Dilly Dally by Chelsea Settle

Art

Fashion

She who has time has life

Lifestyle.

Culture

ÂŁ4.50 January 2012

Dilly Dally

Photograph by Chelsea Settle 4

Dilly Dally Editor - Chelsea Settle Fashion - Chelsea Settle Make-up Artistry - Hayley Lowther Words - Chelsea Settle Design and Creative Assistance- Lucy Topping Photo Story subjects- Emily Martha and Ellis Bartlett Cover portrait, Emily Martha by Chelsea Settle.

Pictures- The Loved One, Marissa Seguin, Josie Portillo, Jonas Lofgren.

www.dillydally.co.uk Feedback and Questions info@ dillydally.co.uk Submissions, wordsandpictures@ dillydally.co.uk Dilly Dally, issue one, January/ April. Published by Adeline Media Ltd four times a year. Basement, 2 Fernwood Road, Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 1TR. 020 5832 8943. Printed in the UK by Buxton Press, www.buxtonpress.com. Contents@ 2012 Adeline Media Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from the publishers. The views expressed in Dilly Dally are not necessarily those of the contributors, editors or publishers, or any man and his dogs.

Message in a Bottle

Dear Reader, Welcome to the premier issue of Dilly Dally, and the beginning of your pondering fulfilment. Here at Dilly Dally we are great believers in the importance of thinking time. Ever noticed that you have some of your most productive thinking time when you’re in the shower, on that walk back from work or in bed (when you are supposed to be sleeping!) ? Well so have we. With copious amounts of technology around these days automatically updating our thoughts, we understand that it can be a little difficult at times to relax, clear your head and reflect on your ideas, opinions and life direction. Dilly Dally are here to aid you in your quest for a little time out. Inspiring, informing, reflecting, and encouraging you in life, so no there’s no need to feel guilty about having a well deserved break. Pheww! The World Wide Web is a fabulous tool, but once you get going from link to link it can appear as if you have just fallen down a hole that could rival the Alice and wonderland warren! To avoid any warren related catastrophes Good old fashioned magazine, Dilly Dally prefer to keep it simple and raw. Comforting like your grandma’s cardigan, we hope to instil you with a warm glow of nostalgia, a healthy chunk of reflection time, some food for thought and a sprinkling of giggles in each quarterly issue. Whilst at the same time stimulating and inspiring your thoughts, to fuel those creative fires and ensure that from the moment you put Dilly Dally down you’ll have gained a whole new perspective. Sending you a very warm welcome and wishes of biscuits,

40 10

Contents

14.

For the Foodie Folk

26.

Jonas Lofgren

32.

The

40.

If I Call You Darling

52.

Character Culture

62.

Ribbons and Curls

An embarassingly obsession.

In a Shade of Grey

Loved

One

Sensual, Frilly and a little bit Silly.

Clothing with a taste of home.

The Beating Heart of Fashion.

Take a trip down memory lane.

A few people who made this issue possible

Contributors

Chelsea Settle

Hayley Lowther

Editor Chelsea styled and photographed both of the shoots in this issue of Dilly Dally. Chelsea also wrote the words for Everyday Character Play, and Foody Frolics.

Make-up artist and founder of Rough Diamond Make-up Hayley created the look for the childhood photo story.

What inspired the narratives for the photo stories in this issue? Reading Barbra Ryans online zines encouraged nostalgia from my childhood times, with mention of drinks sweets and games that either no longer exists or children don’t play anymore. There are some childhood situations that will hold a place in everybody’s memories no matter their generation, I wanted to explore and bring these recollections to the present. The second shoot was inspired by the nature of the world’s home grown girls that are fun loving, healthy, happy, and well rounded, just like Dilly Dally.

What was your favourite childhood game? As I children me and my younger sister were very imaginative so we thought up a lot of fun games! My favourite memories are of forming our own circus or drama groups and asking passing strangers and everyone off the street to come watch our armature performance - we usually ended up with a decent crowd of 10 who paid for their ticket!

When it comes to creating make-up looks have you got a favourite style? I’m really into old school glamour looks, classic red lips and a perfectly lined eye. I look to pin-up’s of that era for inspiration, like Jean Harlow and Betty Page. Currently Dita and Katy Perry both work this kind of style perfectly. I also love a well blended smoky eye with a pared down lip colour, I like experimenting with alternatives for this look by using a coloured liner like emerald green or purple, and trying different styles of fake lashes for added drama.

We all have childhood fears, what kind of monsters were lurking in your closet? My greatest fear from childhood to now is sharks. I’m so scarred of them. I often have dreams about them snapping at my feet - I wake up to check all my toes are still there!

Lucy Topping

Ellis Bartlett

Emily Martha

Lucy had the pleasure of photographing Dilly Dally’s most prestigious guest, Freddie the bear, who paid a guest appearance in the childhood photo story. She also assisted with creative direction and technical support on both shoots, when she wasn’t busy prepping the V.I.P’s.

Ellis was our model muse for the childhood photo story. She came straight to the shoot from surfing in these wintery temperatures, attagirl! At a mere 17 years of age Ellis was a pleasure to work with, and her natural doll like features complimented the look amazingly.

The second beautiful face to grace the pages of our premier issue is eighteen year old Emily. Pictured in her Yorkshire home town of Bingley, this English rose enlightened each image with her grounded beauty.

What do you enjoy doing in your ‘down time’to fuel those creative fires?

Tell us a little about how you got into modelling? Have you got any posing tips that help create a fabulous photograph.

I love to just sit and read obscure fashion magazines for hours, you find some of the best photo shoots in the smaller scale publications.

What is one of your favourite childhood memories? Coming downstairs on Christmas day circa 1995 to find a Fisher Price kitchen with my name on it and a ribbon bow on the microwave. Best present ever!

I started modelling quite young really, my mother got me into child modelling and its been something I’ve grown up with! My best tip is don’t force anything the best shots are always natural.

There were a lot of outfit changes for the shoot, was dressing up a favourite childhood indulgence for you? I was a tom boy when I was little, any sign of a dress and I would run for the hills I used to hate dressing up but as I’ve gotten a lot older and matured it’s all part and parcel of the job!

Tell us a little bit about your first experience of modelling? I learnt from my first experience, modelling is more difficult than it looks in photographs, the effortless photographs are the ones that are hardest to pose for.

As a child what game were you especially good at winning? as a child I was especially good at winning a game called mouse trap that I loved to play, although part of the reason I used to win alot was because I’d either cheat or cry if I didn’t! I was also especially good at hide and seek because I was small and inventive so the smallest usual places would be where I would squeeze into and be the last out.

For the Foodie Folk

Illustration, Little Doodles.

O ne of my most poignant memories as a child is from first school, when whilst quietly munching down on a filled pita bread for my lunch, a dinner lady exclaimed “Ooo I like chapatti’s too”. Even at such

a young age I still felt the awkward embarrassment of knowing at 6 years old that this was actually a pita bread and she at 40 did not.. My awkwardness with food began at an early age when my mother used to regularly pack me off to school with something in my lunchbox other than the ‘normal kids’ ham or Nutella sandwich in white bread. Ashamed of having what I thought was fancy or unusual food, like tuna pasta or couscous in my lunch box, I would often shovel a few mouthfuls down behind the privacy of 101 Dalmatians lunch box lid and be done with it. Only that one time that I dared to raise my pita bread from my den did that dinner lady come over and shoot me down. From then on I retreated to the safety of my lunch box whilst eating. Sat at the “packed lunch table” eating with a fork or spoon was, well as you can imagine awkward and unusual to the other children, and therefore complete no go for me. Pasta and soup in a flask travelled from home to school, to school and home untouched, and my mother never found why on the journey to school my food preferences suddenly seemed to change from the ones I had at home. As I got older and moved to secondary school the innocent (but embarrassing for me) kids curiosity over my unusual lunch box choices changed to gobby kids exclaiming “Eugh that stinks” or “Er what is that!” When I ate what my mother had moved onto by then, falafel pita bread, with mayo and tomato sauce. As much as I actually enjoyed the meals my mother kindly provided for me, trying to shake up a dreary lunch with some more adventurous choices, they always came with a side of dread at having to explain to that girl what couscous was.. Sometimes to heal my uncalled for embarrassment about being thought of as ‘weird’ or ‘fancy’ in my eating habits, I would just recoil with the same statement “Just because you’ve never eaten anything but oven chips in your life”. And so, my parents’ interest in cuisine transpired. As a student I wouldn’t spend all my money on beer, but on fresh foods and an endless supply of spices, purees and condiments to fuel my ‘good food’ obsession. Flat mates would inquire about my cooking cautiously but unwillingingly whilst inserting their pizza and chips into the oven. They would never try any, no matter how much I confided it was nice, or they would like it. The only revelations came when one of the other ‘frozen food fanatics’ would try a little chef style themselves, and as a result their fellow grazers would trust them and try it. “WOW that cheese sauce is great!” they would say, you can imagine how miffed I was knowing that I had made a cheese sauce many a time before (and no doubt a tastier one than theirs) but they never trusted my skills enough to try it. So while others may complain, I thank the likes of Jamie Oliver for equipping the nation’s children and parents with the knowledge of freshly made meals and their ‘unusual’ ingredients. I am almost certain he’s saved many a poor child from the embarrassment of their lunch treasures, and prevented countless unruly comments made by dinner ladies, peers, peoples parents and strangers alike about the lunch you were just about to enjoy. Hopefully one you were about to indulge in, outside of your lunchbox… Words by Chelsea Settle.

Dilly Dally , in the Making...

Freddie Teddy comes to Dilly Dally!

Stone (Cold) Roses

Freddie the bear joined us for the premier issue of Dilly Dally, and appeared in the childhood photo story. We rescued Freddie from neglect when we found him on EBay. With those cute little eyes and his ‘always asking for a hug arms’ how could we not invite him to live at the Dilly Dally house, naww! Freddie was excited about coming to live at Dilly Dally, but little did Freddie know how much his luck had struck! He was delighted at the opportunity to appear in the childhood shoot alongside an absolute doll like Miss Bartlett. We think they make quite the couple. Freddie is as old as the wind, and although this means he brings a breadth of knowledge and wisdom to the Dilly Dally team, it also means he has suffered the wear of time. Freddie he has expressed a yearning for some proper glass eyes, like he used to have back in the day. At Dilly Dally we like to do a good deed here and there, so we have set up a collection to help get Freddie seeing clearly again. To donate to the collection please forward monies or a cheque to the Dilly Dally House.

We came across this Rose ice cream sculpture online whilst making this issue of Dilly Dally. We love a piece of edible art, and doesn’t this one just make your mouth water! It takes the concept of freeze dried flowers to a whole new level, and I’m sure the entrepreneur making them is coming up smelling of roses. Paha! (ok gags over).

Birdy Love After seeing Little Doodles illustrations of Birds, we’ve fallen in love with our feathered friends! Here in the office we’ve been having a bash at making our own bird inspired greeting cards. There are so many corny bird related phrases to go with our drawings, some of our faves include “Happy Bird’ay” to compliment a New York Pigeon, “Have a Hoot!” with an owl, or “It all started with a peck” for your quirky wedding card. Unfortunately we missed the boat for the biggest card giving season but hey ho, maybe next year ey! We’re always seeking fun new excuses to indulge in a little passed time! To share your ideas, drop us an e-mail!

From one chap to another, this handsome fella flew over to Yorkshire to suprise one gent on his Birthday.

Try this bad boy maze!!

Sharing is Caring

Diggers Because you just won’t be able to stop digging in to these yummy biscuits! Don’t forget the tea!

You Will Need: 1 cup of Flour 1 cup of Oats 1 cup of Sugar 4oz of Butter 4 oz of Golden Syrup 1/2 a cup of Desicated Coconut (optional)

A recipe passed down through the generations: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°c 2. Grease a baking tray / cover with greaseproof paper. 3. Put the butter in a sauce pan on a moderate heat to melt. 4. Add the treacle and sugar to the pan and stir until combined to create a syrupy sauce. 5. Add the sauce to the flour and oats and mix together. 6. At this point you could add half a cup of anything you fancy! Coconut goes well, as do raisins, cherries, or chocolate pieces! 7. Scoop one table spoon of mixture out and place on a baking tray. 8. There’s no need to flatten them out, the oven will do that. 9. Make sure there is at least a 2 inch space around each blob because they don’t half grow! 10. Bake for ten minutes, then remove and let sit for 5 minutes before munching!

Sharing is Caring

Jam Roly Poly Whip up this omforting pudd with the last few bits left in your cuboard. You will need: 50g of saltet butter, cold and cut into chunks and some more for greasing. 250g of selfraising flour, plus extra for rolling. The seeds from one vanilla pod 50g of shredded suet 150ml of milk 100g of a jam of your choice Custard to serve (most deffinitly not optional!) Ready, Steady, Roll! 1. Put a deep roasting tin 3/4 full of boiling water below the top shelf and preheat the oven to 180째c. 2. Tear off a large sheet of tin foil and a large sheet of grease proof paper, and place the foil shiny side up, with the grease proof paper on top. 3. Grease the grease proof paper with the extra butter and set aside. 4. Tip the butter flour and vanilla seeds into a mixing bowl and rub the mixture through your finger tips until it forms a breadcrumb consistency. 5. Stir through the suet and pour in the milk, work with a spoon until a sticky dough is formed (add more milk if necessary.) 6. Flour a work surface and a rolling pin and roll out the dough into a 30cm x 30cm square. 7. Spread the jam leaving a gap along one edge, then roll up from the opposite edge and pinch the non jammy edge into the dough where it meets. 8. Carefully lift (aided by a baking tray or spatula) onto the grease proof paper. 9. Loosely roll in the paper and foil and scrunch up the ends. 10. Lift the parcel and place onto the rack directly above the boiling water and cook for one hour. 11. Let the pudding sit for 5 minutes before unwrapping and enjoying in chunky slices with custard, mmm!

To be drawn.. Creature Creations

If you never played this game when you were younger, it is time to let your inner big kid out! With a group of five, each person has to draw a part of the body and then fold the paper over so the next person can’t see what they have drawn (leave a tiny bit of the drawing showing so the next person knows where to carry it on). The next person draws the next body part and so on. It’s normally easiest to split the body into, head, neck, torso and arms, legs, and feet. You can draw human, alien, character, animal body parts or anything. Hey it’s more fun now you are not under your mother’s watchful eye. Got a group artsy people together and you could have the next masterpiece on your hands!

Head

Neck

Torso

Legs

Feet

Now unfold the paper and view your creation! If you think you have created quite an exceptional being, send it along to Dilly Dally and we might feature it in the next issue!

To be listened to..

Ben Howard, Old Pine.

Charlene Soraia, Lightyears.

The Avett Brothers, Laundry Room.

Emmy the Great, First Love.

Lia Ices, Daphne.

Bon Iver, Perth.

To be visited.. As the New Year begins and winter slowly draws to a end, we see start to look forward to the summer and all the fun that it brings. With most festival tickets set to go on sale before early spring, we’re getting excited! Forget, Leeds festival, reading, cream fields, for the past few years it has been all about The Green Man Festival. Unlike some other music festivals which have in recent years become more like a playground for boozing, rioting and burning tents, at The Green Man it’s all about the music. With an amazing atmosphere, and relaxed friendly attitude, The Green Man is where it’s at for 2012. Always at the forefront of the modern folk and Indie music scene, The Green Man never fail to bring some of the most influential future artists to the stage. With the likes of Laura Marling, Emmy the Great,and Fleet Foxes debuting more than four years before they hit the commercial music scene and won various awards, The Green Man are continuously fuelling us with fresh spine tingling artists (which let’s face it are often more enjoyable in upcoming years when you get to keep them all to yourself before flying the nest to a more commercial music scene). Last year Green Man had the pleasure of comedian and musician Tim Minchin gracing the main stage, making for a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. Added extras to the forever fantastic festival line-up, include scrummy world food tents, bohemian markets, awe inspiring outside artworks, secret gigs, all-night bonfires, cinema showings, circus workshops and more imaginative events for under 18’s in the “Future Generations” mini-festival. Not only does The Green Man provide for your listening, eating, and viewing pleasures, but it also does what it says on the can and works towards ethically managed event. Early bird tickets for The Green Man Festival have already sold out, but full price tickets are set to go on sale soon. Watch this space! We’ll be the first to snap some up! For more information on dates and the lineup for 2012, or for volunteering opportunities visit The Green Man Festival online at www.greenman.net. Words Chelsea Settle

A shade of Grey

A view of the world through the eyes of Jonas Lรถfgren Swedish illustration artist Jonas Lรถfgren is mystifying the world with his peculiar, moody renderings. His subjects are an array of quirky female characters in Tim Burton like settings. With one all mighty pencil creating a hush muted greys, bring an eerie calm to each cross hatched piece. It is no wonder the fashion industry has turned to Lofgren for fresh interpretation of tired print ads.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Silence is that feeling that I have lost, but i am determined to findâ&#x20AC;? 27

“Hallelujah, Hallelujah, and the sky was so much bluer.”

“Hallelujah, Hallelujah, and the world was so much newer.”

“A Broken Hallelujah”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have a room at the top of the stairs, I have a room with a view.â&#x20AC;? 30

“I know that we’ll have a cross that we bare and i’d like to show it to you.” 31

Lyrical quotation, Emmy the Great.

The Loved One Sensual, Frilly and a little bit silly.

If you’re tired of all twentieth century underwear has to offer then look no further. Vintage boutique The Loved One’s sumptuous lingerie collections are all you need to quench your bedroom desires. With designs originating from 50’s and 60’s styles in sensuous fabrics of sheer silk and and lace, The Loved One’s lingerie collections are bringing sexy back. Forget boyish cuts and sporty fabrics, The Loved Ones Collections are all about sexy feminine looks, for free fun loving women that adore the way they smooth against every come hither curve.

Founded in 2009 by Elvia Lahman and Hannah Metz, The Loved One started out as a vintage wholesale business. Demand for quality vintage and American made lingerie inspired expansion into the world of retail. They began with an online store and series of pop-up shops in Los Angeles and New York, before settling into their own space in Pasadena.

To Be Adored... The Loved One Lingerie

Here are a few pieces the Dilly Dally team have been adding to their new year wish lists: (How could you not, even the names ooze seduction!)

1. Fuego Set

2. Sin in the Suburbs

3. The Bed and How to Make It

This sweet and sheer set trimmed with lace is perfect for any bedroom related activity be it reading, primping, sleeping or a night in with your loved one!

Delicate and cheeky (quite) this gorgeous high-waisted style features english netting and a beautiful web-like lace panel.

This incredibly flattering (quite literally) style features a control top waist with an adorable lace bottom and built-in garters.

Vintage Apparel Aside from vintage inspired lingerie The Loved One also house a comprehensive collection of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and childrens apparel. These are some of our favourite pieces, we especially love those pretty night time bloomers!

If I call you

darling, will you make me

Pancakes ?

Emily Wears: Tweed jacket, £52 Topshop. Pompom Chemise, £30 Rare. Flower Halo, £10 Topshop

Emily Wears: White Cotton Tunic, £32 Topshop. Flower Halo, £10 Topshop.

Tea Set, £40 Antique Store. Emily Wears: White Cotton Tunic, £32 Topshop. Gold Threaded socks £4 ASOS, Flower Halo, £10 Topshop.

Emily Wears: White Cotton Tunic £32 and Flower Halo £10, both Topshop.

Emily Wears: Flower Halo, ÂŁ10 Topshop.

Photography by Chelsea Settle

Ted Sabarese, Dry Clean Only.

Character Culture The Beating Heart of Fashion Words Chelsea Settle

“Dabbling in the unknown identity is becoming favoured past time”

t’s a daily occurrence, picking an outfit from your wardrobe, ready for the day ahead. But did you ever consider what connotations may be attached to your choices, did you imagine others perceptions of the character you are portraying through your choice of dress? For some, choosing their clothes and grooming their appearance every morning is a mundane chore. Unconsciously they drag each item of clothing from a lifelong collection, brush their hair into the way that they have since high school, and for the rest of the day think nothing more of it. Quotes on ‘victim’ self help books are their life mantra and they console their dread of personal appearance with well rehearsed lines like ‘this is just the way it is’ and ‘there is nothing I can do.’ For the opposing others, grooming themselves before greeting the outside world is an opportunity grasped by both hands. It is an exciting adventure, an exploration of self. Throughout they anticipate greatly the person that will after all their love, labour and toils, stare back at them from the mirror and prove that they can successfully be anyone they would like to be. After decades recycled fashion and ‘samey’ looks, today’s culture is seeing an emergence of adult dressing up - character dressing. Be it geek chic, an anime character, the opposite sex, a new face, or an unusual being; abstract from all things human, dabbling in the unknown identity is becoming a favoured past time for many. Online, we tailor the way that others see us through blogs and social networking. It is an appealing opportunity for many, being able to transfer this self directed identity, to our non virtual existence.

“A poet of clothes”- Bill Cunningham

In the recent ‘must see’ documentary “Bill Cunningham New York”, individual dressing is expressed as being the artistic soul of fashion inspiration. Honest and simplistic, Bill Cunningham has being scouting and photographing exceptional street style for decades, and has a permanent weekly spread in The New York times. Here he projects a focus of what New York street style is saying at present.

Bill isn’t interested in mass trends or seen it before replica’s, “He knows what is innovative, or what is borrowed or copied” -Kim Hastreiter. Ignoring of the ‘cookie cutter’ sameness in present society, Cunningham seeks out the striking and unusual, and divulges he is “Interested in fashion as an art form, dressing the body”. He has photographed extrovert dressers Iris Apfel, Patrick Mcdonald, Shail Upadhya, and Anna Piaggi, (who he describes as a “Poet of Clothes”) since their early careers. Unlike the majority of leading fashion interpreters, Bill’s opinion of style is raw and true. Unconcerned with status, wealth and excess, he is interested purely in our clothes. As a result of this Bill has been the sole seeker of emerging street trends that have been bypassed by others because they are seen as unworthy, or too controversial to the fashion industry. One up-and-coming trend Bill linked to the street in his early years was between Rei Kawakubo’s collection for Comme Des Garcons in 1982, and the style of the New York bag ladies. Cunningham hones in on the world’s most unique characters, those who show their identity through dress. For some, these unique collections of street style have become the new style bible. Although the appearance of characters in fashion promotion and editorials has long been a tool used to enhance narrative; new emergences of defined characters seem to be occurring within ‘city fashionista’ style. Some of the most regularly seen characters are: the geek, the country dweller, the whimsical feminine, the classic, the tomboy, the city slick, the urban get up and the rocker. Unlike the style extraordinaires targeted by Cunningham’s Nikon, many who are inspired by and take on these almost stereotype looks are ironically usually on a quest of unique identity.

Anna Piaggi, by David Bailey 55

“We are all canvases. We’re all blank canvases when we get up in the morning and we paint ourselves” - Patrick McDonald

The exceptional characters captured by Cunningham (however unrealistic they may seem) could be described as the genuine style article. Taking inspiration from such a person’s unique mishmash of style could be a great way to add a little diversity to your ensemble, but adapted too heavily and you could land yourself a ‘cookie cutter’ image. The same applies with character fashions. Perhaps this is the key to something so rare and beautiful that it deserves to be captured by the likes of Bill. Anyone can pull together a replica ensemble seen in a recent magazine, but it takes real personality and style to combine and produce a look which is entirely your own. A regular style muse of Bill Cunningham, Patrick McDonald, explains fashion expression as a means of artistic relief; “We are all canvases. We’re all blank canvases when we get up in the morning and we paint ourselves. Sometimes we’re surreal, sometimes we’re impressionistic, sometimes we’re modern, it just depends on the day.” This view that we all choose to ‘paint ourselves’ suggests that we are all, perhaps unconsciously character dressing to some extent.

One expanding leisure pursuit, taking over the daily dressing habits of ‘ordinary people’ is a more extreme take on character dressing. ‘Cosplay’ short for ‘costume play’ originated in Japan and involves donning yourself with costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. The trend which was drawn from popular fiction in Japan, rapidly spread to America and the UK, where American cartoons and science fiction are also being used as inspiration. Muses are often sourced from manga, anime, comic books, graphic novels, video games, and fantasy movies, but ‘Cosplay’ can involve any entity from the real or virtual world that lends it’s self to dramatic interpretation being used as a subject. Although many take pride in expertly designing costumes to perfectly match or represent the genuine articles, for a small group of people ‘Cosplay’ is about subtlety. Whilst the majority of ‘Cosplayers’ are out parading their efforts in fantasy role play or photo shoots, there has being an uprising of everyday ‘Cosplay’. Unlike usual ‘Cosplay’, everyday ‘Cosplay’ doesn’t involve wearing your passions on your sleeve, but secretly applying references in your choices that to anyone but you are totally unrecognisable. Journalist Elizabeth Grunewald, an avid everyday ‘Cosplayer’, references most of her choices in clothing to characters from television, movies, and comics. “That tote bag” she says “Liz Lemon”, “my pearl necklace, Lisa Simpson”, “The last jacket I purchased, I did so because it reminded me of Rose Tyler”. ‘Cosplay’ may take over your wardrobe ambitions and cause you to abandon the trend band wagon, but according to its fans, will provide copious amounts of fun and subtle ‘Cosplay’ that’s gone unnoticed by everyone else can add a mysterious spring in your step.

1. Dina, A New Kind of Beauty, Phil Toledano. 2. Pyllis Galembo, Ngar Ball Traditional Masquerade Dance. 3.Madame Peripetie, Pugh-atory, Cleaner. 4. Madame Peripetie, Pugh-atory, Super Model.

“Challenge the human anatomy, and turn it into an unrecognisable state.” Another type of style being described as ‘character culture’ is the manipulation of the body, through permanent technique, dress, and art forms. In recent publication ‘Dopple Ganger’, a range of looks are explored that challenge the human anatomy, and transform it often into an unrecognisable state. Character culture is about pushing the boundaries of shape, texture and composition to create something completely un-ecountered in human form. As awe inspiring, these works of art are our gut response is usually of shock and disgust, as our eyes absorb a form that to us initially appears monstrous. Phil Toledano raises a similar question in his portrait collection “A New Kind of Beauty”; which encompasses a series of photographs demonstrating extreme plastic surgery endeavours. The response that explains this collection states “I’m interested in what we define as beauty, when we choose to create it ourselves.” “When we re-make ourselves, are we revealing our true character, or are we stripping away our very identity?” These questions raised by Toledano, speak for the wider perspective of the way we present ourselves. Does our aim to look like a certain “type” of person take away the more intricate identity we already possess? If dressing to our own standard and taste is the key to a life long search for personal style, and contentment, what does this mean for fashion? Characters are after all timeless, you only have to look at those repeatedly reworked looks that hold the fine strings of fashion. Searching for your ‘character’ can be a life long mission. After dabbling myself in character cultures and fashions, I found that each can provide some much needed wardrobe direction at times of inspirational drought. You see in “Bill Cunningham New York”, it is actually not “all about the clothes” as he says, it is in fact all about the person. Although Bill maybe yet to realise it, his avid photographing of the street ‘catwalk’ have documented each person and their character in his photographs. Often natural and un-posed, Bill captures the true essence of his subject at that single tiny moment in time. For many I believe the clothes are not the focus, but a component along with expression, stance, background and companions that make up the complexity of a person. The vivacity and delight shining out from many of these photographs isn’t caused by the clothes alone. Put them all on a mannequin in a white room, and I am sure we would find the ensemble less than half as exciting, and definitely wouldn’t be smiling and glowing inside when we cast our eyes upon it. Although the fashion industry is made up of so many characters, (take John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, and we’re besotted with the likes of Lady Gaga, Tavi Gevinson) the modern industry seems to be missing the key component of what realistically makes clothes interesting; the character who wears them.

“Giggles and Curls, Ribbons and Bows, They’re so Adorable, Right Down to Thier Toes." Re-live the innocence of youth through style. Choose bases of soft brushed cottons, jersey and textured wool, with lace, ribbon and broderie trim. Cute collars, ankle socks and kitsch prints, add a contemporary spin. Where your pigtails messy and low, for edgy 60’s appeal.

Photography and Styling - Chelsea Settle Make-up - Hayley Lowther Model - Ellis Bartlett

As We got older we let the monsters into our beds.

Ellis Wears: Candy pink Bruushed Cotton Top, £12 La Senza. Floral Pyjama Shorts, £12 Topshop, Pelerine Lace Frill Ankle Socks, £8.00 ASOS, Ribbons, stylists own.

All dressed up and no place to go.

Ellis Wears: Nude Chiffon Blouse. £40 Topshop, Aubergine Hat, £6, Fur Stole, £7, both Primark, Pearl Necklace, Vintage.

Teddy Bears Picnic

Ellis Wears: Cornflour Blue Dress, £40 Loves, Pelerine Lace Frill Ankle Socks, £8.00 ASOS.

Ellis Wears: Polkadot Shift Dress, £12.99 H&M, Two Birds Necklace, £30 Tatty Devine.

Ellis Wears: Two Birds Necklace ,ÂŁ30 Tatty Devine, Bunny Ears, stylists own.

Carrying a Crush Zatchels Glorious leather, handmade Satchels!

Each piece of shoulder candy can be purchased at Zatchels online. Look out for the new collection instore at Liberty London.