculinity, the popularity of skin care products among men has highly increased. According to statistics, the value of men’s skincare products has been rapidly increasing since the year 2016. At first, more grooming products were wanted. Beard has always been part of men’s image and so it ’s only natural that those were the products that men started building their routines on. In the year 2017 sales noticed the increasing demand for cleansers and moisturizers. The reason behind this might be the growth of social media and the trend of selfies. Society became more focused on looks which of course hit the male population as well. Even men want to feel good in their skin. The market reacted quickly and started offering diverse skin care products for men. If you think about it it ’s a lucrative business. Supply increases demand and the percentage of the male population is higher than the female. If companies invest in creating more products for men, they will eventually start buying them and manufacturers will make more money. Even though sales kept growing, it was still taboo for most men to publicly admit that they use skincare. However, a few brave ones stepped in and videos like “my skincare routine” or “best skincare products for men” started to appear on the internet. The stigma of being a metrosexual if you care about your looks too much was slowly disappearing as more and more influential men openly encouraged others to take care of their skin. The big factor was also magazines that are now publishing more articles about this topic. A great example is GQ. Just in the last 3 months, they published more than 10 articles with tips and tricks that make everybody ’s routine easier. One of the articles was about Pharrell Willimas’ skincare routine. Just the fact that a man in his late forties is not afraid to share this is encouraging itself. However, there is more! William’s launched his skincare line that is not solely for men or women. It ’s for everyone. The Human Race advertises that their products are “dedicated to the pursuit of well-being”. Since many brands specialize in one gender, bringing them both in one place is a great way to show how they are equally important and it is another important step to normalize men’s self-care that we hopefully will see even more in the future.
Health & Wellbeing | 207
208 | Health & Wellbeing
The practice of the Tarot has been around for eons, with many taking a shine to the numerous picturesque tarot and oracle cards and what they could entail after choosing a particular deck to be read from. The gemstones, a regular occurrence in Tarot to add more depth into the readings, are often used to attract positive and cleansing energy. Because the readings are personal messages from our higher selves, no wonder it’s become popular among the masses. With the rise of YouTube in the technological era known as Gen Tech, many social media outlets such as Instagram are filled with accounts dedicated to manifestation and soul-healing, all in an aesthetically-pleasing and easy-to-read layout. There are channels such as Lumiere whose videos span from generalized timeless readings to more specific and detailed ones depending on what your soul is reacting to the most. This has also helped Tarot in its digestibility away from being a source of ‘witchcraft ’. Tarot cards are mainly split into sections derived from 78 in a deck, which then are split again into 2 groups: the major arcana and the minor arcana; described as the trump cards (the big ones on which the tarot message is built) and the suit cards (which complement the reading, adding more detail). These cards alongside the gemstones and trinket style items throughout the reading allude to a higher self speaking to us, and for many, that brings a sense of peace and harmony while they travel through life and its various ups and downs. This guide will allow those who seek the messages of their higher beings from Tarot readings to do so themselves if they wish to. The 101 on tarot cards will also help to digest the difference between major and minor arcana, a factor fundamental to successful Tarot readings.
T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T
Health & Wellbeing | 209
THE STAR The Star tarot card when pulled from a deck, you are likely to find yourself feeling inspired. It brings renewed hope and faith and a sense that you are truly blessed by the universe in whatever you choose to do. The keywords from this tarot card include optimism, hope, good health, and opportunism. When this card is revealed it ’s metaphorically a ‘green light ’ as to whatever is happening in your life whether it be romantically, platonically, within the workplace, or yourself, it ’s the right path to continue down. Within the borders of the Star tarot, the sole character is kneeling into the water with her left hand representing the subconscious, with the water nourishing the earth and continuing the cycle of higher-self rebirth. In her right hand — the conscious — she pours the water onto a dry landmark by five rivulets, symbolic of the five senses and how they impact which change of self we undertake. Her nudity, also displayed in the card with full empowerment, indicates cleansing of bad energy and being vulnerable to change, a common undercurrent in tarot.
“As a Major Arcana card, this card speaks to a very deep level of the soul,” “It’s no easy feat, and it takes a high level of awareness and consciousness to stay in this place.” - ESSELMONT
THE SUN In tarot, the Sun card represents the universe coming together, agreeing through your higher self that the path you are currently on is correct.
article concept, execution and collage design by Victoria Horton, photos from Unsplash and Pexels.
The phrases when pulling the sun from the deck would focus on vitality, enlightenment, and success in whatever you do. The element of this tarot card is fire, and it speaks for itself as whoever is drawn to this tarot would be going through an irreversible change in their life; just like fire would do when burning embers away from its core. Within the Sun tarot, a young child is sat upon a horse with sunflowers lined up, looked down upon by an anthropomorphized sun; the overall aura of this tarot is one of youthfulness, happiness, and content. “The Advice of The Sun: enjoy the moment. Be grateful for the joy and happiness in your life. Don’t worry, everything will be good.” - TAROT PARLOR
210 | Health & Wellbeing
THE WORLD The World tarot card is the 22nd major arcana card in the 78-strong pack. That demonstrates the power of this card when received from your higher self. The World represents either an ending to a cycle of life or a pause in life before the next chapter. The key phrases to take when receiving the World tarot card would be trepidation but also fulfillment; that everything in your life is a manifestation of greater things, derived from a change so significant it alters your path in life. Inside the World tarot card, the nude lady is clad with a purple scarf, dancing while enclosed in a wreath surrounded by four heads of different species. They serve as the four fixed signs of the Zodiac – Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius, and Taurus – and they represent the four corners of the universe as well as the four elements. The dynamic nature of this tarot card ensures the receiver knows that change is coming but not to be anxious as the universe is guiding them. The upright World tarot card also represents the moment your inner and outer world – self and other – come together. There are unity and wholeness in your life, which makes you feel enlightened. - A LITTLE SPARK OF JOY
THE MOON The Moon tarot signifies intuition, dreams, and the unconscious. This tarot card when pulled from a deck in reading often alludes to deception either on your part or by someone else whether it be directly or indirectly. The card calls for you to rely on your intuition to carry you through to contentment. The key nouns to take away from this card would be deception and fear but also - depending on where this tarot card is within the reading - it can also signify a new beginning after weeding out bad energy. The Moon tarot card is self-explanatory depiction-wise, however, there are hidden meanings within. The two wolves indicate both the tamed and wild aspects of our minds battling for dominance. The two towers represent paths in the journey that are considered ‘roadblocks’ and it ’s only until you contact your higher self, does the dim light of the moon illuminates them. “The Moons tells you that something about a situation or person in your life is not what it appears to be and you need to trust what your instincts are telling you to see past this illusion.” - THE TAROT GUIDE
Health & Wellbeing | 211
POSITIVE MIND POSITIVE MIND
OVER NEGATIVE MATTER NEGATIVE MATTER
A TIME FOR POSITIVE ENERGY AND AWARENESS THE YEAR OF POSITIVE AWARENESS 10 STEPS: Your simple guideENERGY for self careAND this Spring...
10 STEPS: Your simple guide for self care in the new year...
FIND YOUR SAFE SPACE ...
1.
Everyone has that one space that feels more like home than anywhere else - so find yours and put time into making it YOURS. This will naturally comfort you and allow you to be Everyone more productive has that one space that feels more like and optimistic. home than anywhere else - so find yours and put time into making it YOURS. This will naturally comfort you and allow you to be more productive and optimistic.
1.
FIND YOUR SAFE SPACE ...
2.2. A BREATH OF FRESH ... 3. AIR A BREATH OF
Get outside and indulge in nature! Getting some fresh air is good for your mind and body Get outside and indulge in nature! Getting - connecting with your surroundings will make some fresh air is good for your mind and body you feel more at ease and help you to feel more - connecting with your surroundings will make positive. It could be exercising or simply watching you feel more at ease and help you to feel more the sunset - it all counts! positive. It could be exercising or simply watching the sunset - it all counts!
3.
FRESH AIR ...
Keeping and staying on top and of your workload workloadclean is extremely important definitely is extremely important and definitely contributes contributes to your daily mindset. Use a diary to to your daily Use and a diary organise your organise yourmindset. daily tasks plansto for the week, daily tasks and plans for the week, to create to create a balance between your social life and a balance between your social life and the workplace. the workplace.
3. 4. 4.
212 | Health & Wellbeing
STAYING CLEAN STAYING CLEAN AND AND ORGANISED ... ORGANISED ... on top of your Keeping clean and staying
A HEALTHY DIET ...
A HEALTHY DIET ...
A huge part of staying positive is by eating the right foods, and most importantly, staying A huge part of staying positive is by eating hydrated. Making sure that you eat something the right foods, and most importantly, staying substantial, as well as having three meals a day, hydrated. Making sure that you eat something will get your mind focused onto feeling more substantial, as well as having three meals a day, positive and awake. will get your mind focused onto feeling more positive and awake.
SKINCARE ...
Taking care of your skin is definitely key when it comes to feeling positive - especially in terms of self-confidence. Finding products that comfort your skin, whether it be soothing masks, general cleansers or moisturisers, will not only make your skin feel better but uplift your mood too. Try to find a morning and evening routine that works for you - keeping your skin healthy should always be a priority.
5. 6.
BODY POSITIVITY ...
It ’s time to think more positively about your body! It all starts with looking in the mirror - you need to learn to be comfortable with your shape and your size. Start loving your imperfections! You are in control, so surround yourself with people that encourage you to love yourself; starting with social media. Make the choice to follow others who have a similar body shape to you, that focus on a realistic body image and achievable goals.
HOBBIES THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY ...
Do the things that make you smile! Whether its something sporty, something creative or just chilling out and watching netflix, if it makes you feel comfortable and less focused on the negatives - do it!
7. 8.
STAYING IN TOUCH WITH LOVED ONES ...
Although it can be hard to find time, talking to your friends and family can be a great way to remind you of what ’s really important. It can also benefit you by offloading and sharing any thoughts that you’ve been having - seek advice and positive words from the people who care about you most.
MEDITATE ...
design by Mia Curtis, imagery from Unsplash
Take time out of your day to ease your mind and release any negative energy. Whether its five minutes or thirty, it will do your mind a lot of good and get you ready for the day ahead or the next day to come.
9. 10.
NOTES OF GRATITUDE ...
We’re all guilty of taking things for granted and often forget how fortunate we really are - another way to refresh your mind is to consider everything that you have and can be grateful for. When you wake up in the morning or before you go to sleep at night, take some time to reflect on something positive that has happened in your life and write it down! It could be this week or this year - just by doing this, your mindset will change and instead you’ll feel thankful and start your day feeling more positive than you were before. Health & Wellbeing | 213
SELF CARE 101 In today’s world there is no boubt we’re all going through something that brings us down. With that in mind, it’s important to remember that we need to take care of ourselves. If you want the ultimate self-care routine, follow this guide.
2
Journaling - Write down or keep note of what you’re grateful for and focus on positive affirmations, these are great things to look back on and an instant mood booster.
4
Take a relaxing bath - Instead of speeding through a short shower, find time to soak in the bath uninterrupted. Bring candles, music, or bubbles for a complete detox.
6
Work don’t procrastinate! - We all have tasks that we avoid doing but we both know you’ll feel better once you’ve done it. Whether that be clearing emails, work, or cleaning your room. You can do it!
1
Practice Mindfulness - Mindfulness is a great way to calm busy thoughts, practicing breathing exercises, yoga or meditation is an amazing way for you to take some time out.
3 5
Build a sleep routine - Don’t eat or drink three hours prior to bedtime, discontinue use of all electronics 90 minutes prior to bedtime, take a relaxing shower and make sure to dim the lighting in the house 60 minutes before you head to bed.
Reach out to people - Calling/texting someone dear to you will bring you an instant boost of serotonin, they ’ll appreciate it and so will you! Set a schedule if needs be, phone, text, email, zoom, anything it literally does not matter! Check in with loved ones, let them know your thoughts and feelings, they ’re there for you as you are for them.
written and designed by Anya Wyeth, Caitlin Hammond and Tara Larkin
self self self self love love love love self self self self love love love love 214 | Health & Wellbeing
7
Eat some yummy food - Whether you want to order your favourite take-out or cook at home, eat some food that will make you happy. Plan some yummy treats to get your excited.
8
9
Online shop - We’re all guilty of doing way too much online shopping this past year, but one more order won’t hurt anyone.
10
Go outside for fresh air - Mentioned by Dr Alex himself, going outside does wonders for your mental health and being in a positive mindset. Give it a go, walk to your closest park or just a round the block for that happiness boost.
Watch your favourite movie or TV show - Nothing gets you more content than watching your comfort movie ro show. Mine is Friends.
‘Getting Personal’ (available on spotify, apple, podcasts and Acast) Journalist Daphne Bugler and Isabella Hobbs give us our weekly dose of the highs and lows of life. Joined by a variety of musicians, actors, artists, authors, athletes, presenters and ordinary people, dropping by along the way to share their stories of love, anger, sadness, fear and happiness, as well as everything in between.
‘The Calm Edit’ Need a moment of calm in your life? Well, this soothing podcast is just the one for you. Presenters Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Kim-Joy cover a range of topics from relaxation to psychological proven sleep tips to nutrition help, there is a subject guaranteed to spark your inner zen.
‘Project Body Love’ With only 6% of women describing themselves as body confident, it is clear that negative body image holds you back. This is why, Women’s health has set out to change the way we think about ourselves and encourage us to love our bodies. These uplifting podcasts have been designed to episode targets different societal aspects as to why so many of you feel the way you do and encourages you to set the right intentions to learn to appreciate your body.
Health & Wellbeing | 215
TOP Four AT HOME
written by Anna Dalligan, designed by Anna Dalligan and Tara Larkin, Imagery via YouTube.
WORKOUTS
216 | Health & Wellbeing
KEEP FIT IN LOCKDOWN WITH THESE YOUTUBE WORKOUT RECOMMENDATIONS YOU CAN DO FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME
chloe ting 2) joe Wicks
1)
THE BODY COACH TV CHLOE TING Chloe Ting’s workouts went viral across the world during the first lockdown, her two week shred challenge was especially popular, with these videos now having over 307 million views! Her workout challenges follow a daily routine lasting anywhere from 5 days to 6 weeks and is the perfect at home workout for those wanting to get a bit more toned and in shape!
3)
MADFIT
MADFIT Think exercise is boring? think again! Madfit knows how to make fitness fun with her dance party workouts, that have garnered over 1 million views! Whether you like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, One direction or even a certain decade of music, Madfit has it all! However, don’t worry if you’re not a music fan, she has workouts without music, making her videos adaptable to everyone! If you struggle with finding the motivation to workout or just want to dance it out, Madfit is a great exercise youtuber to follow!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you have defiantly heard Joe Wicks’ name over the past year! His daily ‘P.E. with Joe’ livestreams became a viral sensation across the country during the first lockdown, and he even raised over £500k for the NHS with his live workouts. He currently does live workouts at 9am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, perfect fot all ages and for those beginning their fitness journey.
gabriella whited 4) gabriella whited Gabriella Whited is an LA based youtuber with over 1.4 million subscribers! All of her workouts are less than 10 minutes long and she keeps her followers motivated by playing loud music and shouting inspirational messages whilst working out. She also keeps it real, showing her struggles and being honest when she feels she is struggling to keep up with her workouts. If you need a quick, yet intense workout Gabriella Whited is the way to go! Health & Wellbeing | 217
ION
DIT NE
TIO
THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT GUIDE
A ISOL
We all know 2020 hasn’t been a year for the expression of our only personality - going to the gym. Here we have only the best workouts that you can do in the living room, garden, kitchen - you name it. This is also for the people who dislike going to the gym in general and would rather work out in the comfort of their own home. Let ’s get fit this quarantine! No lacking!
FOR HIM & HER
FOR HER DAY 4
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
20 SIT UPS 20 SQUATS 10 PUSH UPS 30 SEC PLANK
22 SIT UPS 22 SQUATS 1O PUSH UPS 30 SEC PLANK
24 SIT UPS 24 SQUATS 10 PUSH UPS 30 SEC PLANK
26 SIT UPS 26 SQUATS 10 PUSH UPS 30 SEC PLANK
28 SIT UPS 28 SQUATS 10 PUSH UPS 30 SEC PLANK
DAY 9
DAY 10
DAY 11
DAY 7 REST DAY
DAY 8 30 SIT UPS 30 SQUATS 12 PUSH UPS 35 SEC PLANK
32 SIT UPS 32 SQUATS 12 PUSH UPS 35 SEC PLANK
DAY 14 REST DAY
DAY 15
DAY 20
DAY 22
30 SIT UPS 10 PUSH UPS 60 SEC PLANK
DAY 21 REST DAY
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
DAY 25
DAY 26
56 SIT UPS 56 SQUATS 16 PUSHUPS 45 SEC PLANK
58 SIT UPS 58 SQUATS 16 PUSH UPS 45 SEC PLANK
DAY 27
DAY 28 REST DAY
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
DAY 13 30 SIT UPS 10 PUSH UPS 60 SEC PLANK
DAY 19 written by Bryoney Taylor, designed by Bryoney Taylor and Tara Larkin
30 DAY WORKOUT PLAN
48 SIT UPS 48 SQUATS 14 PUSH UPS 40 SEC PLANK
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
40 SIT UPS 40 SQUATS 14 PUSH UPS 40 SEC PLANK
30 SIT UPS 10 PUSH UPS 60 SEC PLANK
34 SIT UPS 34 SQUATS 12 PUSH UPS 35 SEC PLANK
DAY 16
42 SIT UPS 42 SQUATS 14 PUSH UPS 40 SEC PLANK
50 SIT UPS 50 SQUATS 16 PUSHUPS 45 SEC PLANK
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
LADIES! Here, especially for you, is a 30-day workout plan to help keep you active and in shape during these isolated times. You can do them any time in the day, preferably in your living room or garden to allow enough space. Remember to drink water, eat healthily and take regular walks in the fresh air. 218 | Health & Wellbeing
DAY 5
36 SIT UPS 36 SQUATS 12 PUSH UPS 35 SEC PLANK
DAY 17 44 SIT UPS 44 SQUATS 14 PUSH UPS 40 SEC PLANK
DAY 23 52 SIT UPS 52 SQUATS 16 PUSHUPS 45 SEC PLANK
DAY 29 60 SIT UPS 60 SQUATS MAX PUSHUPS 90 SEC PLANK
DAY 6 30 SIT UPS 10 PUSH UPS 60 SEC PLANK
DAY 12 38 SIT UPS 38 SQUATS 12 PUSHUPS 35 SEC PLANK
DAY 18 46 SIT UPS 46 SQUATS 14 PUSH UPS 40 SEC PLANK
DAY 24 54 SIT UPS 54 SQUATS 16 PUSH UPS 45 SEC PLANK
DAY 30 60 SIT UPS 60 SQUATS MAX PUSH UPS 90 SEC PLANK
5 TIPS FOR FITNESS SUCCESS - EAT THE RIGHT NUTRITION AND PORTIONS EACH MEAL IF YOUR BODY TELLS YOU TO EAT JUNK FOOD (MINE DOES THIS ALL THE TIME), OPT FOR SOMETHING HEALTHY - IT WILL HELP YOU BETTER IN THE LONG RUN! - EXERCISEDAILY - GET ENOUGH SLEEP - STAY MOTIVATED - KEEP TRACK OF CALORIE INTAKE
FOR HER HARDCORE WORKOUT
LEVEL 1 - 3 SETS LEVEL 2 - 5 SETS LEVEL 3 - 7 SETS
2
1
REST BETWEEN SETS
3 24 HIGH KNEES
24 SQUATS
4
24 CLIMBERS
5 10 RAISED LEG PUSH UPS
10 SHOULDER TOUCHES
6 10 PLANK JUMP-INS
8 9
7 12 REVERSE CRUNCHES
12 SITTING TWISTS
24 FLUTTER KICKS
Health & Wellbeing | 219
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
wrritten, illustated by Jennifer Harriman, designed by Jennifer Harriman and Tara Larkin.
Everyone is buzzing about the launch of the new skincare line from the brand Bubble, and rightfully so! If you’re still confused as to why it’s being hyped up, then we’re here to give you all the info you need.
fResh staRt gel cleanseR
New skincare lines seem to be released quite frequently due to the demand for products. In recent years, people are truly starting to open up their eyes to the importance of keeping a consistent and well-constructed skincare routine. However, due to the versatility of skin types and the number of varied issues that teenagers and young adults face when it comes to their skin, it can be difficult to find a brand that works for all. Luckily, Bubble is here to save the day! Their new, plant-based line is specifically targeted at teens and young adults. All their products are cruelty-free, vegan, and free from harsh ingredients – and have even been given the Hyram Yarbro seal of approval! No doubt you’ll have seen some of your favourite actors and influencers promoting the brand such as Madison Bailey, Noah Beck, Kenzie Ziegler, and Rudy Pankow.
Bubble’s cleanser leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh. The gentle formula ensures that the product isn’t drying out or stripping away at your skin. Lacking harsh ingredients allows for the cleanser to keep the essential moisture needed on your skin. They have used a natural spearmint extract to make the product smell amazing and as well as using red algae extract to allow for a reduction in oil levels on your skin. The aloe leaf juice within the formula creates the perfect moisturizing cleanser and provides users with antioxidant protection.
Wipe out makeup RemoveR
BReak even balancing toneR
Bubble has created a makeup remover that melts away any product on your face whilst remaining gentle on the skin and lacking harsh ingredients. The list of ingredients includes, meadow seed oil to act as a non-greasy moisturizer to lock-in hydration and chickweed extract which is filled with antioxidants that can soothe the skin of any redness. The cream base formula of the product avoids any stripping of the skin whilst still breaking up any makeup and dirt that may be on your face.
220 | Health & Wellbeing
A perfect way to follow up after the fresh start gel cleanser. Bubble’s everyday toner will help your skin become softer and smoother, whilst reducing redness through a n all-around lightweight product. Due to the formula including willow bark extract, you can get the full benefits of a natural exfoliator without the high concentration levels causing damage and stripping of the skin. Niacinamide is also on the ingredients list and allows for a more even and radiant skin tone.
bounce back RefReshing toneR
If you’re looking for a toner easier to use on-the-go, then Bubble’s bounce-back toner is a must-have! Rather than the ‘Break Even’s’ pump formula, this toner is easily applied as a spray and it blocks any oil or shine that has appeared during the day. The best part about this toner is the way it uses all of the same amazing ingredients as the ‘Break Even’ toner, such as the green tea extract that soothes the skin, meaning you can get the benefits of a toner product wherever and whenever!
come clean clay mask
A purple detoxifying clay mask will ensure you discard any toxins and poreclogging dirt that has built up on your skin. Bubble has included Montmorillonite in the ingredients for the product to allow for deep exfoliation and a mineralrich formula to deep clean your pores. The calendula extract in the mask helps to reduce any irritation or redness on the skin and leaves you feeling hydrated and smooth. Another familiar product used in Bubble’s clay mask is Vitamin E, which can help to fight off stressors and keep the skin cell health intact.
slam dunk moistuRiseR Slam Dunk Moisturiser: This particular moisturiser is of a thicker and richer consistency to cater to those who suffer from dry skin. As for its ingredients, this product doesn’t disappoint. Using avocado oil, one of the best hydrating oils, allows for a smooth touch after application. Not only this, but aloe leaf juice (an antioxidant) is used in the formula to reduce redness and soothe the skin; as well as Vitamin E that helps to fight against any environmental damage that may be caused to the skin. Another brilliant factor of this moisturiser is the blue light protection that both repairs and protects the skin from solar and artificial blue-light damage.
level up hydRating moistuRiseR Level Up Hydrating Moisturiser: If you struggle with combination or oily skin then the level up the moisturiser is calling your name! The formula is gel-based and ensures your skin is hydrating whilst avoiding adding any further shine or grease to your skin. Similar to the ‘slam dunk’ moisturiser, the ingredients include blue light protection to save your skin from the harmful damage that can be caused by solar and artificial blue light. Not only this, but the formula includes yarrow extract which is a natural ingredient that can help prevent drying out the skin.
Health & Wellbeing | 221
CREATIVE POLITICS
222 | Creative Politics
Creative Politics | 223
MEN IN FEMINISM: A GENDER-EQUAL SOCIETY There has often been a misconception that feminism ,rather than referring to the fight for equal rights between men and women, refers to putting women above men. However, Feminism not only fights for women’s equality, but gender equality as a whole. This means that where it fights against female stereotypes as women being emotional, weak and so on, it also fights against the ideal that men must be seen as strong at all times, and show no emotions. The ultimate goal of feminism is not to put women above men in society, but instead to bring about equality in all aspects, including where it is seen beneficial for women, and also men.
Written and designed by Abby Townsend, images from Unsplash.com, interview from Patrick Jones
In December 2020, musician and actor Harry Styles became the first solo man to be featured on the cover of Vogue magazine across the whole of its 127-year history., and all while wearing a blue ruffled Gucci dress. While many commemorated Styles embracing his femininity, many jumped to criticize him instead, with conservative commentator Candice Owens calling to “bring back manly men’. Styles quickly responded to criticisms, reclaiming the comment as a caption to a new Instagram post of his, in which he is dressed in a pleated blue suit while eating a banana. However, over onehundred-and-thirty years since the early feminist movement began, and still as prominent as ever, these criticisms to male femininity raise the question as to what feminism means for men and how it influences them day-to-day. Over recent years the male-feminist community has grown substantially, with men adopting the beliefs of the movement for themselves. Not only does this involve men supporting the fight for women’s rights worldwide, but also fighting against the toxic gender norms society has constructed against men; including the belief that men shouldn’t show emotion but instead ‘man up’. With men accounting to three-quarters of UK deaths by suicide in 2018 (Mentalhealth.org.uk), male-feminism is more important than ever.
224 | Creative Politics
Carbon spoke to Patrick Jones, a male feminist, about what feminism means to him and this is what he said: “To me feminism isn’t just about women, it’s about the quality and respect of women in comparison to men and the way in which they are both treated. Both genders have different expectations put upon them by society, including the expectations of the way in which both should live their lives. Feminism to me helps to break down these expectations and remove all judgement from society that has been present from the moment you were born. I feel that feminism however affects different men in different ways”. “With feminism, it has become more acceptable for men to express their emotions, as well as express themselves through makeup and clothing in ways they wouldn’t have once been able to. It is also more acceptable for men to be stay at home parents, rather than the expectation for men to be the breadwinners of the family- and visa versa. I think for men that appear more stereotypically manly, it has allowed them to be able to take down the front of having to constantly be viewed as strong and composed and allow them to freely express their emotions”. “I feel that feminism has become much more influential on men over recent years. Of course, when talking about feminism, things like women’s right to vote and the gender pay gap are much more widely known about, but since these issues have been resolved or are greatly improving, the smaller issues, including those that affect men, can begin to be spoken about. Men worldwide greatly struggle with the way society has conditioned them to keep quiet about their feelings, and this is something that is now becoming a big talking point when speaking about feminism”. “With statistics today showing that more than three-quarters of suicides are committed by men, I feel that it has become apparent that feminism is more important than ever for men, and that things need to change in order to resolve such issues. I think everyone should be a feminist, especially more men. However, men do tend to reject feminism due to their misunderstanding of what it actually is. I think that some people misinterpret feminism to be fighting for almost a role reversal of men and women, which of course we know it is not. Feminism can be influential on many people from all walks of life. I think it has already made such a huge difference for men and women, but I believe it still has a long way to go”.
Creative Politics | 225
COULD BREXIT MEAN FASHION’S EXIT Could Brexit deal destroy the fashion industry? It has been an extremely hard two years for the fashion industry, first hit by the affects of the pandemic and now Brexit, as the British government fails to support one of it’s biggest economy contributors after being hit with costly import regulations imposed by the EU following Brexit deal.
Written and designed by Lauren Murphy, images from Tagwalk and Unsplash.com
In a recent open letter to the British prime minster, leading fashion industry, chief executives and icons, including models Twiggy and Yasmin Le Bon, ask the government to give the fashion industry more support during the Brexit deal. In the letter they continue to state that the deal is strangling the industries supply chains and relationships that underpinned their industry, potentially sending them in to “decimation”. In January, the government pledged up to £23 million in support to fishing businesses, aimed to fund those who suffered under the import regulations imposed by the EU following Brexit. The focus on an industry which employs 12,000 workers and contributes about £446 million to the economy annually has become a point of criticism against the UK government, particularly as larger industries struggle with the fallout from leaving the EU. Fashion, which fed around £35 billion into the UK economy in 2019 and employed 890,000 workers, making it the UK’s largest creative industry, are feeling participially neglected and told the government that they deserves at least as much attention and assistance. To support their claims they wrote that fishing, in comparison, “contributes as much to the UK economy as East London does from the fashion and textile industry, employing the same workforce as Topshop alone” .
226 | Creative Politics
Fashion businesses and retailers are having to deal with costly obstacles in the wake of Brexit, including high import duties and large amounts of paperwork. A customer from Europe who buys from a British retailer could be hit with taxes and fees reaching up to 20% of the product price, if they want to receive their item. With this being the case, many European customers have been refusing to take items back and demanding a refund, resulting in many products being abandoned at the import gates as companies now have to deal with additional paperwork to complete as well as fees including export clearance charge, import charge on arrival and import VAT if they want to get their good back to the UK. In a result of all these surprise tax and fees many brands have considered burning stock that is trapped over seas. The Brexit deal has also meant that UK shoppers ordering items from Europe costing more than £39 are likely to be given a VAT bill, for items over £135 more customs duties may also apply. In conclusion to all this, it’s no wonder the fashion industry is in fear of extinction. If you think the luxury brands have it hard, imagine what these new import taxes are doing to our small fashion brands. For them it’s too much to send their items to Europe now, causing them to lose a huge chunk of their potential target market. They will be the first to go, with many small brands already lost due to the impact of the pandemic. For them to survive this hit they need the support from the government, they also need our support. Small brands contribute massively to the fashion industry but they can often be overlooked and pushed to the back by the big brands. By shopping at small business you will most definitely save them from extinction.
Creative Politics | 227
B #blacklivesmatter UYING B L AC K June 27th 2020 saw the launch of the first Black pound day, founded by So Solid Crew member DJ Swiss, the campaign was created to further support black businesses and takes place on the first Saturday of every month. It works as a long term solution to support the economy in black communities by encouraging consumers to only spend their money at black-owned businesses.
Written and designed by Caitlin Coughlan-Léon, images from Hanifa.com, Farailondon.com and Theklabel.com
The push came after the murder of George Floyd on May 25th sparked an international wave of Black Lives Matter protests calling for justice for the innocent people killed at the hands of the police. Simply being “not racist” was inadequate and it was time for non-black people to be active allies in the fight for justice and start putting their money where their mouth is.
228 | Creative Politics
This included protesting, donating, signing petitions but also promoting and buying from black brands. Almost 3 months since the launch of the Black Pound day campaign and its clear awareness has been raised; Beyonce’s official website now includes a directory of black businesses which includes hundreds of fashion brands owned by black creatives all over the world. Also, Kylie Jenner shared pictures of her wearing two dresses, designed by two different British, black, female-owned brands, to her 195 million followers. Keeping in the theme of support for black designers, I believe there are some worth mentioning for their work during a pandemic.
A n ifa M v u emba Congolese designer, Anifa Mvuemba hosted a digital fashion show for her brand, Hanifa, that exhibited her Pink Label Congo collection not only in 3D, but in motion. Her creativity may have changed the way we experience fashion shows forever. Her collection brought to light the effects of mining on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In an interview with Vogue Mvuemba broke down the colour representations in the pieces “The red represents the blood, suffering and oppression that the Congolese people have gone through, the blue is the peace and the yellow represents the hope and future of the Congo.”
Mary-A nn M s eng i CEO of Farai London, her designs broke the internet when her pieces were seen on none other than Kylie Jenner. Despite only launching her brand this July, Msengi’s collection sold out in the space of minutes. Since then they have been worn by Love Island winner, Amber Rose Gill and rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Her signature cut out dress has become the it girl of dresses this summer, rightfully so, her bold designs and unique silhouettes are ones to die for. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Mary-Ann mentioned she prefers designing her swimming costumes as she likes to imagine where she would wear them but with the everchanging COVID restrictions her love for travelling has had to come to a hault.
Ka r ice Lei la Founder and creative director of The K label, Karice Leila has had her pieces seen on models Aweng Chuol and Winnie Harlow as well as artist Kehlani. She describes her thought process behind The K Label derived from pieces she was lacking in her closet. She set out to create a timeless collection consisting of ready to wear, day-to-night pieces suited to every woman. Every piece is designed and made In-house at their studio in Kilburn, London.
Creative Politics | 229
HOW ARE YOU FEELING? JUST PEACHY.
impeachment: the final curtain to Trump’s reign. 230 | Creative Politics
Throughout his 4 years as America’s 45th president, Trump wreaked havoc from state to state; his comments on the bodies of women and religious groups in the middle east continued to haunt him. The infamous notion to ‘build the wall’ between the borders of Mexico and the heavily right-wing state of Texas further divided the country on what was correct in a morality context. The notorious scandal of Stormy Daniels also further fuelled the fire that led to his final act as president. The over-zealous nature of firing all his advisories, and running the presidential term single-handedly, made him almost become a martyr for his fictional cause of ‘Making America Great Again.’ We won’t ever know whether his presidency was for the sole beneficiary of white christian men; but the supremacist sentiment was intertwined there if you look hard enough. However, Donald Trump isn’t without some success as president. His success ranges from a revolutionary tax reform to boost the economy, and introducing a ‘first steps’ act to reduce sentence lengths while incarcerated for felony drug charges. With this in mind however, his consequences as president far outweigh the positives. There was the tear-gassing of peaceful protestors so he can do a photo-op with a bible to appease his devout Christians, and his elevation of radical conspiracy theories during press conferences inciting xenophobia, also landed him in metaphorical hot water. Alongside this, Trump’s rhetoric when racial divide and tensions exponentially grew gave cause for concern that he was more on the side of the anti-BLM; he stated in a quote derived from yet another public appearance that ‘there is good on both sides’. It begged the question as to when human rights ever became a political debate. Despite his various successes, with the vice-like grip he had on his following similar to that of a secluded cult, it meant that his supporters rarely questioned Trump’s rhetoric, his ulterior motives when addressing controversy or how he handled the press; often coined as ‘fake news’. This blatant disregard to have transparency in Trump’s reign almost rebukes what they believed in, rendering his version of the party’s manifesto obsolete.
With his poll ratings across the channels falling for the 2020 presidental election and a confidence vote in mid-terms being disasterously low, Trump knew he was up against a stronger democrat force than he reckoned with despite a projected loss to Hillary Clinton in 2016 (that was before Russia colluded with Trump to rig the election results meaning he won with a landslide victory). His republican loyal supporters still defended Trump’s every move despite the supporters themselves being somewhat intricably linked to archaic, confederate terminology and ways of thinking. However, this was no subject of Trump’s in any press conferences as he refrained from rebuking white supremacism, especially with groups such as the KKK, for example; most famously noted in a public address inside the Trump Tower’s lobby after the uprising in Charlottesville where KKK members and POC clashed for the fight of equality between the races. This perhaps led to his downfall as societal values are gradually switching to socialist reform. It was only after considerable backlash did Trump retract his statement with a more forceful approach to condemnation of white supremacists, neo-nazi’s and alt-right groups. The question always referred to Trump’s inability to seperate the far right from the ‘normal’ republicans who focused on other parts of his manifesto such as the economy. Trump almost became ‘one of them’ with no rebuttal for the blatant and transparent spread of hate delivered by such groups. The last call he had as President of the United States came as a blow to the society of his country, the inevitable:
C o ro n av i r u s Pa n d e m i c . How he handled the pandemic was the last straw in his presidency, with the death toll passing 530K (source: CNN Health 4/2/20). His defiance of wearing masks further fuelled the conspiracy theory that Coronavirus is a hoax. The attempted redundancy of Dr Fauci, the leading expert on infectious diseases, was a grave mistake alongisde the suggestion that injection of bleach was a viable option when dealing with a positive Coronavirus result, despite medical professionals physically in attendance of his press conference, was unethical in the highest sense. And when Donald Trump himself caught Covid-19, it showed he was infalliable that he led his supporters to believe. This, alongisde various other encounters within Trump’s tumultuous reign, led to his final curtain being drawn. The 45th president of the United States became the only president who was impeached twice, an infamous legacy to have eteched into history books forever.
Creative Politics | 231
Article concept and execution: Victoria Horton, Photos: Unsplash and Pexels.com
In the Autumn of 2020, the leaves were falling on what felt like the end of an era: Trump’s reign. In the months prior to the momentous Trump vs Biden presidential race, the air seemed different; it seemed fragmented from a united America to a country of two sides: Republicans, or more commonly known as Trump’s Party, against the liberal blues, the Democrats. Throughout Donald Trump’s presidential term, the country was run amock with human rights activists for the BLM movement after George Floyd, Jacob Blake and countless others, to the environmental saviours after Trump retracted being a part of the Paris Climate Agreement.
232 | Creative Politics
Creative Politics | 233
2020: The year of Biden’s democrat win against a businessman turned the unhinged republican politician in Trump; it sent shockwaves throughout America and across the world, with the ideal that not all hope is lost. He was nominated as the 46th president-elect with projected wins in various key states, the most pivotal being Wisconsin; the state Joe Biden needed to win to ensure a democrat presidency.
However, this did not deter Joe Biden, the democrat leader. His inaugaration went smoothly along with a worldwide focus on Kamala Harris; who is the first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect. This monumental moment in history will pave the way for generations to come and set a new precendent on how an established first-world country should be run.
Biden’s ideological view of political consensus over combat ensures his administration is free of chaos and divisive conduct, a whole world away from what Trump created in his time of being America’s president. During the presidental campaign, he addressed various sectors of society, ranging from the POC who have simply had enough of Trump’s tyranny, and even towards Republicans that wanted to see what he could bring to the table, after being heavily dissapointed by Trump’s version of the Republican party that they previously believed in. Biden’s win allowed us all to breathe a sigh of relief.
In his first 100 days, following a famous statement coined by President Roosevelt in 1933, Biden set to dismantle all the horrors of the Trump presidency: He revoked the military policy that banned transgender personnel from applying, the immigration order that banned certain countries with muslim majority from entering the US and also ceased the construction of the US/Mexico border wall, ensuring the seperated families are reunited.
However, it was not without an immense amount of backlash from Trump’s supporters, which led to most likely the biggest immoral event in American history:
T h e ca p i t o l siege. With incitement from Trump that ‘we will never back down... we will never concede’, it sent a frenzy of manipulated Trump supporters upon the Capitol’s borders. The scenes captured by ABC, FOX AND CNN News were unfathomable to the rest of the country; the world was watching on and most importantly to the Democrats inside the government building: Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria OcasioCortez. Flurries of Republican red, and the stripes of confederate flags stormed the building in which the police were unable to cease. People were trampled and shoved to get top spot in the Capitol: the offices of government officials. Meanwhile, hid under their desks while hearing taunts, shouts and property destruction all around them, were those exact people, fearing for their lives. The storming of the US capitol had been declared as an ‘attack on democracy’ by Joe Biden, which is quite ironic because the Republican’s believed that the election was rigged leading to them storming various postal vote stations shouting ‘stop the count’, but not in 2016 where the Russian collusion was declared fact and a federal offence. It highlighted the fact that Trump’s supporters were illusioned to whatever he believed, they took every word and believed it. A dangerous game to play when the leader entertains nuclear warfare with Kim Jong-Un.
234 | Creative Politics
His executive orders promise a new America, a fresh start away from the turmoil left from an inept president who wrecked the country. His socialist ideologies show that other countries can follow in succession; this follows the original leader of a better world, Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand who declared the nation free of Coronavirus after just 4 months. The change in socialist reform is starting to become the new revolution of the 21st Century, starting with Labour’s increasing popularity in the UK after the gradual disdain of the Tory Party who has been in power since 2010. The liberal democrats in every sense, everywhere in the world, across the political groups are paving the way for a better world, and most importantly of all, which includes everyone on this earth, a better society.
THE PHoeNIX HAS RISEN in biden.
Creative Politics | 235
Design and text by Klára Volfová, images from Unsplash.com
Sexism first hand
236 | Creative Politics
Violence sometimes starts with a joke and that’s something we don’t really give much of a thought. Joking about stereotypical gender roles and humiliating others might be one of the first red flags in relationships that we quite often overlook. I came to touch with sexism for the first time when I was a little over 9 years old. It was at my grandparents place; we were having Christmas meal and I was the only one who had to help in kitchen. I was curious as every child gets and I kept asking, why none of my cousins didn’t have to help too. My persistence angered my grandma and she yelled at me, that I’m a girl and I need to learn how to take care of a household. She then continued that they are boys and it’s not their place to help out in the kitchen. There have been years of her trying to make me proper lady. Whenever we visited her, she would find something to criticise about me. Would it be my nails done, my looks or grades. Nearly after the decade of arguing back and forth, she learned to respect me for the women I want to become, not the women she wants me to become and I’ve learned not to blame her for her beliefs as she was raised in a very different time contrary to mine. I used to make excuses for people who joked about typical gender roles. Whenever I wanted to express my opinion I was told to go back to the kitchen, that’s where my place is. I usually just laughed it off as I didn’t want to argue with my friends, but it bothered me a lot. There was one time when me and my girlfriends received Christmas gifts from our classmates in a form of wooden spoon and apron. They thought it’s funny and to my surprise my girlfriends did too. No one could understand why I was so furious. I think that’s when I realised that girls are affected by this and some of them don’t even realise it. Can men be victims of sexism too? Definitely. Just like men can be abused and raped, they can be sexualised and objectified. Especially men and boys who don’t conform to stereotyped gender roles. There is also much more violence against them. I’d like to also mention sexualising and objectifying in film industry. I’m a big fan of Henry Cavil. He’s very aspiring actor and kind men and I was nearly shocked how he was treated in a few interviews. The reporters and interviewers have treated him poorly. They kept asking him only about his workout and they kept complimenting his body when he wanted to promote his newest work. I used word ‘complimenting’ because I believe the words were meant in good will but there’s really thin line between complimenting someone’s body and objectifying someone’s body. Until then I’ve believed that objectification can happen only to women and I was unpleasantly surprised. Surely, we have to understand that women experience sexism on daily basis and men don’t find themselves in these situations as much as women, but it was really interesting remark and I thought I should share is with you.
Violence sometimes starts with a joke
Although sexism is something that has been around for ages, the term itself was coined in 1965(!!) by Pauline M. Leet. To my surprise it didn’t appear in any essay, dissertation or book but it appeared in a student forum contribution “Women and the Undergraduate” where Leet defined it as: “I might call you in this case a ‘sexist’ … Both the racist and the sexist are acting as if all that has happened had never happened, and both of them are making decisions and coming to conclusions about someone’s value by referring to factors which are in both cases irrelevant.”(Reference: “Feminism Friday: The origins of the word “sexism””. Finallyfeminism101. wordpress.com. October 19, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2013). The first time this word appeared in print dates to 1968 and it was in speech “On Being Born Female” by Caroline Bird.
Creative Politics | 237
before and after How social media creates a false representation
Instagram Vs reality, many of us spend a lot of time on social media scrolling through these ‘perfect’ bodies day in and day out. Sometimes we forget that the body’s we see are not always a true representation, and it can be hard to not to fall into the mindset of comparing yourself to others. This could be damaging to your mental health, and it could cause anxiety and depression. Social Media should not consume your life, it should also be not be taken too seriously. People show their best selves on Instagram, which is not a bad thing and it is great to show love to one another, but we should all remember that these best angles of people should not be compared to your own. As Instagram has become more and more popular over the years, so has body confidence. Many influencers, celebrity’s and even general users of Instagram have released before and after images of their bodies. This is now on other social media platforms such as Tiktok. This has created a great community for people to come together and spread love.
Written and designed by Amy Hardy, images from Instagram and TikTok
Not only are people spreading body positivity, but they are also showing bare face pictures, no makeup, no filters. Maura Higgins released a raw photograph of her with no makeup, no filter and no fake tan. In the caption of her Instagram picture, she talks about how she wants to empower women to feel confident in themselves, also for the younger generation that are starting to use social media to show them that not everything you see online is a true representation. What a great way to spread love and positivity! Not only can these posts help bring reality back to life, but it can also be a fitness motivation for many people. Sometimes it can be hard to get up out of bed and start a workout or when you have just gotten home from work and you just want to lounge around watching television. Sometimes these posts can help you to realise that you might want to get back into shape or you just want to be that little bit healthier, no comparing, just setting yourself goals as to where you want to be.
SELF LOVE IS THE KEY 238 | Creative Politics
some images of people sharing their before and afters
Creative Politics | 239
Writing and design by Caitlin Coughlan Leon, images by Unsplash.com
DIVERSITY BEHIND the camera
240 | Creative Politics
For years, the fashion industry has been scrutinised for its lack of diversity and inclusion, a problem that spans across every industry. Not enough representation of black, Asian and Latinx models in their ads, on their runways and throughout the pages of their magazines but this year more than any, the focus has been shifted to the teams behind the camera. With the importance of diversity on a rise, brands have come under fire for their “skin deep wokeness”. One Parisian fashion house, known for its beautifully progressive cast of models, was recently called out for their all-white team after a selfie was taken in celebration of their SS 21 show. An almost perfect depiction of performative activism, when the only part of your brand that is diverse is the part the public can see. A similar conversation sparked last May when Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White, posted his team of art directors which happen to be 7 white men. Although the industries diversity isn’t under these 2 designers charge, it is an interesting look into the part of that world we outsiders don’t see.
as “diverse”. It is hard enough being a black model breaking into a predominantly white field but the lack of diversity in the team means facing problems with makeup, hair and lighting. Inclusivity is having a makeup artist who won’t make a black woman look grey, a hairstylist who can work on 4b hair and a set stylist whose lighting won’t wash out someone darker than MACs NC15.
to share how many black people they have in
and stands as one of the barriers stopping BIPOC from breaking into the industry. Fashion capitals London, Paris and Milan remain the best places to get started but also hold the title for the most extortionate costs of living and without a degree, connections and experience it’s no surprise the majority are from middle-class families that paid their way through unpaid internships.
It might seem confusing as to why performative activism is problematic, you might ask “why does it matter, isn’t it still activism?” or “isn’t diversity in any sense still good?”. To an extent, yes. When a BIPOC can flip through a magazine and see multiple models who look like them, it is a good thing but when they can’t see themselves in a picture of the team who put it together, its simply no longer a good thing. Black people, just like every other person who worked hard to get where they are, deserve to be seen in every area of the industry, the parts the public see and the parts backstage. When black people are used merely as props in the name of wokeness or for the aesthetic it is not progressive as it looks, it is acting for social capital.
“These black girls need to be in the shows, be on the runways, not just mood boards. On top of that, we gotta see However, the fashion industry is not the only one guilty of this facade of change, Sharon them in your team” Chuter, founder of makeup brand UOMA, used her Classism has proved to be just as problematic platform recently to encourage beauty companies Jorja Smith
In the wake of ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, there hasn’t been a better time to tackle performative activism and make up for the decades of structurally exclusive industries that reject BIPOC behind the scenes. Let’s start making real change. Let us not fail another generation.
their senior executive positions. Her research showed that 10% of every white-collar company should be black people to match the statistic of how many black people graduate college annually. Chuter revealed that currently, the average percentage of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) in an American white-collar workforce is 8% and only 3.2% in senior management positions. Her 72 hour “pull up or shut up” campaign called on brands that capitalise off the black community, in particular, to show their consumers how many black people are working behind the scenes. Hundreds of beauty brands did pull up; Kylie cosmetics revealed that 13% of their “all woman” team is black and some brands like L’Oréal USA acknowledged they have more to do to create a diverse workforce. Challenging diversity optics like this is important in a world where looking like you’re doing something is enough to prove you care about a cause. Where multi-million-dollar companies can post a black square on Instagram to show their “support” and have people praise them or where having 4 black models on the same stage as 20 white ones, is seen Creative Politics | 241
ART & CULTURE
242 | Art and Culture
Art and Culture | 243
244 | Art and Culture
For those who haven’t heard about the artist behind the Bronze Basketball, the clear New York Yankees cap, or even those eroded sculptures embellished with crystals like The Blue Calcite Eroded Venus Of Milo, his name is Daniel Arsham.
The artist, that in 1992 nearly died when the hurricane Andrew ripped through his family home in Miami, has seen the world with different eyes, questioning “what is inside the walls?”. The fact is, he has taught us a lot about what is inside the object he recreates in his limited colour palette, where the white takes over our attention whenever we are confronted with his projects. But none of that is a coincidence, the truth is that Daniel Arsham is colour-blind. He can only see 20 percent of the world’s colour but that hasn’t stopped him. Let’s go back in the years and talk about his first steps in 2007, when at the age of 25, 2 years later after his graduation in the art school of Cooper Union, he was asked to design his first set for Merce Cunningham’ productions. In that same year, along with his architect friend Alex Mustonen, they
Now traveling in time, where the future and the past create a blurred connection, where the viewer is uncertain about the time itself. Are we in the future with a past presence? Are we in the past and traveling trough the future? BLUE CALCITE ERODED VENUS OF MILO (2019) is the perfect example of that. The art piece created from the mould provided by the Musée du Louvre archive, is the centre stage between the past and the future – The Present. The original piece, created between 130 and 100 BC that inspired many artists since then, was the source behind Daniel Arsham’s vision. Her broken arms and part of her head, are now replaced by blue calcite crystal, a stone known for creating and stimulating creative energies. Like this one, there are many other historical sculptures, recreated through Daniel Arsham perspective, where the cracks filled with crystals, take over the history and add a new chapter to these sculptures. The truth is, art is all about creating and recreating, giving a new life to existing objects and transforming the way these objects are perceived to the audience, without taking its identity, but adding a new one. That is exactly was Arsham does/is. Art and Culture | 245
Article & Design by: Alice Derrica All photos by Daniel Arsham
Based in New York and raised in Miami, Arsham has been marking his position as a futuristic artist with an extensive knowledge on the conceptualization of materials, shapes and techniques, reinventing everyday objects into pieces of art.
founded a collaborative design practice established to investigate the boundaries between artistic disciplines – Snarkitecture - where the mind of a contemporary artist and an architect are combined to “make architecture perform the unexpected”.
The artist, inspired by the global reach of basketball, picked a basket ball as a model, and transformed it into a hand finished sculpture, where its outside is burned, generating a colourful light reflection in the metal. The piece was produced in a 99 limited quantity, where the package includes a display case designed to catch light in contrasting to the solidity of the bronze. CRYSTAL RELIC 001 is another artwork made to recreate the New York Yankees cap. Is a scale replicas, made of cast resin, inspired by the 18th century archaeological objects made of crystal. The Cap has a five inches in height with a diameter of eight inches, weighting five pounds. Daniel Arsham said that this work took two years to develop in to what it is now, which makes his history with research, exploration and experimentation quite extensive. The artist that in 2017 collaborated with Adidas for the first time, conceived a pair of trainers aiming to make them look chipped away from an archaeological dig. The all white pair feature frayed sections, when exposed to UV light it reveals his hidden message saying “The past is present”. And following the collab theme it is impossible to not mention the Eroding Porsche 911. It is a completely drivable car, combining the Porsche mechanism with the Arsham’s perspective trough his crystal erosion technique that adds a rough finish on the exterior of this classic car. His relation with fashion led him to one of the most important collaborations he did so far. For the Summer 2020 men’s collection, Kim Jones decided to call Daniel Arsham to collaborate with him. Kim Jones connected with Arsham’s concept of looking at the present with the future and the past in mind. The designer/creative director of the fashion house looked at the Dior exhibition and thought about what could and would be there in fifthly years time. By using the logo as a starting point, Daniel built a 2.5 meters version of his signature – eroded crystal- into the Dior letters. The idea of the work falling a part is balance with the sense of growth that the crystals give, like it is a new life emerging inside those “broken” structures. The catwalk was grounded by pink sand, which evokes the artwork that Arsham previously created - The Japanese Garden – with raked pink sand.
More recently Arsham was pointed as the first-ever Creative Director of the NBA team Cleveland Cavaliers to connect the world of sports and art. As an artist, Daniel has been proving that his work will continue to evolve and emerge to all the different industries, showing his will to transit into periods of time with his eclectic mindset.
246 | Art and Culture
Art and Culture | 247
What it means to be a photographer with
IRENE HARO
First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself. My name is Irene Haro, I am 21 years old, and I’m from Madrid, Spain. After finishing school, I did a professional study in “realization of audiovisual projects and shows” in Madrid. There I learned about cinema, theatre and television. Last year I ended my studies at Solent and I graduated in media production. Now I’m working as a freelance photographer and videographer in an American company. When did you realize that photography was your thing? I had always been interested in cinema, and I studied audiovisuals to define myself in that area and the media. There I realized that photography was a passionate way of expression, and I wanted to focus on it, although I have a special love for creating videos. Where you self-taught with the camera? Yes, because on the course I studied in Madrid they didn’t teach photography, they only gave us an occasional workshops. I started creating projects with my father’s old camera and some friends, and when I wanted to concentrate and learn more about it, I signed up for online courses.
What type of photography do you enjoy experimenting with? I like analogue photography because it is extremely manual and you have to keep many circumstances in mind when creating photography, so you can explore more. Besides, these factors can be altered in the process when taking photos, revealing and scanning. What I like the most is the time of revealing because it is the fundamental part when creating the final image since any detail can affect the result. I also enjoy experimenting with street photography because the street gives you unique moments; you have to be in the right place and at the right time. It is the rawest way to tell a story through photography since by photographing people you do not know at all, the viewer can understand how those people are feeling.
have your
248 | Art and Culture
Why did you choose to be a freelancer? There is more work within the industry, and by working on various projects, you experiment and get to know different topics. You can also work from anywhere if you are editing projects and you schedule.
What have you been working on lately? I’m editing podcast videos that talk about the first generation of families of foreigners in America. I’m in charge of creating the graphics and editing the videos. The podcast is called First Generation American Project. Although this is not taking my creativity at all, I am improving, learning, working on something exciting that teaches me not only as a professional but also as a person. I am meeting new people who can open many doors for me in my professional future. Are you working on projects other than your job as a freelance? In October, I worked on a musical project with some friends, leading the creative direction, recording the music video and taking the final photos of both the album cover and the campaign. Lately, I am working on a video project in which I want to show and show how foreigners live in the UK in these times of pandemic, so far from their home and family. I am also creating a photobook about university students’ houses in England, thus capturing their routines, their study space, their ways of entertaining and having fun in these times etc. Finally, I am starting a project with a music producer friend, but I can’t say much about this either because it is a secret.
Art and Culture | 249
What influences you the most when creating projects? I feel influenced by the most authentic stories since the photography I like the most is the one I create with real people, consequently capturing their stories. Regarding pieces of art, I want to emphasize that the film The Graduate changed my way of seeing the patterns of telling stories, the whole work behind that movie, the film’s aesthetics, and the director of photography impressed me, and I got a lot of inspiration from it. What are your plans for the future? At the moment, I want to finish and show the projects I am working on as well as continue working as a freelancer since it gives me a lot of flexibility to travel. Currently, I am living a moment in my life in which I want to surround myself with new things. In the long term, I wish to still work on this but work for myself, employing my creativity to the fullest, and make a living creating what I like and inspire me the most. How are you handling the lockdown? Is it helping you to reflect personally and professionally, or on the other hand, are you having a creative block? I am procrastinating a lot, but it gives me time to think and work on my own projects. So yes, it helps me get the best out of myself professionally and know what I want in my personal life.
250 | Art and Culture
Article concept and design layout: Victoria Nieto, Images: Irene Haro
Art and Culture | 251
ARTICLE WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY ALICE DERRICA
252 | Art and Culture
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist born on the 22nd of December 1960 in Brooklyn, New York. Since his early days, Basquiat dealt with a lot of turbulent events. At 15, he ran away from home due to issues with his family and instability, but shortly he was found sleeping on a bench by a police officer who brought him back to his father, (his mother was in a mental institution). He left his family home permanently a year later and lived a nomadic life, sleeping on his friends couch or even on the streets. That lifestyle forced him to support himself by selling t-shirts and homemade postcards; and SAMO was born. SAMO (Same Old Sh*t) was Basquiat and his friends working under this pseudonym, they used graffiti to express poetic and sarcastic critics to the society. These graffities were mainly painted in downtown Manhattan (keeping in mind that in the late 70s, New York wasn’t all bright lights and billboards). It was a transactional time between the punk scene and the hip-hop scene and just like every change, it involved new experiences with art, film and the general lifestyle - hip-hop underground clubs across the city were packed. The New Yorkers started to notice the messages from SAMO, no one really knew where they came from, but everyone talked about it. Later, when his identity was revealed, Basquiat made an appearance on a television program called T V Party, where Glenn O’Brien referred to him as “ the most language oriented of all graffiti artists in New York.” This was the turning point for Jean that wanted
1980 was a big year for the artist. The prominent American curator and art dealer, Jeffrey Deitch spotted his work in the Times Square Show and said that Basquiat’s paintings were a “Knockout combination of de Kooning and subway spray paint”. He was starting to become well-known amongst the cultured crowds and his paintings went from $200 to $25,000 for a single piece. In that same year, Basquiat attended Fashion Moda, a multi-artist exhibition where Emilio Mazzoli (an Italian gallerist) invited him to do his first solo exhibition in Italy. A year later, Jean-Michel was titled ”the radiant child” by Rene Ricard, who published an article about him in Artforum Magazine, a publication specialized in contemporary art. By 1983, the artist developed more paintings for his second presentation at the Gagosian Gallery (West Hollywood). Basquiat was dating the aspiring singer Madonna and ironically, he used to brag to his friends that she was going to be “huge”. But at that time, Basquiat was the “huge” one, producing collaborations with the pop artists Andy Warhol and Robert Raunschenberg; writing hip-hop songs and drawing on expensive Armani suits. Through his unique style, Basquiat was painting and celebrating black male personalities like no one had done before. Whether they were musicians, athletes, or writers; the figures always wore the “crown” which was his signature artistic motif and, in a way, it represented his own perspective of himself. His friend Francesco Clemente later said that “Jean-Michel’s crown has three peaks. For his three royal lineages: the poet, the musician, the great boxing champion”. The critics and other artists hated it, maybe because Basquiat was the first black artist to speak about his thoughts so openly and sincerely, or maybe because his truth went against racism in a way that no one did before. No matter the reason, he was the first black man to make a difference in the world of American art.
INSIDE BASQUIAT’S MIND
to be recognized for his art. In an interview, his graffiti partner Al Diaz, said that being famous was part of Jean’s master plan.
Art and Culture | 253
254 | Art and Culture
BASQUIAT
His connection with the “Father of Pop Art”, Andy Warhol, led to several speculations and negative critiques, saying they were using each other for personal gain. Their intimate friends say that Andy was like a father figure for the young artist and used to give him great advice whilst both collaborated on multiple paintings. The press didn’t react well to this connection and the pressure made them part ways and Basquiat left New York. Shortly after, Andy Warhol died and Basquiat became deeply depressed, mostly due to the fact that they didn’t leave the relationship on good terms, and now this was impossible to do so. Jean spiralled into a drug addiction that went out of control.
At a time where art was going through a change of periods, Basquiat played the important role of being one of the lead figures of neo-expressionism – “An art movement that reasserted the primacy of the humane figure in contemporary art”. The gifted young artist tragically died at the age of 27 due to an overdose. Nevertheless, Basquiat still has an enormous influence on art movements nowadays, and in the industry in general. In fact, in 2017, one of his paintings was sold for $110M – the most expensive American painting ever. After the sale, the same critic that had seen Basquiat growth throughout the times - Jeffrey Deitch - said that “He’s now in the same league as Francis Bacon and Pablo Picasso”
In Jean-Michel’s own words: “I am not a real person. I’m a legend”.
Art and Culture | 255
Gracie M a r i e Keeping Talented young artist from Eastleigh, UK battling against Cancer since the age of 16. 2001 - 2021.
256 | Art and Culture
Written and designed by Tara Larkin, Artwork by Gracie Marie Keeping.
Art and Culture | 257
Gracie Marie Keeping, an artist from eastleigh, uk was taken from the world to cancer. fighting since just age 16, gracie used her creative outlet to project her feelings and emotions, inspiring many and leaving a mark in the world and creative industry forever. Gracie didn’t lose the fight, Cancer won. At just age 10, Gracie was first diagnosed diabetic then at age 16. December 12th 2017, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic lymphoma for two and a half years. In April 2020, Gracie overcame this and her fight was completed, ready to start her next chapter. But shortly after, in June 2020, she was tradgically diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. As days and months went on, fighting and fighting, heaven gained an angel on January 3rd 2021. Through her treatment, Gracie was determined to be a young creative and achieved phenomenal grades A* in Fine Art, A* in Moving Image and B in Drama and Theatre. With her treatment going ahead, Gracie developed a tremor, causing her hands to shake and move but she turned this into a beauty, as she would with everything, and began developing her own portfolio of work; utilising mark making and colour techniques, leading her to set up a business with Etsy and Redbubble, allowing herself to express her creative outlet, continue with treatment and earn an income. The most important thing to her was expressing her story, allowing Cancer awareness in teenagers to be spoken about and allow the community to see her journey through another medium. In college, she produced a short film, showing her emotions change through her diagnosis and journey, allowing others to get an insight into different life events that occur. Gracie was determined to fight and live a teenage life by being unique in fashion (starting an instagram for mid-size girls; speaking about her body changes due to chemotherapy @midsizewise), being experimental with makeup and creative within art in various mediums such as pencil, paint and biro. All Gracie wanted was to make her friends and family proud and happy, and she did just that. Her artwork pinpoints her highs and lows in life as well as memories of when she was little. She was so open with her diagnosis, allowing herself to inspire many of all ages. No matter where she was, what room she was in, she would fill it with happiness and joy, her smile would instsntly light up the room and her artwork will be carried through our lives forever. Gracie, you will be forever missed, and I hope that we all make you proud, just as proud as you made us all. We love you. Karyn, Kelp, Jamie and family, our thoughts are with you always.
258 | Art and Culture
Art and Culture | 259
260 | Art and Culture
Art and Culture | 261
Beauty Standards: A snapshot in time.
262 | Art and Culture
It’s nothing new that fashion trends come and go and then come again. But have you ever thought about trends in terms of overall looks? This is how beauty standards have been changing over history.
Did you know that in Ancient Greece it was men who held to a higher standard of beauty? Women’s bodies were considered disfigured because of their differences incomperesen to male figures. It’s true that they were judged based on their curves, the reason, however, was completely different from what we know today. People believed that women with curvier bodies had access to more food which indicated they were wealthy. The same mentality also appeared in the Italian Renaissance. It was a time when a woman was supposed to reflect her husband’s social status so if she was skinny it would automatically mean that the family isn’t rich enough. Hence why the beauty ideal was women with full bodies, rounded stomach and plump cheeks in addition to fair skin and light hair. Way different from what we see now. However, the trend that is closer to the beauty standards we are used to now is the trend that came in the Victorian era - the hourglass figure. Very slim torso, exaggerated hips and extremely high raised breasts became the new norm. To achieve the desired silhouette, women started to wear corsets that not only cinched their waists but also pulled the shoulders back. This trend lasted for roughly 70 years and is considered as one of the most influential in both fashion and the way we now portray “feminine” body. A big change came with the 20th century. Many women were hitting the workforce during World War I, and even got the right to vote! After they finally tasted the independence men had all along, they wanted to keep it and that also reflected in their looks. No more suffocating corsets and complicated updos! On the contrary of what has been considered beautiful for such a long time, women now started cutting their hair short, wore bras that flattened their chests and even showed their legs in skirts that became shorter! For the first time ever the androgenous look became attractive and wanted by women of all social classes. This trend didn’t last for a long time and when the Golden Age of Hollywood came, the hourglass figure returned. A great example is Marilyn Monroe who became an icon whose beauty we admire until this day. With her full figure that she wasn’t shy to show in now much more revealing clothes she was (and still is) considered a sex symbol that many men dreamed about, although some would probably consider her a plus-size model today.
changed the modelling industry forever. Yes, we are talking about Twiggy. The boyish-looking model who brought the androgynous back into trend and set the way models would look like for the next decades. The popularity of this type even got to a point where the toy manufacturing company Mattel created a new Twiggy doll. The idea of the perfect body type started to develop again during the 1980s. The Supermodel era began and together with the new big hit of gym-going, they created a new image of attractiveness. Women desired to be tan, tall, thin but athletic, with large breasts, just like the models on the runways. The hype dropped down during the 1990s when the new rising supermodel Kate Moss came along. As one of the skinniest models, she was one of the factors that made the new “heroine chic” look so popular. Young girls wanted to be as thin as they possibly could, waifish became new sexy and translucent skin was considered the most attractive of all the skin tones. Similar to how it was with the turn of the 19th and 20th century, the 2000’s also brought some changes. The unhealthy look went out of fashion and the beauty standards returned back to the 1980s a bit. The tan was in again and so were defined muscles, especially abs. This trend was mainly presented by Victoria’s Secret Angels such as Gisele Bündchen, Adrina Lima, Karolina Kurkova or Alessandra Ambrosio. The 2010’s as we all remember them were just “Bootylicious”. From J-Lo to Nicky Minaj to Kim Kardashian the goal was clear - getting the prominent butt no matter the cost, even if it means getting plastic surgery. Unfortunately, those rapidly increased as a lot of women sought them in order to “fix” their bodies. Moving forward we are finally in the present. 2020’s are still in it’s beginning however we can already tell that it’s a decade of self-love. Diversity in the fashion industry keeps growing, people all over social media are now promoting their actual body image. Whether you have curves or you fit more the androgynous body type, whether you are black, tan or pale, whether your hair is short or you grow them up to your butt, you are still you. There will always be someone like you who is considered beautiful so why wouldn’t you be? And if you ever really feel unattractive just remember that at least once in history there has been a time when the way you look was what everyone wanted to be.
We are now getting to one of the most influential decades - the ’60s. The time when one lean girl with short hair and long legs appeared and
Art and Culture | 263
From Millennial pink to Gen Z
brown. Design and writing by Helena Polanska
The year is 2017, we are sitting in our bedrooms, millennial pink and marble is everywhere we look and we love it, if somebody said to us then that brown the colour dismissed in our minds as dull, boring and overall “blah”, would be the shade of the season in 2021 I am sure we would have rolled our eyes…
264 | Art and Culture
The last few years have been all about the pinks. Looking back at Pantone Colour of the Year we can tell that pinks ruled the last few years so it comes as no surprise why brown hue rises. It is a natural progression - the evolution of the terracotta colour asks for a deeper and darker brown evolving from a pink and red-based scheme, towards brown that holds more black pigments. You might have even noticed that some people are calling brown the new black… Historically, the colour brown has always been outmatched by its rival dark hues - navy, black, and grey. But not anymore! Its absence from the fashion world has played a major role in the colour’s comeback in recent seasons. Comeback of browns can also be related to growing concerns over fast-fashion’s environmental footprint, thanks to this there has never been more appreciation for vintage. And nothing signals vintage like chocolatehued slightly worn out leather. Luxury brands have dived straight into this retro revival, with Bottega Venetta, Loewe and Chloé all releasing handbags and shoes in the hue. On the runways, brown was also a staple at established brands like Acne Studios and Fendi. Unlike other dark neutrals, it is easy to mix shades of brown in one outfit. You can add just one piece to your wardrobe, or colour block with head to toe brown outfits.
History of Brown dressing Brown has been around for a very long time. It was one of the first pigments made of clay used to draw on cave walls. In the ancient world, brown was the colour of poverty and low status. There are indications in literature that in Ancient Rome, brown clothing was associated with the lower classes. Urban poor people who were called plebeians, wore brown clothing. Literally ‘the plebeians’ was “pullati” – “those dressed in brown”. In the Middle Ages, brown clothes were also worn by monks of the Franciscan order the colour was a sign of their humility and poverty. During that era, each social class had
to wear a colour that represented their status. Once an increased interest among the wealthy was driven towards leather coats and other leather goods brown gained prestige. By the mid-1700s, Brown was an essential shade of the well-dressed European gentleman and since then has remained a classic amongst menswear.
Colour psychology The colour brown affects mind and body by creating feelings of relaxation and wholesomeness and developing a sense of calmness and relaxation. In colour psychology brown is considered comforting and can be used to help people deal with the stresses of inner and outside world. It is a colour found widely in nature and our everyday surroundings from wood, food and soil to eye colour, in all its various shades. This colour connects us with the earth ultimately creating a more grounding feeling. In the past few years, we have seen a more ‘Mindful Design’ trend emerging in every field of design. This means that consumers are buying more vintage and second hand to try and move away from fast fashion and the wrong that comes with it. The words Mindful Design are hardly words that we associate with neon pink or slime green, the palette for different designs both fashion and interior has switched to colours that consist within a beige-brown range which gives us the sense of connecting to nature.
It could have something to do with nostalgia for traditional styles in this chaotic, COVID-19 consumed modern life that is our reality right now that’s why, because brown brings such calmness and comfort as a colour, it comes as no surprise that in the recent months exactly this colour has taken over our generation’s wardrobes and surroundings.
Art and Culture | 265
REWIND TO
THE 2000’S 266 | Art and Culture
If you are reading this, it is most likely that you were born in the 2000s era. An era of not having our phones glued to our faces, Disney Channel, 2000 music (the best), moon sand, Club Penguin, Nokia phones, that trip to Blockbuster...wow, the nostalgia. Here I will take you further down memory lane. I usually feel overwhelmed when I look back on our past childhood, how carefree it was. Circling everything in the Argos catalogue hoping to get everything in there for Christmas, going to school with your friends and actually being able to have fun days at school not worrying about essays every week. I would like to remember the good times of the 2000s, as we all would agree - it was all so good.
FASHION Low waisted joggers and jeans, sunglasses, big hoops, oversized baggy jeans, the blonde highlights - what a time for fashion. I love that 90% of these trends are now being bought back as the trend Y2K; I love to see my eras fashion being brought back. It gives me a lot of happiness
TOYS
These are just a few toys we used to play with when we were younger. I am so happy I got to experience just toys and tv, no phones and ipads, just the pure joy of being a child.
Art and Culture | 267
MUSIC This is from ‘billboard’s end of year hot 100 singles from 2002. The 2000s was the era of proper R&B, Chris Brown dancing for the girls, Nelly and Kellys iconic ‘Dilemma’ and Ashanti and Ja rules collabs upon collabs. We really grew up listening to this music straight out the womb, and I´m proud of that.
‘There were only less than nine songs that topped the hot 100 throughout the year 2002, being the second lowest in billboard history. Ashanti’s “foolish” and nelly’s “dilemma” both spend 10 weeks at number one respectably during 2002 being the second longest running number one songs of 2002. Eminem’s “lose yourself” was the longest running song of the entire year, running 12 weeks at number one spending 8 of its weeks in 2002 and running into the 2003 chart year with four more weeks’ - Wikipedia
MOVIES & SHOWS
FOLLOW MY SPOTIFY FOR MY VERY OWN 2000 PLAYLIST - BRYONEYTAYLOR
Clueless is an iconic 2000 chick flick. I know most of you can agree with that. If you haven’t watched it more than four times you’re doing it wrong.
‘You’re a virgin who can’t drive’ Brittany murphy, Clueless Disney Channel was the go-to show straight after school at 4 pm; knowing every word to each shows theme song that came on was definetly a personality trait of mine. 268 | Art and Culture
DESIGNED AND WRITTEN BY: BRYONEY TAYLOR, IMAGES: PINTEREST
NOSTALGIA
Art and Culture | 269
What makes 80’s design so fun is the lack of rules and regulations associated with it. It really is a decade that embraced truly creative and optimistic design, perhaps that is why designers, influencers and creatives all around are bringing the trends from the 80’s back!
Until recently, one thing most of us could agree on in terms of aesthetic and sense of style was that the late 1970s and 80s had none. But trends, even outrageous ones that we thought were long forgotten, are periodic and often seem to find their way back into our hearts years, even decades, later. The 80’s were mostly remembered as tacky, with little to deliver in terms of style. Who can find inspiration in a home with a carpeted bathroom? But it’s precisely that tackiness and lack of tastefulness that’s made this period such an appealing subject for mood boarding today. At a time when visual culture and trends appear just as fast as they disappear, finding beauty in overlooked corners of the past is one way to develop a sense of style driven by personal interest rather than current trends. That being said, the 80s in all their glory, from mirrored bathrooms to giant pillow like couches, are trendy now! A HUGE part of 80s interior design was the Memphis Group. In 1981, Italian designer Ettore Sottsass founded a group of artists and designers called Memphis. The Memphis Group went on to create furniture, fabrics, patterns, ceramics and other products in a distinctly Postmodern style that blended stylistic traits of 1950s kitsch, Art Deco, and Pop Art. The group’s use of conventionally ‘bad-taste’ plastic laminate and clashing colours However, we can now look back on the designs created by the Memphis Group and surely say that they were groundbreaking. Memphis’s fresh approach to design, which was characterised by creativity and humour which made it feel almost childlike, came to be a trademark of the 1980s. It’s known for its use of bright neon lights, primary and pastel colours, geometric shapes, and bold, repetitive patterns as well as colour blocking didn’t sit well with the more widely accepted design standards of the time. This style is even experiencing a comeback in illustrations, graphic design and even fashion designers from high fashion houses such as Missoni, Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Dior are seeking inspiration from the styles’ trademark designs.
270 | Art and Culture
If you are someone who loves colour and is keen on quirky and a bit extravagant décor you will love these trendy 80’s inspired furniture pieces and design elements to seek inspiration from for your spring room makeover! Ultrafragola Mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass Cesca Chair designed by Marcel Breuer in the 1930s but revived in the late 70’s
In many ways, we have more in common with the mind-set of individuals of the late 1970s and 80s than those of the post-war years. Young creatives just like you and me are searching for new and fun ways to spice up our design and sometimes the answer and inspiration can be found in our past. For designers and consumers tired of the minimalistic clean lines of mid-century modern, reimagining the fun and over-the-top era is a great challenge and an easy way to bring some joy, colour and fun back into your life which is especially needed during these unusual times.
Art and Culture | 271
Design and writing by Helena Polanska, Images from Pinterest
The Togo Sofa designed in 1973 by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset
PHOTO SPOTS IN
LONDON HI BOO I LOVE YOU Frank’s cafe at Bold Tendencies
This art installation at frank’s cafe in peckham features an entirely pink ten storey stairwell. The artist named the work ‘Hi boo I love you’ and created it as a romantic gesture to his long distance partner in America. He’s also said it’s a protest against the ‘empty’ tinder culture. With walls, banisters floors and lifts covered with ‘sexy pink’ the stairwell gives huge Barbie vibes. Lighting in the stairwell is well lit by windows and fluorescent lights, whether for instagram pictures or a photo shoot you are bound to get a picture to be proud of.
ST LUKES MEWSjj Notting Hill
ST LUKES MEWS Nothing Hill
From the iconic sign scene in the 2003 cult classic Love Actually. The picturesque mews with painted houses and climbing ivy have been attracting movie fans for years. A short walk away from Paddington station the quiet, hidden street is home to the pastel façades. Ideal for shooting in as the houses range from classic brick red to blue with yellow accents, there is a colour palette for everyone. Number 27 is the famous pink house featured in the scene with Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln. Whilst you can’t go inside the house you can take pictures outside. 272 | Art and Culture
GOD’S OWN JUNKYARD Walthamstow
A collection of eclectic art consisting of abstract, surrealist and neon pieces; all placed expertly. God’s Own Junkyard in Walthamstow is the perfect setting for bright vibrant pictures. Some of the art displayed is for sale, but it’s free to take pictures within the gallery. There are seating areas scattered about which have been designed in order to get the most aesthetic pictures. Many of the pieces of art are inspired by fashion and culture and are designed to stand out whether in the background or foreground of the photo.
GRAFITTI TUNNEL Leake St
As a graffiti tolerant tunnel, many street artists frequently visit the tunnel on Leake Street to create murals. It remains London’s longest graffiti tunnel and displays a huge amount of street art. It was found by anonymous street artist Banksy during The Cans Festival in 2008, and has been a hot spot for unique creations ever since. The tunnel is deep beneath Waterloo Station and is 5 minutes away from independent food restaurants which are equally photographable. Aesthetically the tunnel channels ‘urban grunge’ and would be ideal for dark themed shoots. Art and Culture | 273
BARBICAN CONSERVATORY Barbican Centre Silk St
Essentially a rainforest in the middle of London, the conservatory holds an abundance of tropical species. The structure of the barbican centre isn’t the most visually appealing and has been described as ‘Brutalist’ so the addition of the foliage masks the concrete facade. Although the contrast between the urban structures and the sprawling nature makes for an interesting image, almost as if the plants have taken over. On different levels there are different species of plants like a whole floor dedicated to cacti. The giant urban greenhouse is now open post-covid with free admission and is a must see in London.
FLOWER MARKET Columbia Road
Based on Columbia Road, is one of the most famous flower markets in london. Not only flowers are sold, there’s an array of vintage and food shops in the market also. With the flowers being the main attraction of the market they live up to the hype and create beautiful settings for photos. As there are other shops on the road there is the opportunity to experiment with contrasting aesthetics and different lighting.
274 | Art and Culture
ST. PANCREAS RENAISSANCE HOTEL. St Pancreas
This 5 star Victorian style hotel boasts an unusual aesthetic. Built in the 1860, the 160 year old building stands as a reminder of the exuberant exteriors that were favoured in the late 1800’s. George Gilbert the architect of this huge project was inspired by his travels to Europe. He also wanted to match the building to the Gothic houses of parliament so the hotel is styled in an unusual Venetian Gothic style. The space is typically rented out for weddings and other ceremonies, but is open to the public through the booking of tours. With the classical renaissance styling the hotel makes an interesting and unique place to shoot.
KEW GARDENS Richmond
Kew Gardens is the ‘largest most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world.’ Even larger than the Barbican Conservatory.
Entry for young people (16-24) is £5, and being the biggest botanical garden there is no shortage of things to photograph or to do. On the Canopy walkway you can walk 200 metres above the trees and witness amazing views.
DESIGNED, WRITTEN AND COLL AGES BY REBECCA CONROY
The site that Kew sits on has been dated back to 1759, situated here are 4 Grade l listed buildings and 36 Grade ll buildings. So, along with the stunning collection of horticultural specimens; architectural elements can also be explored.
Art and Culture | 275
The life and legacy of the man whos acheivements will forever be recognised as inspiring, whos hard work will motivate for decades to come. 276 | Art and Culture
T H E L E G A C Y O F K O B E B RYA N T Kobe Bryant: the man who won five championships, became the MVP in two finals and crowned MVP in one regular season. He was listed third on the all-time career scoring charts and his All-Star wins totalled to 18. To top it all off, his 20-year long career was only played with the Los Angeles Lakers. No wonder Bryant was self-coined the ‘Black Mamba’. Entering the NBA after being recognised as the top basketball player during his time as Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania meant he was a force to be reckoned with since day 1. During his junior year at Lower Merion, he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8 blocks and 2.3 steals. Subsequently but not surprisingly, Kobe was ceremoniously given the name of Pennsylvania Player of the Year while also earning a fourth-team Parade All-American nomination. By being a natural athelete, it attracted attention from college recruiters in the process. Despite being interested in university scholarships, he was drawn more to tbe big stage of the NBA. At the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest where he won, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite paving his way as one to be remembered. After being drafted initially by the Charlotte Hornets when Bryant was still 17 at the time with a rookie contract totally £3.5 million, his parents had to initially cosign his contract with the Lakers until he was able to do so himself at 18. He was then traded to the team he relentlessly played for: the Lakers. As he continued to play ball for the L A team, it was in 2006 where he scored his career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single game in league history, establishing himself as one of the greats even before his untimely death. The name Kobe, synonymous with success, became an inspiration to everyone around the globe regardless if you followed the game of basketball. Bryant debuted in the Summer Pro League in Long Beach, California, scoring 25 points in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Defenders of the opposition team struggled to get in front of him, and his performance excited West and Lakers coach Del Harris for what the future held. He scored 36 points in the finale and finished with averages of 24.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in a total of four games. At the time of his debut, he became the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game at 18. A record since broken by Jermaine O’Neal and former teammate Andrew Bynum. Initially, Bryant played limited minutes similar to all rookies, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time due to his natural talent at playing ball. In his second season, he received more playing time and began to show off his abilities as a talented young player in his guard position. As a result, Bryant’s point averages more than doubled, from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game, showcasing his ability even more so than before. Kobe had since been nominated for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award where he was the runner-up,
and through fan voting, he became a record breaker by being the youngest NBA All-Star starter in its history. During the 1998-99 season, Bryant signed a six-year contract extension worth $70 million. This kept him with the Lakers until the end of the 2003–04 season but even at the early stages of his career, sportswriters were comparing his skills to those of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. After years of steady improvement, Bryant became one of the premier shooting guards in the league, earning appearances in the league’s All-NBA, All-Star, and AllDefensive teams. Statistically, in the 2000–01 season saw Bryant perform similarly to the previous year, but he averaged six more points per game (28.5), Once again, Bryant led the team in assists, with five per game. The Lakers overall however, only won 56 games, an 11 game dropoff from the previous year. Despite a poorer performance as a team, Kobe himself ended up making the AllNBA Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the second year in a row. In addition to this, he was also voted to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the third year consecutively. His legacy was really making an impression on those watched him play ball. At age 23, Bryant became the youngest player to win three championships. Bryant’s play was notable and praised for his performance in the fourth quarter of games, specifically the last two rounds of the playoffs. This cemented Bryant’s reputation as a “clutch player”; someone who performs well in critical moments. He then went on to re-sign with the Lakers on a 7 year contract. During his basketball career, Bryant established a reputation for taking shots in the closing moments of tight games, even when he was double or triple-teamed by the opposition and was noted as one of the premier closers in the NBA. Kobe continued to impress the masses with his loveable personality, charisma and overall charm, and went on to achieve even more while playing ball. He became the face of the NBA purely for his tenacity and how he could inspire the nation to go for what you truly wanted in life with no regrets. On November 29, 2015, after 20 years in the industry, Bryant announced via The Players’ Tribune that he would be retiring at the end of the season. In his poem titled “Dear Basketball”, Bryant wrote that he fell in love with the game of basketball aged six: “A love so deep I gave you my all/From my mind & body/To my spirit & soul.” He also distributed a letter before the evening game against the Indiana Pacers, where Bryant wrote “What you’ve done for me is far greater than anything I’ve done for you. ... My love for this city, this team and for each of you will never fade. Thank you for this incredible journey.”
Art and Culture | 277
278 | Art and Culture
At approximately 9:06 AM, Kobe Bryant and his 13 year old daughter Gianna departed from John Wayne Airport anticipating a good day coaching Gianna’s team. Not even an hour later, the helicopter crashed into the hilly terrain fatally wounding all 9 occupants with immediate effect. The world stopped.
Angeles remembering both of them in a heartfelt euology. It firstly talked about how Gigi was thoughtful, loving and full of life. Her sentiment when talking about her daughter made the whole stadium weep with sorrow. Many were parents themselves. When speaking of Kobe, she said he was more than a celebrity, he was a devoted father and husband. He was her everything and vice versa. They had planned to grow old together like in the movies, she stated with tears in her eyes.
“You can see how they admired him, they admired his work ethic and most importantly they admired his courage because he was chasing what it really meant to be a hero, what it really meant to be an icon, what it really meant to be the greatest player of all time.” - BJ ARMSTRONG, PLAYER FOR THE CHICAGO BULLS
She became, in her own right, an icon for all those who are mourning their loved ones that you can be like a phoenix and rise from the ashes.
News outlets rushed to cover their version of the story, with TMZ being the first; publishing their article just over an hour after police said they received reports of a downed aircraft. By TMZ doing so, it meant that Kobe’s family knew of thier deaths before the police had the courtesy of notifying them with dignity.
Since her tribute speech, the outpouring of support from fans worldwide flooded in. Through graphic design, video clips and photo montages, Kobe was eternally etched into all the social media apps, never to be forgotten as one of the greats.
So there’s a lot of things that die in this world, but legends never die. - lEBRON jAMES, la lakers
Even after his soul went to heaven, Kobe Bryant’s legacy lives on.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife and mother to Gianna (Gigi) spoke at the Staples Center in downtown Los
MAMBA FOREVER
Article concept and execution and collage tribute: Victoria Horton, Photos: Unsplash.com and Pexels.com
Calabasas, California. 26th January 2020.
Art and Culture | 279
MUSIC
280 | Music
Music | 281
Written, Designed, Photographed and Art/Band Merch Designs by Tara Larkin.
BAND MERCH BUT MAKE IT
F a s h i o n
282 | Music
Band merch is a piece of clothing that represents you as an individual and instantly shows others your interests. However, merch can be a comfort to many. Chuck on a baggy tee, and off you go. But there is so much you can do with a baggy tee, some accessories and a killer pair of doc martens! Not to mention... band merch comes in all forms, right? 1. Tote Bags Merchandise comes in all forms. A great way to support your local artist and band is to grab a tote bag! As well as being great for practicality, they are great for fashion too. They can enhance your fit and match the whole theme with the colours of the bag, added patterns and diverse range of text that can appear on them! They are also an easy way to show your interests straight away to those who don’t know you. Just you wait for the compliments to come flooding in. 2. Layer, layer layer! Band shirts are a great piece to layer with long sleeves. This adds depth and dimension to the shirt and is a trend so vital in 2021, especially in these cold months. 3. Size up or down. Instead of grabbing a tee in your standard size, try sizing up or down! If you size down, you can get a flattering figure hugging tee that you could even transform into a crop top, perfect for upcoming spring weather! Or size up to get a large, baggy over sized fit which is super in right now, relating to the urban street vibes. 4. Belts n’ chains. Just like Migos once said ‘chains, chains’. They are a staple to go with graphical band tees! They enhance the rebellious edge of the printed designs and create a focal point for the outfit. Use those belts to sinch in the waist girls when wearing an oversized tee, it will change the game.
Music | 283
CHLOE X HALLE THE VOICE OF GEN Z
The new R&B duo composed of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey are a beacon of talent; they can play guitar, vocals, piano and sampler. Described as young, passionate and immensely talented, Chloe’s 1990s R&B influences and Halle’s love for jazz melodies are heard all through their latest album, as well as their angelic voices singing not-so-angelic lyrics. They performed minor acting roles before moving from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 2012, before they realised their true calling: music. The girls released their first EP “Uncovered” in 2013. In years to come they would release 4 more albums. In 2013, the one and only Beyonce discovered the sisters Chloe 19, and Halle, 17 after the R&B duo uploaded a cover of her track “Pretty Hurts” on YouTube. In 2015, she signed them to her label Parkwood Entertainment and served as their mentor. Since the lockdown they released their latest album Ungodly Hour this year, which included their hit single “Do it” featuring Doja Cat and City Girls. They had originally postponed the album out of respect for the Black Lives Matter movement that was gaining global tration after George Floyd’s death. Released a week later, the single hit their breakthrough moment when “Do It” debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Top 100 and was nominated for the Soul Train Music Award video of the year. . Chloe x Halle opening for Beyonce and Jay Z On The Run tour
284 | Music
“I
FEEL L I K E W E ’ V E B E E N MAKING T H E BEST OF WHAT WE HAVE,”
It went massively viral on TikTok as people were recreating the choreography in their home due to the lockdown. Excitedly the sisters uploaded their own version, which turned into a ‘challenge’. The sisters consistently gifted their fans with high production concepts from their back garden for the BET Music Awards, and have staged ethereal photoshoots and spectacular visual performances from their family tennis court, including an entire high fashion ad campaign. “I feel like we’ve been making the best of what we have,” Says Chloe.This extraordinary passion is something we’ve seen this duo do that no other celeb has in this global pandemic Chloe: We love being a part of Generation Z. One of the things I admire about us is that we’re not afraid to take risks. We aren’t afraid to fail because we want to defend ourselves and the world we’re living in. We give it our all, use our voices for what we think is important, and make stuff happen. And that’s why I’m so proud to be a part of this generation. People may underestimate Gen-Z or worry because of the situations that are being left for us to carry on our shoulders, but we got this. As teens these girls are a rare and powerful phenomenon. As well as supporting each other, they have the support of thousands of young girls inspired by the sisters.
Written by Annabella Skinner
Music | 285
Known for his breakout single “Welcome to the Party,” Brooklyn’s Pop Smoke combined gravelly vocals with erratic production to become the face of Brooklyn’s rising drill scene. Within just a year of his debut, he made a rapid rise in the mainstream, landing in the Top Ten with sophomore mixtape Meet the Woo, Vol. 2. Tragically, soon after achieving this chart peak, he was gunned down on February 19, 2020.
Every time someone asks me ‘who is your favourite artist’ I automatically reply ‘Pop Smoke’ he came up out of no where and gave me a mix of British drill and US Rap and I loved that. Through his fame he rose to the top and more and more people became aware, he was played at every single party I went to and he had everyone on the dancefloor. When I found out he died at only 20 it hit hard as he was only just upcoming worldwide and he had so much potential. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Pop Smoke (born Bashar Jackson) got his start in music almost by accident; during studio sessions with various associates in 2018, Smoke secretly began to record his own vocals. Couched firmly in Brooklyn’s rising drill scene, Smoke combined his booming, smoky vocals with the sonics of Chicago and London drill, producing an explosive collection of street-driven anthems. After remixing Sheff G’s iconic “Panic, Pt. 3” for his debut single, “MPR,” Smoke released the follow-up single “Welcome to the Party,” produced by U.K. drill’s 808Melo. Racking up millions of streams in just days, Smoke’s track swiftly became Brooklyn drill’s biggest success thus far, prompting remixes from the likes of Skepta and Nicki Minaj and bringing the local subgenre to the international stage. Capitalizing on his rapid rise, Smoke released his debut project Meet the Woo in July 2019, produced exclusively by 808Melo. After Meet the Woo spawned the second key hit “Dior,” Smoke rounded out 2019 with an appearance on JackBoys, the chart-topping compilation from Travis Scott and his Cactus Jack crew. Kicking off 2020, Smoke issued a Meet the Woo sequel featuring artists from Quavo to A Boogie wit da Hoodie. The mixtape, titled Meet the Woo, Vol. 2, continued the work of his drill-heavy debut, paying homage to the genre’s U.K. roots through a Charlie Sloth freestyle while expanding on the melodic aspects of the Brooklyn scene. This project saw even greater success for the rapper, peaking at number seven on the Billboard 200 and charting across Europe. However, just weeks later on February 19, Pop Smoke was shot during a home invasion and died; he was 20 years old.
286 | Music
Music | 287
The rise of
KPOP If you’re not familiar with Korean Music, its time to get to know! This article will be explaining the rise of Kpop bands including global stars BTS.
Written by Yvonne Sam. Images from Google.
For decades Kpop has always been in the scene. In the 90’s many Kpop groups has emerged in both Korea and US. 90’S Korean boy group Seo Taiji and Boys, a trio of boys has marked the beginning of a modern beat orientated era of Kpop. Following them shortly after, new boy group HOT immerged in 1996. Later on girl groups started to appear more, Kpop girl group SES came inot the seen and they were mainly focused on R’n’B. Once 2000s came around more and more groups was starting to maketheir mark. Worldwide group
288 | Music
BIGBANG is one of the older genreations to make their scene known in the US/UK music market. From having fan meets and concert in Korea to travelling worldwide to see their fans from across the globe. Solo Kpop artist, PSY made a hit banger that surfaced everywhere and of course that song is called Gangnam Style. Everyone knows this song, once this song came out, more and more poeple started to discover Kpop and started to do more research and listen the Korean artists more.
With over 20 million albums sold, BTS has become the new boy group to dominate the world. BTS has gained massive approval and attention from many artsits and fans. Numerous of their songs have been charted on the Billboard music sales and they have also participated in various US and UK shows including, James Gordon Carpool Karaoke, Graham Norton Show, Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show. However, not only have they made their TV Debut in the US but they have also collaborated with many artists such as Charlie Puth, Nicki Minaj, rapper Designer, Steve Aoki, Hasley and many more. However, BTS isnt the only successful Kpop group out there. World wide girl group BLACKPINK has also made their mark, touring globally. They have gained a lot of fans ever since they debuted. BLACKPINK consists of
Through the recent years, they have been doing world tours, traveling to the US, UK, South America and Europe. Each and every venue has been sold out, all the seats filled with screaming and eager fans. In 2018, BTS had their first world tour in England and of course they went to London to have their concert. Their venue was at the 02 Stadium which immadiately sold out. IN 2019 they came back to London for the second time and they held their concert at Wembley Stadium which also sold out.
four girls. Just like BTS they have also collaborated with big stars such as Selena Gomez. They are also well known for their style and fashion sense.
Music | 289
290 | Music
-
THE WRLD OF JUICE LIVES ON HOW JUICE WRLD SINGS TO US THROUGH his HALO When news broke out of Juice Wrld’s untimely passing in 2019, you could almost hear a pin drop across the world; how such a pivotal character in the music scene died was a question amongst his fans and wider society.
Fast forward to 2021, with Juice Wrld as their predecessor, the faces of 3Fortiori and Young Don the Sauce God are carrying on his legacy in their own vocal ways.
It was no doubt that drugs played a part in his demise, with details surfacing that Juice (whose real name is Jarad A. Higgins), died from a seizure induced by accidental overdose, it became apparent that drug culture was not only for the general public but for the high-flyers of society as well. However, he’s not the only one to dance with the afterlife; which includes the likes Mac Miller, Prince and Lil Peep. The rise in drug use is often sung in their music content with references to Xanax and Fentanyl. Juice Wrld’s posthumous and probably his most celebrated content ‘Legends Never Die’ outline his inner psyche leading up to his death with a more transparent view on life. The album also included two audible transcripts of Juice speaking from the heart, adding a more interpersonal touch to his work.
3Fortiori: 3Fortiori is a duo based in Florida, USA and have similar vocal ranges to Juice Wrld if you want to compare the prior to the new. The stage name is unique with the 3 standing for the 3 sounds they bring to the music industry and Fortiori translating from philosophical latin to “a greater meaning.”
The genre of music by Juice Wrld and others would be classed as a innovative, chill version of rap/hip-hop which could be seen as ironic as drugs tend to have calming, psychedelic qualities; which when matched with the tempo and beat, it all seems to make sense: He was calling out for help. In his tribute song to XXXtencion ‘Legends’, who died from assassination in 2018, it becomes harrowing that the lyric, “What ’s the 27 Club? We ain’t making it past 21.” can be connected to Juice aswell: Juice was 21, with XXXtencion being 20. The pandemic in itself of young lives overdosing from prescription drugs is apparent either through personal experience or mutuality.
Their collaborative EP - Synergy was their ticket to success, meaning they became a household name and shared the musical stage with industry moguls such as 6ix9ine, 21 Savage, Lil Pump, and PlayBoiCarti in record time. Young Don the Sauce God: This musical artist orignally rising to fame through his YouTube channel with his illustrative storytimes. His music career is based on his personal gripes with the world with a primary focus on his romantic and platonic relationships in society. The expansive tonal range in Young Don’s singing voice married with the lowkey tempo, transitonal piano tones and repetitve beat makes him a easy person to listen to with his lyrics resonating with many. In comparison to Juice Wrld, Young Don is more automated in his singing with various uses of robotism and alternative sounds compared to Juice Wrld’s authentic sound. It ’s clear Juice Wrld has become a legend, however the sentiment is that we wanted him in physical form for just a bit longer.
Juice Wrld - Legends
“They tell me I’ma be a legend I don’t want that title now ‘Cause all the legends seem to die out.”
Music | 291
Article concept and execution: Victoria Horton, Illustrations: Victoria Horton
And so far, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Words by Alex Luczakiewicz
These rappers are charging how much for a feature?! 292 | Music
$300k Lil Uzi Vert
DaBaby
DaBaby has recently upped his price to a massive $300k for a verse. Would DaBaby be a must have feature if you were an artist? Personally, I don’t think that he is versatile enough to stand out and bring something different to each feature but there is no doubt that he is a superstar in his own spotlight!
$200k A must have feature on a track and for those who can afford him, Lil Uzi Vert brings a lot to the game. However, after implanting a $24 million dollar pink diamond into his forehead, there would be no surprise if the feature price went up! Uzi brings versatility and a unique presence to the music industry which is the kind of attention that any other artist needs.
$1Million
Drake
A single feature from Drake could make your career and even bring a forgotten career back. If an artist drops a track that features Drake, just know that they have paid around or above the million dollar mark and the song will be a guaranteed hit. This is crazy money and he has definitely earned the right to charge as much as he likes. Although Drake is one of the best in the game, he gives credit where it is due, calling Eminem the greatest rapper alive whilst giving huge praise and acknowledgement of his mentor, Lil Wayne. Drizzy is also growing in the fashion industry with his own brand, OVO (Octobers Very Own), which have collaborated with the likes of Prada, Jordan, The Toronto Raptors (yes, the NBA franchise) and many more high end brands. Is there anything that this man can’t do? You simply cannot dislike him and back to the main topic, he would be worth every penny and to have him on your resume or collabs list, would be life changing.
Written by Alex Luczakiewicz
Cardi B
$300k+ Cardi B shot to stardom after her big hit with Bodak Yellow. Since then, her career has skyrocketed and she is up there getting compared with Nicki Minaj already. This explains why she charges a pretty penny for a feature verse. Cardi will also bring a lot of attention wherever she goes meaning whoever she features for will also be in the spotlight.
$100k+ Trippie Redd
Trippie Redd has been in the spotlight of Emo rap for many years now and is continuing to grow in popularity. With features from and for the late Juice Wrld, XXX tentacion and many more present artists as well, Trippie Redd is climbing the ranks and earning his feature prices. Trippie Redd also has trending songs linked to Tik Tok which is opening Music | 293a whole different fan base.
Video Didn’t Kill The Radio Star O
ver the past year, radio has been important for keeping the public morale up. Radio keeps us company when we’re alone and fills the quiet space of a house or a room. One sector of nationwide radio is student radio; found in 65 student bodies across the UK which all are a part of the Student Radio Association (SRA). If you’re wondering why student radio is important or you’ve never heard of it before, you’ll recognise names like Greg James, who is a BBC Radio 1 presenter. He got his start in life through student radio and now he hosts the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show every weekday.
ZB: WHAT WAS SONAR LIKE BEFORE LOCKDOWN? Through lockdown university students have felt isolated and lonely due to lack of in person teaching and constant online lectures. But student radio is a way of connecting with other students over the airwaves. Danny Humby, 23, is the station manager of Radio Sonar which is Solent university’s student radio station. Danny spoke to me, over a video call, about what he’s experienced through student radio and how it’s affected his future opportunities. DH: Sonar was on a more positive movement and we were improving as a station and as a society. We worked really hard last year to improve ZB: connection WHAT IS SONAR LIKEthe DURING LOCKDOWN? our between SU, SRA and the students of the university. We wanted to make sure that students were having the best experience for DH: ItThe ’s incommittee a very different not more a bad we place butthe the station, things wethehave set them. knew place, that the push more up over the last year are still there. We’re just having a bit of a delay. We improvement people can get out of it and we were on a very good path of can’t go into and the studio, evenBefore after Iwe’ve rejuvenated members who improvement inclusivity. took over, it wasn’tit.inThe a bad place, but on been the studio are still there, to buttake people lot of stations the stuff itworked could’ve improved. I wanted whatcan’t I’d use seenit.atA other I’ve had to do this year is more admin, which I don’t mind, but I wanted so that we could join the community across the country and have the sameto make a bigger impact on people enthusiasm as other stations did. this year than I did last year.
Words by Zinnia Bridgman, Images from Radio Sonar
ZB: WHAT’S THE COMMUNITY OF STUDENT RADIO LIKE? DH: The world of student radio is weird, not bad weird, but different weird. You always hear the stories of you have to be in it to understand it and that ’s what it ’s like. It ’s niche but once you’re in it, you understand what ’s important. Sonar won best station culture award last year, at the ‘I Love Student Radio Awards’ and it was a culture of fun. It ’s very easy to get focused on the industry down the line but through student radio, you have the opportunity and creative freedom to broadcast on air. I’m very lucky to have friends across the country because of student radio, because we similar have interests. Meeting people online through student radio is so easy and the likelihood of finding someone on your wavelength is really high and it ’s a nice feeling when you do.
294 | Music
ZB: HOW DID YOU COME TO YOUR POSITION ON THE COMMITTEE? DH: The traditional route for societies is working your way through the committee but that didn’t happen to me. I was lucky to form a friendship with the former station manager, but before then I wasn’t engrossed in student radio at all. It wasn’t until the January/February before I realised that through student radio I could personally grow, make friends, and advance my crafts. I realised that I genuinely wanted to run the station and put myself up for committee. I spoke about how much I wanted to expand the station, like other stations had and people believed it. When I was elected, I didn’t know how many people had voted me in, but they knew, and I knew I had something to prove. I wanted to help as many people as possible and I wanted to repay it as people had put their faith in me. ZB: WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING A PART OF THE STUDENT RADIO ASSOCIATION (SRA)? DH: I first joined the SRA in January of 2020, my mate Rosie was the South Regional Officer (SRO) and she decided it was too much for her and so I, at that point, felt there wasn’t much I could do for Sonar. My motivation had dipped but I knew I could do the job Rosie had done before. I organised an in-personal training day in February and I had 3 weeks to plan it, because February is when all the SRA training days happen. The Student Radio Conference (SRC) got cancelled but happened online in April and I worked that too. I wanted to improve the community in the south but also overall and I took time to work out the best approach for this. So, I created a Station Manager discord server so that communication channels and community could be improved. I pushed for smaller station involvement and support as the SRA have to really push for those things. That lead to the Radio 1 masterclass we held on the 28th of January and it was huge success with 300 people watching all day. I’ve had people around me who are friends and people I’ve learnt so much from and in turn I can give back to the world of student volunteering as it can be silent sometimes. Community has become important over the last year and I’m glad to be a part of that.
ZB: WHAT’S YOUR BEST MEMORY OF YOUR TIME BEING A PART OF STUDENT RADIO? DH: The student radio chart show we did last year through the SRA. It was our turn to host it and we wanted to do something different and I wanted to get more engagement on social media. The Wednesday before we had no ideas for it and me and Ollie, my mate, went to Winchester, just for something to do. And we took a photo in front of the Cathedral and we thought it would be funny if we faked being in Spain. So, the next day we went to Bournemouth and we recorded a bunch of random clips faking being on a beach in Spain and we did stuff like that over the next two days before we did the show. Like we went to Southampton airport and stood in the arrivals lounge and tagged ourselves in Spain. We were the first to host the chart show “abroad” and in fact we weren’t! People wfrom the SRA were so excited for it! And when it got to the show on Sunday, we put water beds in the background to make it sound like we were by a beach. A friend custom made Spanish jingles and over the show we hit 25K twitter likes. The show went on nominated for the best chart show of the year and it won.
ZB: AND FINALLY, WHY SHOULD PEOPLE LISTEN TO STUDENT RADIO?
DH: At the end of the day, the platform enables student to have a voice, so they should listen to student radio to hear what other people are thinking and enjoying. If all students engaged as a concept it would be a great for the student body to create more a community. There isn’t a pressure to listen to student radio and but engaging key.
Above and below: President Danny Humby broadcasting live in the Radio Sonar studios at Solent University.
Left: members of Radio Sonar in the studio during a live broadcast.
Music | 295
BRING ME THE HORIZON TAKEOVER.
296 | Music
Music | 297
Bring Me The Horizon are a five piece band formed in 2006, most known for their heavy, metalcore roots. However, only just two months into 2021, they have taken over the music industry with the release of their new EP which includes electropop and rock sounds, intorduced us to new fashion styles and the beautiful visuals alongside their music. Let’s have a little breakdown of what they are providing us with to kick off the year. One thing is for sure, it’s looking much better than 2020!
1. Reached their second number one album. With the band merging genres and pushing boundaries of ‘metal’ music, they introduced us to the release of their EP Post Human Survival Horror and on 29th January, the release became the number one album in the charts. This is the band’s second number one album success after their 2019 release of Amo.
2. TikTok craze over 2013 single Can You Feel My Heart. 8 years after the release of ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ from ‘Sempiternal’ the song goes viral on TikTok and is being used over and over again in trend videos from fashion lookbooks to daily routine videos! The song has now become their most popular song on Spotify to date thanks to Tik Tok at the current reach of 165,977,700!
3. THE BAND RELEASED A FEW UNKNOWN SECRETS OF THE SOUNDS IN THE NEW EP. With the band being restricted in lockdown to resources and materials, it was just like their early days in music where they were a small team and had to be innovative with their ideas and videos. This actually pushed them to become more creative than we thought. The band revealed on Tik Tok that Oli Sykes convinced the band to insert elephant noises into the track ‘teardrops’. Yes, elephant noises. The short clip shows us how they musically played around with the effects and made it part of the song. Geneious!
298 | Music
"WE ARE SO F***IN STOKED
4. Oli influences male fashion Since releasing the visuals for Teardrops, many males across the internet have been heavily influences by Oli’s expression of androgynous fashion with layered chains, earrings with knitwear, creating a new grunge and alternative appearance.
Written, Photographed and Designed by Tara Larkin.
‘te ardrops’
Music | 299
TOP Nine ALBUMS of 2020 Design and Writing by Anna Dalligan; Imagery via Spotify
rld the wo r a e y e life car been th y e r v t a s h u d ay in world’s 2020 m e music e h h t t r f o o f rity , but , we th majo i stopped w owever l H a ! m s r o m r bu as n sing al this yea a ried on e d l e e s r a s e rel artist So album Y R biggest 2022!! E e V b E d o ’ t t di sten finishe best al c a n’ t l i u 9 o p y o e t the he tim listen: ick for a p as by t h S t ’ r o N ew CARBO for sur e r here’s a t a th f 2020 bums o
300 | Music
rus cholE x halle y c EEKND y E il m THE WAFTER plAstic Hearts HOURS ungodly hour
The Weeknd produces hit after hit, and it was no different for his latest album ‘After Hours’! The single ‘blinding lights’ blew up on TikTok, and if you liked that, this album is defo worth a listen!
Miley Cyrus’ latest album, is inspired by Punk 80’s rock / pop, paired with emotional lyrics discussing Miley ’s personal life. Plastic Hearts is defiently worth a listen!
This sister duo’s second album embodies the R&B genre perfectly! Showcasing their angelic vocals paired with etheral instrumentals, and empowering lyrics, this is an essential listen!
Megan Thee Stallion blew up in 2020 with her song ‘Savage’ becoming a tiktok dance sensation, as well as her Cardi B collab ‘WAP’ being a summer hit! And her debut album ‘Good News’ was just as incredible showing how talented she is at rapping and writing lyrics outside her hit songs we all know!
Taylor Swift dropped ‘folklore’ as a surprise album in July 2020! Her first delve into the alternative genre, Taylor ’s incredible songwriting skills shone through with the stories each song told. And if you find yourself craving more, Swift recently dropped her second surprise album of 2020 ‘evermore’, “folklore’s sister album”!
thee stallion taylor swift n a eg m a m a y a w a rina s good news folklore sawayama
You may not have heard of Rina Sawayama, but her debut album, released in April of 2020 is a MUST!! Her etheral vocals paired with relatable lyrics is the perfect mixture to create what can only be described as the perfect pop album, taking you right back to that refreshing Y2K, late 90s /early 2000s sound!
ua lipa ga a g grande dfuture y d a l ariana positions nostalgia chromatica
Ariana Grande released her sixth studio album ‘positions’ in October 2020 and it did not dissapoint! The album delves into themes of sex and discusses her love life with new fiance Dalton Gomez, accompanied with enchanting instrumentals, bold lyrics and of course Ariana’s signiture high notes and whistle tones!
Dua Lipa released her second album ‘Future Nostalgia’ back in March 2020. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you have for sure heard the lead single ‘Don’t start now ’ which became a worldwide hit! The rest of the album follows a futuristic theme paired with 80s beats, proving the title as a perfect description for the album!
Lady Gaga takes us to Chromatica in this Space-esque pop album, released in May 2020. The electronic pop soundmixed with emotional lyrics about Gaga’s personal life create the mix for a ideal pop album! Her collab with Ariana Grande ‘Rain on me’ was a summer hit, so if you like that you’ll be certain to like Chromatica! Music | 301
Article written by: Olivia Clayton
302 | Music
Designed by: Alice Derrica Image from: Olivia Clayton
IS NOT
In 1857, a French scientist developed the “phonoautograph”. Over a hundred years later, who knew these plastic discs we now call records would still be a statement item owned by so many. Since 2011, vinyl sales have surged, with a 39.3% increase in sales over the prior year, and it ’s no surprise either. Artists such as Harry Styles and The 1975 are choosing for the majority of physical album sales to be dedicated to vinyl, with coloured and patterned options available for fans to collect and cherish. Once an unfavoured choice overtaken by CDs and digital sales, now an art and passion loved by so many.
vinyl that means so much to you it ’s yours, you own it. The vinyl experience is known for being unlike any other music experience and a lot of that is down to the artwork. Got some boring empty shelves? Put vinyl on them. Boring white walls? Hang vinyl on them. They ’re the answer to your interior design troubles and Pinterest-style ambitions. Some records that are a must-have to make any room pop are Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, Sweetener by Ariana Grande, LP1 by FKA Twigs, Fine Line by Harry Styles and Abbey Road by The Beatles.
Trends always circle back around. Mom jeans, corduroy, flared trousers; they were all bound to come back into fashion, so it ’s no surprise that Millennials and Gen Z have grown a liking to the gorgeous options available with records. After facing a near-death in the early-2000s, the rise in vinyl sales has come as a great shock to the music industry, and in 2019, when CD sales sunk below the number of records sold, the whole industry could tell we were in a revolutionary time. There’s just something about the glossy 12-inch discs that keeps people coming back for more.
Aside from the idyllic utopia that records can bring to your home, there is of course the cost. Vinyl prices are sometimes triple the cost of a CD depending on the condition and value put on the artist. Retro albums from The Beatles, Queen, Prince and Elvis Presley have all been repressed and sell at much higher prices than the average. Growing a record collection is an investment; you have to spend a lot to really be satisfied with what you have. Thanks to second-hand stores, car boot sales, Depop and Discogs, there are cheaper alternatives to buying fresh out of your local HMV where most records go for £15-£40, so these record collectors are certainly no joke. Supporting local businesses and second-hand shopping is beneficial to not only society, but the environment too. A lot of waste is involved in vinyl production so taking the time to rummage through boxes upon boxes of records from every decade really is a lot more beneficial than it sounds. Spending a bit of money on your favourite albums is a wise investment as in years to come you can resell or pass your collection down to your kids and inflict your eclectic and superior music taste onto them!
For those who were around when vinyl was the only option, there is definitely a certain nostalgia aspect behind the reason for a surge in sales; for vinyl lovers there’s no better feeling than hearing that unmistakeable crackle on the turn table, or flicking through endless boxes of records in your local music shop, but this doesn’t explain the fascination from Millennials and Gen Z. While digital sales will continue to be an instant access format for listening to music, perhaps young music fans want to have something they can take care over and save for special occasions. Pressing shuffle on your phone and listening away is great and all, but the effort that goes into buying a record, taking it home, sliding the vinyl out, placing on your record player, putting the needle in the groove and sitting back to relax while playing the whole thing through from start to finish could never be outshone by Spotify downloads. It ’s basically a big CD, but prettier and extra special, who wouldn’t want that?
All in all, it ’s quite clear that vinyl sales won’t be decreasing anytime soon; artists won’t stop creating beautiful artwork exclusively for vinyl and fans won’t stop buying their creations to show their love for their favourite artist. In a time where the art of creating an album with a direction and narrative is dying, collecting records is so crucial for the music industry to thrive, especially since the pandemic has thrown the creative industry as a whole under a bus and all we want to do is hear live music again, the closest thing we have is the distinctive crackle and raw audio you can only get with a record. The facts are all here, vinyl simply isn’t dead.
T DEAD The joy you can get from physically holding onto a vinyl with the artistic glossy covers and admiring the designs, free poster, or lyric booklet that you just don’t get with digital music offers a new user experience. Anyone can download music online, but once you get your hands on that one album on
Music | 303
Article written by: Alice Derrica
304 | Music
Designed by: Alice Derrica
SHOULD START A COLLECTION
5 REASONS WHY YOU
Sound The analog format of the vinyl invites you to appreciate every little sound of a song. The sound waves are pressed straight from the masters which creates a true experience. Many enthusiasts compare it as seeing art with your own eyes and see it tough a picture. Yes... it is that special!
Memories Music brings a lot of nostalgia, and you probably think that you won’t need a record player for the memories. You might be right but let me change your perspective. When you go to a record store, you get to see all the different types of music, you get to explore all the options and more often than not, you face albums that you didn’t even remember that existed. Those moments cannot be replaced or compared by you browsing on a digital platform.
Satisfaction This is an obvious one but it ’s impossible to not talk about the feeling of putting your favorite record on and just simply listen to it. You commit yourself to listen the full album from the beginning to the end. If you are like me, you will probably sit in front of the record player and just stay there the entire time, appreciating every bit of the music while you emerge on a deeper adventure and land wherever the music drives you.
Inspiration Music can be one of the most important sources of inspiration. Not only it tells a story, it also raises several emotions and feelings. Now imagine having all of that, mixed with the experience I mentioned before and the physical look of a record and a cover. Imagine what can result and what you can produce after you live those moments.
Ownership Downloading an album when it ’s released and find time to listen to the new songs can be exciting. Now imagine own that album in your shelf. You get to touch it, play it and appreciate it through the set up you install yourself just for that purpose. You own your music.
Music | 305
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC
Words and Images by Victoria Nieto
According to some experts, music is the stimulus that most neurological networks do work in our body simultaneously. The benefits that music has on our body is so great that we should spend time each day listening carefully to our favourite songs. We should make it a habit of self-care. Also, singing and dancing simultaneously produce more dopamine which is the pleasure hormone. Music has the power to activate us or relax us since its rhythm lowers or raises our heart rate. But its benefits are more than this. According to research from the University of Florida, listening to music daily improves learning, creativity, and happiness. Its healing effects heal anxiety, increase optimism, and ease the pain. And it helps in mental disorders. It also improves our levels of self-esteem. According to Dr Sergio Oliveros, a psychiatric and member of Top Doctors, “music allows us a more autonomous control and a more precise and deep knowledge of our emotions. It is a phenomenon that empowers us and therefore improves our self-esteem.” As for sports, music helps to improve physical performance since it creates a motivating effect. What ’s more, the New York marathon regulators tried to ban participants from listening to music as a doping form. We respond to melodies, even if we do not have musical knowledge. This is why there are certain songs that, due to their tempo, will produce a relaxing effect and other feelings of sadness or joy almost globally. Although the reactions also depend on the people and what they have experienced. For example, have you ever listened to a song and felt nostalgic because it brings back good memories?
306 | Music
Music is one of the most powerful tools for physical and emotional well-being; there are many benefits of listening to music daily.
Another benefit of music is that it reduces anxiety. Listening to the music you like lowers the levels of cortisol, the hormone produced by stress. This is an important discovery since stress generates 60% of our illnesses and diseases. One study showed that if people actively participate in making music, whether it be playing instruments or singing, their immune systems can become considerably more vital. Due to the pandemic, the number of people with depression in the UK has increased to almost 20%. Most of them also experience insomnia. An investigation found that depression symptoms decreased significantly in the group that listened to classical music before bed, but not in the other groups.
In addition to all these benefits, music has always been a way to escape. Whether you play an instrument, dance, or enjoy listening to your favourite music. Either because you’ve got mad at your parents, cooking, driving, or you’re in a party club. It can make you change your mood very quickly. So much so that if you stop to think about it, it seems like magic. In conclusion, spend a little of your time each day listening to your favourite songs and enjoying them to the fullest, not only to feel happier but to be healthier.
Music | 307
GALLERY
308 | Gallery
Gallery | 309
ALICE ANNA B I B I L AVA C E O SMITH 1) What is your name and occupation? Alice Anna Smith, 19, CEO of BIBIL AVA www.bibilava.com insta- @bibilavadesign 2) What inspired you to open your business?
Pictures: Provided by buisness owner
My mum and my best friend from school really encouraged me to begin my business. They have been the most encouraging through this time. I named our signature ring the ‘Georgiana statement ring’ after my best friend. 3) How long has your business been open? I originally launched my business in September 2020, however launched my first jewellery collection in January 2021. So 6 months.
Written by Sakinah Mustafa
4) Who is your target audience? My target audience ranges from young girls wanting their first piece of silver jewellery to men and women wanting custom pieces bespoke made for their friends and family! 5) What social media platforms do you use for your business and which ones are the most useful? For my business, I predominately use Instagram as my main platform. I think aesthetically for a jewellery business it’s most pleasing. I then use Facebook and TikTok. @bibilavadesign 310 | Gallery
6) What products do you sell and how did you know that you wanted to provide these products to consumers?
9) What are the challenges you have faced in your business this year due to COVID-19?
When I began my business, I was embroidering and selling tees, purses and hoodies with BIBIL AVA across them. However, since I was young, maybe 12 I was jewellery mad and made my own earrings from beads. My best friend and mum have driven me to start jewellery design for a long time, and come November 2021, I went on a day silversmithing course at workshop925. I was totally inspired! The rest then followed with at home self-teaching, reading and watching everything I could to learn as much as possible. And the rest is history! I now run a jewellery business and make everything by hand from scratch! I now sell rings, necklaces pendants and earrings.
To singularly run a business is one thing, but to do it in a global pandemic is another. I think I struggle the most with not being able to fund my business as much as I would like, due to COVID. Not being able to find a job is a massive struggle that thousands of others have also faced. However, I am also so fortunate to be able to use this as an opportunity to grow my business, so this could be seen as a positive and negative effect. I think the fact the country is going into a recession is also a struggle. People do not want to spend as much money as fear of losing a job or the fact they don’t have one anymore. This means as a business it’s harder for me to get myself seen and bring in customers. However I am fortunate to get sales at all as I know many small businesses have had to close due to lack of sales.
7) What makes you unique? Throughout BIBIL AVA, we have a number of pieces which take the form of a snake which is what BIBIL AVA means in Malagasy. This is a running theme through our jewellery and is something that makes us unique as a business. We also offer and make bespoke commission pieces for anyone who can’t find what they are looking for anywhere else, which also makes us unique. 8) What do you love most about your own business? I love the happiness it brings me; I have struggled with physical and mental health over the years and every time I have struggled, I have fallen back into creativity and art. Coronavirus has been such a struggle for so many, and I am so so fortunate to have started BIBIL AVA. Being creative and making people happy with your creativity is a great thing. It brings me joy in itself. I will never get over the feeling of glee from receiving a message form a customer thanking me for an order or someone telling me they love my jewellery. Nothing beats the feeling of receiving an order either, knowing that someone has seen your brand, trusts it, and would buy from it when it’s not something as trustworthy as a well-known brand or shop like ASOS for example. I also am secretly very proud our packaging is 100% recycled and biodegradeable!
10) How did you overcome these challenges? I don’t think I have overcome any of these to be honest, I think I am in the process of overcoming them and working my way from the bottom and I like it that way. It makes me want my dream more! I work harder and harder every day knowing I am building my business from the bottom. Every day it grows and every day I have more of a reason to work for it. So I think to tackle problems in a business it’s about patience and persevering your way to the top. 11) What keeps you motivated to continue thriving in your business? I feel like the fact that at one point I was wishing where I am today so I try to remind myself of that when I feel like I am not being successful enough. 12) What would you advise for other people interested in starting a business? Do it! If there’s something you are passionate about, and I mean passionate, not just ‘I like wearing earrings’, I mean really passionate about whatever you want to begin your business in, you will not regret it. I used to think my terrible math skills and dyslexia would stop me, but I was so wrong! Do it, do it, do it! 13) What are you most proud of? I am proud of how far I have come. Every time I am worried or down about no sales or not being where another business is, I always think I was once wishing where I am today. So this is something that always makes me grateful. 14) What are your goals for this year? One of my main goals is to start selling gold pieces by the end of the year. I also would love to be producing my pieces in 100% recycled eco silver. I am currently working on a project at the moment which is helping me to achieve this goal. 15) Lastly, what are you looking forward to in 2021? I am so excited to see where BIBIL AVA goes this year! I cant wait to see where 2021 takes me and to see if there’s any adaptions we can make as we come out of lockdown such as attending craft fairs and meeting some amazing friends I have made who are also female business owners. Gallery | 311
oh so flirty
Written by Sakinah Mustafa Pictures provided by brand
312 | Gallery
SISTER FASHION BRAND
Interview 1) What is your name, age and occupation? Michaela is 23, self employed, graduated from Loughborough. Elisa, 20, studying Fashion Contour at London College Of Fashion. 2) What inspired you to open your business? We have always loved fashion and have always wanted to be our own bosses to have that financial independence. 3) How long has your business been open? It opens on the last week of March but has been in the process for about two and a half years. 4) Who is your target audience? 16-30 year olds who have bigger busts and who want to feel sexy and confident in their own skin. 5) What social media platforms do you use for your business and which ones are the most useful? We use Instagram for our business as it’s the most popular social media site and everyone finds out about new upcoming businesses through Instagram.
12) What would you advise for other people interested in starting a business? I would say when you find the right supplier then it’s perfect. Your trust and loyalty builds up with customers. You have to think if you don’t do it, will you regret it? And you have to really think what you want in life. If you want your own business or if you want to work for someone. I would always say do it, fulfil your dreams and make them come true. 13) What are you most proud of? Being able to express ourselves through our designs and setting up a company during COVID. 14) What are your goals for this year? Launching the brand and getting orders through. Also, coming up with new collections and working with influencers. 15) What are you looking forward to in the next 2 - 5 years? Our own business growing into something we can depend on financially. We are looking forward to surprising our audience with new collections and venturing into new items of clothings. We can’t wait for new customers to find our page on Instagram and fall in love with our products, expanding our social media presence.
6) What products do you sell and how did you know that you wanted to provide these products to consumers? We love contoured clothing and wanted to introduce a new style of bralet to our consumers. 7) What makes you unique? Our bralets will be in bra sizes so we guarantee they will fit the consumers busts. 8) What do you love most about your business? Expressing our designs and showing off our passion. 9) What challenges have you faced in your business this year due to COVID? Our supply chains have been a lot slower than usual. 10) How did you overcome these challenges? We plan in advance and anticipate the long lead times. 11) What keeps you motivated to continue thriving in your business? Just knowing that our customers like our products and we can provide the best designs and stylish bralets with luxury material.
Gallery | 313
Written & designed by Charlotte Brooks, images & illustrations by Emily Ralph
Emily Ralph
Emily Ralph studies graphic design at Winchester school of arts which is part of the university of Southampton. She started her small illustrations business after drawing a picture of herself and her boyfriend which he loved and encouraged her to start selling on Etsy. After initially starting her successful business and gaining lots of support, Emily decided to branch out and sell other types of illustrations such as quote prints and musician drawings. In the future Emily is not entirely sure where she would like to end up but she would love to become an illustrator in some form. Her dream would be to run her own large business of all kinds of art but for now she is very happy with the way her business is going.
314 | Gallery
@emilyralphdesigns
Gallery | 315
HATTIE GATES Hattie is 19 years old and studies Fashion Marketing at the University of Manchester. During the first COVID-19 lockdown, Hattie found herself bored like everyone else and tried searching for a job to earn some money and have something to do, however due to the virus this was practically impossible. Through social media she noticed tie-dye was becoming hugely popular in fashion and one of the biggest trends of spring/summer. Fashion retailers started releasing tie-dye clothing collections but they were always very overpriced which is where the initial idea of Renace clothing came from. Hattie spoke to her friends and family about potentially making and selling tie-dye clothing on Instagram and Depop for an affordable price and starting a business in which they were very supportive and encouraging. It took two weeks for the brand to launch which included thinking of a brand name, a logo and ordering items such as dye. She worked with friends to produce content for the Instagram account @renaceclothing and made video campaigns to promote the business online as well. The launch was a huge success and it didn’t take long for Renace Clothing to become established, selling over 200 items in the first two months. Hattie was completely overwhelmed by how popular the clothing was and how the business had taken off successfully. She decided to create a website to make it easier for people to place orders and help the brand expand further. As the business grew, Hattie added more products to the collection such as hoodies, bucket hats, bandeau tops and earrings. The bleach tie-dye collection was the most successful and popular and helped the brand gain further recognition.
Written & designed by Charlotte Brooks, photos from Hattie Gates’ & Renace Clothing Instagram
Right now Renace Clothing is still doing extremely well and continuing to develop. Hattie decided to release a new range called ‘BLOCK collection’ which is singularly coloured sets. She hopes to continue to grow her brand in the future, gaining a wider audience and seeing where it could go!
316 | Gallery
@renaceclothing
Gallery | 317
Written by Sakinah Mustafa
Pictures: Provided by Magali Ledoux (Photographer)
Interview with freelance Photographer Magali Ledoux
318 | Gallery
1)What is your name, occupation and where did you study photography? My name is Magali Ledoux, I’m 32, I’m from Paris but I have been living in London for 5 years now. I am a creative entrepreneur. I started photography in 2017. I have a post-graduate degree in communication and marketing and worked in an office job for a few years before realising it wasn’t for me. I was miserable working for someone else. I quit my marketing job and decided to become a photographer. Photography is one part of what I do on a daily basis. I consider myself an artist at heart and I give value to my clients through creative direction, photos and videos. I also share professional advice for young creatives on my different platforms. I am a self-taught photographer, creative director and videographer. I learned via books, Youtube videos, Youtube tutorials, experience and perseverance.
My two favourite ones are Peter Mckinnon and Haris Nukem. Less famous one is Hana Zebzabi. I admire her absolute authenticity, creativity and ambition. 7) What type/styles do you prefer the most in your photos? I absolutely love the creative process behind the picture. This sense of personal fulfilment from taking something from your mind and soul and making it take form in the real world. My work is an extension of who I am. My pictures are the channel through which I express my truth to the world. This is what I love about my pictures. The colour grading, the editing, the poses, the angles, the creative direction behind the pictures are all an expression of me and what I want to say in that moment. Regarding client work, I love that I will give myself a 100% until I am satisfied with the result. I love that I am a perfectionist and I will not stop until the final image reflects the needs of my client and my owns.
2) What inspired you to become a photographer? When I was younger I used to love doing anything related to creativity. Over the years it became clear that I wanted to express myself authentically through any given channel. Through videos, photos, words, food, through the way I move. Photography is one of the channels I chose to express myself to the world and start making a living for myself. As a creative it’s easy to get caught up in describing yourself based on the channel you use most often. I find your talent lies in expressing your truth to the world, the channel you use shouldn’t define you because it limits you to that channel only. 3) How long have you been a photographer for? I started from scratch knowing nothing about photography or owning a business in 2017. I quit my 9 to 5 job in marketing and started walking dogs and worked in a club at night to pay my rent. I started photographing friends and people I knew to gain experience and to start building a portfolio.
8) If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be? Don’t be afraid to fail. Please know it does not define a lack of worth. On the contrary, rejection will remind you of your worth. I’m so proud of you for persevering, for never giving up and for giving it all you’ve got every second of every day. Keep enjoying the process while knowing it will all pay off in the end. Remember you are amazing, creative, talented, ambitious and bold. You’ve got this!
4) Who is your target audience? My target audience are artists and creatives. I love working with likeminded people that understand my journey and I love offering value by helping them promote themselves and their business through my work. 5) What social media platforms do you use and which ones are the most useful? I mostly use Instagram @bymagaliledoux but I recently started a podcast and a YouTube channel as well. I want to give my community free advice and insights that I have learnt on my journey. No matter how small they seem, it can always help someone out. Consistency : Post regularly. Be consistent with your style. Don’t worry your brand image and style will be built over time and will evolve along with you. Relatable: We all have a unique journey. Never underestimate the power of your story, tell it and share it with the world. All of it, the good, the bad, the ugly. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, it will create a real emotional connection with your community and you might inspire people in the process.
Model 1: GEORGIA KIAH Gallery | 319
9) Have you had any partnerships with brands before? If so, who? I have done some work for different small brands in the past: Cheyma, Shoes embassy, 4chillseasons, Pockyball. I’ve also been published in two magazines. Opium Red Magazine and Edith Magazine. 10) What or who inspires you? Women like Hana Zebzabi inspire me the most for their authenticity. 11) What are your hobbies? I follow my joy which consists in creating personal projects through photos and videos and expressing myself in many different forms. Through creative direction, writing, cooking, boxing, skipping, creating a new podcast or a YouTube video. 12) What makes you unique? I believe everyone has a unique vision and perspective on this life. That’s why it is so important to be yourself and be as authentic as possible. It’s because being exactly who you are is what makes you unique. Your vision and perspective on anything is what makes you unique. You just need to learn how to express it as purely as possible. I know when I started my business I didn’t express myself fully because of societies limitations on how you should do something. For example, it was seen as more “professional” to only share your work and not your personal life on social media. I then realised that my perspective was different so I started to align my business and way of doing things to who I was instead of societies idea of how I should do it. I wrote an article of the power of your story if you want to have a look: https://www.bymagaliledoux.shop/blogs/tips-hacks-creativeentrepreneurs 13) What do you love most about being a photographer? The freedom, the joy of being paid doing what you love, but also the challenges, growth and fulfilment that comes with it. As a business owner and creative you can always find new ways of making money. There are no limits to the amount of money you can earn.
14) What are the challenges you have faced last year due to COVID-19? Most of my clients and most of my income were clients from the hospitality industry. It was the first industry to close down and all my main income along with it. The main challenge was to go from being completely financially independent to depending on the help from the government and on myself to survive. 15) How did you overcome these challenges? What have you learned from the challenges? I realised I could no longer only rely on my clients to earn money. I needed to become more resilient and create different source of income. I started an online business during lockdown. An online e-guide on how to start your own business as a creative in 7 days. I also started a Youtube channel and a podcast along with it. I realised I had so many insights to 320 | Gallery
Model 2: ANNA SERVEGNA
give people and I was finally ready to share it all! As creatives and business owners I believe it is our strength to adapt, to find creative solutions, to think outside of the box and to persevere no matter what. 16) Are you a freelancer or hired by a company? I work for myself. I used to consider myself as self-employed/freelance. I now see myself as a creative entrepreneur/business owner. 17) What would you advise for other people interested in becoming a photographer? First, change your mindset and start believing you can. Know that perseverance and trust in yourself and your worth can lead you anywhere. Second, don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. Remember you are the most important thing you can put your time, energy and money on. You are choosing to invest in your value and your potential, you are putting your faith in your dreams and your passion, you are choosing yourself. Third, take action and take things one step at a time. The hardest step is the first step! 18) What are you most proud of? Following my heart and jumping into the unknown is my biggest achievement. Never giving up is another one. But mostly I am so proud for investing in myself and creating something for myself. Something that I can scale with no limits. I’m building my own queendom and I am only getting started. I’m so grateful for everything I’ve learned and experienced along the way and how much it helped me grow. I would never go back. 19) What are your goals for this year? To keep building and scaling my photo and video business, my online business and my social media platforms like my podcast. To keep creating personal projects with impactful messages. To be more resilient in all aspects of my life. Financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. 20) Lastly, what are you looking forward to in the next two to five years? I’m looking forward to gaining my freedom back regarding COVID-19. To travel, to socialise, to create new human connections and projects with artists, to live fully like we used to. I’m looking forward to see how my art will change along with me and how it will evolve. I have so many ideas and projects for the years to come and I can’t wait to see them take form in the material world. Finally, I’m looking forward to all the next challenges that are yet to come for I know they will shape the person I will become. I hope my words gave you some of the answers you were looking for and inspired you to take the first step towards your passion, whatever that may be.
Model 3: Laura jane dunkerly
Gallery | 321
KATHARINE RAMSHAW
Written & designed by Charlotte Brooks, images by Katherine Ramshaw
Katharine is an 18 year old photographer, originally from Newcastle but currently completing her first year at Nottignham Trent university studying photography. Her incredible photography is heavily inspired by the ideas that surround gender, sexuality and feminism, incorporating personal ideas and experiences in her work. For example, her photography project for college was inspired by the DaDa movement, notably Hannah Hock and more modern artist Maisie Cousins. Katharine’s favourite photo that shes has taken is of her parents, where she used gender roles in a surrealist way, with the imagery of meat, makeup and clothes to convey and question stereotypical gender norms.
322 | Gallery
INSTA: @KATHARINERAMSHAWPHOTOGRAPHY
Gallery | 323
324 | Gallery
Gallery | 325
326 | Gallery