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ISSUE 9 • FEB 2014 FREE
RUPERT EVANS ON BRIT FLICKS, BOND AND UNOPENED POST... JOHN NEWMAN • MY MAD FAT DIARY • ETHICS OF THE FASHIONISTAS FASHION • SHOPPING • BEAUTY • MUSIC • GOING OUT • CELEBRITY zine maga
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contents February 2014
K E E P I N T O U C H Twitter @draftedmagazine • Facebook /draftedmagazine
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38 BLIPPAR Blippar Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CELEBRITY Rupert Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 My Mad Fat Diary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 John Newman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 FEATURES Ethics of the Fashionistas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Weight Loss: Tradition vs. Technology . . . . . 21 Under Cover: The best new reads . . . . . . . . 46 Kate Temple Gets Angry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 The Last Laugh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Work Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
EDITOR'S LETTER
40
elcome to this Fashion Week special edition of DRAFTED magazine. Fashion week is a time for new ideas and creativity, and this issue of DRAFTED certainly reflects that; with gorgeous fashion trend stories, Blipp-to-buy shopping, and all the hot news in beauty and grooming. We also speak to Rupert Evans, hitmachine John Newman, and Rae Earl, whose real-life diary provides the inspiration for E4 drama series My Mad Fat Diary. Of course, there’s all the usual lifestyle tips, with our bar and restaurant reviews featuring some of London’s top hang outs. And we catch up with fashion designer Jasper Garvida, who tells us all about his new label launch.
W
Until next time...
Rivkie Baum
FASHION Women’s Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Men’s Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Gran Canaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Watch This Space... Jasper Garvida . . . . . . . . 13 Women’s Fashion Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Re Present at London Fashion Week . . . . . . 28 Men’s Fashion Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 MUSIC Truly Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Ones to Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 BEAUTY Must-Have Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Male Grooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Tried And Tested . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Beauty Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
65
LIFESTYLE Dine Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Luxury in Lanzarote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 THE TEAM
Editor Rivkie Baum rivkie@draftedmagazine.com • Deputy Editor / Sub Editor Kyle Goodwin kyle@draftedmagazine.com Beauty Editor Kate Temple kate@draftedmagazine.com • Features Editor Elisheva Sokolic elisheva@draftedmagazine.com • Staff Writer Matt Russell matt@draftedmagazine.com Online Editor Michael Bartlett michael@draftedmagazine.com • Picture Editor Jay McLaughlin jay@draftedmagazine.com • Head Designer Kelsey Adams design@draftedmagazine.com Designer Tom Hay • Commercial Manager Luke Warren luke@draftedmagazine.com • Advertising Tom Rhys Jones tom@cabbell.co.uk Commercial Manager Luke Warren luke@draftedmagazine.com • Feature Contributor Danielle Fowler • Music Contributor Liam McCreesh Photographic Contributors Claire Harrison, Tom Johnson, Elliott Morgan • llustrations Kelsey Adams • Cover Credits Tom Johnson photographs Rupert Evans • Clothing Suit by Nicole Farhi, Shirt by Mauro Grifoni, Bow tie by Topman, Shoes by Church’s Published By Drafted Media Limited • General Enquiries info@draftedmagazine.com
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5
ETHICS
of
THE
FASHIONISTAS
I
A RE WE MORE I NTERESTED IN P R IC E T AGS T H AN P R ODU CT OR IG IN S? Words : ELISHEVA SOKOLIC
t would take a cruel person indeed not to take a sharp intake of breath at the recent Angora video footage. And who wasn’t right there along with us watching news footage of the 1,100 people killed in Bangladesh at the Rana Plaza garment building last year? But how long is the public’s memory? While numerous high street chains have halted orders for Angora, and petitions aplenty were signed to change the working conditions of overseas factories, do we actually change our behaviour as individuals? After all, while the Angora footage was shocking, it should not have been revelatory. PETA have stated that there is no way to farm rabbits commercially and be kind to them at the same time, it just isn’t possible. If this is the case, then why did it take social media sending the footage viral for us to sit up and take notice? And why is there still no one advocating as loudly on environmental and social issues as they are on animal rights?
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FEATURE
The movement of ethical fashion is not big or loud, but it’s there for those who are looking for it. Similar to the farm-to-table movement, where people are becoming conscious of where their food comes from, the advocates of ethical fashion believe that it is opening the doors for people to question the story behind the label on their clothes, and not just on animal rights. Rebecca Burgess, founder of the Fibershed Project, believes we all need a lesson in empathy. “Furry mammals are so closely related to humans that I think we often anthropomorphise them. It would be great if humans could begin to understand the whole earth is alive: the soil, air, water, and to violate it, is to violate oneself, and all the furry mammals we care so much for.” Certainly these issues are at the forefront more than they ever have been. Conditions in sweatshops and workshops, testing on animals, unrecyclable and non-eco-friendly fabrics, these are all problems we hear about and are regularly called on to fight against.
So why do studies still show customers are more interested in price tags than product origins? The best way to answer this is with a psychological theory known as the Social Desirability bias. Consumers will speak up against animal rights and environmental issues, and sign petitions and join polls. They will watch the news and talk to their friends about it, because that is the socially acceptable response. But when it comes to changing behaviour, it rarely has an effect. Consumers will still shop where is cheap and accessible for them, because our memory can be short, and because a strong brand or a larger choice of product can often outweigh social concerns. Without the brands and shops making huge changes themselves, this is a difficult problem to fix. It is true that ethical fashion is often more expensive and harder to find. Unless you have a strong connection to a particular cause, you are likely to disassociate and agree with this forum-based comment: “It’s not the consumers’ fault that those people were forced to work in unsafe conditions and are paid so little, it’s the manufacturer’s fault! It’s not the consumers’ fault that brand names choose to buy from these sweat shops, it’s the label’s fault! It was the greed of that manufacturer and its clients, [which caused the deaths in Bangladesh] plain and simple.” So what can we do? The other, more solvable problem lies in transparency. As consumers, even if we feel strongly about ethical fashion, we generally have no idea of the origins behind our favourite labels, or the practices used. More dangerously still, we are misled by marketing tools and propaganda. Much as an organic, free range chicken may have never seen the sunlight, a garment with natural fibres doesn’t guarantee anything at all about the life of the creature it came from. The Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) and its project Source are calling for greater transparency from all stores and brands to combat exactly this, and help consumers who care to find out what they need to know. There’s no doubt that things are changing. People are beginning to ask questions about their clothes in the same way a decade ago issues over food were coming to the fore. But it will certainly take a massive forward leap in both individual choices and brand transparency before we can see any real transformation in the way that we shop.
WORRIED about ANGORA? IT WOULD BE
GREAT IF HUMANS COULD BEGIN TO
UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE EARTH IS
Ambika Conroy is currently compiling a list of natural fibre sheds that adhere to ethical principles for both animals and planet. Her website www.ambikaboutique.com sells beautiful, guilt-free angora designs.
AIR, WATER, AND
Other Fashion Friendly Ones to Watch
ALIVE: THE SOIL, TO VIOLATE IT, IS TO VIOLATE ONESELF
– REBECC A BURGESS, FIBRESHED PROJECT
House of Tammam boast hand-crafted, unique couture fashion and bridal gowns. Traditional craftsmanship along with fair trade and sustainability. All this and animal friendly too! Find them showcasing their collection at LFW or at www.tammam.co.uk. Photo credit Justin Lambert / Atelier Tammam.
Faux leather just not realistic enough for you? By 2017, we could be wearing lab-made leather products courtesy of www.modernmeadow.com with the help of DNA and 3D printing, no ethical qualms included.
Here Today Here Tomorrow focuses on different elements of sustainability including high quality handmade craftsmanship, recycling, organic materials, fair-trade and transparency of production. They are showcasing their newest collection in Dalston during LFW. www.heretoday-heretomorrow.com House of Beth is fighting against human trafficking with fashion. Ethical and affordable, upcycled and pre-loved designs. Look for them during LFW, or find them at www.houseofbeth.com
FEATURE
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Bblotihptpheosre
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Studded Stegosaurus necklace in pink
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HOUSE OF FRASER
Floral dress
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High waisted palazzo pants
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Blue heart plate
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PRINTS ARE KEY
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OLIVER BONAS
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JONATHAN SAUNDERS @ DEBEHAMS
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MISS SELFRIDGE
Pastel midi skirt
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ASOS
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MONSOON
Lucy lace sleeve top
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5
FOR VINTAGE ST YLE PRINTS IN MODERN SILHOUET TES
7
8
6 UPDATE LAST
9
SEASON'S OMBRE
AND DIP DYE WITH THIS CHIC TWO TONE SKIRT
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Pastel hues and pretty tones – this floral applique clutch brings the craft trend to life
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FASHION
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FATFACE
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Best of British jumper £149
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HOUSE OF FRASER
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RALPH LAUREN @ HOUSE OF FRASER
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BERSHKA
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FASHION
3 4
5
A CLASSIC MAC
IS A MUST FOR THE APRIL SHOWERS. A
LYNCHPIN FOR EVERY MODERN MAN.
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Real men aren't afraid to wear pink! Embrace these pale pink tailored shorts for SS'14. 10
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GRAN CANARIA F O RGE T NE W YORK , AND LEAVE R IO DAN C IN G IN T H E S A N D O N HE R O WN; TH I S SEASON’S SW IM WE AR IS ALL AB OU T GR A N CAN AR IA . Words : KATE TEMPLE hat better place for Moda Calida to have held their annual swimwear fashion show than on the glorious golden island just off the coast of Morocco? Drafted jetted out to the sun-soaked isle to check out the latest line of one-piece swimsuits, bikinis and men’s trunks (including the ever-so fashionable tighty-whiteys.) 13 designers showed off their 2014 collections, from Nuria Gonzales with her figure-enhancing garments to Gottex with their bright Aztec prints and matching bangles. The weather may be dreary in our sacred Blighty, but there’s no time like the present to begin planning your body-brilliant beachwear for this summer’s antics. Men, big and baggy is so last season. If you want to be the David Gandy of your holiday this year go for tight and bright. The sculpted body is optional, just make sure you secure them tightly because these bad boys will be the envy of all your friends. Girls, it looks like 2014 is the year of the re-invented one-piece; from a Jack Vettrianoesque beach print from Dolores Cortes to a linear, ruffled neck swimsuit from Rosa La Cave (with the sweetest frills that will flatter any thighs). The outstanding aspect from all 13 collections, for both men and women, is: go bold or go home. There’s no room for black cossies on the beach this summer. So chuck away your boring, bland bikini and invest in an eye-catching, printed swimsuit. And while you’re at it match it to your accessories because there ain’t no party like a Gran Canaria party, and these designers have set the trends that everyone will be following.
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FASHION
WATCH THIS SPACE DRAFTED MEET FASH ION DE SIGN E R JAS P E R G ARVI D A. Words : DANIELLE FOWLER
back, everything that you are is because of the past. I think with Ethologie, today is the beginning of fun, of creating that style. It’s the beginning of creating who you are. YOU ARE, OF COURSE, SHOWING AT LONDON FASHION WEEK. CAN YOU LET US IN ON ANY SECRETS ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING COLLECTION? I can give you the exclusive! It is based on the opera, Carmen. It’s about two lovers and the passion between them. Carmen is a naughty girl. She’s a rebel. Obviously in that time she was perceived as a woman who was weak. Just don’t p*** her off! SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU APPROACH FASHION DESIGN AS AN ART FORM? Absolutely. Even after working in the fashion industry for quite a while now, it’s still fascinating to see that every woman is different from one another; different body shapes, different personalities, age too. Yet one thing I find they have in common is this exquisite form, the female figure. It changes through time. For example, in the ‘80s women were more muscular. I think now it’s going back to the classical form, where women are much more curvy. It’s like going back to the Roman Empire, looking at sculptures and seeing women who are wonderfully curvaceous. Women evolve through time and I find that fascinating. THE PRE FALL A/W 13/14 COLLECTION FOR ETHOLOGIE IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM YOUR PREVIOUS LINES. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE MOOD OF THE LABEL IN A FEW WORDS? Ethologie is free-spirited, vamp in the making, naughty. THE AW 13/14 COLLECTION FOR ETHOLOGIE EMBODIES A SENSE OF FREEDOM, FUN AND CARELESSNESS, ALL OF WHICH DENOTE YOUTH. DO YOU THINK FASHION CAN BE TOO SERIOUS AT TIMES? It is a serious business. Yet, fashion is supposed to be fun. I mean yes, we are supposed to do certain tasks everyday but fashion, for me, shouldn’t be serious. It’s not
about being dictated, it’s not about being restricted. It’s about being free. IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME DESIGNING MENSWEAR? It is. DID YOU FIND THE TRANSITION FROM WOMENSWEAR TO MENSWEAR CHALLENGING? No. I mean, I was trained in Saville Row. I want to inject that experience into the new brand, Ethologie. It’s the first time I’ve been working on menswear and womenswear combined. WE’VE NOTICED THAT YOU’RE WEARING ONE OF YOUR DESIGNS. DO YOU OCCASIONALLY DESIGN PIECES FOR YOURSELF? This is the first time I have worn my own designs. Part of the Ethologie collection is men’s clothing and accessories so it’s the first time that I get to wear my own clothes. It’s quite cool. FAST FASHION HAS MEANT TRENDS ARE EPHEMERAL AND OFTEN RESTRICTIVE. DO YOU THINK IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO ADOPT AN INDIVIDUAL STYLE? I suppose individuality comes from within. It’s about knowing who you are. I think it is important to know who you are at an early stage to be able to develop your own style. Let’s just say that today is the beginning of your life. Every moment counts. If you look
WHO IS YOUR MUSE? It varies. When I design a collection I always think of someone. At the moment it’s Jennifer Lawrence because that girl’s crazy! She’s so sexy but she doesn’t know it. I love that about her. She’s so unaware of how beautiful she is. She acts like a little girl sometimes; her impromptu things, which I find quite endearing. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU? I want Karl Lagerfeld’s job! I dream big. Obviously I’m not going to last forever. I take everything one step at a time. I would love to leave a legacy. I want to be a servant of fashion for as long as I can. Whatever the future holds, I will take it. shop.ethologie.co.uk FASHION
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RUPERT EVANS NEW SKY ATLANTI C SER IE S F LE M IN G IS SE T T O P R E M IE R E NEXT W EEK, AND TH E DR AM A DOCU M E N T IN G T H E LIF E OF J AMES BOND C R E AT OR IAN F LE M IN G H AS B E E N EAGERLY ANTI CI PATE D B Y M AN Y . DR AF T E D C AT CH U P W I TH STAR RUP E RT E VANS T O LE AR N M OR E …
Words : KYLE GOODWIN Photographer : TOM JOHNSON www.tom-johnson.co.uk • Photo Assistant : ALEXA HORGAN Grooming : AMY BRANDON • Styling : OLIVER VAUGHN • Styling Assistant : JORDAN VICTOR-HARRISON
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CELEBRITY
Suit Richard Anderson Shirt Mauro Grifoni Tie Topman Shoes Duggers
upert Evans is a hard man to pin down. In the last ten years, since making his esteemed fi lm debut in Guillermo del Torro’s adaptation of comic book Hellboy, the Staff ordshire-born star hasn’t really stopped; hurtling from roleto-role as he continues to establish himself as one of Britain’s most acclaimed actors. We catch him in a rare moment of downtime, having just returned to the UK from fi ve months in Vancouver, fi lming for US drama series Rogue. “It’s nice to come out of that bubble and fi nd a brief sense of normality again,” he smiles, relaying vague details of the previous evening’s get together with old friends. “We always promise to see each other more and never do.” Evans describes his lifestyle as “nomadic”, and skimming over the long list of credits that make up his career so far - and the variety of countries he’s fi lmed in along the way – it’s easy to understand why he chooses this word to sum up the last decade, with Prague / LA (Hellboy), Malta (Agora) and Hungary / Slovakia (World Without End) among the destinations he’s travelled for work. And, as Evans tells us: after a long stint away from home even the UK’s leading entertainers return to the perpetual build-up of unwanted letters.
CELEBRITY
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Suit Mauro Grifoni Shirt Reiss Tie Duchamp Shoes All Saints
“It’s always the same,” he laughs. “Invariably there’s some sort of court order or bailiffs letter, or something along those lines which you’ve missed. I’ve just been trying to catch up on the paper work and all the rubbish that piles up when you’ve been away for five months. They get so p***** off when you don’t respond for so long. After a while, someone always wants to hand you a court order. This time it’s the BBC TV licence, so I’m currently having to convince the BBC not to take me to court.” Ironically, Evans has starred in numerous BBC shows, including hugely successful drama series The Village, which opened to over 6million viewers in March 2013. “You’d think that would count for something,” he jokes. With a multitude of prestigious roles under his belt already, and many more undoubtedly in the pipeline, Evans is steadily on his way to becoming a household name in British television and film. The jobs have been rolling in thick and fast. But while many actors in his position would get carried away with the lifestyle, Evans still has his feet firmly planted on the ground, and can barely contain his laughter when we mention champagne 16
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CELEBRITY
I MOSTLY
LIVE OUT OF A
SUITC ASE. IT ’S
DEFINITELY NOT CHAMPAGNE & CLUBS. I JUST
ENJOY STAYING HOME THESE DAYS, TO BE HONEST.
and nightclubs. “Mate, you must be kidding!” he cracks up. “I mostly live out of a suitcase. It’s defi nitely not champagne and clubs – God, no - far from it. I can’t even remember the last time I drank champagne. I just enjoy staying home these days, to be honest - trying to spend time with my girlfriend who hardly ever sees me.” Polite and articulate, Evans is a true gentleman of modern British entertainment. His distinct lack of ego allows for comfortable conversation (especially at 8am, when, with tea and strong coff ee on the table, our
interview takes place). We discuss his most enjoyable parts to date, starting with his fi rst major role in Hellboy, which he remembers fondly (after the nerves subsided, anyway). “I was sort of petrifi ed half-the-time,” he recalls. “I’d just left drama school and didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I thought I was going to be doing a load of theatre for a while and before I knew it I was in LA, and then over to Prague for 167 shooting days. It was a crazy time in my life. I learnt a massive amount from del Toro, who was very kind to me and took me under his wing.”
Recently, Evans starred in two-part ITV drama Lucan, written by award-winning writer Jess Pope (Mrs Biggs). Evans plays the part of Dominick Elwes, close friend of aristocrat Lord Lucan. As he explains, attempting to understand the opinions and mind-set of a character, no matter how diff erent they are from your own, is key to putting in a good performance. “I think everybody thinks they’re doing the right thing for what they believe in,” he tells us. “I try to set aside my personal beliefs and views on life, and that’s what I fi nd interesting; when you come across a
Suit Thomas Pink Shirt Harry Stedman Bow Tie River Island Shoes Paul Smith CELEBRITY
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IT ’S A SHAME
NOT ENOUGH
BRITISH FILMS
ARE MADE JUST
FOR BRITAIN. IF
IT ’S A GOOD FILM, IT WILL ALWAYS TRANSLATE
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CELEBRITY
Suit Thomas Pink Shirt Harry Stedman Bow Tie River Island Shoes Paul Smith
character whose beliefs and ideas are really quite extreme. The filming process is almost just a constant state of day dreaming for me, and being with the thoughts and ideas and the world of the character I’m playing.” What we find refreshing is that, while many actors consider Hollywood the pinnacle of entertainment, Evans still holds a sizeable level of respect towards the British filmmaking industry. “I’m very passionate about British films,” he says. “I try and do as many as I can.” But with Hollywood ceaselessly flooding cinemas with Americanised flicks, British filmmakers, and especially those encapsulating British culture, don’t necessarily get the chance they perhaps warrant. “I do feel a lot of films are trying to be pitched and catered for the American market,” Evans continues. “There are just not enough British films being made. In France they make over 300 French films a year. Most of them are awful probably, but out of those 300 a few of them are great. The television companies over there have to put aside a certain percentage of their profits for independent films. They have a solid bedrock by which talent can grow and experiment. We’ve kind of lost that, we hardly have any funding over here. “The problem we have here in England is that, for better or for worse, we are very much under the umbrella of America. Ultimately, America is a market British films see as a money source. It’s a shame not enough British films are made just for Britain. If it’s a good film, it will always translate.”
Representing British television and film is evidently something Evans is proud to be a part of. And with upcoming Sky Atlantic series Fleming – a four-part biopic based on the real life story of James Bond creator Ian Fleming – hitting televisions sets across the UK next week, Evans has arguably scored his most quintessentially British role to date; playing Ian’s brother, Peter Fleming, a celebrated war hero, adventurer and travel writer who, at the time, was widely renowned for his accomplishments – even more so than brother, Ian. “I’m a massive, massive Bond fan,” he grins. “When I read the script I thought it was a brilliant idea. It had real style and flair, as well as having real heart.” Inevitably, there will be more Hollywood roles in the pipeline for Rupert Evans. But whatever he’s filming for, whatever country it may take him to, it’s just good to know British entertainment is still being passionately endorsed. Fleming launches on Sky Atlantic, 12th February at 9pm. The Village returns to BBC One later this year. CELEBRITY
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WEIGHT LOSS: Tradition vs. Technology W HE N D ID WE B ECOME A NATI ON OF QUICK F IX F AN AT IC S? Words : RIVKIE BAUM
hen I talk about the pace of living these days I often regale the story of the watermelon stand I passed on a deserted highway in Jordan. As we drove down this long, dusty road – the only car for miles – we passed a man sitting under a makeshift canopy surrounded by watermelons for sale. Totally relaxed, he sat cross-legged on the floor, waiting for business. There was no high-tech marketing, no real passing trade (we didn’t even stop), just a simple handscribbled sign and a rather contented looking stall owner. Here in the UK, many companies spend hours strategising, analysing, planning and executing plans and yet it is never enough. We never achieve what we want quickly enough; we want it all and we want it now. But this ideology isn’t just in our work goals, it’s in everything. Our need for speed is infiltrating every aspect of our lives. The latest in this need for fast fixes comes in the form of a tiny little pill. The latest in quick fix diets, this pill, once swallowed and inflated, is the latest mini-gastric balloon. It’s being hailed as a miracle pill – but, really, is it just vanity gone mad? The pill is designed for people a stone overweight. You know, the kind of people who could tweak their diet a bit and maybe hit the gym for an extra day a week in order to lose that stone. Or, alternatively, pay £3000 and risk their health for something that, while much easier, reduces the capacity of your stomach, putting a whole new twist on the ‘no pain no gain’ mentality of losing weight. A toss up, right? All to drop a single dress size. Unfortunately, it’s all too real. The balloon, inflated once inside your stomach, uses an endoscopy (down your throat)
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to complete the task. But is this method any safer than a traditional gastric balloon? And realistically, if you’re only losing a stone, what benefit does the balloon add that simply swapping crisps for an apple wouldn’t? Is this just another way we can buy what we want instead of doing it the old-fashioned way and putting some effort in? Well, the pill balloon comes with identical risks to a regular gastric balloon – which is now regularly considered pointless by medical professionals – as in many cases the weight is inevitably regained after its initial rapid loss. Equally, the deflated balloon can get stuck when trying to remove it, requiring surgery to amend the situation. Essentially the balloon reduces the size of your stomach – meaning you can only physically eat a limited amount – something we all know is what we need to do if we genuinely want to shift a few pounds. We don’t need to spend £3,000 to find that out. Around 80% will suffer side effects, including sickness, cramps, reflux, bloating and diarrhoea – sexy stuff, huh! Really, we could be using that £3,000 to join a gym, hire a personal trainer and get that heart rate pumping. Eating healthily makes you feel great, as does exercise. Shouldn’t that be the real answer? Feeling good inside and out? A good diet (as in healthy eating), teamed with exercise for 12 weeks will likely shift the same amount of weight as the Obalon-created tablet. Yet, in
an age of technology and a tendency to give up if something isn’t spoon fed to us quickly (fast food, fast broadband, fast cars, quick fix diets), the idea of this tablet in our society is, sadly, a viable plan. We spend January hearing how much we need to lose those Christmas pounds, but the problem with quick medical fixes, and why they so often fail, is that no one deals with the root cause, which can take time and effort to discover. But finding solutions to the real problem, not our 21st century vanity issue, is imperative. Binge eating is as much an illness as anorexia – yet, with anorexia, there is far more psychological help and backing available. People cry out that we’re heading for an obesity epidemic in this country. That may be so, and until we start helping people over-come the true cause of weight gain, and ensure the UK’s poorest can afford better food; this quick, pill-shaped solution will always have an appeal. There are no long term statistics for how patients who tried the treatment fare in the long-term. The likelihood is that they will put the stone back on, and nothing will have truly been learnt or altered. So yes, for £3,000 you may be a dress size lighter for that wedding in the summer – however, come Christmas time, will an Obalon pill be on your letter to Santa once more?
IT ’S BEING
HAILED AS A
MIRACLE PILL – BUT, REALLY, IS IT JUST VANIT Y GONE MAD?
Originally published as a Huffington Post blog.
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ELEMENTS CREDITS Photographer Jay McLaughlin @ Kayte Ellis Agency • Stylist Alicja Jasnikowska @ Carol Hayes Management Styling Assistant Joanne Mulcare • Hair & Make-up Amy Brandon using MAC & Nars • Location Milk @ Grace Bar Model Bethan Maye @ Models1 • Thanks to Late Night London
Bikini top (underneath) Seafolly Top with mesh side panels Second Female Long leather skirt Persy Short chain necklace Links of London Triangle necklace stylist’s own Chain bracelet Links of London
Mesh panel swimsuit I.D. Sarrieri Embroidered organza coat Hemyca Silver knuckle ring Cornelia Webb
Silver and white leather dress with metal panel
Catherine Deane
Ribbed knit jumper Limited Collection @ Marks & Spencer White shirt Limited Collection @ Marks & Spencer Holographic shorts Vivetta @ Avenue 32 Lace up buckle shoes Shelleys London @ ASOS Silver body chain Cornelia Webb Silver ring Links of London
STOCKISTS I.D. Sarrieri www.sarrieri.com • Hemyca www.hemyca.com • Seafolly www.seafolly.com • Maria Nilsdotter www.marianilsdotter.com • Marks & Spencer www.marksandspencer.com Vivetta at Avenue 32 www.avenue32.com • Shelleys London @ ASOS www.asos.com • Cornelia Webb www.corneliawebb.com • Links of London www.linksoflondon.com Catherine Deane www.catherinedeane.com • Second Female www.secondfemale.com • Persy www.persy.co.uk • 2nd Day www.day.dk • Maryling www.maryling.com
Bikini top (underneath) Seafolly Long sleeve sheer panel top 2nd Day Wide leg trousers Maryling Silver body chain Cornelia Webb Studded hand cuff Maria Nilsdotter
RE PRESENT at London Fashion Week RUB S HOULDERS WITH FASHION’S FINEST AT THIS SWEDISH FASHION EXTRAVAGANZA
usiness Sweden and The Embassy of Sweden have partnered with Make Lemonade Agency and Varg PR to showcase a collective of Swedish fashion designers, and this time welcome The Embassy of Denmark, bringing Danish brands into the mix too. The four-day exhibition showcasing each designer’s AW14 collections in Central London will be open for sales and press appointments between the 15th-18th February, but there is also the opportunity for members of the general public and fashion students to visit the showroom. The event aims to raise brand awareness for each member of the collective, both internationally and within the UK.
B
THERE ARE TONS OF BRANDS TO SEE, SO HEAD ON DOWN TO CHECK IT OU T. HERE ARE OUR TOP THREE.
64 Lincolnʼs Inn Fields, WC2A 3TL Dates 15–18th February 2014 Opening hours Saturday 12pm–6pm Sunday–Tuesday 10am–6pm Twitter @representLFW Instagram @representshowroom #representLFW
WHYRED produces men's and womenswear all about contrasts, where the expected meets the unexpected in a nonchalant elegance. Well-made fashion is inspired by garments with a historical edge. A sophisticated mix of different art forms makes up the brand's true essence.
BACK by Ann-Sofie Back is aimed at intelligent, style conscious women. Ann-Sofie Back is one of Swedenʼs original bad-boys when it comes to breaking the conventions of fashion. 28
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Words : RIVKIE BAUM
CARIN WESTER was created in 2003 and quickly became noticed by high-profile stores because of its androgynous shapes and urban, playful expressions. Today, the collection defends the philosophy of a modern elegance to dress women with sharpness and attitude.
CREDITS
Photographer Elliott Morgan Model Paul Sculfor @ Established Models Stylist Rivkie Baum Grooming Lauren Baker using Antipodes skin care and Jane Iredale cosmetics
Location Adrian Pini Studios
the
TREND BLEND DR A FT E D B L E NDS TOGETH ER SOME OF S / S ’ 1 4 H OTTEST TRENDS
TREND: IN CHECKS
Sweater Pringle of Scotland Checked Trousers Daks
MAIN TREND: FLORAL MINI TREND: BOMBER JACKETS Floral Sleeved Jacket Bershka
MAIN TREND: ALL OVER PRINT MINI TREND: TEXTURED KNITS
Polka Dot Blazer and Matching Trouser Jigsaw Sweater Bershka
MAIN TREND: RED MINI TREND: NAUTIC AL Cardigan and Shirt
Paul and Joe Homme
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MAIN TREND: BLUE MINI TREND: BOMBER JACKETS T-shirt Daks Bomber Jacket Banana Republic
MAIN TREND: TROPIC AL PRINTS MINI TREND: TEXTURED KNITS
Print Shirt and Flamingo Print Trousers
Paul and Joe Homme Sweater Jigsaw
MAIN TREND: TROPIC AL PRINTS MINI TREND: TEXTURED KNITS Sweater Bershka Trousers Jigsaw
TREND: COOL CLASSICS Blazer Daks Shirt Paul and Joe Homme
TREND: COOL CLASSICS
Shirt Pringle of Scotland Waistcoat (3 piece available) Jaeger
my mad fat diary W IT H T HE S E C OND SERI ES OF E4’S M Y MAD F A T D IAR Y HIT T ING TELEVI SI ONS ACROSS T H E UK , DRA FT E D CATCH UP WI TH TH E REAL R AE EA R L ( NO , RE A L LY… TH E ACTUAL RAE, W H OSE A C T UA L D IA RY TH E SH OW I S BASED O N ) T O DIS C U S S WHA T BEI NG POPULAR AT SC H OOL ( O R O T HE RWIS E ) REALLY MEANS I N TH E G R AN D SC HE ME O F T HINGS… Words : KYLE GOODWIN
think being popular at school is overrated,” begins the hilariously funny and charming Rae Earl, whose real-life diary – written in the late ‘80s – provides the material for hit E4 show My Mad Fat Diary, back now for its second series. “I think, in popularity, people are looking to fill up something in themselves,” Earl continues, “but it never really does fill them up. It’s a bit like fame; they’re looking to somehow fill up that hole.” She pauses. “Oh God, I’ve gone all Oprah again.” Fundamentally outgoing and full of extroverted self-confidence, the Stamfordborn writer and broadcaster has come a long way from those angst-fuelled teenage days
“I
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when fitting in, and more importantly being liked, is the centre of every 17-year-old’s universe (not matter how hard we try to deny it at the time). “Being liked meant everything at the time,” Earl tells us. “I think all adolescents want to be loved and liked, especially when you’re a bit odd, and a bit freaky compared to your ‘normal’ school friends.” Since then, though, Earl has discovered she wasn’t the only one at her school harbouring those feelings of selfdoubt. “A lot of people I went to school with have written to me since then saying, ‘But we felt like that, too, and if we’d known we would have given you a big hug’ – which is lovely, but came about 22 years too late.” The contents of her 1989 diary, officially published in 2007, is all but a distant memory
from her current life, where she’s happily been residing in Australia with Sydney-born husband Kevin Johnson and son Harry, soaking up the sweltering Tasmanian heat (and generally steering clear of bush fires, we imagine). For someone who once claimed to “have panic attacks going 50 miles up the road to Peterborough”, this is most certainly what her therapist in the ‘80s would consider resounding progress. With a successful career in copywriting and radio presenting, Earl is a living example of how, if we’re willing to, we can shed whatever went on in the playground and integrate successfully into a (at least somewhat) normal, functioning member of society. “A lot of people who go on to be successful in later life were never popular at school,” she
I DOUBT BILL
GATES WAS EVER
HOMECOMING KING. I THINK A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO WERE PICKED LAST END
UP COMING FIRST.
explains. “And they weren’t popular for a reason. They were thinking differently, even then, and people who think differently tend to do well in life. I mean, I doubt Bill Gates was ever Homecoming King. I think a lot of people who were picked last end up coming first.” She pauses again, a smile slowly sweeping across her face. “Wow, I don’t know where that one came from. I should be writing these down.” My Mad Fat Diary, which during its first series pulled an average audience of 1.2million viewers per episode, has been widely hailed by critics for its honesty, humour and willingness to tackle taboo subjects such as mental health amongst teenagers. It’s a show many have been able to relate to in some way. And although it’s Sharon Rooney
(who plays Rae in the show) that receives most of the fan mail from the younger generations, Earl still gets a few letters herself, albeit from a slightly older demographic of viewers. “I tend to get letters mainly from people my age saying: ‘Thank God there was somebody else out there like me’,” she says. “Young people don’t see me as Rae; they see Sharon [Rooney] as Rae. They don’t relate to me in that way, it’s more the older people that have been through it going, ‘God wasn’t that awful’.”
My Mad Fat Diary Series 2 Is Out Now On E4. www.mymadfatdiary.co.uk
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Bthlisippapgjoe thon
form h watc man per ‘out new single ’ new y head of m ge 5 pa See lippar s... B for ruction inst
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JOH NEW
J O HN NEWMA N H AS J UST WATCH ED H IS DE B U T ALB U M C A TA PU L T INT O TH E US ALBUM CH AR T AT N U M B E R T WO. HA VING JU S T RE TURNED TO TH E UK (A N D ST ILL N OT F U LLY O V ER T HE JE T L A G), H E SPEAK S TO DRAF T E D' S KY LE G OODWIN A B OU T S E T T L ING I NTO CELEBRI TY LI FE... Words : KYLE GOODWIN
W
hen John Newman wakes up these days he must have to pinch himself to make sure he’s not dreaming. He may even have to pinch himself twice. And when reality does eventually sink in, he must start each day with a smile as wide as the Thames. Things have been going well for the North Yorkshire-born songwriter, recently. Actually, things have been going very well. “A Number One album!” he says, shaking his head from side-to-side in disbelief. “It’s still pretty surreal.” He is, of course, referring to ‘Tribute’, Newman’s debut album which stormed the UK Album Chart at Number One last October; with lead single ‘Love Me Again’ hitting top spot in the Singles Chart a few months earlier. It was a fast and furious year for Newman, whose achievements have earned him two Brit Award nominations – including Best British Male – at the 2014 award ceremony. “It’s ridiculous to even think about it,” he smiles. “It’s made a lot of people around me very proud.” Music is simply in his blood, and it has been for a long time. At the age of 15 Newman set up his first studio – in a cupboard below the stairs – and with an old laptop and some hi-fi speakers began producing hip hop beats and house tunes. This DIY ethic and deep enthusiasm to make music remains embedded in his core to this day. The quality of studio may have improved in recent times, but we get the feeling he would be just as happy making music in a cupboard as he would at Abbey Road. Since those days making music under the stairs, though, much has gone on in the life of John Newman. Success wasn’t attained
overnight, like it so often is these days. Instead, the 23-year-old has had to graft to earn his right to be here. “So many pop magazines are like, ‘You’re living the dream!’” he explains. “But I’m not. I’ve worked really hard for this. A dream is where you walk up on stage at some audition, or end up going through a show. It all happens within two months and then you’ve got a Number One single by Christmas. “But I haven’t done that. I worked really, really hard and have seen numerous stages of my career building and building and building. The thing about a dream is you wake up in the morning and it’s over, and I don’t want that.” Newman has recently returned from the States, where a succession of live shows, television appearances and extensive radio play have culminated in ‘Tribute’ vaulting to Number Two in the US Album Chart. Still not fully recovered from the jet lag, he reflects on his recent endeavours across the Atlantic, and the mammoth task of breaking America. “It’s a whole different world out there,” he says. “You know, sometimes we let hype and fashion and novelty go to Number One over here, but it’s harder over there because it’s so big. You’ve got to work very hard to prove to them that you’re an artist worth buying into.”
N WMAN
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Since the release of debut single ‘Love Me Again’, Newman has been contending with a new addition in his life: fame – and all that comes with it. Some people are born to be a celebrity. Others, however, find themselves in that world inadvertently. Newman is as relatable as he is humble; the guy next door who happened to score big in the music business. He’s made music for most of his life, and fame just comes with the territory of success, even if it’s not something he necessarily set out for. But, even though fame is a systematic part of his life these days, it’s not something he’s planning to take too seriously. “I don’t really consider myself to be famous, or in that celebrity world,” he tells us. “I choose to laugh it all off. It’s all kind of laughable. I was at this thing in LA the other night and it was packed full of A-listers and I was just laughing. People are so stubborn about being that personality instead of just having a laugh and being comfortable with themselves. It’s kind of like, ‘Have you totally just forgotten that you’re a real person?’” As a seemingly well-balanced, grounded person – even in light of the success that’s engulfed his life – Newman’s songs encompass the personal, relatable nature he exudes as an individual. Familiarity manifests effortlessly throughout ‘Tribute’; situations we’ve all been in, emotions we’ve all had to deal with, executed concisely through a stream of alluring vocal hooks. Newman produces honest music, often inspired by real-life situations, with songs like ‘Love Me Again’ delving deep into his own personal experiences. “That song came from a very simple experience,” he explains. “I was going through this break up and realised that I’d really f***** up, so I jumped on a train down to Dorset where my ex-girlfriend lived at the time to sort it out. I just wrote the lyrics on the train. And now that’s the song that broke me, it’s the song I’ve performed in
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front of 10,000 people, and it’s the song that’s now breaking America for me. It's taken on different emotional values throughout the different stages of my career so far.” Although ‘Love Me Again’ was Newman’s first taste of chart success as a solo artist, it wasn’t the first Number One single he’d been involved in; scoring top spot in the UK Singles Chart guesting on Rudimental’s 2012 club anthem ‘Feel The Love’, as well as follow up ‘Not Giving In’. Being close friends, Newman and Rudimental’s collaborations radiated natural chemistry, complimenting each other’s vision and ideas. Unfortunately for dance fans, though, the musical partnership they’d formed was never going to last forever. “There was this huge identity crisis going on,” admits Newman, “where everyone was going, ‘Who’s Rudimental? And who’s John Newman? What is this?’ So their management company wanted to push me aside slightly in terms of interviews and press so they could push the boys forward. But just on the other side of the camera I was always sat watching. So I got a good insight into this world before I properly got into it with my solo stuff.” The personal relationship between Newman and Rudimental produced songs that were close-to-home for both camps, with ‘Not Giving In’, for instance, written specifically about a good friend not being in a great state. “I had so much passion behind those lyrics,” Newman recalls. “I was the only one who could really capture the performance of the song because I knew what it was really about – whereas to other people coming in, it was just a song, and they were just performing on it.” It wasn’t long after the release of ‘Not Giving In’, though, that Newman decided to focus more predominantly on his solo material. “It started scaring me that I might be becoming a bit too involved in that camp and not concentrating
I WAS AT THIS THING IN LA THE
OTHER NIGHT AND IT WAS PACKED
FULL OF A-LISTERS AND I WAS JUST
LAUGHING... IT ’S KIND OF LIKE,
‘HAVE YOU TOTALLY JUST FORGOT TEN
THAT YOU ’RE A REAL PERSON?'
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PUT TING OUT
NEW MATERIAL IS AN EXCITING THOUGHT TO ME. I REALLY
FEEL I C AN DO BET TER THAN
‘ TRIBUTE’.
enough on my own work. I've got way too many stubborn ideas to hide them away in something else, and needed to be putting them into my own work.” With a UK tour currently underway, 2014 is promising more of the same for Newman, who is undoubtedly excited to be hitting the road in his homeland, once again. “I redesigned our whole stage and the backdrop,” he grins. “It’s about taking it to that next level.” For most artists, it doesn’t take long after a release for attention to turn to new material. It’s no different for Newman, who has already
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begun penning new tunes for what will inevitably be a highly anticipated follow up to ‘Tribute’, a task he’s evidently looking forward to. “I never understand it when people say, ‘I’ve written my first album, now I don’t have to write again until my second album’,” he says. “I don’t get it. If you took two years out from studying, you’d be very, very sketchy when you came back to learning it. Songwriting is a thing of expressing yourself, what do they do through the period of not writing? Putting out new material is an exciting thought to me. I really feel I can do better than ‘Tribute’.”
From the outside, life may seem like a dream for John Newman right now, but it’s a dream he thoroughly deserves to be living; after years of hard work in the studio, on the road, and with a pen and pad honing the craft of songwriting. With two nominations at this year’s Brit Awards coming up, it doesn’t look like this particular dream will be ending any time soon. John Newman’s new single ‘Out Of My Head’ is out March 17th. www.johnnewman.co.uk
See me burst with Blippar...
1. Download the app 2. Scan the pack 3. Boom!
under cover TH I S MON T H ’ S B E ST N E W R E ADS. Words : ELISHEVA SOKOLIC
MRS. HEMINGWAY NAOMI WOOD 13TH FEBRUARY, MACMILLAN
novel are where the women co-exist, almost as equals, in Hemingway’s heart. While his first wife holidays with her husband and his mistress, the loud voice shouting “how can she put up with this?” is almost entirely eclipsed by the whisper of “she loves him SO much.” She would rather have a piece of him, be in a marriage of three, than lose him altogether. For me, at least, these women therefore come across as brave and perhaps even forwardthinking, rather than the more popular attitude of victimised women who have little self respect, a way in which I’ve never looked at infidelity before. While sexual proclivities may be more outspoken, attitudes haven’t changed much in the past half century, and I fully admit it is difficult, in either era, to see a woman who holds only part of her man’s heart, and not feel certain her smile is hiding the broken shards of her own. But watching the wives of one of the great thinkers of the last generation give him their all, despite never fully having this reciprocated, and then moving on despite the heartbreak, acting as muse and then rebuilding the pieces he has taken from them, was a remarkable tour de force. Not just a starting point for a much needed conversation on the limits of sexual freedom, but a beautifully written and enlightening piece of literature.
THE PULL OF THIS NOVEL
IS ITS HEART-
Naomi Wood has hit upon a remarkably unspoken taboo of women’s writing, and perhaps feminism itself, in the exquisitely written Mrs Hemingway. In a generation where women can just as easily wield the sexual power as they can the birth control; where women can ask for what they want in every area of their lives, a reader may take a breath at a woman adamantly insisting, “Better a marriage of three than a woman alone.” Nowadays, despite social stigma, and albeit generally not limited to the man alone, we may knowledgeably refer to this kind of system as an open marriage, while it is actually about as widely understood as quantum physics. In Mrs Hemingway, Wood paints Ernest as a charismatic and talented artist, loved by everyone, whose fatal flaw is his inability to stay faithful. A believer in the traditional values of marriage, he pledges fidelity to each wife, and in one way or another breaks the hearts of each of his four women. The pull of this novel is its heartbreaking honesty, and almost painful familiarity. Relationships are more complex than sweeping statements, and the easy ‘I would never stay with a cheater’ becomes all that much more complicated when you’re faced with letting go of everything familiar - and of course how much more so in a world where women have little identity in their own right. While Wood’s Hemingway did cheat on his wives, the far more interesting sections of this
BREAKING HONEST Y,
AND ALMOST PAINFUL
FAMILIARIT Y.
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ALSO THIS MONTH
BOY, SNOW, BIRD HELEN OYEYEMI
27TH FEBRUARY, MACMILLAN Boy, Snow, Bird is a surprise. What starts as merely an enjoyable read develops into a delicately written piece of literature on both gender and race. Diving deep into stereotypes and social stigma, Oyeyemi doesn’t shy away from exposing her characters’ less than likeable traits, and the result is a story touched with the real depth that only simplicity can uncover. The content will stay with you long after you turn the last page. SE LF PU BL IS HE D
BOOK with a BUZZ
RELATIVELY STRANGE MARYLIN MESSIK Naomi Wood is the author of The Godless Boys. She studied at Cambridge and has a Masters degree and Doctorate from the University of East Anglia. Her research for Mrs. Hemingway took her from the British Library to the Library of Congress, and to Ernest Hemingway’s homes and old haunts in Chicago, Paris, Antibes, Key West and Cuba. She lives in London, and teaches Creative Writing at Goldsmiths.
The fear with self published novels is that you’re going to spend more time pointing out typos than eagerly turning pages. No such trouble here. Messik’s novel, a magical realism about a reluctant hero discovering whether there’s any such thing as ‘normal’, is meticulously edited, (her background is copywriting, after all!), and full of recognisable humour that keeps you both on your toes and at the edge of your seat throughout each chapter. A must-read. Blipp to buy on Amazon
TRULY FORD
DRA FT E D S IT S DOWN WI TH TRULY FO RD T O DISCU SS IN DU S T R Y A T T E NT IO N, TH E SACRI FI CES TH AT COM E WIT H SU C CE SS A N D M E E T ING HER I DOLS… Words : MATT RUSSELL
here’s no getting around it, when it comes to Londonbased artist Truly Ford, what hits you straight away is that voice! And, it would appear that we’re not alone in this deduction, either. Having already been described as a “deeper Florence”, this 19-yearold songstress has been captivating ears on both sides of the Atlantic with her debut EP Supernova. Gracefully moving between high energy and sultry melancholy; she delivers her new single ‘Battles Cry’ with a devastating intensity. It seems that crisscrossing musical boundaries doesn’t faze the young singer, who already possesses a wealth of experience, having spent hours honing her songwriting skills from an early age.
T
I WANT TO TEST
MYSELF AND PUSH
SOME BOUNDARIES I ’M NOT AS SAFE
WITH WORDS AS
I USED TO BE.
“I spent quite a lot of time alone when I was younger,” she begins, “which sounds quite sad, but I used to play guitar a lot and listen to a lot of music. I didn’t ever really think, ‘I know, I’ll sit down and write a song’. It just kind of happened. But it’s something I’ve always been interested in.” It would appear, however, that those days spent alone in her room, practicing and writing, might be starting to pay off. Early support and airplay on the BBC Introducing show gave Ford the exposure she needed to hit the UK festival circuit. More recently, the young performer has been entertaining some big names on the other side of the pond, with showcases for Jay Z’s Roc Nation and Def Jam/Island records. “I think getting recognition from other people, and particularly people in the industry, gave me a lot of confidence to try new things as a songwriter,” she explains. “I want to test myself and push some boundaries and it helps when people have faith in you. I’m not as safe with words as I used to be.” Ford didn’t have to wait too long for her next song-writing test, though, as she recently collaborated with one of her idols: Newton Faulkner. For the gifted singer it seems that writing with a talent such as Faulkner’s was a once in a lifetime experience. “It was so bizarre,” she says. “We went for lunch and people were coming up and asking him for autographs. I was just thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m just casually having lunch with one of my idols’. Writing a song with him was pretty surreal. I had to keep pinching myself. I managed to play it cool, though.” Ford’s vocals are one of a kind, and she’s already being compared to the likes of Tracy Chapman, Florence Welch and Laura Marling – which must be humbling – but the young songwriter is also aiming to copy the trajectory of their careers, too. Nevertheless, she’s under no illusion over the effort that goes into success, and the sacrifices it may well entail. “To make it to the top you’ve got to tour the world and leave a lot of stuff behind,” Ford concludes. “There’s a lot of time spent on your own, or with your management team. So it means having to work harder on your relationships with your friends and family because you might not necessarily be around too much. But I’m a traveller. Wherever I am is home to me. As long as I’m doing music, I’m happy.”
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Kate Temple
G ET S A NG RY E A C H MONTH W E FI ND OUT WH AT ’ S M AKIN G KAT E T E M P LE AN GR Y . Words : KATE TEMPLE • Illustration : KELSEY ADAMS
L
adies, a red-letter day is nearly upon us! It’s that time of year again and my, doesn’t time fly. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a year since we last did this. Personally, I’ve always found the colour red the most significant aspect of this whole arrangement. To many people the colour red signifies danger, hazard, alert as well as fiery passion. Our use of red in the UK is so ambiguous we barely know if we’re coming or going. In American movies, such as The Butterfly Effect, red is used to help the audience realise there is danger ahead (not that this stops the buxom blondes being killed first, but it makes the audience feel like they’re one step ahead of the bimbo shouting, ‘“behind you – its the red head!”). Here, red is used in road signs to signify a command you must follow, and it’s used on the back of medicines worldwide as a nonverbal signal that the product inside is dangerous. BBC news even throw the colour
HOW WILL YOU DEAL WITH
ANY GIVEAWAYS AND DISAPPOINT-
MENTS? WILL YOU GET A DELIGHTFUL
SURPRISE AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? red around when they put up a banner for breaking news – ‘Alert! Alert! Something’s happening so we’re going to attract your attention with a splash of red!’ It makes you think, doesn’t it? The colour red, like I said before, is so significant to this coming event it’s almost unthinkable it should happen without it. It’s thrust in our face every year, most of the time without any consideration for the general public – the real, hard-working people of Britain with different priorities. But, still, once a year without fail it happens. Half of the country spends the evening depressed by the thought of a doomed, lonely future while the other half quaff champagne and celebrate their good fortune at the hands of a powerful potentiate. How can a one-day event spark so much
pain, misery and grief? But it’s all made up anyway, you remind yourself frequently. “It wasn’t like this in my day,” people say to you as they discuss the day while buying a pint of milk. “Now it’s a commercial fling someone invented to squeeze more money out of us,” they add. The newspapers and magazines can’t talk of anything but, for weeks on end. How will you deal with any giveaways or disappointments, how to set up your affairs for the best outcome? Will you get a delightful surprise and how long will it last? But after all that hype, your heart still beats when you see him walk down the street. As he bounds toward the door, red wrapped gift box aloft, his salt and pepper hair ruffled in the wind. This is the moment. You’ve been waiting all year for this and now it’s finally here. His
eyes connect with yours and your legs feel like they’re going to buckle beneath you with sheer anticipation. You can hear his fast-paced breathing become erratic as he thinks about what he’s about to say. Clearing his throat, his head dips toward his chest and you see a weaker, more vulnerable side of him. But in a flash his eyes are back on yours and there’s a determined glisten you just can’t ignore. He raises his arm and… thrusts his red briefcase into the air. George Osborne’s budget is inside that infamously red briefcase, and the world waits with baited breath to hear what he has planned for the next year. The flash of red, like I said, has always captured my attention. Oh, gosh. I’m sorry. Have we had our wires crossed? You thought I was talking about Valentine’s Day? More fool you; there are way more important things in life to be worrying about. (But if you order now, you might still be able to send yourself 12 red roses to work. Hurry!)
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POMEGRANATE & HIBISCUS RANGE, WOODS OF WINDSOR £8.75EA hhjjjjjjj jj A light moisturising set that is quickly absorbed, keeping the skin soft, smooth and delicately fragranced. www.woodsofwindsor.co.uk
BROW GEL, GLO MINERALS £12 hhjjjjjjj jj Brow gel not only defines the brow line, but also provides instant cover for unwanted grey or silver hair. www.glo-minerals.com
MUST H A VES Words : KATE TEMPLE
Whether you love or loath the idea of Valentines Day, it’s something we can all embrace more within the realms of loving our bodies. Cherish those dimples and rehydrate that beautiful face. It’s not long until the clocks spring forward, the lambing season begins and the prosperity of a bright, warm summer is ahead of us all. So make sure you’re one step ahead of the crowd with fabulous, strong hair, supple, smooth skin and a scent that will leave people with a smile on their face.
Channel your inner Cara DeLevingne
RADIANCE SERUM, ORICO MARINE £34 hhjjjjjjj jj This radiance-boosting serum is specially formulated with four clinically proven anti-ageing bioactives to help illuminate, tauten, and lessen wrinkles. at Debenhams
VERSACE BRIGHT CRYSTAL ABSOLU £47 hhjjjjjjj jj A delicate yet floral scent that’s perfect to help you step out of winter’s heavy, thick perfumes and follow the lighter notes of spring. www.versace.com
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ROSE DAY CREAM, DR. HAUSCHKA £28 hhjjjjjjj jj A rich, beautifully scented day cream features rose oil and wild rose hip extract which envelope the skin with a protective, nurturing film. at Liberty
DR. HAUSCHKA
ROSE BODY MOISTURISER, DR HAUSCHKA £24.95 hhjjjjjjj jj The rose petal extract together with sweet almond and jojoba oils nurture the skin, leaving it soft and supple. www.lookfantastic.com
MOOR LAVENDAR CALMING BATH ESSENCE, DR. HAUSCHKA £16 hhjjjjjjj jj The luscious almond and avocado oils in this essence encourage a deeply relaxing night’s sleep. at John Lewis
COCO DE MER BODY BUTTER, 24 HOUR NAKED £5.45 hhjjjjjjj jj A thick yet lightweight moisturizer that enriches even the driest of skins with shea butter and passion flower oil extract. at Boots
ONE LOVE ORGANICS
PURIFY 4D EXFOLIATOR, SEPAI – BASIC £72 hhjjjjjjj jj Minute particles of bamboo extract exfoliate whilst activating the micro-circulation and the white clay base cleanses and absorbs the remains of the impurities. Selfridges exclusive
SUPERCRITICAL CHIA, ONE LOVE ORGANICS £39 hhjjjjjjj jj Supercritical Chia is jam-packed with Omega-3s, antioxidants and vitamins – works best when used with foam-free cleanser. www.oneloveorganics.eu
EAU DE TOILETTE, YARDLEY POLAIRE hhjjjjjjj jj An award-winning fragrance with top notes of pear and freesia.
CHIA WHIP, ONE LOVE ORGANICS £23 hhjjjjjjj jj Fragrance free foam cleanser with organic aloe vera and rosemary extract giving a luxurious, rehydrating lather. www.oneloveorganics.eu
Perfect to spritz on before that allimportant date EXTRA COMFORT CLEANSER, CLARINS £25 hhjjjjjjj jj This soothing shea and mango butter cleanser will purify, nurture and restore the skin’s natural balance. at Selfridges
DEEP CLEANSE CLARIFYING SHAMPOO 250ML, ALTERNA BAMBOO ST YLE £15.95 hhjjjjjjj jj When your hair’s looking great, you feel fabulous – so start feeding your locks with this hair superfood. At various hair stylists
LA VIE EN ROSE NAIL COLOUR, DEBORAH LIPPMANN £16 A perfect pink sees Deborah Lippmann’s nail colour come out on to this seaons – paired with the fact that each polish is treatment-enriched with biotin, green tea extract and aucoumea. (And they’ve not been tested on animals!) www.deborahlippmann.com
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MALE GROOMING Words : KATE TEMPLE
UPDATE YOUR BATHROOM CABINET WITH OUR FAVOURITE SPRING GROOMING BUYS! DAPPER SHAVING COLLECTION GIFT SET, MARKS & SPENCER £12.50 hhjjjjjjj jj FOR MEN MACA ROOT EYE SERUM, THE BODY SHOP £10 hhjjjjjjj jj
ACHING MUSCLE SUPER SOAK, ELEMIS £34.50 hhjjjjjjj jj
Indulge yourself with this Elemis bath soak SCENT ONE GREY CANDLE, KELLY HOPPEN £28 hhjjjjjjj jj MEN’S FRAGRANCE IN BLACK, BLUE, ORANGE & STEEL, SUPERDRY £39 hhjjjjjjj jj
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Keep things fresh with this aftershave collection
DAILY MOISTURE BOOST, ELEMIS £29 hhjjjjjjj jj
tried& tested
Words : KATE TEMPLE
MILK BEAUT Y
THE L A T E S T WH I SPER ON TH E BEA U T Y B LOWE R IS ALL A B OU T MILK . NO, NOT TH E CALCI UM R IC H WH IT E LIQU ID SO L OV I N GL Y PRO V IDED BY COWS COUNTR Y -WIDE , B U T T H E N E W B E A UT Y - T O - Y O U SERVI CE SPREADI NG LI KE WILD-F IR E ACR OSS T H E F O U R CO RNERS OF LONDON.
I
f you’re reading this, you’ve made it. Christmas is so far in the past it’s a blur of sugarysweet mince pies and several glasses of all-too-easily quaffed bubbly, and the guilt from said pies has been shaken off by a vigorous Zumba routine for the past four weeks. While December is all about giving and January is unfortunately about detoxing, February is all about you. Nothing more, nothing less – it’s a month of pampering, preening and preparing your winter skin for the coming spring. With that in mind, I’m all too aware that it’s still absolutely freezing outside and as comforting as a warming, soothing facial might sound there’s nothing worse than leaving the calm serenity of a spa or salon to jump on the 147 home and having an uncouth soul cough germs in your face. So why leave the house at all? Why not let the calm and serenity come to the comfort of your own home? Milk’s Beauty Director Lucy said, ‘With MILK beauty at your fingertips, let us take the hassle and stress out of becoming fabulous’. And I couldn’t agree more.
THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN LEAVING
THE C ALM SERENE OF A SALON TO JUMP ON THE 147 HOME AND HAVE AN UNCOUTH
SOUL COUGH GERMS IN YOUR FACE.
SO WH Y LEAVE THE HOUSE AT ALL? As a self-confessed sloucher I frequently suffer from backache, so I booked myself into the MILK schedule for a back massage and gel pedicure – a treat to myself, ready for Valentine’s Day. When the beauty therapist, Stephanie, arrived she had all her equipment ready in perfectly packed packages – making it easy for her to carry from her car to my bedroom. It took her two minutes to put up the bed and she got me to fill out an obligatory health form as she washed her hands. Getting down to it, she asked if I had any music preference for the massage, but being too embarrassed to get my Miley CD out, I let her choose and relaxed to the soothing sounds of light jazz. I was skeptical about the quality of the massage before she arrived; I wondered how it could be relaxing and as perfect in the chaotic surroundings of my own home. Well I can safely say it was one of the best back massages I’ve ever experienced. Asking for
a harder pressure, Stephanie got into every nook and cranny in my back, and kneaded several tight knots out of my shoulders. With swift, experienced hands she perfectly combined relaxation with reflexology and left me feeling like a new woman. After the massage we had a quick chat as Stephanie got the equipment ready for my gel pedicure while I got changed into a pair of jogging bottoms and a baggy t-shirt. While I sat back and relaxed into my pedicure, we chatted away about the company, Christmas and impending Valentine’s Day. Before I knew it the gel pedicure was finished and my time with MILK was over. With no make-up on, a baggy t-shirt covering my oiled back and a newly-painted pedicure I couldn’t imagine being anywhere more perfect than my own living room. As I closed the door behind Stephanie, flicked the kettle on and sat down on my sofa I realised I had most certainly been converted to at-home professional beauty.
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colour bubble Photography Claire Harrison www.claireharrisonphotography.com • Make-up Salina Thind @ ERA Management using MAC Cosmetics Make-up Assistant Rebecca McMahon • Photography Assistant Angela Dennis • Models Alieke & Ebony Hunter @ Storm Models
dine out
DRAFTED’S FAVOU R IT E LON DON R E ST AU R AN T S... Edited by : KYLE GOODWIN
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Inspired by all things quintessentially British, Bistro Union offers a unique and charming dining experience to Clapham’s Abbeville Road. This friendly neighbourhood restaurant dishes out a range of quality British classics – from Cumberland toad-in-the-hole with Guinness onions to braised beef, carrots and horseradish – with staff, from the waiters to the chefs, who are as enthusiastic as they are knowledgeable (these guys really do know their stuff!). As far as appetisers go: well, you don’t really see pickled quails’ eggs (60p) and anchovy toast (£2) all too often, and it’s always nice to try new things, right? And with a menu which includes goose broth and smoked duck (which they smoke themselves out back), the age-old notion of British cuisine being bland holds absolutely no weight around this part of London.
Trying London’s latest addition to the Michelin guide 2014 is a first for us. Gourmet kosher cuisine. Those put off by the inclusion of favourites like chopped liver and borscht should swallow their reservations, and make one instead, as Head Chef Oren Goldfeld has ensured every dish has been given an exciting and original twist to rival the culinary greats of London. Food experience at its finest, each plate is lovingly crafted and comes with incredible and often surprising attention to detail and presentation. Our chicken soup was poured from a glass vial, while the cherry sorbet boasts it’s humble beginnings as the very kernel of the fruit. Service is that elusive balance of attentive without being intrusive, with the waiters impressively knowledgeable about every aspect of the ambitious menu. Well worth pushing the boat out for a special occasion.
Established in 1939, Chelsea’s Geales couldn’t be more experienced when it comes to serving up quality seafood and good-oldfashioned fish and chips. Tucked quaintly away on Chelsea Green, this small chain of fish restaurants (the first branch now infamous in Notting Hill) swiftly gained a reputation amongst Londoners as one of the best fish and chip shops in town. It’s a very different story these days, though, with Geales branching out to provide an array of Britain’s freshest and finest seafood dishes, at a very reasonable price. From lobster tagliatelle to its notably eye-catching seafood platter (whole lobster, tiger prawns, squid, mussels, chips and spinach), this newer Chelsea branch combines tradition with more modern seafood concepts. And with a cosy and community-like atmosphere, Geales represents far more than just the everyday seafood restaurant.
40 Abbeville Road, SW4 9NG Clapham South • 020 7042 6400 www.bistrounion.co.uk
Bevis Marks, EC3A 5DQ Aldgate • 020 7621 1701 www.restaurant1701.co.uk
1 Cale Street, SW3 3QT Sloane Square • 020 7965 0555 www.geales.com
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RESTAURANT 1701
GEALES
bars
OH , I T’S A DRI NK YOU ’ R E AF T E R ? T R Y T H E SE OU T ! Edited by : KYLE GOODWIN
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It’s a bold statement, but Foundation in Covent Garden is our favourite bar in London right now. Maybe it’s the wacky drinks list, which includes a peanut butter-based cocktail (yes, actual peanut butter in a drink) and bubble gum mojitos; maybe it’s the doors made out of Lego; maybe it’s the unique décor (with flowerpots containing metal flowers scattered around the place), but this place is seriously good fun on a night out. With two main areas, one catering to those wanting a quiet drink, and the other - verging on being a full-blown club – aimed at those who get slightly carried away (we may have ended up in the latter on a couple of occasions), Foundation combines relaxation with an outright party atmosphere, without either really filtering into the other.
Blackfriars drinking haunt Voltaire has undergone numerous changes in its time – from a palace to a prison – before finally settling on being a great place for Londoners to enjoy a cocktail or two. Steeped in fascinating history, and named in honour of the French writer and philosopher who famously spent six years exiled in London, Voltaire is by-nomeans your average bar; with iron-gated vaults, an alfresco cigar terrace and Pommery library to keep you entertained throughout the night. While many classic cocktails are available, Voltaire specialises in champagne and cigars – transforming any ordinary evening into a celebration (even if you don’t actually have anything to celebrate). If you haven’t checked this place out before, it’s certainly worth a visit. Voltaire makes the effort to stand out from the rest, and with its rich history, does so effortlessly.
Located just a three minute walk from Bank station, The Gable is very much an alloccasion type bar. Renowned for knocking up some of the best cocktails in London, the drinks are meticulously crafted and each one presented magnificently; our favourite definitely being the Chocberry Martini (which we think about at least once a day!). The bar also boasts a speedy and swift gourmet lunch service, making sure you can make it back to your desk on time. Downstairs, The Cellar bar pumps out tunes until late, and from speaking to people on the dance floor, it appears a lot of the Tuesday night crowd were only meant to be out for a couple casual after work drinks. These things happen, of course, and The Gable is a good place for it to happen in.
5 Langley Street, WC2H 9JA Covent Garden • 020 7836 5005 www.foundation-bar.co.uk
19 New Bridge Street, EC4V 6DB Blackfriars • 020 7438 8059 www.voltairebar.com
25 Moorgate, EC2R 6AR Bank • 020 7330 0950 www.thegable.co.uk
FOUNDATION
VOLTAIRE
THE GABLE
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Luxuryin LANZAROTE
Our quest for Winter sunshine Words : ELISHEVA SOKOLIC Photos : ABI SYMONS
t this time of year we’ve all had just about enough of drizzly grey mornings and short days where the sun hardly shows its face. Our tan lines are but a distant memory, our boots a firm wardrobe staple, and with no guarantee of any sunshine for another 4 long months, Drafted set out to find a better way. But who has the time for even the miniest of mini-breaks when the hot countries are so far away? Not to worry, it’s not as farfetched as it seems. The closest glimmer of sunshine can be found in the gorgeous Canary Islands, just south of Spain. There are many beautiful and exotic islands to choose from, taking from 3 and a half to about 5 hours air travel time. We chose Lanzarote, an island steeped in volcanic beauty and glorious sunshine. A mere 4 hour flight from London, we left the dreary capital upon waking up, and were sunning ourselves beside the pool by midday. Perfect when time is of the essence. Drafted chose to stay in the beautiful beachside Playa Blanca, aptly named and
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delightfully tourist-free. A quick 40 minute taxi ride (costing 35-40 Euros) took us from the airport to our hotel, the stunning Princesa Yaiza resort, which sits overlooking the Playa Dorado, a beautifully clean beach next to the sparkling Atlantic ocean, with a clear view of the island of Lobos. On arrival, we were met with champagne and orange juice while our bags were whisked away to our room. Guest services assured us they would be available for anything we needed, and we were shown to a spacious suite with a separate seating area and dining table and an elegant marble bathroom. Our terrace, overlooking the gorgeous pools with our own sun loungers, was a particularly lovely touch. Relaxation being the name of the game, we immediately changed into swimwear, abandoning our jackets and scarves in celebration of the 23 degree sunshine. While we knew we shouldn’t expect 30 degree scorchers, the bright sunlight and warm air was such a welcome change from London climes, it may as well have been a heat wave! The staff were all friendly and helpful, and although insistence was needed to resolve a problem with our rooms, this was the only snag to their wonderful service. The Princesa Yaiza really takes ‘all-inclusive’ to another level, and if luxury and relaxation are your only aims for the trip, you would never have to set foot off the beautiful resort. With 3 pools, 8 restaurants (catch al fresco breakfast each morning on the terrace, and try Giovanni’s for dinner to sample delicious authentic Italian cuisine at a reasonable price), 5 bars and an onsite Thalassotherapy spa (where we enjoyed a divinely relaxing sesame oil massage), you’re not short of luxury and pampering ideas. For those who prefer their mini-break a little more active, water sports are available throughout the day, including the Kaboti surf school, and numerous windsurfing schools along the beach front. Fans of historical culture may want to visit excursions.firstchoice.co.uk, which has tours suitable for the whole family.
THE BRIGHT
SUNLIGHT AND WARM AIR WAS
SUCH A WELCOME CHANGE FROM
LONDON CLIMES, IT MAY AS WELL HAVE BEEN A HEAT WAVE!
If you just want a bit of brisk exercise and a breathtaking view, don’t leave the island without climbing Montana Roja, the volcano in the centre of the resort. Here you can see panoramic views of the Papagayo beaches all the way to the salt plains at Tanubo. Trips to the other islands are available at reasonable prices, although on a minibreak of 2 or 3 days, you won’t be short of entertainment by staying put. The Princesa Yaiza has live music every evening, as well as regular gastronomic seminars with Michelin starred chefs. After two days of incredible meals, relaxing spa treatments, and lazy afternoons by the heated pool and hot tub, we reluctantly covered up our tan lines and headed back to London, refreshed and restored from the luxury, as if we had been on a two week holiday. A must experience escape from the cold and rain for anyone who feels summer is still just that bit too far away.
In May 2014, Bed and Breakfast for 2 Adults and 1 Child in a Junior Suite is €239,00 per night. Please contact the website www.princesayaiza.com for early booking discount or special offers. Flights start from £110 return on Monarch Airlines.
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See lippar s... B for ruction inst
ONES TO WATCH GET YOUR E AR S AR OU N D T H IS LOT ! Words : LIAM MCCREESH
PAINTED PALMS
MENACE BEACH
Noisy Leeds super-group (of sorts) Menace Beach are every bit as ‘90s alt-rock as bleached curtains, ripped jeans and poorly scripted MTV music videos. Featuring members of Pulled Apart By Horses, Sky Larkin, Hookworms and, very occasionally, Paul Draper of ‘90s indie icons Mansun, Menace Beach have something of a revolving door policy, although Ryan Needham and Liza Webster’s boy / girl lead vocals provide something of a constant amongst all the coming and going. Specialising in gleaming melodies submerged in guitar fuzz and discordance, they’re the latest in a handful of exciting British bands looking almost exclusively across the pond for influence. And whether it’s washed-out slacker indie in the vein of Dinosaur Jr or avant-rock wig-outs reminiscent of The Pixies, Menace Beach are a band that wear their influences with style. ‘Lowtalker’ is the name of their new 5 track EP and it’s out now on Memphis Industries.
LYLA FOY
A few months ago we stumbled upon London-based singer-songwriter Lyla Foy and were rather taken with her dewyeyed lo-fi pop and oh-so-delicate vocal delivery. At the time she was recording under the name WALL, crafting songs that were unguarded and mercifully free from pomp and over-production. Since then she’s signed worldwide to Sub-Pop and ditched the WALL tag. Thankfully, any fears that she’d lost her sparkle in the midst of a rebrand were allayed upon hearing new single ‘Easy’. With its slightly darker atmosphere the new single showcases a sound that’s more fleshed-out instrumentally. Thankfully again, these minor cosmetic tweaks don’t threaten to compromise the simple charm of her songwriting. Whilst some singers confuse ‘belting it out’ with emotional sincerity, here is a masterclass in restraint, with Foy’s barely-there vocal perfectly measured against minimal arrangements of organ and percussion.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and flattery, it is often said, will get you everywhere. A cynic might suggest that these old adages could explain Painted Palms’ ascent following their discovery by freaksavant Kevin Barnes of psych-folk luminaries of Montreal. You see, there are times when Painted Palms sound a lot like of Montreal. So much so, that their wonderfully trippy single ‘Spinning Signs’ could easily pass for the band in one of their less wilfully awkward moods. Ultimately though, it’s neither here-nor-there, because Painted Palms, in their own right, are really very good. Although a duo, Painted Palms started life as a band in a very virtual sense. Cousins Reese Donahue and Christopher Prudhomme would e-mail tracks back and forth between their respective home towns of New Orleans and San Fransisco until they were complete. Interestingly, when they both took residence in San Fransisco they soon realised that making music in isolation from one another works best for them, and have since chosen to keep it that way. Their debut LP ‘Forever’ is out now and it’s a hugely enjoyable collection of infectious and effortlessly cool psychedelic pop songs.
LAWRENCE ROTHMAN
“Can I be your boyfriend, can I be the one you crave?” So goes the refrain on macabre R&B crooner Lawrence Rothman’s addictive yet unsettling single ‘Montauk Fling’. Delivering his proposition in a eerily languid baritone, your first response, quite reasonably, will be: “please don’t hurt me.” Rothman is an unlikely R&B star, and it’s precisely this that makes him such an irresistible proposition. The genre’s celebration of sexuality as artificial and two dimensional makes it ripe for subversion, and that’s exactly what Rothman achieves, often to wonderfully demented effect. The Los Angeles singer and producer is notably the first signing to Mamaroma, the label of renowned artist and video director, Floria Sigismond, who has directed suitably creepy videos for David Bowie and Marilyn Manson. It’s fitting really, as there’s something unmistakably cinematic about Rothman’s music. In fact, in our opinion, the aforementioned single is best enjoyed alongside the video (directed by Sigismond herself, it features an entire cast of bloodsmeared starlets in various states of agony and ecstasy). Don’t say we didn’t warn you. 64
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THE LAST LAUGH
DR A FT E D CA T CH UP WI TH ACTOR / COM E DIAN MI RAND A H E NNE S S Y T O DISC U SS H E R N E W R OL E IN PRA MFACE, TH E EDI NBURGH F E ST IVAL AN D C OM P LIM E N T S F R OM H E R H E RO E S . . . Words: MATT RUSSELL
ollowing recent roles in E4’s Phoneshop and Sky’s 30 And Counting, comedian Miranda Hennessy has joined the cast of critically acclaimed BBC Three series Pramface for its third season, playing the role of Jamie’s ever-so-slightly clingy new love interest Isabel. Aside from acting in popular sitcoms, Hennessy writes and performs as part of comedy sketch group Hennessy And Friends, performing regularly at Pleasance in Islington (the evening goes by the name Sketchy Nights). She recently took the show to Edinburgh where it received rave reviews and it doesn’t seem like her creative juices will be drying up any time soon. “I’m addicted to writing comedy,” Hennessy tells us. “There’s nothing better than writing something yourself and performing it, and then seeing the audience’s reaction to it. It’s an amazing feeling. The performance side is really what motivates me to write, getting to perform it eventually. I love pretending to be other people. It’s way more fun than being myself.”
F
There’s an old saying: you should never meet your idols - they invariably turn out to be a bit of a let-down. Though, in some cases they turn out to be big fans. Harry Enfield didn’t give Hennessy the option; turning up at her show one evening and plonking himself in the front row. “It was quite funny, actually, because we had no idea he was going to be there,” says Hennessey. “Dave, one of the other guys in the show, came on stage for the introduction and just saw him sitting there. We gave him a high five.” Enfield went even further by declaring the trio “the next big thing in sketch comedy”. As compliments go, you don’t relly get much bigger in the world of comedy. “It was incredible,” she goes on. “He’s a comedy hero of mine so that was a real thrill for all of us.” When she’s not receiving praise from genredefining comedians, Hennessy has the little matter of television acting on which to concentrate, most notably in cult-classic British comedy Phoneshop. As a fan of the show already, Hennessy jumped at the opportunity to join the cast on set. “The whole cast is so funny,” she says. “We were in stitches
I JUST HAD TO
JUMP RIGHT IN
the whole time. Phone Shop was actually one of my favourite TV shows before I even had the audition. I remember seeing a pilot and hoping it would get commissioned. To get a part in it was amazing.” Recently, Hennessey starred in critically acclaimed sitcom Pramface. The show, described by The Telegraph as “funny, charming and truthful”, is currently in its third season and has carved its own niche into the BBC Three schedule. Already having filmed two series, we can only imagine the challenge of jumping on board an already moving ship, though it seems the comic didn’t have a chance to think about it too much. “I didn’t really have any time to settle in,” she explains, “because my first scene we filmed was my character in bed with Jamie. So I just had to jump right in there. It was a bit weird getting into bed with a stranger on my first day.” Fortunately, the awkwardness of that first experience didn’t last too long, as the cast of the BBC Three show soon took her into their inner-sanctum. “Everyone was really friendly and welcoming,” she says. “They all know each other really well now. At some of the big group scenes you feel like you’re intruding on a family reunion. It was a really lovely environment.” The new series of Pramface is coming soon to BBC Three.
THERE. IT WAS
A BIT WEIRD
GET TING INTO
BED WITH A
STRANGER ON
MY FIRST DAY.
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work experience IN C A SE T HE WHOL E WRI T ING T HING DOESN ’ T WORK OU T, OUR DEPU T Y EDI TOR K YL E IS SPENDING E ACH MON T H T RYING TO FIND A B ACK- UP C A REER . T HIS MON T H HE T RIES HIS H A ND AT BEING A FA RMER ... Words : KYLE GOODWIN
ractors. Dungarees. Straw hanging from the mouth. There are plenty of stereotypes attached to being a farmer. But down at Hackney City Farm it’s a very different story. The sound of double-decker buses can be faintly heard in the distance, and the only foxes you’ll see round here are born-and-bred Londoners, addicted to Costa coffee and surviving on discarded pieces of fried chicken. This farm is very unique... “It’s very much a community project,” farm-manager Chris Pounds explained in the bustling cafe. “We’ve got Key Stage 4 provision, we’ve got the restaurant, gardening, volunteer sessions, evening classes, choir, we’ve got lots of different things going on and they’re all built around the farm and the animals.” I’d arranged to come down and spend the day working on the farm, helping out with their daily chores and getting a taste for life as a city farmer. HCF volunteer Charlie-Jane, a highly knowledgeable 19-year-old who’s been volunteering on the farm for five years, was going to be supervising me for the day.
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“Are you okay with getting a bit mucky?” she asked. “Absolutely I am,” I replied. She looked down at my shoes, laughed, and told me she’d be back in a moment with something more appropriate. I had no idea at the time how much I’d appreciate this gesture later in the day. We walked out onto the courtyard, Charlie-Jane taking me through some health and safety regulations. “Right,” she said once the legalities had been covered, “the first thing we’re going to do today is clear out the donkey pen.” She dashed off, returning with a spade, a pitchfork and a wheelbarrow. My shift had begun. 66
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I ’D NEVER PUT ANYTHING DIRECTLY INTO A PIG’S
MOUTH BEFORE, AND DROPPED
THE FIRST TWO
EGGS IN FEAR OF LOSING
MY HAND
Using the shovel, I began filling the wheelbarrow with old hay and stale donkey manure. Once full, I wheeled it outside to an area about a hundred meters away, and used the pitch fork to launch its contents onto a huge pile. When the wheelbarrow was empty again the process was repeated until the floor was completely cleared. It’s amazing how much mess a donkey can make in just a couple of days! Members of the general public came and went consistently over the course of the day. As we were feeding the chickens Charlie-Jane found one particularly broody female sitting on a few duck eggs. “These aren’t your babies, are they?” she asked the chicken. “They do this quite often,” she continued, turning back to me. “We can’t sell these eggs but the pigs will happily eat them.” And so I went on to discover that pigs love munching whole eggs - shell and all - and that I was going to feed one directly into their mouth. I’d never put anything directly into a pig’s mouth before, and dropped the first two eggs in fear of losing my hand (I have, after all, eaten a fair amount of bacon in my life). But, after a deep breath, the third attempt slipped straight into the appreciative pig’s face. This didn’t stop me taking a playful ribbing from
Charlie-Jane over my first two failed efforts, though. I grafted through the rest of the day, completing a multitude of farm tasks. It had been fun. I’d worked hard and met some good people. Most importantly, though, I learnt that I don’t mind getting the tube home with chicken s*** smeared up my jeans. For more information visit www.hackneycityfarm.co.uk
Charlie-Jane’s Verdict
“Kyle did work hard, and definitely didn’t mind getting mucky. In time, I think there’s potential for him to be a decent farmer. He does need to stop being such a wimp about feeding eggs to the pigs, though.”
Final Verdict: Hired Do you want Kyle to come try your job? Want some free labour in the name of journalism? Tweet us: @draftedmagazine