Exordium final by Chloe McDonald

exordium a new generation of menswear

contributors

editors letter

editor in chief chloe mcdonald Welcome to issue one of exordium – the artists issue.

exordium is a word that means ‘new beginnings’ in Latin. And that’s what this publication aims to represent. exordium is a fashion and lifestyle publication, but it’s also a community. A community of creatives, artists, entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to be involved. Here at exordium we aim to be as inclusive and accessible as possible – we want our readers to connect with the content we publish, not be excluded by it. The first issue is an accumulation of these ideas. We discuss a resurging menswear market, and its deep-rooted history. We talk to volunteers who are trying to break down the stereotypes of an environment of toxic masculinity that plagues our society. We chat to every artist and creative we could get on hands on – to inspire you, comfort you and encourage you. Our fashion editorials examine ideas of masculinity and gendered fashion. But we also added in some of the regular favourites – we breakdown this seasons trends, find real life inspiration via street style, and give handy tips for a great summer and glowing summer skin. For the first edition of exordium, we want our readers to be engaged. We want you inspire you to do you, to create, participate and be involved. Welcome to our community. Welcome to exordium – the new generation of menswear.

contents one

trends the great masculine renunication reassessed

three

small actions, big changes, great men

tom talks

five

four

familiar strangers

tom lucy 2

two

six

B3 network

eight

on road

bare the jewels

ten

nine

seoul searching

feed your feed

twelve

seven

eleven

glow up

rsvp yes

thirteen 3

trends

exordium explores the hottest trends, must have looks and unusual inspirations for your summer wardrobe

one: jumpsuits A look that caused a storm across social media last May with the launch of the Kickstarter project, RompHim. However, designers seemed to think that it’s a concept that works – take away the obnoxious American lads and you have a fairly wearable idea. Across the spring/summer catwalks male jumpsuits were a major presence. From Ralph Lauren’s utilitarian inspired looks to luxe designs at Walter Van Beirendonck and Alexander McQueen. The male jumpsuit doesn’t have to look how RompHim did. Different colours, cuts and styles are important for making this trend work for you. Length is key with this trend, in order to pull of what some may consider a bold piece, first you must be comfortable. Jumpsuits were shown on the catwalk in three main styles: shorts, cropped and full length. Find a style that works for you and run with it.

Prada

style icon: A$AP Rocky designers: Alexander McQueen, Boss, Prada. budget: Forever 21, Asos, Dixies

two: coloured suits

style icon: Tinie Tempah designers: Paul Smith, McQueen, Kenzo, Acne studios. budget: Topman, Zara, Asos.

all images courtesy of firstview.com

Paul Smith

Suits have always been a strong staple in a rounded man’s wardrobe. This season, designers took a new take on a classic suit. A medley of coloured suits stormed the runways this season, from pastel pinks to burnt orange, designers provided a look for each man - and each occasion. Variety is key. From wide leg, to tapered, to shorts. Dressed up for the office or dressed down with a t-shirt and trainers (think 1980s Miami Vice but without the violence). This trend is perhaps one of the most versatile of the season, that could take you straight from the office to the roof top bar, if you’re brave enough to don one to the workplace.

three: Hawaiian shirts

Louis Vuitton

Once the unfortunate fashion mistake only made by middle aged dads and perhaps made briefly acceptable by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 90s-film version of Romeo and Juliet. The Hawaiian shirt has had a bad track record in the fashion sphere, but now the catwalks and the streets alike are embracing the outlandish designs. Although daring prints may not be for everyone, you have choices. For a more relaxed approach to the trend, look to Palm Angels for a more graphic take on Hawaiian prints. style icon: designers: Louis Vuitton, Dsquared2, Palm Angels budget: Asos, Urban Outfitters, don’t forget to check out your local vintage shop for this trend too!

four: 90s cool dad

style icon: Barack Obama (off duty) designers: Balenciaga, Wales Boner, Vetements, J.W.Anderson, Fendi. budget: Zara, Urban Outfitters, Pull and Bear.

five: outdoors/athleisure

Fendi

A look that is usually reserved for fathers aimlessly wondering around shopping centres or theme parks, this spring/summer the cool dad is the ‘it’ look. A combination of loose fit jeans, baseball caps and ‘not quite there’ silhouettes create the ultimate cool dad - no children required. A trend that feeds nicely into fashions current obsession with ugly shoes, this is a trend that isn’t as daring as most of the others this season, and doesn’t require much of an investment. It perhaps may only involve combining a few key items already present in your wardrobe. Pull it all together with true cool dad staple, a bum-bag.

The great outdoors is one of this seasons key inspirations. Channel escape to the country with a hint of late 1990s East London. Wind breaker tracksuits and waterproofs are the easiest and most accessible form of this trend. Colours, prints and layers help this trend to pop. Combining textures and adding a hint of transparent PVC upgrade your look by adding hints of other spring/summer trends. Maybe even pick up a large backpack or gym bag for full effect. A trend that can only be described as a fashionable Bear Grylls. Strip it back or go full on, either way this is a trend that is multifunctional and transferable, and perfect for unpredictable British weather.

Kenzo

style icon: Drake designers: Balenciaga, Raf Simons, Kenzo, Palm Angels, Christopher Raeburn budget: Urban Outfitters, Nike, Topman.

go online to shop this seasons key trends with exordium’s shopping list exordiumonline.wordpress.com @exordiumonline

the great masculine d e s renunciationsses a e r

image courtesy of modshoes.co.uk

Fashion is an industry and interest that for so long has been considered strictly a female sector. From the 1930s to now, exordium explores the key factors of a resurging menswear market 6

In 1930, psychoanalyst John Flügel coined the term the great masculine renunciation. In this, Flügel claimed that the men of Great Britain had relinquished their acquisition to adornment and beauty. In laments terms, men were over fashion. They had not the means nor the interest in a market that, from then on, became known as overtly feminine. The great masculine renunciation, Flügel claims, began in the late 18th century during the time of Enlightenment - a time of great social change. This change saw men reject fashion in a bid to become useful and functioning members of society, away from the frivolity of decorous clothing. Therefore, men started to consider clothing as a useful resource as a result of the economic and political atmosphere of the state, rather than an expressive tool. It is this that Tim Edwards discusses in his 2011 essay The Clothes Maketh the Man, in which the theorist argues, “it is this sense of decorous descending into dullness that has dominated understandings of men’s dress for over a century.” However, things have changed in the years since Flügel’s affirmation, and the sales reports show just that. According to data from Mintel, in 2017 the menswear market in the UK grew by 3.5%, reaching £15 billion annually. But during the era of renunciation grew a state of menswear that consisted of suiting, uniform and formality. Men’s clothing had become a sea of greyness and familiarity. Fashion and adornment became known as a reflection of femininity. And so, as clothing came to its most gendered state yet, men relied on the structure of garments, such as the suit, to present a reflection what Edwards describes as ‘successful masculinity.’ And this has plagued the growth of a consistent menswear market ever since. It became known that men did not care for decoration or experimentation, only solidly constructed garments. In this time, it is thought that men’s clothing sought no purpose other than to cover one’s skin. Clothing was no longer a representation of wealth and social class, but one of intelligence and gender. Yet, from as early as the great masculine renunciation was conceived dandyism formed as a rebellious subculture. Despite Flügel’s proclamation there were some men in the late 18th century who placed importance of the self on appearance, the arts and cultural experiences, the dandies became known as social climbers with a reliance on materialistic devices. And still, interest in style from men has continued to peak in these smaller subsections of society.

Subcultures have always been a driving force in modern fashion. From dandy’s through to the UK garage scene at the turn of the millennium. Subcultures shy away from the traditional ideals of their era, and instead act as a form of rebellion. One that pushes culture forward.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when men have not been interested in fashion.” And in the midst of the 20th century, with rebellion came resourcefulness. DIY culture became the centre of men’s fashion. The hippies of the 1960s and the punks of the 1970s turned male clothing from purposeful and mundane to an expression of the self. Tie dye t-shirts and patch-work denim became key staples in an era of ‘make do and mend’. It was this mentality that bread a generation of creative and fashion conscious men. However, male interest in fashion seems to be a bit of an enigma. As menswear blogger Jordan Bunker discusses, “I don’t think there’s ever been a time when men have not been interested in fashion. Men might not have been as vocal about it a few decades ago but you only have to look at bands in the 60s and subcultures such as Mods and Rockers to see men expressing their style.” So often these subcultures were carved out around music genres. Music and fashion in this sense go hand in hand. It always has. In terms of style icons for men, so many have been rooted in the music industry. Whereas women had stylish actresses and monarchy, men in the spotlight were so rarely considered for their fashion forward ways. But musicians seemed to have a different appeal. Elvis had a huge impression on the style choices of the young men of his day, in the same way that Mick Jagger did, and The Beatles, and David Bowie. Even now to the likes of Skepta and Alex Turner. Musicians have always had a fashion influence over men that the fashion media and design houses could only dream of. Yet, subcultures seem to be dying. 7

images courtesy of Bloomsbury Fashion Central

punks of the 1970s, with signature mowhwak hairstyles and pinned jackets

coloir lithograph of famous dandy Beau Brummel, by Richard Dighton, 1805

Dan Henderson, a fashion marketing lecturer at London College of Fashion believes that this is down to a more homogenised fashion cycle. As music becomes ‘less trend driven,’ he argues, fashion has become more focused on commercialised trends. As fashion perhaps edges away from music as a source of inspiration, fashion photographer Yu Fujiwara believes that “the mix of streetwear and high fashion makes it easier for young people to approach it (fashion) visually and mentally.” This thought on the direction of young men’s interest in fashion is one that Bunker shares, arguing that, “in this current climate I would say streetwear brands such as Supreme, Off-White and Yeezy have definitely had an impact on the interest in menswear for young men and teenagers.” However, when it comes to commercial menswear market growth, it wasn’t until the 1980s that the wider public and the fashion industry sat up and took note of the underground movements creating a market for men’s fashion. As Edwards’ essay notes, ‘menswear became men’s fashion in the 1980s when designers starting to hold menswear shows.’ It was designers such as Armani and Calvin Klein that brought menswear to the forefront of fashion. Designers more skilled in the crafting of male silhouettes and designs began showcasing their ideas on globally recognised fashion weeks. Entering centre stage at a time when men were beginning to neglect traditional ideals of masculinity, dubbed the new man. Defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a man “who rejects sexist attitudes and the traditional male role, esp. in the context of domestic responsibilities and childcare, and who is (or is held to be) caring, sensitive, and non-aggressive”. The idea of men being interested in fashion seemed to fit perfectly into this new generation of men. And the more the designers showcased new and modern menswear, the more it seemed that men became interested in fashion and style. Although this may be the case, many argue that this was simply an increase in the attention paid to men and their style, not an increased in interest. This is something that is highlighted by fashion photographer Yu Fujiwara, who discusses that “fashion has always been and will be accessible to anyone. It’s a matter of what choices you make. Fashion doesn’t choose you.” Although changes to in the 1980s had their effects on the industry, continuous changes to the structure of seasonal catwalks have had a major influence on the interest in, and publicity of male fashion. This recognition of the talent within the menswear sector helped fuel the influx

of interest in men’s fashion. With the introduction of a dedicated men’s fashion week came increased media coverage and widely available access to the industry. Lulu Kennedy and Fashion East are perhaps one of the front runners when it comes to bringing menswear to the forefront and supporting young designer talent. The non-profit organisation was established in 2000 alongside the Old Truman Brewery. Kennedy is one of the key figures credited in the formation of London Fashion Week Men’s. With the launch of Fashion East’s menswear sector MAN in 2005, supporting some of the best names in contemporary menswear, including Wales Boner, JW Anderson, Christopher Shannon, and ex-creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones. However, further change in more recent years has since seen some brands move away from the traditional seasonal fashion cycle altogether. Brands such as Gucci and Burberry have made the move into mixed gendered shows, going against the traditional structure of the seasonal shows – Which begs the question, is this part of the reason for the increasing menswear market? “Not necessarily,” Bunker argues, “but what it does do is bring the menswear collection to a bigger audience and reach. However, Burberry also decided back in 2016 to opt out of the scheduled seasons and show simply ‘February’ and ‘September’ shows, and became one of the first brands to offer a ‘see-now-buy-now’ collection, making new collection pieces available online almost instantaneously after their catwalk debut. Though it appears that these changes are helping the market growth significantly. Although the menswear market remains only around half the size of the womenswear market, research by Mintel suggests that growth and interest is steady. In 2017, menswear outperformed womenswear in terms of growth and profit, with research suggesting that if growth continues on this level, the menswear market will surpass the womenswear market by 2020. Fujiwara believes that this is down to the “impact of social media on the fashion industry,” continuing that me now find it “easy to show the world and express their styles and what they have through social media.” This is a notion echoed by Bunker, who discusses that, “social media has broken down the stigma of men talking about fashion – if there ever was one. It’s a lot easier to like and share menswear content and get a conversation going with like-minded men.” As brands continue to begin to cater to an ever-growing menswear audience, ecommerce, social media and digital influencers are creating a more visible menswear atmosphere. 9

A theme that his repeatedly brought up through research is not that men have suddenly became interested in fashion and style, but that the media and retail markets have become aware of their interest, and have decided to tap into this market for profit reasons. As has been seen through the launching of menswear specific tangent sites, such as Boohooman.com, which launched little over a year ago and launched its own active wear range back in January. Online retailers are beginning to tap into the menswear market after struggling to navigate the reactive womenswear market. As Simon Smith, ex-CEO of Ben Sherman discusses in a report by consultancy agency Pragma, “the menswear market is always challenging. However, it doesn’t have the same level of fluctuation as womenswear, so the lows are not as low.” Further evidence suggests that retailers are adapting strategies to develop menswear departments as research analysis from Pragma shows that male consumers display larger levels of loyalty, as Smith argues “men hut, and they go to where they had success previously.” When it comes to the future of menswear, Bunker believes that “ecommerce will become even bigger and it’ll be interesting to see how retail adapts to the growing online market.”

the latest fashion publications in order to find trends, as more and more are adapting to a world where fashion is embedded with the everyday. This is something Bunker believes will be beneficial to the menswear market, and male engagement with fashion. “The rise of social media has helped stimulate the conversation of fashion among young men and I think that’s where it starts. A guy scrolls past something he likes, perhaps likes it and then maybe likes it enough to share it with a friend or group.” As access to digital platforms continues to rise, men are becoming more in touch with the fashion industry. As a constant stream of imagery and paid content are filtered through their Instagram, Twitter and even Facebook feeds, fashion is becoming an ever-present ideal. Further digital technologies such as the rise of cookies and data engagement is perhaps one of the largest factors in the rise of ecommerce sales. Despite the multiple ethical challenges this sort of advertisement and data handling may raise, it cannot be ignored as a key factor to the resurgence of menswear in our digitally saturated environment.

“The rise of social media And with more brands opting into the has helped stimulate the ecommerce field, competition is getting to beat. As brands continually conversation of fashion harder try to keep costumers loyal with the best among young men and and quickest service, like that of Farfetch, introduced its ‘click-now-buy-nowI think that’s where it who get-now’ scheme last Aripl, in which starts.” you can purchase and receive an order

Ecommerce developments have changed the way we view and shop fashion content. From Burberry’s ‘see-now-buy-now’ to digitally embedded concept stores, digital is becoming a much larger part of the overall shopping experience. With Pragma research showing that 37% of men being influenced by a brands website and 22% by a brands social media sites into buy choices, the move into a shopping experience that combines both technologies seems only logical. With Instagram’s latest shopping feature, those adapted to social media are able to click straight through from an image of a product to a direct site to purchase the same product.

within the a 90 minute window, brands continue to build off of our increased appetite for instant gratification.

Therefore, as more digital technologies are developed allowing for men to become active in the world of fashion, market growth will continue. This is because of the continuous allowance of instant gratification enabled via social media platforms.

Despite the declaration that fashion was no longer an industry that required the attention of men, the menswear market is constantly growing. Male interest in fashion and personal style has always been present in society, but before Be that a product post on the brand’s own site and a street you had to seek it out. Now, its present everywhere. Ready style shot of a digital influencer, the update allows approved and waiting to be embraced. Instagram’s for shopping to tag products direct to websites. Allowing for further content pushing to sales in vastly growing sector of ecommerce via social media updates. These types of developments will therefore allow more men to become more actively involved in fashion. As now men, and women alike, no longer have to go out in search of fashion related content. They do not have to scour 10

Gorgio Armani autumn 1988 shot by Aldo Fallai. image courtesy of journal.styleforum.net

small actions, big changes, great men...

exordium gets to know the organisation combating the stigmas facing young men around the country, discusses their hopes and finds out what you can do to help 12

Founded in 2013 by Sarah Perry and Genevieve Dawson, the GREAT initiative is a programme of workshops and development activities that aim to battle the negative stereotypes placed on men. The not-for-profit organisation was born out of a need to challenge gender inequality at the grassroots of the issues. Tackling the matters face-on, the initiative – which is compiled of the Great Men and Good Lad organisations – work on demystifying the range of stereotypes, expectations and engrained ideals of the male psyche from a young age. The two organisations work with two age groups of young men. The Great Men project works with young boys at a secondary school level. The organisation takes its specifically curated workshops into schools as a part of the PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) programmes that run throughout most schools across the country. Good Lad goes into university campuses, and even corporate work environments, in an attempt to undo the gendered socialising that is often so prominent in ‘lad culture.’ The organisation discusses many difficult subjects that are a part of the creation of the inequality of genders within society. From rape culture and consent, to mental health and well-being – and everything else in-between that constitutes that being a man is about. Or better, is thought to be about. Speaking to David Brockley, project manager at the GREAT initiative, he explains the importance of projects like this one. “It’s a project that brings together men from multiple backgrounds who are all linked by the fact that they see problems with the way in which masculinity has been represented and pushed upon them,” he told me via email. And this importance is something that is echoed by many of the volunteers that are a part of the initiatives who are, Brockley argues, “practically part of the staff.” Phil Edgerley is one of those volunteers, and he discusses this importance at great length, “our society is structured, and has been for hundreds of years towards men – particularly white, middle class men – the sort of privilege of that,” he tells us. “It exists at so many levels of our society,” he explains. “And without actually starting to open an awareness of that it’s hard to really look at what we need to do, and the discussion we need to have and how it effects young boys and men.” What Great Men does that help this, Edgerley discusses, is that it “allow(s) for questions to be asked. In a safe

environment where people aren’t going to be ridiculed from asking questions that probably everybody needs to ask but are lots of people are afraid to, particularly men.” Jeff Carpenter is another of the GREAT initiative volunteers, who discusses the ideas behind the project, “I think the ethos of great men is really, to essentially to selfdestruct really.” “There isn’t enough PSHE lessons,” he explains to me. “This isn’t integrated into the governments curriculum. So, their (Great Men’s) view is, for now, we will offer that to schools, but the long-term goal is that it just becomes a part of the school curriculum really, as far as I understand it.” “As far as I can tell Great Men certainly don’t want to exist, but they sort of have to,” Carpenter explains. All three men came to work with the organisation from entirely different places in life. Brockley says that “I had my male privilege exposed to me.” It was the realities of this that made him want to take action, “at the time I didn’t realise it in those terms, but I basically started to realised that women and girls experience daily sexism, abuse, anger etc. and that I had been so oblivious to it for so long.” When Edgerley decided to help, it was during a social media break that he came across the initiative, and decided to get involved. Jeff saw that a friend had been working with Great Men and that they needed more volunteers. For all of these men, they all recognise the difference an organisation like this one makes. And each one of them tell me that the wish there was something like this when they were young boys. For Carpenter, it comes from a place of sexuality and acceptance. “Because I’m gay,” Carpenter informs me, continuing that, “I knew from when I was around 16, so I was pretty much asexual all the way through school. And you know, in my school it was things they did a valentine’s day dinner, and they would only permit male/ female couples. I wanted to go with my straight friend, and we were not allowed. We both thought that it was absolutely outrageous. No one was out in my school, but this is how it was. No long ago.” For Brockley, it’s for the fact that he, “was a very cynical teenager.” Explaining that, “although I probably wouldn’t have spoken out and been disruptive in a session like ours, I definitely would have sat in the corner scoffing at what was being said. Recently when delivering a workshop about emotional well-being and how we were allowed to hold on to our feelings and that we shouldn’t be ashamed about having 13

them, I felt that would have really spoken to me.” But for Edgerley, he realised that he “grew up with poor male role models, really poor. But I knew that I was not like that, and I used to come into a lot of stick from my step father, for not being like a normal boy. Whatever that was.’ “So, from as young as I can remember I was always kind of ‘other.’ I was always not what was expected. And I knew that I felt ostracised, or at least isolated because of that.” Although he wishes that Great Men had been established when he was young, he tells me that he, “understands that maybe it probably couldn’t have been, in the 70s… but yes the whole idea of what being a man is, of what that means. But also, of what that means in relation to women. And I didn’t realise that until fairly recently.” “Well, I understood, but I didn’t have the ability to articulate what the differences were.” And that’s something the being a part of Great Men has help Edgerly with. “I needed the language to understand that, and I think if I would have had that earlier, it would have helped me personally, finding out lots of sorts of issues and conflicts that I think probably all of us go through.” This is the change that the organisation aims to create. Although times are changing, and society is now more accepting of different ideas of what it means to be a man, of sexuality and of gender identity. But, this is a change the is slow, but is happening. Both Carpenter and Egderley have noted the level of acceptance that is now present in school in environments. “Its mad going into schools now,” Carpenter notes, “just ten years later and there’s this rainbow flag for Pride Week.” This is an impact that can come from 14

the projects like this one he tells me, continuing that, “I think anything that is saying, workshops that discuss sexuality as something more than ‘we’re all straight and somewhere there are gay people but you don’t need to worry about that.’ Because that’s what I was told during school, so emotionally I didn’t really develop until I go to university.” “So I think anything that’s dealing with – its okay to be into music or to be gay or to be trans, or to be a ‘softie’ – whatever it may be, there want really anything like that at my school and that was only ten years ago.” Things have changed, “immeasurably” Edgerley tells me, continuing that, “there’s positive change. Gender is no longer considered a just a binary concept. Even in my daughter’s school there’s much more discussion and acceptance of people identifying themselves outside of those two binary concepts in terms of gender, and sexuality.” However, Edgerley discusses the somewhat negative repercussions of some of the changes to society. Namely, the rise of social media. “I think what’s different now is that there’s a sense of image, and to be liked. And I mean that in the sense of, be seen to be doing the right things, saying the right things and at times wearing the right things.” Discussing the role social media has on young men today, he thinks that, “its hugely pressured. It always has been when your young, but its more so now. Because there’s this sense that its actually open and it’s out there.” “You’re constantly being bombarded with images, and it creates this false sense of identity,” Edgerley explains. But this is something that Great Men challenges. As Brockley explains, “We don’t want to tell men/boys ‘who to be’, as we don’t claim to have the answers, but rather encourage them to question many of the norms they have inherited

and ask if they actually want to follow those ideas, stereotypes etc.” “we don’t just bring an alternative viewpoint to what a lot of young people are taught, but we empower the young people by talking with them, encouraging them to question us as well as each other.” It is this encouragement that Carpenter thinks is such an important of the way that the project operates. “valuing all responses – which doesn’t mean agreeing with all responses but just valuing them,” he explains about the discussions within the projects workshops. “If a boy says ‘well ultimately, if you’re a boy you’re a boy, and if you’re a girl you’re a girl. That’s it that’s the way God made us.’ It’s so powerful to go say ‘okay, what do we think about that’ and then offering it out to the group. It just shows that he has been valued for his contribution. And he’s offered it because he’s open to debate.’ This is something that Brockley says is, “so rare for young people – especially boys.” The initiative was created to fix this. To start a conversation between young men and boys, to change the dated perception of what it means to be a man, and to challenge what Carpenter notes as the “collective socialisation of men.” For Brockley, everyday working with Great Men is a successful one, for his favourite experience of working with the project, he tells me, is “literally every single workshop.” For more information and how to get involved, visit www.great-men.org If you are feeling low and need someone to talk to, get in touch with Samaritans on 0845 90 90 90 or visit www.samaritans.org for online advice or to find your nearest branch.

“We don’t want to tell boys ‘who to be’, as we don’t claim to have the answers. But rather encourage them to question many of the norms they have inherited and ask if they actually want to follow those ideas, stereotypes etc.”

visit www.exordiumonline.wordpress.com to see our Great Men film 15

artists corner exordium is a publication that holds its grassroots in a city that is as diverse as it is populated. It is the city that never sleeps, the concrete jungle, and a central cultural hub. For this series of writings, exordium explores the young creatives living, working and creating in London. We explore creativity in its many forms. In his column, tom harvey tries to demystify the realities of moving to London and trying to make it in the creative industry. Photographer joey fischer talks to us about the cultural differences around the world, and why he chose to capture the spirit of Londoners through his upcoming exhibition Familiar Strangers. 21 year old tom lucy discusses his record achieving career so far, and offers a sneak peek into whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in store for the London born comedian. And finally, musician, producer and all round creative mark baron mcclaren aka B3 Kid discusses talent nurturing, the east end music scene and doinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bits.

tom

talks... When I went to university, I thought I’d get a decent grade, which would lead to a decent job, a decent apartment and, in all, a decent life. I went to the University of Birmingham do a degree in Mathematics because, humble brag, I was pretty good at it my entire school career. However, a couple months into uni and I’d found what I really wanted to do, and shockingly it turns out it wasn’t becoming an Actuary. I joined a society, a small student run YouTube channel that made me rethink my entire life plan. Being in front of a camera, the star of whatever it was we were filming that day, was a crazy endorphin ride that I was constantly buying tickets to. Flash forward, I dropped out of Uni with ideas of becoming a sensation! But that’s not exactly how it panned out. After dropping out I worked in a bar back home for a while, telling myself I’d eventually apply for internships at any production company that would take me. Two years in and wanting to quit my job, I got a lifeline. A friend was moving to London to manage a pub and needed someone for a month just to get the pub on its feet. I took the offer, sure that in that month I’d be able to get something in the industry while in London. If you want a clue as to how that’s going, I’m now one year into that one month bar job, and I recently spent five hours out of my 18

day to shoot two minutes of footage I doubt will ever get used. It turns out I’m not alone when it comes to waiting for ages for something that amounts to nothing. A friend of mine recently went to a dance audition. She got there at 8.30am when they said it would begin, and eventually got to learn the choreography and perform at 2.15pm. Nearly 6 hours after the call time. “It felt like a closed audition,” she told me, “but the day before they posted the time and location on their Instagram and other social media accounts for anyone and his mate to show up to.” After being sent away and told to come back later, waiting in a tiny entrance way with over 100 other people – it’s unsurprisingly hard to keep yourself motivated. “I should’ve walked out to tell you the truth, but I didn’t,” she reflects now. “The person running it [quite a wellknown dance instructor] kept coming out on Twitter Live, thanking us all for coming and asking us to use the hashtag. Which I would’ve been fine with if it was something to be proud of. It was horrendous, the most disorganised thing ever. And most of us were pissed off because dancers don’t get taken seriously anyway, and this is meant to be someone representing us to the industry.” It’s difficult to get a performing role in this industry, whether you’re an actor, dancer, or aspiring presenter. This is why we apply for basically anything that seems even remotely useful to further our career. ‘I’ve applied for dance companies, short films, cruise ships,’ she tells me. “My first audition was actually Disneyland, I got on their books but they only keep you on for six months and nothing came of it.” I can relate. I’ve tried to get on the books at a load of talent companies, but unless you pay an extortionate amount it’s difficult to get any kind of representation. And amateur acting groups aren’t exactly better from my experience. It’s hard when you get excited for a new YouTube acting group you’ve been accepted into only for it to be disbanded a week later. Because no one could make one specific Sunday and the person in charge was so disenfranchised himself from his previous failures – which he talked about in length during the first meeting, that should have been a red flag – that he just calls off the entire thing. Considering I moved here to get into production, I figured I should get some ideas from someone who works in a more behind the camera role. Lily has worked on shows such as Little Big Shots, This Time Next Year, Britain’s Got Talent, The Gadget Show, the BAFTAs, and countless other shows. Which I’ve had to hear about and be jealous of. Lily started out by emailing the executive producer of Travel Man to try get some work experience, “I did two weeks of work experience and they liked me so much they offered me another two weeks paid work even though they didn’t have the budget for it,” she tells me.

Despite this and the year and a half of experience Lily has amassed, she still finds it difficult to be in work, with an average of a month of unemployment between jobs. This has led her to take jobs she normally wouldn’t, such as transcribing for Britain’s Got Talent; “It was nine weeks, there were four of us and I think we went through about 200+ hours of footage. January and February are notoriously quiet times in this industry, and it was difficult [when applying for jobs] because they’d ask what you do now and transcribing is seen more of an entry-level job. So I’d have to tell them I’m just in that job because if I didn’t take it I wouldn’t have any money.” Getting an interview in the first place is hard enough without having to explain why you took a step down. Lily estimates that in every 10 jobs she applies for she’ll at best hear back from two, “not getting a response is standard, getting one is weird,” she explains. “In hospitality, say a restaurant, if they lose a waiter they’ll need to hire someone straight away. With filming, TV shows especially, they don’t need people all the time. Little Big Shots is only six episodes a series,” she tells me, “the actual production of the show can only take like a few months.” With these two very talented people applying for everything they’re qualified for and still not getting a full-time job in the industry, it shows how hard it is to make it in this industry. The temptation to move back to Birmingham or go to Manchester has been on my mind, but because London is the capital it just has so many more opportunities. Despite none of us managing in a cumulative four and a half years of trying to get a full-time, well paid job in this industry, once you’re in London you don’t want to leave. The dream is still alive. It’s just finding that one big break that’s going to catapult us that keeps us going. And if it doesn’t work out, at least I got paid £50 to stand around a game show set and essentially be a prop.

words by tom harvey

“I’m now one year into that one month bar job, and I recently spent five hours out of my day to shoot two minutes of footage I doubt will ever get used.” 19

familiar strangers exordium delves into the mind of joey fischer before his first solo photography exhibition

Joey Fischer is a man who has seen his share of the world. Born in Guatemala, he and his family moved around a lot as a part of his parent’s jobs. From Saudi Arabia to Romania, returning to his native land to study an undergraduate degree in architecture left Fischer with a sense that something was missing.

years ago.

It was then that the photographer decided to take the craft seriously. From corporate head shots and family photo album pictures, to starting – and leaving – his own photography company, to his first solo exhibition. Fischer’s path in life has had many unexpected loops and turns, but Fischer’s life didn’t exactly pan out in the way he saw it now things seem to be heading in the right direction with going. And that, for the artist, is the greatest thing. After his first photography exhibition coming up, exordium sat first picking up a camera to be a party photographer for a down with the artist to discuss life, travelling and Familiar small weekly publication, Fischer made a few stops in the Strangers. Canary Islands and Germany before settling in London four 20

When Joey Fischer first arrived in the British capital, he didn’t have the most usual start to a new life. Moving to the city on the back bone of an invite to sofa surf, from there he ended up living in not just one, but two, illegal hostels. And his tour guides? Tinder dates.

hope and dreams. People at their most vulnerable but still a warrior, doing their thing.’

For most people, Fischer’s way of doing things is a little unconventional, and for others it’s the best way to see the world.

Fischer decided that a white-washed pop-up gallery space in central London just wasn’t him. It wasn’t his concept, and it certainly wasn’t the people who he shoots.

But for the artist it’s the curiosity and spontaneity of life that excites him. And that’s part of what fuels his art. ‘That’s what drives me. It’s about not being stuck in a routine, and getting to seeing things that I otherwise wouldn’t, and that’s purely because I’m interested,’ he laughs. ‘That’s my best estimate I think, but I wouldn’t really know. I just kind of do things because I do them, I don’t really think about them too much.’ For Fischer, London is filled with inspiration. And this is because of the people who make up the city. ‘We’re all different, and we’re all the same,’ he exclaims, ‘we’re all stuck in the same city. And that’s what this project that I’m working on (is about).’ The project is titled Familiar Strangers and will be exhibited for three days in Peckham this spring. Discussing the concept of the exhibition, Fischer explains that, ‘my pictures are about people in London. Random people that have never met each other. They would never of had that opportunity, but we’re all in one place and we should all acknowledge the fact that we’re sharing this incredible city, together.’ Continuing, ‘what I try to shoot is, regardless of being in a city like this, which is not the easiest. Through the people, I want the people who see my pictures, I want them to see there is a hope. ‘That’s what I want people to see;

His exhibition is a reflection of just that, and of how the photographer chooses to live his life. Against the grain, one of a kind and not what you would normally have in mind.

‘I don’t want to spend some money for people to come to a boring space. I want people to come and have an experience, get to know me and whatever,’ the artist explains about the unique concept of the show. Instead, Fischer opted for an exhibition that embodies the experience he has when he goes out to shoot. He immerses himself in the person, in their life, and in the neighbourhood. So, that’s what his exhibition will recreate.

feels like much more than a just barber shop. The photographer now sees himself as friends with the owners, and finds himself engrossed by its atmosphere after each visit. ‘It’s so lively, you know? It’s more like a community thing than a barber shop, like you can just go in and hang out, have a drink with the guys and listen to music,’ the artist says, contemplating, ‘I don’t know if you’ve seen those things, I think it’s like a very Peckham thing, kind off...’ By this, the artist means that the community in Peckham isn’t much like the rest of London. There isn’t a constant on-the-go rush like in the City. The people who make up this neighbourhood know one another, they are friends and neighbours, and to some extent they are all family. Yet Fischer knows this isn’t always the case for everyone who calls London home.

‘out of all of the places, and houses, and neighbourhoods – this is where I am happiest.’

‘You’re not locked in a room, staring at a wall. You’re actually talking to people, and there are smells and sights and sounds... And you’re walking in the neighbourhood and that’s what I really want to do,’ the artists reveals The black and white film images will be printed and displayed in the windows of locally owned businesses down Peckham Rye Road for a fully immersive experience. The images will lead the viewer down the road to the cultural hub of a community – a local barber shop.

‘This is a transitory city, you know? Most people just move out after a few years, but while they’re here, they’re doing their thing, and I think that’s very admirable.’

This is something he admits is true for himself. London won’t be home for much longer, he and his girlfriend plan to move to Ibiza in the next year or so. Although that isn’t a reflection of Fischer’s thoughts on London, ‘I loved it. I think it’s cool, I think it’s tough,’ he adds. Because life is anything but static for the photographer and change seems almost necessary, for himself and for his craft.

Yet he notes that, ‘out of all of the places, and houses, and ‘If I wanted people to see my pictures, neighbourhoods – this is where I am I wanted them to feel what I feel,’ happiest.’ Fischer discusses. But change is of importance, and The barber shop is locally owned, it’s if there’s anything that Fischer won’t the one Fischer himself goes to, but it 21

images courtesy of Joey Fischer

stand for, its making excuses for not changing your own life. ‘If they’re unhappy then they can always leave it, you know. You can change your life anytime you want. And that’s something I always thought, you can always change your life…’ Fischer’s take on life and change is refreshing, and if not a little intimidating. The photographer is a strong character, and knows how to fight his corner. ‘I’m sorry but if you don’t like it anymore, you don’t have to be the thing you chose to be when you were 18 forever.’ Fischer himself is a university drop out. With just a few semesters left of his architecture degree, the photographer took a break and never looked back. He found that taking risks and trying something new had the biggest reward of them all. Architecture is still a passion of his, it’s a large part of what he loves about London, ‘everything is just so majestic and ancient,’ he shares. London inspires him simply because of ‘the history of the place.’ But turning to photography has generated something more for the artists. It has created a conversation and an outlet for his creative energy. His choice of media is vintage style, black and white analogue photography, ‘I think I just romanticised the idea a little bit,’ he admits about his stylistic choice. ‘I’ve only got 36 pictures, opposed to thousands, and I really have to think about every single one of them.’ Turning away from digital technologies has forced the photographer to slow down and think. ‘Because I can run out, I can shoot them all in a minute, I but I won’t. I have to think, and I have to compose and I have to think what I really want… First I have to see with my eyes.’ ‘I’m thinking what kind of emotions do I want… So, that kind of stuff is more important to me, than the ability to shoot a thousand pictures.’ Fischer wants his images to tell a story, to reveal something about the subject of his shot. ‘I want people to put themselves in a vulnerable place.’ It is this idea of vulnerability and rawness that feeds into the message of his work. He wants to tell a story, convey a message. ‘Anything else,’ he explains, ‘scratch everything else. The most important thing in photography is if you have something to say.’ ‘You have to find your voice.’ And that’s what he aims to continue to develop. The future for Fischer and his work consists of an effort to constantly keep exploring, ‘I want to get into it all, I want to understand the world.’ 24

‘But in a good way, like I’m not criticising anyone, just looking at in the roundest and rawest way. Fischer wants to explore the different communities that build up the vast city that he is so in awe of. “I want to go to Essex, on like a Friday night, I want to shoot people at their fakest and I want to talk to people and be like ‘but you are so normal why do you look so fake?!’ Why do you act this way? “And I want to shoot like a gospel church here in Peckham. “And bankers, and rich Saudis.” He wants his work to be as inclusive and broad as the city of London is. Fischer wants to accurately document the world around. By doing this, he explains, ‘I just want to say that what you do is very interesting, because I don’t do it and I’ve never seen your world.’ Fischer’s work aims to explore and examine the characters that make up this great city, but he himself is one of these great characters. Curiosity drives him. He explores, he chats, he dives into any opportunity he is presented with – whether this is to move city on a whim, attend a lock-in in a local boozer or engross himself in a community for the sake of his work. Because as he wondered around Peckham on a rainy March day, discussing the places and the people, showing local businesses and exploring local artist murals, it is clear that Fischer is more than just a photographer with something to say. He is a soul in search of the beauty of everything he passes. His spirit is adventurous yet he is almost oblivious to the joy that pours out of him, and out of his work. Joey Fischer is an artist with a passion for exploring, yet one thing the artist says rings true, despite the unexpected ‘I enjoy my life as it is.’

tom lucy The youngest person ever signed to Off The Kerb, Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year winner, and a constant worry to his mother From being hit with the most unusual items at gigs, to his mom’s constant state of worry over her son’s life choices, 21 year old university drop out come comedian Tom Lucy sits down with exordium editor Chloe McDonald to talk about life, comedy and everything in between. So, tell us, how did you get started in comedy? I don’t remember wanting to do anything else, really. As a kid, I was always really obsessed with comedy, and used to watch old Lee Evans videos and Billy Connelly and people like this. Honestly, I don’t really remember when I didn’t want to do it. I’ve always wanted to do it. Or performing in some way, but comedy I think. So, I just started as young as I could, so like 15 or 16. I never had a plan B, I still don’t know what I would do if it all went tits up, which it could! Weirdly the other day, my mom found this book that we had when we left primary school, it was like a leaving book. There’s a page in it where all the teachers guessed what the kids would be doing when they were older and mine said ‘comedian’. I’d forgotten about this, but I must’ve been about five or six. So, I don’t know what I was doing at 5 or 6 to make them think this You did go to university for a bit, what happened there? I started a drama degree at Bristol, dropped out, met my manager, dropped out and started doing it full time, when I was about 18. Well, I went but I don’t think I was ever really into it. I think I went because it was what everyone else was doing. There was never really a subject that I loved, but the one I liked the most was drama. But then when I got to Bristol, it was like a really, it wasn’t like a practical course, it was like a proper theory, essay based course. It was really what I thought it was going to be. So, I didn’t really like it, and then, thank god, I met Rick, and then it all sort of happened from there really. 26

image courtesy of Andy Hollingworth

So, you never wanted to be anything other than a comedian? No, I don’t think so, no... A part from when I was like five and I wanted to be a bin man. But, that didn’t last very long. I just remember, when we lived in Clapham, they used to come and take our bins at like five in the morning, and I used to wake up at five every day to go and watch them from the window and take the bins away. What a strange kid! So, bin men and then comedian. that’s been the trajectory. What was your first show? My first ever gig was at school. Every Friday at my school we had like a lunch time assembly thing, for like the whole school. And because it was a bit of like a drama-y school, the teachers used to let people get up and perform at that. And I just put my name up to do stand up. I did like ten minutes of stand up about the school. Wrote about the teaches, and that was my first gig. It went like so well! Then the head master said ‘do you want to do it every Friday?’ So, I started doing it every Friday and writing a new 10

minutes every Friday, which, thinking about it now was so useful. At the time, it felt quite normal but it was so useful for getting better. Tell us about the Edinburgh Fringe, you had a sell-out run last year, right? Yeah, thanks for bringing that up! It was a bit mad. We sort of booked this quite small venue, because it was my first year. And then, it was like really nerve racking, it was like the scariest thing that I’ve done, but it went really well. But yeah it was really fun, I really enjoyed it. So, I’m going back this year, so I’ve got to write like a whole new hour. Tell us about your show for this year? It’s called ‘Reluctant Millennial.’ It’s kind of going to be about me, not wanting to be a part of the millennial generation... Getting quite frustrated with people my age. That seems a bit of a theme. I get quite annoyed with some of the behaviour of people my age. I thought that might be a nice idea to write a show about that. Because there’s just so many things that annoy me about people our age, I thought I could easily talk for an hour about this! Who inspires your comedy? I guess it’s just like, people. My family and friends, a lot of its about my family, but it’s just the experiences you have as a 21-year-old. Is it important to have friends outside the industry? Yeah I think keeping normal friends is really crucial I think. Yeah, definitely. It’s good for your material as well, to do normal things and have normal

friends. Otherwise you become bit... you’re not really that relatable anymore if you just hang out with other comedians. Because it’s such a weird industry, and because the circuit is so strange, that you do tend to like, meet weird people and have quite a few life experiences doing it. Because it attracts all sorts of people. I really like that about the industry, it attracts like everyone - rich people, poor people. Old people, young people. people from perfect backgrounds, people from the worse back grounds you can imagine. Like everyone, there feels like there like every type of person in the industry. Which is nice, it’s interesting isn’t it. But all comedians have ridiculous egos. So, if you were only hanging out with people like that then you’re all feeding each other’s egos. Eventually, you sort of realise ‘oh, I’ve sort of become a bit of a prick!’ and you didn’t even realise. Whereas people that I’ve known for, since I was five or something, they’ll quite happily tell you if you’re being a dick. Isn’t one of your shows called ‘Tom Lucy needs to stop showing of in front of his friends’? Yeah, yeah. That was something that I found in a school report. So basically, I was trying to find a name for the show because I couldn’t think of anything. And then I thought I’d look through some old school reports and see if there’s anything funny in that. And one of my teachers had put “Tom Lucy needs to stop showing off in front of his friends”. And I thought that could be quite funny. So, I just took that. You’ve had a pretty successful career so far, at only 21. How does that feel? It’s weird, I don’t feel like that to be

honest. I still feel very new and very much like I’m just starting. I think I was lucky because I started so young, that it sounds like I’ve done really well, but because I started really young. I really don’t feel like I’ve cracked it or, I know what I’m doing or anything like that. But I think that’s quite dangerous, if people do. Like in general, if you do start thinking that you know what you’re doing, maybe that’s a bad thing. Everyone I know, friends I’ve got who are comedians. Some I’ve got that are like not that successful, and some that are incredibly successful, everyone feel like they don’t know what they’re doing. Everyone’s just kind of winging it, and hoping they don’t get found out. So, it’s weird. I think it would be dangerous if I started to feel like I didn’t need to work hard, or, because I still feel like I do, a lot. What are your like plans for the rest of the year, what have you got coming up? I’m doing a tour with Kevin Bridges. I’m opening for him on tour, which will be great, which is like most of the year. I filmed this special for Comedy Central, which is coming out I think in the summer, I think in like August time. We filmed it at the Comedy Store. I’m at like a stage where I’m trying to get on TV shows. So, I’m doing a lot auditions for TV so, so we’ll see, if any of those come off then that’ll be great. And then Edinburgh of course! And then, I’ve got these shows in the West End in like, two weeks/ three weeks. The Soho Theatre. So, I’ve never done that before! Like it’s like my own show in the West End, which will be exciting, so working towards that. and, yeah, lots of things. Just trying to keep busy really. Just trying not to go back to uni! So, you’re going on tour with Kevin Bridges and you’ve 27

toured with Jack Whitehall before. What’s it like working with such big industry names? Yeah it’s great, it’s amazing. Supporting people, it really makes you better. I think it’s one of the best things you can do if you’re a new act is try to open for people and support people. Because suddenly, you’re used to playing venues that are maximum 300 people. That’s like the average size of a comedy club like 200 – 300 people. I’d just turned 20 when we started Jack’s tour. The biggest place I’d played up until that point was probably about 300 - the Comedy Store, so maybe about 300. And then suddenly, when he said do you want to come and do this tour, and then every night for like six months you’d be doing like two or three thousand seat places, and then at the end of it we went into arenas. You know, the biggest was like 15 thousand. But also, it can be hard supporting people because no one’s there to see you, and they can be quite cold to you. because, you walk out and you can literally see people’s faces going ‘who’s this guy? we haven’t paid for this’ But what’s quite nice is, if they start like that, and then you’re able to win them over and be like, and then by the end of it they’re like ‘oh he’s we actually like him’ That’s quite satisfying. What’s been the best experience of your career so far? There was a particular gig I did when I was 18, which is the one where I met Rick. It was like my first time at the Comedy Store, and I was doing five minutes in between the professional guys. It was the first time that I’d performed there. I’d obviously been there loads of times when I was a kid with my dad. So, performing there was mad, and then it went so well, and then obviously, all this stuff happened. I feel like it all happened as a result of that night. So, that was a huge thing, so maybe if that gig hadn’t of gone as well as it did, then maybe things would have happened as quickly. That night probably, in hindsight, was probably the most important night. It was mad, because you know, it suddenly felt like I could do it. It wasn’t like a dream anymore; it was like I can actually do this now. So yeah, I know that all sounds a bit wank-y really doesn’t it. It’s ridiculous. And the worst experience? Well, you have a lot of bad experiences when you start out. Like a lot, most of your gigs are going to be bad when you start. But one of the good things about when you start is that, 28

there’s like normally like ten people in the audience. So, you’re not humiliating yourself that much because there’s like ten people there. But when you get into slightly bigger rooms and you have bad nights, that can be awful. But the worst one was a Christmas party in Exeter. Maybe two years ago, and a lady threw a dildo at me on stage. So, there were probably about four hundred people in this big Christmas party, and they were all wearing Christmas hats and having dinner and stuff, and it was all going so badly, and this lady launched this dildo. And it like hit me in the chest and fell to the floor. My first thought was that she’d been given it as a present just then, and I hope that’s what it was! But I don’t know if she didn’t have high hopes for the entertainment or something, so she thought she would bring her own entertainment. At the end, the promoter running it, he said to me, ‘you took the dildo and I respect it.’

tom lucy reluctant millennial 2 - 26 august 2018 pleasance courtyard, edinburgh To keep up to date with tom, follow him on Instagram @tomjameslucy or visit tomlucy.com for show dates and tickets

B3 NETWORK the home grown creative agency nurturing and showcasing the best of E3 talent

I first met Barron, founder of B3 Network, at Bow Road tube station on a slightly below average day in mid-March. He was running late and I had arrived ten minutes early just in case. When we eventually met, we headed over to Hackney Wick together to one of the bars on the canal. He’s trying to expand the comfort zone, he informs me. On our way, which consisted of a quick stop at a corner shop opposite Bow station and a short taxi ride, you can instantly tell that this is where Barron feels at home. Walking around the East End with him creates a polar opposite atmosphere than what is usually suspected of the area. Barron seems to know everyone we pass. And even if he doesn’t, he offers them a quick smile and a ‘hello’. He’s instantly recognisable. Standing around 6”4 with a head full of unruly dreads and a small goatee. If you did know him, you’d spot him a mile off. If you didn’t, he’s a face and a character you’d struggle to forget. The environment he creates is instantly infectious and homely. Whether this is your first time meeting the creative mind or if you’ve known him all your life, Barron has a way of making everyone around him feel at ease. I met Barron three times over the course of as many weeks, and each time feels like being reunited with an old friend. And each time he has a new anecdote for me, or a new piece of music, or a new place to visit. In our three short meetings, I feel as though I’ve seen and experienced more of the East End than I have in the two years I’ve lived here.

Barron is constantly working with other creatives and entrepreneurs. One of which is Joshua Shakes-Drayton aka Bobby Solo, who founded his network Just Stay Driven four years ago. Just Stay Driven (JSD), Bobby says “is a lifestyle brand, an umbrella company. It deals with all – fashion, media, creative, arts. Anything and everything. “We have problems. Everyone does, even billionaires have problems, you know what I mean? But at the same time, in life, you just have to have heart innit. “So, whatever you’re doing, man’s here to support. Just Stay Driven, innit. Stay at it.” That’s the ethos of his brand he tells me, “obviously, life gets in the way and you have to deal with that, but four years we’ve been going strong. “We’ve gone abroad, so we can’t complain. We’ve got things in Denmark,” he explains to me. To the multinational company is rooted in Bow and Poplar. Together Barron and Bobby create events, performances, clothing and brand. “literally anything creative we can get our hands on,” they claim. “Obviously, it makes sense if like minds get together, and make it happen,” explains Bobby. “It doesn’t make sense everyone trying to make the same plans. Let’s merge and get as big as possible. Its big love and support.”

“Obviously, it makes sense if like minds get together, and make it happen,”

But Barron is a true east Londoner. Born Mark Barron McClaren, but he goes by either Barron or B3 Kid. Raised in Bow by Jamaican parents, music has always been a large part of the creative’s life. And that’s where B3 Network B3 Network and Just Stay Driven’s plans for the summer comes from. Founded in early 2018, Barron says that, “it’s consist of more events and spread the collective’s ideals of been a life-long mission, but I started putting the name positivity. into action only this year.” The network emerged because of the lack of exposure and recognition being given to an area, Although both collectives are relatively new in the grand scheme of things, the two creatives have known each other that to Barron, is beaming with creativity. since “before we knew ourselves,” Bobby laughs. “B3 network started with this whole being creative hype. On a timeline, it’s been about 18 years since they met at I’ve always been a creative person and then I found myself around the age of 12 and 13. But the two were brought needing an outlet. A way to showcase it,” he informs me. together over a shared vision. “At the time, I was seeing a lot of social media – I’m “I live by a rule,” Baron notes. “If I knew you 10 or 15 not a social media person, I’ll be honest. It’s kind of years ago, and I see you in another 10 or 15 years, and you contradictory, because it’s the only kind of tool to get your don’t have anything constructive to talk about or make stuff out there and be noticed. So, I kind of have to use it.” happen? Then I can’t really be in your presence for too “The whole B3 Kid comes from needing an outlet to put long.” things on the platform. So B3 Network was an off branch of And that’s the root of the networks. To constantly be that.” creating something new, something constructive. “We’re just trying to take over the world and show some “We come from Bow and Poplar, so obviously, the love,” he laughs. networks pretty big for us to say every single place where 32

we know people and have networked up,” Barron says about the scope of the project. “But when you come from a place like Bow or Poplar, we’ve got artists that have made it. People that are doing great stuff and have made it. Yet still, people don’t actually know what’s going on in Bow. Or what the talent is saying. There’s no platforms for us to get out there anymore.” This is the main problem that Barron is trying to tackle. “Because back in the day when Radio and whatever was on your door step, youth clubs and word of mouth. So, where it’s all gone mad now, anyone and everyone can… It’s about getting the focus back on our shit,” Bobby adds. But things have changed since the days of pirate radio stations. “There are so many people that still have talent and they need a showcase and there needs to be a platform. Me and him linked up,” Barron tells me, gesturing to Bobby, sat next to him. “Because he’s being doing his thing since day. And a lot of people couldn’t see it. So, it was like ‘alright, cool we’re going to make it happen, you’re going to see it when it’s in your face.” Barron wants B3 Network to create a sense of unity within his collective of artists, that’s why collaborating if so import for him. “This unity is going to show other people, because Bow has had a lot of unity and it’s been broken down, especially when people have made it – like your Dizzee’s and your Wiley’s, your Tinchy’s,” he notes of some of the East Ends most famous artists. “All these people have made it,” he continues, “but you never see any unity off them. It’s always been like, you see them a few months or years latter down the road, and tis like ‘ah you made it, but you never did anything for the ends.” “No one knows about Bow anymore. So right now, what we’re trying to do is to draw it in.” This is a key focus for these creatives – and for both of their projects respectively. “Everything starts at home. Charity starts at home – you know what I mean?” Bobby argues. Both Barron and Booby are passionate about their projects. And what they are trying to change is the view of East End musicians. They want people to know that talent is still growing here. Because since the early 2000s, the East End of London has been a central hub in the creation and rise of underground and ‘urban’ music. With the likes of Wiley and Tinchy Stryder hailing from Bow, there’s clear evidence of talent within the community. Yet this seems to have been neglected over recent years.

But these artists brought the East End to the forefront of an emerging music scene. Barron is someone whose life has been shaped by the music sound that has developed around him. For 30 years, music has influenced his creative life. He still remembers how Wiley came to fame, and the journalists who kept creeping around the underground events and pirate radio stations trying to fathom a name for the new genre of music that were driving listeners away from commercial music and onto the unregulated radio waves. The lyrics of Wiley infamous 2004 track “Wot Do U Call It?’ describes the feeling perfectly, he tells me. “What d’you call it? Garage? What d’you call it? Urban?” the song questions. But to Barron, and most of the other young artists and listeners in the East End at the time, it didn’t have a name. It didn’t need one. To them, they were just vibing to a sound of music that was so organic and representative of them and their lives, that a name didn’t matter. The distinctive East London sound was eventually dubbing ‘grime’ in around 2004 – the specific date of which is still unclear. And the grime scene as we know it was born. And what Barron wants the most is to keep the sound as authentic as he can. He wants the music that comes out of the scene to be a true presentation of life here. Watching artists like Dizzee Rascal and Wiley grow and develop, move into a more commercial sound and open the sound of grime to a wider audience has always been a positive thing. It’s had a positive effect of the movement, but to Barron, something seems to be lost along the way. Barron himself is an artist, musician, photographer, fashion designer, entrepreneur, an events coordinator and much more. His resume is essentially a list of different ways to say the word ‘creative’. hen the music that was coming out of Bow and Poplar started to feel different, and even when it seemed like there was no longer any creativity coming from the East End, that’s when Barron decided to take things into his own hands. B3 Network was created out the need for organisation, representation and distribution of the current creativity of East London. When I ask Barron and Bobby where they want to take B3 Network and JSD, the response is simple. “To the world, man,” the pronounce. “To the aliens, to the Martians. To the lizards and that. To the Tibetan monks. To the world. All the way to the Commercial road.” It’s a joint answer from the two creatives. Laughing over one another. 33

“We’re trying to go everywhere…” Barron clarifies. “We feature a lot of artists…” he continues, “under the creative umbrella of doin bits,” another organisation that Barron is a part of. “We feature hella artists. Like photographers, creative members, digital artists, web designers, brand designers, clothing…” “It all interplays” he tells me. B3, Doin’ Bits, Just Stay Driven, they are all part of a grand scheme of things. A collective of start-ups representing the young talent of the East End.

long time, ain’t been fucking working. That’s the reality.” “So it’s about time we started keeping it different. Or at least trying.” (BARRON) Together the collectives work on live events. From raves to exhibitions… This July they’re coming together to create a mini festival. Showcasing musicians, artists, having brand vendors for small sportswear and street fashion. They’re creating a small day festival, with plans to continue to grow these ideas out. “We’re still finding ourselves. We’re still branching out to people, looking to work with people, network and find out what kind of event we can do,” Barron tells me.

“It’s about, as much as the Just Stay Driven is very strong, it’s not like a ‘oh Just Stay Driven, we’ve taken over.’ It’s a thing about learning yourself, so it’s like constant learning. Which Bobby agrees with, “anything that needs to get Constant growth.” Barron and you feel like you need it, “As the minute you start pushed, discusses. “Every step that you we’re there for you. That’s the concept.” take is a success one because it’s a setting yourself free from “If we like the project and we think movement forward.” there’s a good ethos behind it, we’ll the restraints of society Continuing that, “When you’re at it. Emerging underground, and what other people’s push your lowest point, keep it moving breaking through artists. We like raw bro. Go forward.” meaning of success is, you talent. We’re always trying to go back “Keep on achieving, even if your and to keep it from where we came find your own,” achievement’s small,” Bobby echo’s, from. Not just in terms of the area, “there’s no measure on success.” just on the level. From the road, to…” “How many times has man been successful,” Barron asks, Barron tries to explain before Bobby interrupts “because people are out there chasing this and that….” It depends on your definition of successful, it seems.

“If it sounds genuine, I’m digging it!”

“And that’s what we’re trying to show people,” Baron explains, “that’s what that whole B3 thing is about as well.”

“We’re focusing on our niche, doing our thing” Bobby concludes, “B3 is like the nervous system, it keeps things connect. JSD is the heart that keeps it going.”

“This is what we’re all about. It’s about making people understand that you’re already successful to the world, you can already achieve. Just be free. As the minute you start setting yourself free from the restraints of society and what other people’s meaning of success is, you find your own,” Barron ponders.

Grime gave a voice to East London – these creatives aim to make that voice shout louder. One artist and one event at a time.

“You start realising, like rah, I got myself to work today. That was a success. I got through my bad, I done my thing. Only somebody else is going to hate on you, but everyone makes their own little success, so don’t worry about what other people are doing.” And that’s about the importance of these networks, they’re here to support and back your corner. They were create to support and nurture, but most importantly, to make a change. “B3 – be free. Keep it different, that’s what I’ve been tell the yutes. Because from what I know, we’ve been following fashion for a long fucking time, and if anyone’s got a little bit of brain… If they’re in tune with themselves, either spiritually, factually, physically, in your face - if we don’t change something, the things that we’ve been doing for a 34

For now, Barron and Bobby continue to craft their mastermind plan to take over the music scene with a sound that is as authentic as the ethos behind their brands.

For B3 Networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest event, in collaboration with The Pit London and ZoĂŤ Lilou, exordium gave B3 Kid a disposable camera and tasked him with capturing the organic environment he creates.

These images are a result of that experience.

on road

exordium went out searching for the best dressed guys on the road... here we complie a colelction of our favourite street style. photography: chloe mcdonald 42

@bedsittingroom 43

@mickeyfins

@heyden33

@davieoneeye

bare the jewels

jewellery: house of law photography and art direction: chloe mcdonald models: ebrima sey and jack wilson

seoul searching

in this series of images max jackson documents a night in the south korean capital with oliver hayes.

glow up exordium sat down with make-up artist Sarah Forshaw to discuss her top tips for keeping your skin fresh, moisturised and glowing Living in a city like London can wreak havoc on your skin, and your skin type plays a huge role in this. Whether you’re oily, dry skin prone or simply don’t know, we’ve worked together to give you a simple six step programme to look after your skin, which won’t break the bank.

One: Dr Jackson 07 facewash

Three: L’Oréal Paris pure clay detox mask A less regular treatment for those times when life has had a real impact on your skin – whether this be a rough week at work or a heavy weekend. Forshaw suggest to, “use all over skin, or just on problem areas to draw out impurities.” Price: £7.99 Available: boots When to use: once or twice a week

This facewash is suitable for all skin types, especially those prone to acne break-outs. Forshaw says that “the pomegranate extract lightly exfoliates dead skin cells, really cleansing the skin.” Price: £25 Available: space NK When to use: morning and night

Two: nip and fab glycolic fix daily cleansing pads Forshaw suggests, “the acids will shrink pores, preventing break outs and speed up cell renewal to get rid of acne scarring.” Use after facewash to pick up all the hidden impurities. Price: £9.06 Available: boots When to use: every evening

Four: Ren Vital Mineral™Active 7 eye gel Forshaw says that this eye gel, “hydrates, de-puffs and prevents crow’s feet. Doesn’t seem important but will make the biggest difference.” Use the lightweight cream in a circular motion, avoiding contact with eyes for a refreshed look. Price: £24 Available: space NK When to use:

Five: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial cream A another lightweight product that can be used morning and night. “This product isn’t too greasy, so won’t make you shiny,” Forshaw suggest. Perfect for every skin type, even those who suffer from excess oils. Price: £24.50 Available: space NK When to use: morning and night

Six: Odacite Serum oil concentrates A bonus step that Forshaw says is, “for anyone who wants to make a real difference and really look after their skin.” With 18 varieties of serums available, Odacite has a product for every skin type and any breakout. Mix two drops with moisturiser twice daily, the concentrated formula “penetrates deep into the skin to target skin cancer,” Forshaw says. Price: £27.50 Available: space NK When to use: daily with moisturiser

feed your feed

For more diverse content than just your average fashion bloggers, Instagram models and fit-tea connoisseurs, exordium has rounded up some of our favourite influencers to brighten up your insta feeds with some beyond the standard content. From music and writers, to fashion and art.

Larry B // @abt.a.boy

South London based, globe -rotting DJ/producer Larry B is one of a kind. His Instagram aesthetic is nostalgic and forward thinking with a mix of event plugs, cultural references and quintessential Larry B selfie. Music videos from his latest EP features the bleached haired DJ kitted out in football gear with a baggy of weed stitched to his jersey and a sequence of players voguing to the soulful electronic sounds of Hit It Right. An assortment of true London creativity, Larry B’s gender defying, nostalgic vibe is one to follow – for fashion inspiration, events and introductions to new music.

@lukasabbot Luka Sabbat // @lukasabbot

@abt.a.boy

Self-described as a ‘stylist-entrepreneur-champion’, New York native yet Paris raised, Luka Sabbat has an instantly recognisable style of streetwear-come-highfashion accompanied by a defining head of dreadlocks. Globe covering fashion shots, travel snaps and a few famous faces, Sabbat’s feed is a stream of well put together shots of the life of a young creative on the road to global success. At only 20 years old, Sabbat is a key one to watch in the creative industries, dabbling in a collection of project including modelling for designer fashion houses, acting in hit series Grown-ish and co-founder and artistic director at Hotmess – a photography journal now in its second addition. Recently reaching one million followers on Instagram, it’s easy to see why with a feed full of elegantly modern fashion inspiration. 70

Germain Lorenz // @germainlorenz

Paris based, Germain Lorenz, is a luxury marketing student with a keen eye for the aesthetically pleasing. Exploring a fashion style that mixes athleisure with minimalism, Lorenz’s Instagram is a world of tasteful product and imagery. Part of Origine Groupe, a French social media based communication label, and Black Rainbow agency, the young student is well versed in the production of clean cut imagery with a modern twist. Lorenz describes the basis of his content as a love of ‘sneakers, cars and art.’

@h.smart James Spencer // @ jamesspencerx

@jamesspencerx

Northern lad James Spencer is a London based illustrator and model. With locks of bleach blonde hair and a striking jaw line, the creatives Instagram feed is filled with tasteful half nudes, obscure antique photographs, art pieces, and minimalist illustrations. A constant questioning of masculinity and gender norms, Spencer’s feed is both refreshing and an eerie expression of artists’ life - complete with a sepia tone filter.

@germainlornez

Harald Smart // @h__smart

One of the great minds behind Buffalo Zine, Harald Smart is a writer, model and all round creative. Never conventional, just like the publication he is part of, Smart’s Instagram is a catalogue of life as a young creative in London. A slightly dark and grainy filter covers each image, creating an atmosphere of DIY photography and nostalgia with a youthful edge. Combing vintage photography, literature and highbrow fashion snaps, with glimpses into his everyday life, Smart’s Instagram feed is a hub of cultural inspirations. 71

rsvp

yes no

exordium has found the hottest events of the summer. Removing all the hard work so all you have to do is save the date, rsvp yes, and you’re on your way to a great summer Camden Rocks

Taking place in over 20 venues throughout Camden, with over 200 bands performing. Camden Rocks is a festival that’s just a little different. Essentially a bar brawl through the London Borough, the aim is to see as many bands in the day as possible. A mixture of established and up and coming rock, indie and punk bands fill the line up in this true celebration of rock music. Date: June 2 Price: £39.50 Tickets: www.camdenrocksfestival.com

Notting Hill Carnival

A key staple of a true London summer, Notting Hill Carnival returns for another year. Originally founded in the summer of 1966, Notting Hill Carnival has since become the largest street festival in Europe. Taking place on the August bank holiday weekend, carnival sees the streets of Notting Hill taken over by performers, food stalls, families and party goers. An event the celebrates the Caribbean community in London, it’s a weekend filled with colour, music and fabulous foods. Date: August 25 – 27 Price: Free Tickets: N/A

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival

16 days of free outdoor performances come to Greenwich and Tower Hamlets this summer. With dance and art 72

pieces that explore politics, identity and much more, GDIF has something for all the family – with a selection of shows accompanied with British Sign Language and audio descriptions. Pushing boundaries of contemporary performance, now in its 22nd year, the festival continues on its path of accessibility. Date: June 21 to July 7 Price: Free Tickets: www.festival.org

Zip Now London

For 16 weeks in the middle of summer, a 225-metre long zip wire will make London its home. The fastest and longest inner-city zip wire, which travels at speeds of 30 mph, starts its route in Archbishop’s Park in Lambeth North. Taking in sights of the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye, the zip wire it perfect for those seeking an adrenaline fuelled summer. There’s even an option for a ‘Mega Drop’ free fall ending, which sees participants step into a 15 metre drop. Date: May 22 to September 9 Price: £16.50 to £25 Tickets: www.zip-now.co

Art Night London

London’s largest free contemporary arts festival transforms the riverbank of the Thames with a range of new and exciting art pieces by 12 internationally renowned artists. Running from the Southbank Centre to Battersea Power Station via Vauxhall and Nine Elms, the festivals runs from 6pm through to 6am. Housed in some of London’s most historic and cultural landmarks, the festival, which is curated by the Hayward Gallery, proves for a night of incredible and immersive art. Date: July 7 Price: Free Tickets: www.artnight.london

spring/summer 2018

the artists issue

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