TOMZINE ISSUE 1 - COURTNEY ELLIOTT by Court_Lucia

TOM T H E

C A S UA L

FA S H I O N

P U B L I C AT I O N

VALERIE HUI OF OTHO LONDON GETTING TO KNOW LAUREN YATES OF W’MENSWEAR TOMZINE X DARREN SHADDICK ILLUSTRATIONS

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DEREK RIDGERS INCLUDED IN THE SUBCULTURE SUPPLEMENT

EDITOR'S LETTER Tomzine is a bi-annual publication that explores workwear and a range of subculture aesthetics through a global perspective interested in brands that are more than often related to menswear. Tomzine delivers the earned spotlight to the growing army of young women who are owning this (some would say) ’tomboy’ look in their every day lives. Exploring through a combination of innovative visuals as well as insightful, informing features and interviews with established brands but also those emerging labels. Tomzine also delves deeper into the quality of design and craftsmanship of workwear, looking into the production processes behind specific pieces and the narratives that emerge from them.

This issue showcases many talents in their best forms. We see Darren Shaddick create astonishing illustrations especially for Tomzine inspired by the idea of a ‘girl in oversized clothes’. Darren usually illustrates male figures but this time his work takes a twist as he delivers an array of beautiful pieces that represent you, the Tomzine girl. We put the skinny jean to rest in an honest piece by Grace Broad, ‘Parallel Park the Skinny Jean’. Later, we tease the question of ‘Who Wears the Trousers?’ in an enticing written piece by Nicole Hewes accompanied by a stunning editorial of matching male and female outfits in a spring, green setting. I see this issue as a platform, a kickstart to link all the girls who would rather dress casual and comfy than fancy and fluttery and does this heavily through it’s visual creative content in the form of fashion editorials. As well as giving the appreciation to photographers through their personal photo series that tell their own stories and set their own scenes, I hope you can relate to these or find some overwhelming tranquility in the beauty of the photographs alone. Through conversations with many designers including Lauren Yates of W’menswear, Valerie Hui of Otho London and Lottie Edgar of LOT : E Designs we see the link of importance in filling the gap between male and female dressing with clothing that anybody can wear, high quality design pieces that prioritise comfort and ease to style whilst sticking to the promise of creating clothing that lasts. This issues’ subculture supplement focuses solely on the ‘skinhead girl’ including an exclusive interview with Derek Ridgers and his interesting thoughts on what subculture means today. I hope you enjoy!

Courtney Elliott Editor - in - Chief

CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief & Founder Courtney Elliott

Creative Direction

Illustrators Darren Shaddick @DARREN.SHADDICK

Courtney Elliott

Bella McEvoy

Writers

Stylists

Nicole Hewes Grace Broad Courtney Elliott

Ambra Castelli

@COURTLUCIA

Photographers Nona Duch

@NONADUCH

Sara Brudkiewicz @SARA_PHOTO95

Fiona Smallshaw @F_SMALLSHAW

Michaela Nagyidaiova

@BELLAXMCEVOY

@AMERABLABLA

Courtney Elliott @COURTLUCIA

Social Media

INSTAGRAM: @TOMZINE_PUBLICATION

www.tomzine.com Special thanks to James Anderson for the support during the making of this issue. Also, a massive thank you to all the new creatives I’ve met throughout the duration of bringing the first issue of Tomzine to life. To those that gave their time to make the first edition what it is. Thank you all.

Contributors Submissions COURTNEYELLIOTT@TOMZINE.COM

Makeup & Hair Stylists Maha Alselami @MAHA.GRAM

Toma Trybyte @MAKEUP.T.T

Katie Waddington-Neville @MAKEUPSBYKATIEW

@MICHAELANAGYIDAIOVA Yamuna Jani @YAMUNAJANI

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission from the publishers.

CONTENTS

contributors, in my boyfriend's clothes , lauren yates of w'menswear, life in brighton, editor's letter,

parallel park the skinny jean, otho london,

the process of indigo dyed

denim, exclusive illustrations by darren shaddick,

LOT:E designs,

of paris,

what does uniform mean to

on the streets

the brand you need to know, somewhere but not here, who wears the trousers?, his&hers, credits. you?,

to dress an object,

In my boyfriend's clothes

Photographed by Sara Brudkiewicz Styling and Art Direction by Courtney Elliott Make-up Artist & Hair by Toma Trybyte

INTERVIEW: LAUREN YATES OF W'MENSWEAR WORDS BY COURTNEY ELLIOTT

Lauren Yates’ curiosity has led her on many different paths in her life, with her first studies working towards being a chef. Lauren later changed her mind and too a place at Sydney University where she studied a Bachelor in Fine Arts and worked on becoming a photographer. An eclectic talent, she has since written style features for Vogue Australia as well as working as a model. Lauren says, “What makes me, is just my curiosity about things. I go all in all and I really try to figure out that curiosity.” Lauren has lived in many different places and also has a few countries running through her blood. Her father is British and her mum, Thai-Chinese. She explains, ‘Coming from quite a few different cultures and not having any barriers to travel and explore, I guess leads me to feeling comfortable easily in any place I find myself.’ Yates was born in Hong

Kong and then spent her childhood in Thailand and later in Australia too and is now settled, most of the time in France. Through her time spent at art school, she initially explored designing - not particularly clothing at this stage but what she shared is that, ‘Art school was great because if it teaches you anything, it teaches you to explore an idea and then find a way to create whatever you want.’ Yates has done many installation works and now applies that kind of work ethic to clothing. Researching leads Lauren to get pretty philosophical and she is led by her ideas into specific points in history, finding out about different writers and people who have influenced her particular topic.

From then, she begins to gather materials and the designing process really begins from there on. A huge turning point for Lauren and the potential idea of designing clothes came from her good friend Nigel Cabourn, who is a prominent figure in menswear. Lauren had spent a lot of time with Nigel after meeting him in London to interview him for her online blog, Ponytail Journal, which she started around five and a half years ago. When reflecting on her friendship with Nigel, she painted the picture as, ‘Two liberals, two peas in a pod,’ and from that first meeting they have kept in touch. Lauren explained how much of a help Nigel Cabourn has been in the beginning of her career as a fashion designer; “He kind of showed me the ropes to good materials and what good product

W’MENSWEAR SPRING/SUMMER 2019

is and from this I slowly developed my own brand from there.” Ponytail Journal was launched by Lauren as a way to distract her from the tedium of modelling: “Part of being model, well - I think it might have changed now with Instagram; but back then you weren’t really allowed to be your own person; so Ponytail Journal was my kind of outlet for my boredom and I had a lot of time you know, waiting time and stuff like that.” The blog brings together all the ‘random’ but logical things that Lauren loves in her world and she launched it online slowly and people started to read it. She describes the blog as, ‘A happy accident.’ Around three years ago, with the blog doing so well, Lauren’s good friend Nigel Cabourn suggested that she should begin to make her own clothes. She recalls his advice: ‘“Lauren, you should make clothes and sell them on your blog! Just make small amounts, just very small collections and just sell them through your blog.’ She replied: ‘Really?! Do you think that would work?’” It was then that others around Lauren encouraged her to begin designing what she now describes as W’menswear: “I started out with this guy, a denim tailor called Ben Viapiana. He’s a Canadian guy and at the time I was living in Bangkok and he had his shipping container kitted out with lots of sewing machines, vintage workwear, and it was fully air-conditioned and he literally just worked out of there. So, we started together with the first collection, just making very small quantities and then it grew from there which [she starts to laugh] is crazy to think about now!” There is no better way to describe W’menswear than the brand’s slogan; ‘Hard-hitting garments for hard-hitting women.’ Sure enough, the garments are all made from the best fabrics in the world and made to last. “It came out of that fast fashion movement. I think fast fashion is on its death bed, but W’menswear came out of that as a rejection to throw away clothes.” The high quality of her designs is clear to see. W’menswear Spring/Summer 2019, ‘The Revolution of Tenderness’, is in

stores now. The collection is based on the great cultural shifts that followed the Vietnam War, and was born within the anti-war protests. Lauren elaborates upon the inspirations behind the collection: “For me, 19691972 was some of the most awesome periods of time for music, art and writing and I think that had a lot to do with the whole world kind of being Anti-Vietnam war and people coming together for that cause. It made the most amazing art. I looked into a lot of anti-war protesting and the creative side of protesting in the Sixties, even things like the rock concert in Saigon after the Vietnam War; the headlining band, named CBC who are a bunch of really, really tiny women were just rocking out and wearing the biggest flared pants I’ve ever seen. It really came from that, the end of the Vietnam War.” Lauren admits that researching into the Vietnam War for the current collection was a little heavy: “The thing that is really cool about what I’m doing is that it teaches me a lot about history that I somehow didn’t get in high school and now I realise it was because the kind of political agenda that was playing out at the time I went to school. It selected what we did and didn’t learn about. That’s pretty crazy to think about that.” Creating clothes is now a platform for Yates to learn so much about the world and different cultures; with her main aim to encourage others to be more curious and have the motivation to look into things further. Denim plays a huge part in the W’menswear collection and being an iconic work fabric, it is important for Yates that she sources all of the denim from Japan. Lauren tells the story of the denim used in all of the W’menswear pieces; “It is from the Yokohama prefecture - a place that is very famous for its denim and is made on very old looms. A lot of them were American looms that were brought over after World War Two and now they’re probably some of the oldest looms left making denim in the world. That’s why when you look at Japanese denim, small batch denim, it’s so unique and will have so many of what you would call I guess defects but I’d call them, well I think they’re beautiful. You can’t get that effect from mass produced fabric so that’s why I use Japanese denim - it’s so special.”

All the material used by Lauren at W’menswear are small batch and slow-made fabrics, a lot of them from factories that have been making the same types of fabrics for generations. Halley Stevenson’s of Scotland is a location where a very high quality of wax cottons can be sourced. W’menswear consists of a lot of wax cotton and it can be spotted running through pretty much every season. The Halley Stevenson’s factory is where Barbour jackets are made, for instance. The quality of waxed cotton gives the material a vintage feel and gives the garment a certain heritage-like quality. Preferably, Lauren uses a lot of dry touch, lightweight waxed cottons. Other key fabrics used throughout many collections of W’menswear include the simple cut and sew knitwear which is made in Wykiama; in one of the slowest and oldest factories in Japan. Lauren reveals, “It is a very slow process but they make the most beautiful knitwear.” Lauren cites her favourite piece from the SS19 collection as, “The parachute dress is pretty cool. Probably one of the most like special pieces. It was made on the exact same parachute fabric that they would use in the Vietnam War which is a very fine nylon in bright orange. I found this vintage parachute when I was in Vietnam, in one of the vintage shops and I brought it to one of the fabric mills that I work with in Japan and from there they pretty much made it one of the best replicas of that, in the exact same fabric which was really cool. So, yeah, the parachute dress is pretty special. It’s bright orange and it looks like a big parachute. It’s definitely not one of the pieces that everybody could wear but it is really cool.” Of course, whilst SS19 has been launching - behind the scenes, Lauren has been working on the AW19 collection for W’menswear. The collection is called, ‘The Universe is Under No Obligation to Make Sense to You.’ The inspiration is the women who paved the way to space. Lauren explains her reasoning for this, “I guess the United States and Russia were having this huge race to space during the Cold war and even after the Cold War ended and so the Russians actually beat the Americans by almost a decade with taking the first woman to space. From this though, I focused

and got really interested in a show, a US show called ‘The Mercury 13’, which was based on the privately funded test programme ran by Dr Lovelace who was responsible for testing all the NASA astronauts before they could go to space. He was really cool!” She continues - her enthusiasm now palpable: “He believed that women had value in the space programme and should be allowed to be astronauts. I found this really fascinating. even though they didn’t make it to space themselves, they did a lot for women, for female astronauts. This led me into all sorts of space research and I chose this theme because this year is the 50th anniversary of the landing on the moon.” Always keen to explore and innovate within her designs, Lauren has mined a new seam for next season: “I have been using a lot of new technical material which is kind of a first time for me because of course space travel is really technical based, so it’s been a cool way of mixing old and new.” She concludes, with a grin, “I’m really excited about it!”

W’MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2019

"HARD HITTING GARMENTS FOR HARD HITTING WOMEN"

W’MENSWEAR AUTUMN/WINTER 2019

Fiona Smallshaw Life in Brighton “I play with form and composition. Often brutalist, often romantic. There are conversations of detachment, and what is lost in the every day. Timelessness comes through inherently with the tone of black and white images but it is the unpredictability of catching a moment that makes me tick.” - Fiona Smallshaw

Parallel park the skinny jean WORDS BY GRACE BROAD

Despite the craze of the Topshop Joni Jean and their revolutionary belt loop, it seems the death of the skinny jean is inevitably upon us. Although you may choose from an assortment of cropped, ripped or highwaisted, these skinny suckers will always bare restrictions. Wave goodbye to the frustration of getting them past your knee and fastening that bully of a top button. Gone are the days of peeling a pair off after a twelve-hour wear and massaging the circulation back into your legs. Instead, say hello to your new best friend: the parallel pant. Never heard of the parallel pant before? This pair of A-line trousers are designed with a loose fit and ooze practicality. Spring/summer ’19 has seen functionality at the height of all trends. Just look to the Stella McCartney or Fendi utility-inspired runways to see comfort, longevity and purpose executed throughout. It turns out that comfort and style can go hand-in-hand, after all. Does the passing of the skinny jean come as a result of society’s new-found body

confidence? No longer trying to squeeze our legs or behind into tight denim for a thinner appearance must show we are progressing in the self-love department. Or, is the parallel pant simply more flattering? Despite any assumptions, the parallel pant is a more diverse trouser, with an array of colours, prints and silhouettes to choose from. Tailored or relaxed? Cropped or full-length? Cotton- blend or linen? Where the skinny jean lacks versatility, the parallel pant offers far more wearability. Fit for all occasions, these trousers are equally as adaptable for the beach or brunch as they are for work or a wedding. Our ability to tire of things so quickly has given the parallel pant the platform to excel. Always looking for the next best thing, the parallel pant is like an ever-evolving make-up fad; they keep us on our toes. Coco Chanel paved the way for this innovative trouser during the 1930s. Taking inspiration from the casual menswear of the era, Chanel struck gold when she introduced her wide-leg palazzo pants. Loved

for their easy-wearing and simplistic design, Chanel broke through the mould of formfitting fashion. Finally, a sense of ease had been brought to womenswear, progressing from the clothing that women had felt restricted in for so long. Signifying class, confidence and decorum, the palazzo pants represented a change for the better in both style and functionality. They still remain a wardrobe essential, worn by various famous faces and passed down the trends of several generations. In need of inspiration? Look towards Paul Smith or Jaeger. Paul Smith offers a quirky parallel leg that is perhaps more experimental with colour and design. Jaeger as a brand has a more relaxed feel, offering these trousers in neutral colours for an everyday wear. Who can’t see the appeal in a trouser that offers comfort, flattery and choice? The parallel pant has proven to withstand the test of time unlike its rival, the skinny jean, who inconsistently fades in and out of fashion.

a conversation with valerie hui of OTHO LONDON WORDS BY COURTNEY ELLIOTT

Valerie Hui founded Otho in 2014, a brand that creates premium casualwear for women with menswear sensibilities. The collections are heavily inspired by work-wear and strive to formulate an honest, genderless aesthetic that embodies both comfort and style with commitment to functional garments. Valerie recalls her first inspirations of kick starting the brand: “I would often find amazing vintage and contemporary workwear for guys but would struggle then to find the same for women. That’s when I realised I wanted to create a brand that would fill the gap in the market.” Menswear is inspiring to Valerie in the way that it focuses on the cut, the details and the quality. It’s important to Valerie that Otho London does not conform to the ideals of femininity and to not have to carry a male or female label on what the designs come to be. Valerie explains: “For example, ‘Boyfriend jeans’ should not really exist. It’s not like when guys wear skinny jeans and it being labelled as ‘Girlfriend jeans’, I could go on, but I mainly wanted to create clothing that aren’t borrowed from guys!” Most of the Otho products are made in England with selected pieces sourced and made in Portugal. Valerie tries to keep the production as local as possible. “Functionality, focusing on the details and creating the right cut.” Is how Valerie explains the importance of designing key pieces for the brand, describing the way she wants a woman to feel when she’s wearing Otho pieces as, “Excited, playful and cool.” Valerie begins designing by figuring how it would function and fit comfortably. Followed by deciding what fabrics and trims to use and

finally creating the patterns. We asked Valerie her favourite piece from her latest collection: “It’s got to be the green nylon jacket and matching trousers. It’s such an easy to wear outfit, and super lightweight.” We should expect a few new collaborations from Otho soon.

"I would often find amazing vintage and contemporary workwear for guys but would struggle then to find the same for women. That's when I realised I wanted to create a brand that would fill the gap in the market." Photographed by Nona Duch Styling and directing by Courtney Elliott Clothing by Otho London Shoes by Dr Martens & Novesta

Photo by Courtney Elliott

n im

i ndig

oces r p s

dyed d WORDS BY COURTNEY ELLIOTT

You could simply work out the origin of Indigo dye from it’s name which simply means ‘the Indian’ or ‘from India.’ Indigo can also be found in the tropical ones of Africa and China. The technique of indigo dyeing was discovered more than 5,000 years ago by our ancestors in India, East Asia and Egypt who began to use the blue dye from the Indigofera Tinctoria plant to dye their clothing in a range of blue tones. Natural indigo is made with harvested leaves from the Indigofera plant after it is left to soak in water, allowing an amino acid contained within to release the glucose. Shortly afterwards, this begins to ferment with the other enzymes from the plant. Then, after several days, the water turns yellow. The solution of this fermentation process is named indoxyl. It is then left to dry in the air and over time begins to turn into the infamous blue indigo. After the solution has dried, it is then mixed with alkaline solution and the sludge produced from this is then moulded into cakes and dried. Once hardened, the cakes are grounded into a fine powder containing the muchcoveted dark blue pigment. Every community in places like Mexico, Nigeria, and Japan, of course has it’s own way to create natural indigo dye. We have mentioned how the Indian’s turn the dyed paste into dried cakes, done this way for easy transportation and trade. In Thailand, it is quite interesting to explore the technique they find works for them to create the indigo blue.

STEP ONE: They plant the indiofera tinctoria during Thailand’s rainy season in June. By the time September comes around, the plants are ready to be used for making dye. STEP TWO: The small leaves from the indiofera tinctoria are then tied together using the stems as ties. The larger leaves are not tied together, instead they are put aside ready to put straight in to the solution. STEP THREE: Water is added with the tied leaves along with heavy stones that are used to press the colour from the leaves during the overnight soak. The mixture is left to soak for around 24 hours. STEP FOUR: As if by magic, the water ferments overnight and by morning turns blue. The bundles are then drained and removed from the liquid substance. The plants are used afterwards for fertilizier. STEP FIVE: Calcium hydroxide is then gently added to the water and mixed together. STEP SIX: The water and calcium hydroxide then must be beaten for a minimum of 20 minutes - dipping the bowl in and out - which oxidises the mixture. The water then changes from murky green to peacock blue and then finally a frothy navy hue. STEP SEVEN: At this point the mixture is almost ready. There is a “sshhhwaa” kind of sound coming from the bubbles. This is an indication to stop beating the mixture. STEP EIGHT: The cloth is prepared so that when the mixture is poured, the paste can be collected by the cloth. STEP NINE: After the indigo paste as laid at the bottom of the mixture overnight, the water (now a a brown colour) settling above the paste is gently removed. The paste is then collected by pouring it over mesh and then through a fine cotton cloth. This collects debris too, to remove from the mixture. STEP TEN: The dyeing takes place in the green form of indigo (sometimes confusingly known as white indigo). The paste is mixed with ash water and fruit sugars and left to ferment again. After a few days of stirring and adding sugars, it’s ready to be used to dye clothing like denim.

Darren Shaddick Exclusive illustrations 60

Lottie Edgar’s graduate collection. Image thanks to Lottie Edgar.

LOT : E DESIGNS WORDS BY COURTNEY ELLIOTT

Find out in our Q&A what is important to designer, Lottie Edgar when making her sustainable, gender fluid pieces. Discover how the brand has progressed from her graduate collection and what is coming in the near future for Lottie and her brand. Describe lot : e as a brand. lot : e is a Yorkshire based, independent unisex clothing brand, exploring mindful design.

How did lot : e begin? lot : e is a further development from my graduate collection, where I brought sustainability into the core of each of my designs by using zero waste pattern cutting. The design process allowed me to be experimental with form as well as being conscious about waste, this became something that I wanted to continue further into my brand.

What is important for you when creating pieces for lot : e? To create ethical, durable pieces which are gender neutral. As well as allowing the decision to lie in the hand of the wearer, lot : e strives to break the boundaries between male and female clothing through oversized, spatial designs. I aim to use only natural, organic materials which are carefully sourced, I believe it is important for us to be aware of how, where, who made our materials.

Explain what inspires you the most to design lot : e pieces? I am constantly influenced by my surroundings, within nature in particular. When designing I am always inspired by the fabric first of all, specifically when it is in it’s

rawest, most organic state. I love the journey that designing takes you on, developing initial ideas into final pieces. My previous collection ‘spatial exploration’ was initially inspired by a fascination into the idea of opening up closed forms. I created a series of sketches exploring this concept, which then influenced the pattern cutting and the draping of my garments.

It’s important for your brand to produce a sustainable product. Explain why you try to keep this message throughout your pieces. I believe it is so important that people introduce a more conscientious approach to design and to their lifestyles. Creating ethical, low impact products for people to buy is an integral shift that designers need to take in order to improve the fashion industry and the state of our planet. lot : e aims to do this through challenging more traditional methods of making clothing by eliminating as much waste as possible, as well as sourcing consciously from suppliers. I aim to slowly manufacture key pieces which are good quality and environmentally friendly.

Who or what brands do you look at and find inspiring or interesting? I’m constantly amazed by so many innovative brands… One of them being Christopher Raeburn, his brand is transforming recycled materials into amazing products, as well as hosting remaking workshops, he has been donating proceeds from the workshops to Fashion Revolution!

What is next for lot : e? The next move for lot : e is the launch of the new online shop. I am also working on some new designs which I will be introducing to the shop over the next couple of months too. lot : e also has a new side project | @lote.finds | which is basically a documentation of findings, things that I come across in day to day life that I am inspired by and want to catalogue.

How would you describe the person who would wear lot : e pieces? My desire is for my pieces to be accessible to all genders, ages or sizes. I feel like fashion should be moving away from being so ‘labelled’, removing the idea of trends and seasons would create a bit more of a fluid industry. Image via @lote.finds

MichEAla Nagyidaiova

On the streets of paris

Micheala describes her photo series: “An on-going, street photography series looking at the life in a city as well as on a daily occurence on the streets. The main focus is on Paris, it’s people, the pace of the whole city and objects found on the streets. The work is trying to go up against the way the city is often seen and romanitcised and instead to manifest the feeling that the city evokes in myself whenever I travel there. These photographs were made over the course of a few trips to Paris. Next time I go there, I would like to start planning a more structured, solid project that really involves people that live there - maybe get into their homes, talk with them, photograph not only on the streets but in people’s places (indoors) and discover new spots in the city with them. “

u n i f o r m (noun) "the disti nctive clothing worn by m e m b e rs of the same organisation o r b o dy o r by ch i ldren at t e n d i n g c e r t a i n What does uniform mean to you? WORDS BY GRACE BROAD

uniform (noun) "the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organisation or body or by children attending certain schools"

In many careers, clothing becomes a transparent uniform, allowing job roles to become instantly recognisable. Despite this, not all occupations require a clear uniform but that does not make their workwear any less so.

From a young age, uniform has been heavily drilled into our lives. A school dress code leaves kids with slim-pickings of bottoms to pair with a forever-creased white shirt and brightly- coloured, logo sweater. The fortunate few would have their initials stitched onto their sweater sleeve, separating them from the rest of us. The only way to find your school jumper from the knotted pile after a sweaty PE lesson was to rely on your friend’s sense of smell, ‘this one smells like your house, this is yours’. Whether you were lucky enough to wear one of those gingham summer dresses or stuck with the ugly striped tie; both bring back vivid playground memories of stuck in the mud, man hunt and kiss, cuddle or torture. Regardless as to whether school uniform should exist or not – and this is a topic still openly discussed – the vital purpose of a uniform is to clearly identify an organisation, school or

job role. For example, for those who work in the services, it acts as a protective shield. Workmen, soldiers and firemen could not complete their job without their uniform. Designed to suit the practicalities of the job, the fabrics, cut and colours used to create an outfit must be considered. The fabrics must be easily washable, ensure movement and provide protection. Also disregarding gender, class and IQ, this uniform provides an equal status to all of its wearers.

Sportsmen and women also wear their own version of uniform. Whether that be in the form of a football strip, swimming trunk or leotard, they immediately signify their sport. The whites of Wimbledon, the cyclist’s Lycra or the jockey silks are immediately identifiable. While a distinct uniform offers comfort, authority and practicality, it does not allow the freedom to express individuality. An informal uniform, perhaps worn by a teacher or administrator, still requires an air of professionalism, yet allows flexibility. Depending on your profession, there is a chance to address the seasons and play with current trends.

The 1980s unleashed a workwear essential for the professional woman – the power suit. During a period when gender equality in the workplace was at an all-time low, women found themselves unable to break through the glass ceiling and progress up the working ladder. The power suit symbolised the determination women had to promote themselves. Clean lines and modern tailoring welcomed sophistication to the office and with this, came a dramatic rise in female managerial employment. The power suit grew to become the uniform of the 80s for the female population.

Whether you’re a power suit-wearer or live in a pair of jeans at work, this may be enough to express who you are. Alternatively, if you are fully-dressed in the traditional scrubs or police there may be a sense of relief that your outfit requires minimal thought in the mornings. Both uniforms are equally as important. Which uniform are you?

Photographed by Nona Duch Styling by Ambra Castelli Directing by Courtney Elliott Make up & Hair by Maha Alselami

t o dress a n object Directing by Jamie Backshall Photography by Courtney Elliott

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THE BRAND YOU NEED TO KNOW:

mrs workware Founders: Gen Cheung - Fashion design Patrick Wong - Graphic design Brand concept: Unisex everyday, military inspired garments inspired from vintage pieces. “A combination of modern fashion trend and vintage gamrents in high quality sourced materals.” Based: Hong Kong Established: 2010 Menswear line also available www.workwarehk.com

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somewhere but not here A photo series by Yamuna Jani

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who wears the trousers? WORDS BY NICOLE HEWES

An oil grease-stained face of a man, devoured by a car bonnet unleashing steam, is preoccupied with the metal machinery. He rubs his greasy hands on his roughened trousers, soiled in sweat while relishing in the not-so-guilty pleasure that is the fragrance of petrol. Since the invention of Karl Benz’s ‘Motorwagan’ in 1886, how much has evolved? The ‘Father of History’, Herodotus, told of the Scythian female warriors of Ancient Greece who fought like men and died like men. They wore trousers. Some 2,500 years later, the Pit Brow Lasses of Lancashire’s coal mines spurred nationwide curiosity, for under their skirts and aprons, they donned trousers. While unconventional, their ensembles were inarguably suitable for the heavy, manual labour that was recurrently done in cruel and unforgiving weathers. Posing in photographs, these women stand bold and fearless, assured of their potency. Nonetheless, femininity remained a principal feature. Many continued to wear belts that would pinch the waist in order to acquire the hourglass figure, recounts Rita Culshaw, one of the last surviving Pit Brow Lasses. Land girls in their camouflage elephant ear breeches were socially isolated in rural regions, regarded as a threat when they arrived. While blending into the hues of the landscape, the style and shaping of their uniforms were considerably less inconspicuous. In September 1939, Vogue announced “It would be an added calamity if war turned us into a nation of frights and slovens.” Much to the abhorrence of some, Land Girls were symbolic of the modern woman, displaying a calibre comparable to their male counterparts. In the years following World War One, trousers began to be deemed as more than workwear – but as fashion. The

introduction of androgyny ensued from the decline in corsetry. Elite designers, notably Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, championed androgynous workwear thus blurring gender distinctions. Emulating sailors’ trousers, Chanel fashioned this clothing while at a beach resort in Deauville. This became recognised as ‘poverty deluxe’. Chanel accelerated and magnified the embrace of trousers through her creations of the trouser suit. The masculine forms of her designs are adorned with the delicate frills of lace, pearls and sequins – Chanel saying, ‘Much seriousness is required to achieve the frivolous.’ The harmonious contradiction of these gendered components conveys a modern ideology of women. Trousers thereafter confronted fashion and therefore challenged societal roles. The phrase ‘Who wears the trousers?’ was coined in the late 19th century in an article about the domestic life of Native Americans and, while divisive, it mirrors the revaluation of a woman’s standing in today’s society. Women have entered a realm once solely reserved for men – and in trousers. In what way has this fashion revolution impacted the women of our generation? The adoption of simple, traditional trousers – likely to be seen in a cool vintage shopfront on a lane in the ever-trending Shoreditch – has provided millennial women an opportunity for self-expression. One could compare this garment to a canvas. Whether a self-defined minimalist who echoes a Piet

Mondrian geometric painting or an eccentric who sports a combination of the most electrifying colours on an artist’s palette, these trousers serve as the foundation for individuality and empowerment. For an overt political statement or for utilitarian purposes, reformers from female surface labourers to high chic designers proved that femininity can in truth flourish by way of masculine clothing.

Photographed by Nona Duch Styling by Ambra Castelli Art Direction by Courtney Elliott Make up & Hair by Katie Waddington-Neville

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CREDITS Fashion Editorials

IN MY BOYFRIEND’S CLOTHES Photographer and Re-touch: Sara Brudkiewicz @sara_photo95 / Stylist and Director: Courtney Elliott @courtlucia / Makeup Artist: Toma Trybyte @ttbeautyspace / Model: Yilin (Your Model Management) @yourmodelmanagement / Clothing: Fred Perry, Vintage Guess, Acne Studios, &Other Stories, Jamie Backshall, Calvin Klein, Levi’s, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren.

OTHO LONDON Photographer and Re-touch: Nona Duch @ nonaduch / Stylist and Director: Courtney Elliott @courtlucia / Model: Noor (First Model Management) @firstlondon / Model: Georgina Huang Gao / Clothing: Otho London @otho_ london and Vintage Margaret Howell / Shoes: Dr Martens and Novesta

TO DRESS AN OBJECT Photographer and Re-touch: Courtney Elliott @ courtlucia / Director: Jamie Backshall @jamie_ backshall / Clothing: Vintage Valentino, Levi’s and Vivienne Westwood / Shoes: Nike

HIS&HERS Photographer and Re-touch: Nona Duch @ nonaduch / Art Director: Courtney Elliott @courtlucia / Stylist: Ambra Castelli @ amerablabla / Stylist Assistant: Maria Mendoza @mariamendoza_ / Make up Artist: Katie Waddington-Neville @makeupsbykatiew / Model: Nelida and Isac (First Model Management) @firstlondon / Clothing: Monki, ASOS, Noak, Sixth June / Shoes: Stylist’s own

MECHANIC ON-SITE Photographer and Re-touch: Nona Duch @ nonaduch / Art Director: Courtney Elliott @courtlucia / Stylist: Ambra Castelli @ amerablabla / Make up Artist: Maha Alselami @maha.gram / Model: Ellie (Your Model Management) @yourmodelmanagement / Clothing: Monki & Cheap Monday / Sunglasses: Stylist’s own / Shoes: Dr Martens & Monki

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