Drafted www.draftedmagazine.com
Issue 3 • june 2013 Free
jessica in wonderland Jessica Lowndes takes us through the Looking gLass
ract
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StooShe • LoveabLe RogueS • how did ouR financeS go So wRong? faShion • Shopping • beauty / gRooming • muSic • going out • ceLebRity
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SECTIOn | 1
The Team
Blippar
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EDITOR
Rivkie Baum rivkie@draftedmagazine.com
Celebrity
DEPUTY EDITOR
Jessica lowndes stooshe
Kyle Goodwin kyle@draftedmagazine.com
LIFESTYLE EDITOR / SUB EDITOR
Education Inflation: To Degree Or Not To Degree any chance of some change? Wallet of my affection how to date in a recession pay day loans kate temple gets angry WORK EXPERIENCE
FASHION EDITOR
Krishan Parmar fashion@draftedmagazine.com
BEAUTY EDITOR
Kate Temple kate@draftedmagazine.com
ONLINE EDITOR
Michael Bartlett michael@draftedmagazine.com
PHOTO EDITOR
Fashion
Jay McLaughlin jay@draftedmagazine.com
Women’s Shopping Men’s Shopping Women’s Fashion Editorial denim editorial MEN’S FASHION EDITORIAL
DESIGNERS
Kelsey Adams & Duygu Korkut design@draftedmagazine.com
DESIGN CONSULTANT Tommy Bickerdike
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Anastasia Meldrum anastasia@draftedmagazine.com
Music
COMMERCIAL MANAGER
New Bands gigs loveable rogues
Emma Belle emma@draftedmagazine.com
FEATURE CONTRIBUTORS
Matt Russell, Henry Fry, Bree Warren, Holly Janowski, Elisheva Sokolic
Beauty
Beauty Shoot Must-Have Products Tried And Tested Male Grooming
MUSIC CONTRIBUTORS
Liam McCreesh, Jono White
PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTORS Claire Harrison, Jamie Rowan
VIDEOGRAPHERS
Laurence Dobie, Jay McLaughlin, Jules Guaitamacchi
Lifestyle
flemings mayfair restaurants bars things to do
ILLUSTRATIONS Scott Mason
BEAUTY ASSISTANT Natasha Laudat
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Kyle Goodwin / Michael Bartlett
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Editor’s Letter
W
elcome to June’s instalment of DRAFTED: your free monthly fix of fashion and pop culture, here to brighten up your Monday morning commute. This month our feature writers have had money on their minds. Henry Fry asks whether money can really buy happiness on page 21, while Elisheva Sokolic debunks the payday loans epidemic on page 35. Make sure to check out Matt Russell’s piece on homelessness, ‘Any Chance Of Some Change?’ on page 10; it’s a startling insight into what life is really like when you’re forced out onto the streets to sleep rough. Don’t forget you can blipp the page to donate to Matt’s chosen charity, The Clock Tower Sanctuary, who provide support to young homeless people on the streets of Brighton.
We find out what comes after life in 90210 for Jessica Lowndes, as we take her through The Looking Glass in our Alice In Wonderlandstyle shoot. Blipp that page to see behindthe-scenes action, an exclusive interview and watch Jessica give our Deputy Editor, Kyle, an acting lesson. We won’t tell you how he did… Elsewhere, we speak to pop three-piece Stooshe as well as The Loveable Rogues, who perform an exclusive acoustic track for us. As always you can find all the best in fashion, beauty and plenty of going out ideas. From gigs, to restaurants, to our favourite watering holes, this issue’s Things to Do guide is packed with great ideas! Enjoy, and see you next month.
Rivkie Baum
Education Inflation: TO DEGREE OR NOT TO DEGREE? B WORDS BY BREE WARREN | ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MASON
ritain has a problem. You may not know it but it is an unprecedented, unchartered, unruly problem. I like to call it tertiary overload.
It seems that everyone is going to university and it has become the default option for teenagers. For the vast majority of post A-Level students it is no longer a question of whether to go to university, it is only a matter of where.
I know what you’re thinking. First World Problems, right?. Can it really be detrimental to have too many tertiary-educated young adults? It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young person in possession of a university qualification must be in want of a job. They’re not exactly the words of Jane Austen, but it’s a provocative statement nonetheless. According to The Office For National Statistics, one in four university graduates are currently unemployed in the UK. What’s even more striking, is that many of those who are fortunate enough to have gained employment are working in roles where their degrees are irrelevant. This is obviously not what the government had in mind when it vowed to increase the amount of school-leavers enrolling in university. Generally speaking, there are a great deal more tertiary-
educated young people than there used to be and this, as an isolated statistic, is outstanding. In theory, an educated population leads to more informed decision-making, better social awareness, a more efficient workforce and ultimately, a healthy economy. However, the recent changes to the university funding system mean that most of our tertiary institutions tripled their fees last year. And on the flipside, there
“MORE STUDENTS ARE TAKING ON AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF UNIVERSITY DEBT, ONLY TO FINISH THEIR DEGREES WITH LESS OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYMENT THAN EVER BEFORE.” is a growing emphasis on internships and work-based apprenticeships, which offer those who did not ‘complete’ their education a chance to head straight into the workforce. Most of these programmes do not allow enrolments from anyone who has a degree, regardless of whether they are unemployed or not. Because of all of this, a lot more students are taking on an exorbitant amount of university debt, only to finish their degrees with less opportunity for employment than ever before. It doesn’t really add up, does it? The most significant shift in Britain’s educational landscape in the last 25 years has been the dramatic increase in university enrolments. This increase in demand for tertiary education is part of what economists are calling degree inflation. The economic theory behind this phenomenon is based on the basic principles of supply and demand;when the market becomes flooded, the competitive advantage is lost and value goes down. Or in other words, if everyone has a degree, then the value in having one is reduced.
Not having one at all is not the answer either.
The issue here is not that the importance of university has been diminished, it’s just that a very large number of young people with one, two, or even three degrees, will struggle to find a job. Degree inflation plagues jobseeking graduates and the real winners in all of this are the employres themselves. They can afford to be extremely selective and set very high standards whereby you may not need a degree to do the job, but you damn sure need one to be considered for it. Once upon a time, university was just one of many choices on offer for school leavers and depended on their desired occupation. But people have diversified and the one-career-perlifetime rule doesn’t apply these days. Nowadays, many of us have dabbled in several different sectors, and it’s entirely possible that some of our future occupations do not even exist yet.
We have all heard the stories (and seen the films) of university dropouts who, against all odds, have gone on to earn billions and shape the world we live in. Mark Zuckerberg. Steve Jobs. Bill Gates. These men built their own careers through innovation and entrepreneurial skills rather than listening to lectures. But don’t forget that all three had incredible drive and motivation which ensured their success. So is university worth it? And do you need a degree? In reality, every case is unique and there isn’t really a blanket response for everyone. Ultimately you only get out of university what you put in and forcing teenagers into an unwanted degree usually amounts to frustrated professors and unhappy students. While there are some careers that have very strict degree requirements, there are others with no such restrictions. And both are equally acceptable. The key is that we encourage the next generation (and everyone for that matter) to pursue something with passion and make a sensible, informed educational choice. After all, how else are you going to score your dream job?
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ANY CHANCE OF SOME CHANGE? WORDS BY MATT RUSSELL
ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MASON
With the latest Government statistics showing a 6 per cent rise in homelessness applications, Drafted’s Matt Russell and Kyle Goodwin set out to spend 24 hours living on the streets of Brighton to raise money for The Clock Tower Sanctuary, a local day centre for homeless 16 to 25-year-olds, and to experience what we all hope will never happen to us...
a sleeping bag, every noise is instinctively processed as a potential threat. Sleep should be a relaxing process – a regenerative one at that. In these conditions, it’s anything but. To make matters worse, it’s just started to snow… Nineteen hours earlier, Kyle and I had grabbed our rucksacks, some warm clothes and a couple of sleeping bags, and set off to spend 24 hours sleeping rough on the streets of Brighton. With countless articles written on the subject, our aim was to get a snapshot of a situation many of us have preconceptions of, and that we all see everyday.
“GET A F****** JOB!” We’re well aware that 24 hours is just a drop in the ocean. Our idea was a conceptual one: with homelessness in Britain on the rise, what would that first 24 hours be like?
M
y feet are worryingly numb and have been for about an hour. With the temperature on my phone hovering around zero degrees Celsius and three pairs of socks offering scant protection from the bleak conditions, it appears even pain has a limit as to how long it’s willing to spend in the cold. A number of
recent and all too apparent visitations, both animal and human, lend an unmistakeable and repugnant stench to our new ‘home’, and our proximity to the road means that every passing car feels close enough to run us over. I’ve never been a particularly jumpy person, but when your only barrier from the city is the thin plastic of
We gave ourselves a budget of £3 each, agreeing that we couldn’t spend time anywhere rough sleepers wouldn’t be welcome or that our budget wouldn’t permit. Knowing that at some point we would have to buy food, this limited our options immensely. The first few hours were spent walking. When you don’t have any money and you need to keep warm, there’s little else to do. It’s evident quite quickly that if we’d undertaken this alone – like most rough sleepers do – the combination of blistering cold, loneliness and boredom would quickly
words | 11
demoralise even the sternest of souls.
Jenny shrugged it off. “You get used to it.”
Passing the myriad cafes and bars of Brighton and watching friends and families enjoying themselves, it’s hard to contemplate not having people to fall back on, yet as we found out from the team at The Clock Tower Sanctuary, having no safety net is an all too common occurrence.
Thankfully, the abuse we received was relatively tame. It isn’t always verbal. Two weeks earlier, the brutal murder of a rough sleeper on the beach nearby sent shockwaves through the homeless community. Physical and sexual violence is not uncommon, as we found out when we met Katie, 24, and her friend James, 27. “Three men picked me up in my sleeping bag, covered my mouth, and were dragging me onto the beach,” Katie told us. “They only dropped me when I kicked and screamed. I was terrified.”
“The main reason for young people becoming homeless is family breakdown,” Kate Gibson, development manager at TCS told us. The charity is now helping about 120 people a month, compared to just 40 a month two years ago. To put that figure into perspective, it’s roughly half the amount of friends the average Facebook user had in 2012. As night began to fall, the temperature dropped drastically. Huddled up in a North Laine doorway, we decided to make a base when a group of people walked passed. “Get a f****** job!” shouted one. “They obviously know how much work you do, Matt.” Kyle quipped. “Cheers, mate.”
James also told us of a homeless friend whose sleeping bag was set on fire by a group of people as he slept. Fortunately, he got away with superficial burns. “You get used to it” just doesn’t seem to do this justice.
“THREE MEN PICKED ME UP IN MY SLEEPING BAG, COVERED MY MOUTH, AND DRAGGED ME ONTO THE BEACH.”
Five minutes later, another group walk by. “Scumbags!” We decided to move base. Soon after, we met Dan and Jenny – an affable and intelligent couple who, like many others, had fallen on hard times. They offered their advice on where to ‘bed down’ for the night. “Behind the Hilton is a good place,” Dan explained. “The hot air from the swimming pool flows into the alley. It’s quite warm down there.” I asked why Jenny was grinning. “Just watch out for the rats.” Clearly in situations like this, “good” is a relative term. Like most of the people we met, Dan and Jenny are a couple anyone would enjoy sitting and shooting the breeze with. We stayed a while and as we got up to leave, our goodbyes were interrupted once more… “Get a job!” “Does that happen all the time?” I asked.
- Katie, 24 It’s unnerving being in public when people think you’re homeless. You get a real feeling that you’ve done something wrong, or that you should be ashamed for some reason. Some indigenous North American cultures believed that a camera flash could steal your soul. That’s nothing compared to the look one human being can give another when they notice them in a doorway with a sleeping bag. There aren’t many facets of society that evoke such a total lack of empathy from witnesses in relation to such vitriolic and targeted nastiness. Yet, as demonstrated in an article from Brighton’s Argus newspaper last year, homelessness really can happen to anyone: “Recently I arrested a drug user and alcoholic who it turned out had been an extremely well respected QC in London.” said Sergeant Richard Siggs, Head of Brighton’s Anti-Begging
Unit. “He was going on holiday with his family, but got held up at work and told his wife to drive up ahead of him with the children. Later that day, he got a phone call to tell him his whole family had been killed in a car crash. He turned to drink to dull the pain, lost his job and was kicked out of his home. Soon he was using hard drugs and begging for cash on the streets of Brighton. With the temperature teetering around zero and noticing a huge presence of people on the seafront we agreed ‘checking in’ to the Hilton wasn’t an option. After many more impolite requests to seek employment, we finally found somewhere to try and rest. The walls of a church in Hove gave us minimal protection from the elements, but after the constant abuse, we were out of sight, and that felt more important. When placing already-damp cardboard on gravel behind a mossy wall at six in the morning, you start to realise the gravity of the situation you’re in. It’s a choice no member of any civilised society should have to make: safety or warmth. And so, here we are again, where our story started, in the grounds of a church next to a busy road, rudely awoken by the snow on our faces after 20 minutes of fitful ‘sleep’. Kyle and I agree that this is the coldest, most exhausted and demoralised we’d ever been, yet, with the knowledge other people have to do this indefinitely, complaining seems rather vulgar. The last few hours we’ll spend again walking and fending off the elements. Refrigerated and depleted of energy, Kyle and I will part ways at noon the next day, quietly and contemplatively. The idea of ‘celebrating’ the completion of our endeavour will be the last thing on our minds. Heading back, I receive a text from Kyle “How do you think you’d do in a job interview now?” he asks. Honestly. Selfishly. All I want to do is go home.
Photography: Jay McLaughLin / Stylist: Rivkie BauM / Make Up: LauRen BakeR using MAC Make Up and Dermalogica Skin Care / Nails: ciate / Hair: Dave noBLe using GHD / Videography: JuLes guaitaMacchi / Shot on Location at Flemings Mayfair www.flemings-mayfair.co.uk
celebrity | 13
Jessica In As 90210’s run comes to an end after five seasons, Drafted catch up with STAR Jessica Lowndes to talk life after beverly hills... W OR DS BY K YLE GOODWIN
Cover Dress by Marina Qureshi Dress by Fusion at Monsoon Shirt by Paul & Joe Neck brooch by Little Shilpa Ring (tiger head) by Jacey Withers Ring (mask) by Cardinal Of London
Dress by Ada Zanditon Hat by Eliane Sarah Millinery Necklace by SHO Fine Jewellery
celebrity | 15
Some people are just born to end up in LA. Jessica Lowndes, star of CBS’ hit drama 90210, is one of them.
H
AVING GROWN UP in Vancouver, the actress and songstress packed her bags at the tender age of 17, waved goodbye to her friends and set out for the bright lights of Los Angeles to make a name for herself in entertainment. It's a journey many have made, but few have succeeded in. “I was so excited,” begins Jessica, as we meet in the dining room of Flemings Mayfair for a coffee. “I didn’t think twice. And it’s weird, because now I think back to what I did at that age and it terrifies me. But I knew I wanted to be there and I knew that I loved to act and I loved to sing, and the opportunity was there. It was definitely hard, though. I didn’t even have my work papers. I had to tell the guy at the border that I was going to Disneyland.”
in 2008 horror flick The Haunting Of Molley Hartley, starring alongside Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford. Fast-forward to a five-year stint as Adrianna Tate-Duncan on the US hit series 90210, and she's now one of the most recognisable faces in America. But no matter how big an opportunity you have, leaving your home town, your family and everything you’ve ever known is a big decision for any 17-year-old to make. And as most people her age were busy trying to find the best house party and doing everything to avoid growing up, Jessica had already set her sights on the big time, and nothing was going to stand in her way - especially not something as trivial as high school. “I got management in LA at that time,” she continues, “and so I home schooled my senior year in three months. I had online teachers and an online principle. It was really hard, but the day I got my driving licence I drove to LA. I had to take the side mirror off my Mum’s car and duct tape it to mine for the test because mine was broken and then I drove 22 hours to LA with my Dad that night. And that was it. He had to fly home alone.”
When I think back to what I did at 17, it terrifies me.
Jessica is a huge fan of Disneyland – half-jokingly proclaiming she still goes at least once every two weeks – but there were bigger plans for her arrival than just hanging out with Mickey and the crew. She soon caught the attention of Hollywood, scoring roles in a variety of TV shows before making her film debut
Roughly 3.8 million people lived in LA when Jessica arrived. And out of those 3.8 million people, she knew just one. “The only person I knew was my manager,” Jessica reflects. “It was weird. I was 17; all my friends were still in high school back in Canada and I was there, having dinner with a 30-year-old man every night because he was my manager and the only person I knew. It was hard to get used to and I got kind of homesick. But it was great. I had no fear. I always knew I wanted to be there. There’s even a home video of me announcing that I’m moving to LA when I was four years old!” Jessica’s acting career has exploded since she pulled up in town with a broken side mirror, and she’s gone on to establish herself as one of the country’s most exciting actresses. But even with all the success and accolades she’s had since her arrival on the scene, Jessica has never given up on her love for singing and writing songs, and is currently working on a new project with Americal Idol judge Randy Jackson. Alongside her busy acting schedule, the Vancouver-born starlet has always made time to lock herself away in the studio, releasing her digital EP ‘Nothing Like This’ in 2012, as well as featuring on singles from a range of established artists. She even made a dent in the UK charts alongside Camden-based rapper Ironik on his 2010 single ‘Falling In Love’. Of course, crossing over from acting to singing is not uncommon; the two are often interwined. For some, though, it takes time to adjust to their new roles, and the newfound public and industry expectations. But for Jessica, music will always come as naturally as the dayjob. “I guess singing came first,” she explains. “I’ve been singing since I could speak. My Mum was a piano teacher so I was raised in a very musical household. But I’ve always sung and when I moved to LA I kind of put singing on the back burner to focus on the acting, because I didn’t want to spread myself too thin. But I got really fortunate because on 90210 I got to do both. It’s been such a great platform and I’ve been able to do that for five years, which has been amazing. But now the show is done I have so much extra time to write and be in the studio.” Adapting to the differences between music and acting is not always as simple as some may think. Having a good voice is one thing – many people in LA are classically-trained singers and know how
to hit a note – but acclimatising to the emotional differences between the two takes time. After all, bearing your heart in a song for all to see requires some pretty tough skin. “Singing is more nervewracking,” Jessica admits, “because you can’t hide behind other people’s words. It’s kind of like, ‘This is me and here’s my diary set to music’. But I’m really excited to explore more of that. I do a lot of writing on planes, actually. It’s my time that I can just relax and have absolutely no distractions. Heartbreak has definitely been a big inspiration for me. You can write about a bad situation and just feel so much better afterwards. For me it’s very therapeutic. But love in general – even when it’s good – is always very inspiring.” Jessica seems content with life in LA. Today she has a great group of friends out there and no longer eats dinner solely with her manager – which is, y’know, good to hear. But even with everything the sprawling LA metropolis has to offer, she has a secret affection for another major city on this planet. “I love London,” she says, excitedly. “I love the culture here. I love the buildings, and the red telephone boxes, and the parks in the middle of the city, and the picnic tables outside pubs. I love it all. It reminds me a lot of Vancouver. There are a lot of cultural similarities – similar weather and similar people – and the same chocolate bars! You can’t get good chocolate bars in LA. My closest friends live in London so whenever they come over, I make them bring lots of chocolate.”
Heart break has definitely been a big inspiration for me
Now that 90210 has come to an end after five seasons, it's the beginning of a new chapter in the life of Jessica Lowndes. With more time to dedicate to her music, a new adventure lies ahead. For Jessica, it's time to let the music do the talking.
celebrity | 17 15
Dress by Monsoon Ear Cuff by Maria Nilsdotter Bangle by Milena Kovanovic
Dress by Ada Zanditon Hat by Eliane Sarah Millinery Leather Jacket by Daniele Bardis Ring by Isharya
SECTIOn | 9
LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN THE BOY S ARE B A CK I N T O W N
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ith the arrival of June comes yet another showcase of London’s best fashion talent. However this time, the skyscraper heels, cinched waists and obligatory air kisses are being pushed in favour of firm handshakes, freshly polished brogues and some wellgroomed facial hair.
That’s right – this time it’s all about the boys. London Collections: Men returns for its third season this month, with showcases at Covent Garden’s The Hospital Club between 16th and 18th June. This time, some very special guests including Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen and Burberry will be
WORDS BY KRISHAN PARMAR
showcasing their new menswear ranges in London for the first time. And with these superbrands attracking a lot of attention, it’s put the fashion spotlight back on London. Our city has long been known for emerging talent and nurturing creativity, so without further ado, say hello to the new class...
four menswear designers you need to watch this season the house of nines
martine rose
THE LABEL THAT HAD the fashion crowd most
HOW DO YOU REVOLUTIONISE streetwear
excited during January’s London Collections was
one season at a time? Ask Martine Rose:
The House Of Nines, and it’s easy to see why.
she’s cemented herself as one of London’s top
Applying technical detail to classic Savile Row
menswear talents. Her January presentation
tailoring, they produced a debut collection that
included signature separates made to enrich
was innovative, sleek and perfect for the modern
any wardrobe, while her statement show
gentleman. The slim silhouettes and fine Italian
pieces showcased her creative flair and eye
fabrics are aesthetically pleasing, however it is
for design. It’s this attention to detai which
the technicality – as seen in their angled darts
has led to Martine collaborating with the likes
– that makes these well-engineered designs
of Timberland, Caterpillar and Browns.
something more than just another line of suits. Discover Martine Rose at Discover The House Of Nines at
www.danieljenkins.co.uk
www.thehouseofnines.com
baartmans & siegel
trine lindegaard
THIS HALF-DUTCH, HALF-ENGLISH design
BRAND NEW TO London Collections: Men,
duo have been making waves in the industry
Lindegaard has been a favourite among
since 2011. The pair first met while working for
bloggers and fashion enthusiasts alike for
Viktor & Rolf and soon after, the Baartmans
many seasons in part due to their traditional
& Siegel label was born. Previous collections
West African Kente, handmade by a family
encompass classic British tailoring, luxury
run business with the urban male in mind. The
fabrics and hints of sportswear, all finished with
designer works closely with Ghanaian fabric
fine detail. While their style is understated, it is
weavers to develop colours that are modern, yet
easily recognisable and a great representation
still convey cultural and historical significance.
of how modern design can remain traditional.
These fabrics are then passed on to UK prisoners where they are hand embroidered
Discover Baartmans & Siegel at
as part of a scheme that trains prisoners in
www.wolfandbadger.com
skilled, paid needlework. The result? A label that is ethical, stylish and very easy to wear. Discover Trine Lindegaard at www.trinelindegaard.com
words | 21
Wallet of my affection it can buy you an interview suit, But can money really buy you happiness?
I
ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MASON
stand, completely motionless, surrounded by suits of various garish shades. They are crowded around me like an army of faceless Gilbert and Georges. I stare at their blank, white expressions, nothing more than a point for a nose and two hollows where the eyes should be, wondering if I can imagine my own face there instead. With each beat of the loud, drumming electro I feel myself dissolve, break apart and try and wriggle into each of these ill-fitting costumes. “I’ve. Got. To. Get. One,” I say to myself. “I’ve. Got. To. Get. One. But which one?” The till girl extracts £160 from my card. “Special occasion coming up?” she says flatly. “Hmm,” I say into my chest. I leave with something grey folded over in a body bag. I go through various scenarios when it will spring to life around my form: job interviews, fancy events, funerals. And my friend’s wedding next month, which is the real reason I bought it. Later, staring at myself in the mirror, I wonder if it is the right one. I’m still not sure. Maybe it is. Maybe I’m just worrying too much about whether I feel like it ‘represents’ me accurately. I know my friend will like it. She’ll like the normality of it, the smartness, the effort. She’ll know I care, that I spent money on it for her important day, and for others in the future. And is that enough? If you suddenly discovered £500 million in your bank account, what would you
do? First you would probably contact your bank, whether from honesty or fear. When you establish it’s yours, then what? Buy a yacht? A Porsche? Your own personal mountain with a Bavarian castle perched on top? You could. You could do whatever you wanted. You could even go on holiday to the moon, share champagne and salmon blinis with Richard Branson in zero gravity. But would it make you any happier than you already are? A friend told me he would be annoyed. “It would make everything I’ve worked for pointless,” he said. Various studies have shown the positive and negative effects on lottery winners. Often they are negative, but more often than not, they change their life very little and the quality of their happiness does not alter. If you are miserable poor the likelihood is you will remain miserable rich. Similarly, your enjoyment of the more mundane elements of daily life will lessen. What’s a coffee in the sunshine on the walk to work when you don’t need to work, or need to walk, and could buy the brand that made the coffee and put your face on the packet if you wanted to? Limitations ascribe value. A limitless world is not necessarily a perfect world. But don’t take my word for it. Certainly don’t take my suit-equals-happiness example as red. But don’t discount it either. Harvard Business School professor and social science researcher Michael Norton maintains that money can in fact buy happiness, we just aren’t spending it in the right way. He has conducted studies all over the world - from Canada to Uganda - on the nature of money, selfishness, spending and altruism. It started with a study: He gave people a small amount of money (in Canada, between $5–$20) and told some of them to buy themselves something, and others to buy something for someone else. When he called them at the end of the day, everyone who had spent the money on someone else was ultimately happier. You’re shrugging. “Of course,” you’re thinking. We all know it feels good to give. But how often do we put this into practice in our daily lives? As you sit on
WORDS BY HENRY FRY
the tube reading this and an elderly lady gets on, will you disturb your reading time to get up for her and fold these pages into someone’s armpit as you hang onto the rail by the sliding doors? “The specific way that you spend on other people isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you spend on other people,” Norton maintains. “Spending on other people has a bigger return for you than spending on yourself.” Essentially, happiness is a matter of perception. Has the structure of our society got it the wrong way round? We spend for pleasure. Money affords us security, enjoyment, power. We need money to exist. But have we bound it up too much with our idea of happiness on a moment-to-moment basis? I could get all Zen here and quote something you’ll have undoubtedly already read on the side of a packet of rose bush and camel blossom tea, but I’ll refrain. Instead, think about this: we go around our lives buying. We go around our lives trying to get better jobs to get better careers to go on holiday and buy a bigger house, a car, raise a family without going prematurely grey. All this takes up a lot of headspace. It can easily push out some of the things going on right now. If you ever read Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince as a kid, you know that the broken lead heart of a once gilded statue and the body of a dead sparrow are far more valuable than amassing lots of gadgets. Or, in a more up-to-date analogy: if your life is an investment plan it would be a joint account, even if you think that’s risky and unadvisable. There’s nothing you can do about it. Each day we invest in our joint bank account, and so does everyone else you know. Our lives are more about each other than our consumer-lead lifestyles might imply. We put in. We take out. Happiness is the perfect plan made between you and the people around you. Going solo was never really an option. Plus this way you can pool resources. Which means, yes. I’m keeping the suit.
Photograph: Jamie Rowan / Digital Assistant: Lucie Byatt / Photo Assistant: Simon mcguigan / Stylist: KRiShan PaRmaR / Hair and Make Up: miRa PaRmaR / Models: caitLin @ SeLect, Sami @ D1moDeLS Sunglasses by Chanel (vintage) at This Old Thing London Top by Kilian Kerner Ring by Imogen Belfield Jacket by Baum Und Pferdgarten Shorts by Baum Und Pferdgarten
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Dress by Ada Zanditon
Top by Paul & Joe Jacket by Baum Und Pferdgarten Headphones by Urbanears Bangle by Julia Burness Shorts by Paul & Joe
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Top by Cote Jacket by Tramp In Disguise Bag by David Longshaw Shorts by Cote
Top by Helen Steele Bag by Selfish at Forever Unique Trousers by Paul & Joe
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Glasses by Christian Dior (vintage) at This Old Thing London Dress by Helen Steele Bracelet by Kirsty Ward
BOXPARK SHOREDITCH / WESTFIELD STRATFORD CITY
SPRING/SUMMER 2013 IN STORE NOW
WWW.ONEPIECE.CO.UK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ONEPIECE WWW.TWITTER.COM/ONEPIECE
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how to date in a a recession
S
WORDS BY HOLLY JANOWSKI | ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MASON
o you’ve finally done it. You’ve got yourself a date. You saw her from across a crowded boozer, gave it your best “Alright?” and bonded over a mutual love of Nobby’s Nuts. Or perhaps your trolleys clashed in Asda and your eyes met over a box of fish fingers. However you did it, she’s agreed to go on a date with you (a mere miracle alone). But the pressure is on for you to take the lead and shock, horror! You’re skint. So how do you impress someone without selling a kidney? It’s actually never been easier to get cool stuff on a budget. The recession has resulted in a huge boom in restaurant deals, discounts and free activities. When you’re poor, quirky is the key. Which brings me to the venue: if the weather’s not pleasant, take her to something cultural (and free). It sounds like a cliché, but a museum or gallery really is a good date idea. You’ll have plenty to talk about as you’re wandering around and you can get a good idea of how much you have in common. Plus the great thing about London is that these places won’t cost you a penny, yet you still manage to look cool and cultured. If she’s geeky, take her to the Science Museum. Girly and into fashion? The Victoria And Albert Museum should be your destination of choice. An art buff? You can’t go wrong with a date at the Tate. You get the picture. For Brownie points, make a donation at the door in that big perspex box. She’ll think you’re charitable. And after all, you are getting in for nowt. If museums don’t appeal, the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square shows a wide variety of stuff from as little as £6.50 during the week, or £4 if you’re a member. And there are plenty of smaller fringe theatre or comedy venues that don’t charge like a wounded bull. Try the Leicester Square Theatre, the Hen And
Chickens in Highbury, the West End’s King’s Head or Upstairs At The Gatehouse in Highgate Village to name but a few. Hell, if you want to impress and are prepared to put some effort in, the National Theatre offers £12 tickets for certain shows. Keep an eye on release dates and look for the Travelex logo for concessions. Oh, and there’s the Olivier Theatre, where there’s no such thing as a bad seat.
IT’S NEVER BEEN EASIER TO GET COOL STUFF ON A BUDGET. WHEN YOU’RE POOR, QUIRKY IS THE KEY! Which brings me to the important bit: food. Don’t just think that you can get your date drunk and she’ll forget about eating, the drunker she gets, the more she will need dinner! And sh’ll be impressed if you have a plan and don’t just come out with indecisive babble. If it’s nice weather you’re laughing - there’s nothing like a romantic walk through a park or along the river followed by a picnic on the grass. This is probably the cheapest way to eat because you can pick up some nice food and a bottle of plonk from a posh supermarket, eat al fresco and still spend less than at a restaurant. But if a picnic
isn’t possible, there are other options that don’t involve a pasty from Greggs. There really is no shame in using a restaurant voucher on a date - the important thing is how you approach the situation. Waving it in your date’s face screaming “BOGOF!” is a no-no. You want it to be barely noticeable. A free trial on a Tastecard is a good way of avoiding printout embarrassment, you can mention it when making a booking and then discreetly hand it over at the end of the meal. If you do have a printout, try to hand it to your waiter on the way to or from the toilet. If there are no vouchers, aim for a noodle bar - there are still some decent ones in Soho that are dirt cheap and lots of fun. And if you find yourself in Shoreditch, there is an abundance of bargain Vietnamese places. In fact, do your research and you can eat cheaply anywhere. The mistake that a lot of people make is finding themselves hungry in an unfamiliar area, diving in the first place they see and submitting a mortgage application for a basket of focaccia. So there you have it. It is possible to show a girl a good time on a tight budget. The important thing is to do your research, maintain a sense of fun and don’t be afraid to be quirky. Women love a man with a plan so if you’re organised, the size of your wallet won’t be the thing she’s thinking about!
Photography: Jamie Rowan / Hair: Dave noble / Make Up: nicola mooRes / Stylist: KRishan PaRmaR / Models: JacK stewaRt @ select, maRio albeRto castellano @ D1, lola @ D1, laela vastRicK @ Union
Jack wears: Royal Spades
Laela wears: Blinq Denim
MArio wears: Love Denim
fashion | 31 Mario wears: Duck And Cover
Lola wears: Royal Spades
Jack wears: Pepe Jeans
Lola wears: Pepe Jeans
MArio wearS: Foxhall
JACK WEARS: Love Denim
fashion | 33 Laela wears: Twenty8Twelve
LoLA wears: Blinq Denim
motelrocks.com
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I
PAYDAY LOANS
For when payday isn’t enough...
t’s an undeniable truth that we all look forward to payday. The first weekend of the month is usually the most impulsive one, followed by a week or so of lowered attention to our spending habits, before we start tightening our belts and counting down to the end of the month again.
received in 2011, and that this has escalated from just 465 calls in 2007. While lenders assure the Office Of Fair Trading that the average loan is around £270, many people have started out with as much as £1500, before any fees or interest have been included.
But what if it’s more serious than that? What if we’re not just slapping together our own ham ‘n’ cheese to avoid deli prices, or deciding to cycle to work once a week to help the environment and avoid the increasing tube fares, but we’ve really found ourselves in a frightening cashflow situation? Each year, over 1.2 million people in the UK resort to payday loans as a temporary means of getting by. And this number is rising exponentially year on year. More and more, young and seasoned professionals alike are finding it impossible to make ends meet, and to keep hold of the most basic expectations of living, such as rent, food and travel. With taglines and promises such as “Cash sent within 10 minutes… 24/7” and “The perfect solution for a financial emergency!” and risky guidelines such as “less than perfect credit is ok”, it is no wonder that Payday loans have become a £2.2bn sector in the UK economy. But there is a darker side to it all which has only recently started coming under media and public scrutiny. In 2012 alone, more than 20,000 people called the National Debtline as a result of payday loans, some admitting to having more than 80 separate loans taken out, and no way of paying them back. More worrying still, many confirmed that little or no background checks had been done to confirm they would be capable of paying back the loan. The Money Advice Trust has reported this is double the amount of complaints
MORE AND MORE, YOUNG AND SEASONED PROFESSIONALS ALIKE ARE FINDING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET... When you consider that many people approved have a history of defaulting on loans or in some cases even bankruptcy, and with interest rates as high as 4000% APR, you can see why Labour MP Stella Creasy has warned against the onslaught of a “debt tsunami” in the UK if payday lenders are not regulated more strictly. The sky-high interest rates and crippling additional fees for late payments or extended loans are encouraging more
WORDS BY ELISHEVA SOKOLIC ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MASON
and more people to refer to payday lenders as legalised loan sharks. In fact, in most cases, loan sharks, while illegal, do not raise interest rates beyond 250% APR, arguably pushing borrowers towards illegal activities, out of desperation. This comparison is ameliorated by reports of aggressive means of debt collection from legalised lenders, including harassing emails and text messages, and borrowers being hit by huge fees which were never disclosed beforehand. In May alone the OFT shut down two money lending businesses, B2B International UK and loansdirect2u. com, for employing people with a history of violence and fraud. Other similar organisations are currently being looked into to ensure they hold the “knowledge, experience and skills to run a debt management business”. But is this afterthe-fact regulation like turning up to an earthquake with a dustpan and brush? The case of Adam Richardson, who in 2011 borrowed £80 to fund his alcohol and cannabis addiction and accepted an annual interest charge of more than 16 million per cent, should act as a warning to the ruthless unchecked autonomy of many legal lending businesses. Richardson comments, “[Borrowers] tend to be desperate individuals with little financial security and poor credit histories who are at the point where, due to crisis or addiction, they are not likely to be in a fit state to sign a contract, or even read and understand one.” The Consumer Finance Association (responsible for many payday lenders) argues that as these are short term loans, no one will ever be paying back the full yearly amount, and so the annual numbers are immaterial. While this is true to a point, with no one structuring how often loans can be rolled over or extended, or where the APR is capped, many legal money lenders will continue to exploit the vulnerable in order to take advantage of a dangerously under regulated sector.
R PPA BLI FORIONS... 5 E PAG UCT SEE INSTR
featuring
Soul singer, Nate James
Photographer: JAY MCLAUGHLIN / Stylist: RIVKIE BAUM / Stylist’s Assistant: JAY SPOONER / Grooming: NICOLA MOORE / Location: THE HIPPODROME, LEICESTER SQUARE www.hippodromecasino.com / Special Thanks: IAIN DUNCAN & TED’S GROOMING ROOM, CHARLOTTE STREET
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Shirt by Burton Jacket by Orschel-Read Pocket Square and Bow Tie by Digby Jackson Trouser and Waistcoat by Lambretta Shoes by Burton
Blazer and Shirt by Paul & Joe Homme Pocket Square by Digby Jackson
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Shirt by Orschel-Read Waistcoat by Lambretta Tux Style Suit by Asos Boots by Red Or Dead
Tee by Jenny Schwarz Blazer by Burton Trouser by Paul & Joe Homme Brogues by Burton
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Shirt by Orschel-Read Check Trouser and Jumper by Merc Shoes by Red Or Dead
stoos HAVING FINALLY RELEASED THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ‘LONDON WITH THE LIGHTS ON’ LAST WEEK, WE CATCH UP WITH LONDON THREE PIECE STOOSHE TO FIND OUT HOW CLOSE THEY REALLY ARE... WORDS BY KYLE GOODWIN
this ck Blippe to chehe pag stoos out ction IPPAR in a OR BL ...
F IONS E5 PAG UCT SEE INSTR
eing in a band is about more than just music. Ask anyone that’s been entwined in a musical relationship and they will tell you it’s like a marriage. More specifically, it's like being married to someone you work with, live with and generally spend the majority of your life with. And so it’s fair to say that if you’re in a band, it certainly helps if you get on with each other. “We’re really close friends,” begins Stooshe’s Karis Anderson, turning to her band mates with a smile. “Outside of work we always make
time for each other. People say: ‘Aren’t you guys sick of seeing each other?’ But we’re not. We go and chill with each other after we finish working together. We’re lucky that we’re like sisters and really tight – we have a lot of fun.” Stooshe’s musical marriage is a blissful one. The London-based girl group joke and giggle through our interview, finishing each others’ sentences like they’ve known each other all their lives. But it wasn’t that long ago that the group, made up of members Alex Buggs, Karis Anderson and Courtney
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Rumbold, had no idea that the others existed. Formed in 2010, the girls were hand-picked by writer / manager / “Musical Mummy” (Karis’ words, not ours!) Jo Perry, who discovered them while they were roaming the aisles of Topshop enjoying an innocent spot of shopping, and an introduction was made shortly after. “We would have known if it was going to work or not from the moment we met,” says Courtney. “But we’ve been lucky; it definitely works.” Stooshe co-write all their own material with Jo Perry. Their unique style, attitude and powerful vocal performances set them apart from other acts in the industry, making the audition process slightly less conventional than usual. “It wasn’t really like an audition process as such,” notes Alex. “It wasn’t like there were loads of girls lining up and down a corridor waiting their turn or anything like that.” After recruiting Courtney and Alex through the
he rather unorthodox Topshop route, Jo had no doubts over who the third member of Stooshe was going to be. “I knew Jo from when I went to Brit school,” explains Karis, “so I was in and out of the studio with her all the time. She called me on New Year’s Eve at quarter to midnight. I was getting so stressed because we couldn’t get into this club and Jo was like: ‘Alright babe, I’m putting together a girl band – I’ve got these two girls – do you want to be in it?’ I was like, ‘Jo I’m trying to get into a club. I’ll call you tomorrow’!” Stooshe are three girls cut from the same cloth. They’re all South London girls, they all walked the same streets and knew the same people (or people who knew the same people) growing up. Although their paths had never crossed, having similar backgrounds had a big effect on their bonding process. “It was nice because
we weren’t just thrown into a situation where you’ve got to figure people out,” Courtney reflects. “We already had something in common because we’re all from South London, so we could talk about mutual friends we knew and where we lived. We naturally had something to talk about. It was really easy going and eased us in to what we have now.” With their line-up in place, Stooshe spent a year perfecting the sound that would see them pen a record deal with Warner just 16 months after forming. Their debut single ‘Love Me’, which charted at Number Five in the UK singles chart was swiftly followed up by ‘Black Heart’, which peaked at Number Three and later became one of the highest-selling records of 2012. Tours with Jennifer u
“We really just morph into each other in the studio. It happened quite quickly. We’re really in tune with each other – like siblings.”
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Lopez and Nicki Minaj continued to further cement their reputation as one of the most talented young acts in the country, a status that was confirmed after being nominated for best newcomer at last year’s MOBO awards. Their debut album ‘London With The Lights On’ has received glowing reviews since its release last week, and the band will be appearing at Alton Towers Live on the 6th of July alongside Olly Murs, Rizzle Kicks, Labrinth, Union J and James Arthur – a day, they assure us, that they’re very much looking forward to.
The girls spend a lot of time together, and as their friendship continues to grow, some of the chemistry they’ve developed can’t help but start spilling over into the studio. “We’ve been working together for two-and-a-half years, now,” adds Karis, “and we really just morph into each other in the studio. It happened quite quickly. We’re really in tune with each other – like siblings. And when we record we’ve all got individual parts but our voices mesh really well together. We’re each lead singers in our own right but we can really blend well as a band.”
Like any marriage, there will be good times – great times, even – and there will be some struggles. But as a few more jokes are exchanged and the sound of giggling once again fills the room, it’s clear the bond these girls share runs deep. The honeymoon, it seems, is far from over. Stooshe’s album ‘London With The Lights On’ is out now. Catch the girls at Alton Towers Live on 6th July. www.altontowers.com/alton-towers-live
www.stooshe.com
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Kate Temple
GETS ANGRY FROM BEING IN THE OFFICE TOGETHER, WE’VE LEARNED ONE THING ABOUT KATE: SHE HAS A RATHER SHORT FUSE. Each month, we find out what’s making Kate Temple angry. ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT MASON
The use of social networking sites has highlighted several key issues for me.
F
irstly, parents should never have that much access to their children’s inner thoughts – especially if it starts with “Omg, urnevagonna guess wot Ryan/Shelly/the dog did me to last night”. One thinks back fondly upon innocent times when parents lived easy under the illusion that little Johnny was at his extra curricular Latin classes, not notified through Facebook that he was actually frequenting the local park playing a game of puff puff pass. Secondly, the supposed shield of anonymity the internet provides brings out the worst in some people, egging them on to tell the latest It Girl, or their rival football team that they are not, in fact, all that – albeit with somewhat stronger language. But what irks me the most about the rise of fast texting, cheap Tweeting and facetious Facebooking is the lack of pride or wherewithal in the British public for the proper use of grammar. William Edward Forster, who drafted the first Education Act in 1870, would be spinning in his grave if he could see the development and acceptance of commonplace illiteracy in Britain today. Forster didn’t fight for compulsory education for us to develop into a nation that doesn’t know the difference between your and you’re, or there, their and they’re. Despite our moaning, education in England is some of the best worldwide.
So why, I ask myself, does our nation of cultured hardworkers insist on ignorance where grammar is concerned? When Nokia 3310s were all the rage, it saved hours of manpower to type ‘u’ rather than ‘you’. But in the age of the smartphone and the full touchscreen keyboard, should we not take the time and inclination to engage our brains and think before we type? No longer will our thumbs ache after typing the full assembly of the word ‘you’. In fact most of the time autocorrect will second-guess the word before you do (but that’s another rant in itself). Seeing Tweets from Z-list celebrities
saying, “Hope you’re okay,” not only sends a shiver of pure venom through my body, but also leaves my finger quivering over the reply button, eager to inform them of their mistake. Surely no British citizen has been failed so badly by the education system that they crawl out the other side not knowing the difference between your and you’re? The moral of this rant is that it is your right as a UK citizen to freedom of speech and a terrific education – please, feel free to Tweet away. But if you take a millisecond to think about the construction of your sentences, it might just slow down the decline of our British language.
Why stay surgery free? Although a nip here and a tuck there can boost your self esteem, a lot of the time, the underlying insecurity will still be there niggling away just as strong.
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Make Up The pain-free way to take some years off of your face is with wellconsidered make up.
Eyebrows
Dewy skin
Uneven, thin eyebrows framing the face can add a decade to the way you look. Create youthful evenness and fullness by carefully feathering Suqqu’s award-winning eyebrow liquid pen. Limiting your sugar intake is also one of the best things you can do to prolong the youthfulness of your skin.
Bobbi Brown’s Luminous Moisturising Foundation gives skin a soft, healthy, even-toned glow as it helps reverse the visible signs of ageing. A natural collagenboosting, skin-firming blend of hexapeptides and Milk Thistle Extract softens fine lines and imperfections.
Cheek lift Lift the cheeks by contouring along the bone and highlighting the top of the cheeks with RMK’s Creamy Sheer Powder cheeks in 02. Lift the eyes by applying a clean line of brightening black pencil along the top lash line, using Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil. It’s smudgeproof so will keep you looking fresh all day long, without any tired-looking smears.
Lip smacking Use a pencil to subtly enhance the shape of the lips and stop your lipstick from bleeding. Soft, rosy tones are extremely youthful as well as super sexy. Try Liz Earle lip pencil in Foxglove and lipstick in Rosewood.
Photographer: CLAIRE HARRISON www.claireharrisonphotography / Styling: ADELAIDE TURNBULL www.adelaideturnbull.com / Make Up and Words: LAUREN BAKER Nails: TINU @ MY STUDIO NAILS / Hair: TAKANORI YAMAGUCHI / Model: OLIVIA @ MILK MODEL MANAGEMENT / Retouching: MONIKA LEPIANKA
A hard pill to swallow When it comes to anti-aging, the facts are the facts. What we put into our bodies is just as, if not more detrimental than external forces.
Sugar Sugar triggers a process in the body called glycation. Sugar molecules bind to protein collagen and elastin fibres, which makes them brittle and, in turn, causes the skin to sag. The glycation process causes these proteins to mutate, creating harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end-products which accumulate, and cause further inammation and damage to your collagen and elastin. Limiting your sugar intake is one of the best things you can do to prolong the youthfulness of your skin.
Smoking The additives in cigarettes contain toxins that will damage your skin over time. As well as the obvious, cigarette smoke impedes circulation, making your face appear droopier and less healthy in appearance.
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Perfection potions Supercharge your skin with these wonder potions.
Dove Spa, Strength Within Capsules
Green tea
Now here’s an anti-wrinkle supplement which is causing a storm in the beauty industry! These capsules have been developed after more than five years of clinical research by a team of leading scientists, dermatologists and nutritionists. Formulated with isoflavones extracted from natural soy beans, together with Lycopene and Vitamin E. It’s reinforced with Vitamin C to support natural formation of collagen in the skin and with nourishing Omega 3 fatty acids. The patent pending supplement is clinically proven to reduce lines and wrinkles.
One easy change you can make which will make your skin glow is to replace unhealthy drinks; drop the sugar-heavy coffee, fizzy drinks and fruit juices and replace them with a delicious mug of green tea, a long-standing source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Evidence shows that green tea may inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), the enzymes the enzyme that contributes to age-related degradation of the skin matrix.
Tom Ford
Must -haves WORDS BY KATE TEMPLE BEAUTY ASSISTANT: NATASHA LAUDAT
sUMMER TREATs
There is no greater addition to your make up bag than Tom Ford cosmetics. Glamourous, hard working and uber desirable, we’ve picked six of our favourite products from this modern cosmetics range. All products available at: www.harrods.com
NAIL LACQUER IN TOASTED SUGAR: £25 There is no greater way to boost your ego than with fabulous Tom Ford nails.
LIP COLOUR SHINE IN SMITTEN: £36 Brazilian Murumuru butter gives this lip colour a smooth application.
MANUAL CLEANSING BRUSH: £12.50 With no mains or batteries required, it encourages gentle exfoliation and effective cleansing.
DAILY CLEANSING CLOTHS: £12.50 Come in a pack of seven for a more hygienic cleanse.
ALL ABOUT LIPS: £17 Delivers both immediate and longterm results to minimise evidence of fine lines.
ANTI-FATIGUE EYE COOLING GEL: £21 A lightweight serum that dries quickly for a hydrated look and feel.
Merumaya Basking in the sun’s rays and stocking up on your vitamin D isn’t all the summer’s about. Oh no, it’s about revamping your beauty regime to allow your skin, hair and body to shine like the weather. From the glossiest of locks, to the best manicure in town, we’ve got the brands everyone will be after this summer. And the best bit is we’ve selected products from their ranges to suit everyone’s budget. Whether you’re looking for a bargain or ready to splash out on that must-have product – we’ve got it all. All we need now is the sun to stick around for a couple of months…
A relative newcomer in the world of skin care, Merumaya is certainly making a dent on the market. With a delicate scent and a luxurious feel, each product works perfectly on its own or combined with the rest of the range. All products available at: www.merumaya.com
Clinique
One of the UK’s most celebrated beauty brands, Clinique boasts 100% fragrance-free and allergy tested credentials. They’re focused on the comfort and wellbeing of all skin types. All products available at: www.clinique.co.uk
Alterna
What Alterna don’t know about haircare isn’t worth knowing. Using groundbreaking formulas, they offer a range of luxury haircare products to treat your hair to the drink it needs. All products available at: www.alternahaircare.com
BAMBOO ABUNDANT VOLUME SHAMPOO: £17 A gentle and moisturising shampoo that adds volume to the hair.
BAMBOO SMOOTH KENDI DRY OIL MIST: £20.50 A favourite with Katie Holmes, the new face and co-owner of Alterna.
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EYE SHADOW CONTOUR BRUSH: £42 Don’t just apply with a brush, apply with style; Tom Ford style.
ILLUMINATING POWDER: £55 Create radiant skin with this weightless powder.
CONFIDENSUAL HANDWASH: £12.50 Luxuriously creamy and moisturising to gently clean your hands and leave them velvety smooth.
MELTING CLEANSING BALM: £14.50 This sensual formula quite literally melts in to the skin for a facial-quality cleanse.
TASTER SET FROM MERUMAYA: £24.50 Contains a full-size eye cream and four deluxe minis from this delightful new range.
ICONIC YOUTH SERUM: £34.50 This uniquely formulated rich serum is an essential for youthfully vibrant and radiant skin.
SUPER RESCUE ANTIOXIDANT NIGHT MOISTURISER: £37 A moisturiser that delivers a unique complex of rapid and delayed-release ingredients.
EVEN BETTER CLINICAL DARK SPOT CORRECTOR: £39.50 Winner of the Top Sante Health & Beauty Glow Awards 2011 for Premium Skin Care.
REPAIRWARE UPLIFTING SPF15 FIRMING CREAM: £50 A light, richly moisturising cream that visibly tightens, lifts and firms the face.
CX R+ DE-AGING CREAM: £135 The most potent multi-benefit moisturiser with an anti-ageing formulation to address skin clarity, uneven skin tone, lines, wrinkles and sagging.
STYLIST 2 MINUTE TOUCH UP: £24.95 A mineral-based gel formula that won’t damage your gorgeous locks.
CAVIAR STYLING PERFECT IRON SPRAY: £29.50 A heat-activated styling spray that protects hair from hot tools.
CAVIAR REPAIR RX MICRO-BEAD FILL & FIX TREATMENT MASQUE: £42.90 Nourishes and strengthens each individual strand or hair, leaving each one soft and silky.
BRONZING POWDER IN GOLD DUST: £65 Highlight the skin’s natural radiance with this bronzing powder.
JASMIN ROUGE EAU DE PARFUM: £195 Voluptuous, opulent and daring, this blend is Tom Ford through and through.
CAVIAR CLINICAL WEEKLY INTENSIVE BOOSTING TREATMENT: £52 A weekly leave-in scalp treatment for fine, thinning and fragile hair.
Tried tested WORDS BY KATE TEMPLE
VALIDATION FACIAL AT KINGS ROAD
Lush Spa
When you rock up to the Lush Spa, the sensual aromas are so immense you know straight away your stop will be worth every penny. Once in, you’re taken downstairs to your very own consultation area – reminiscent of an English country kitchen. Your facialist talks you through in great detail about what you’ll be having and then together you go back to the shop floor to choose the ingredients that you want. Not having been one really keen on facials in the past, I must say, I am a convert. Being able to handpick the ingredients to suit your preference makes you feel a lot more at ease with regards to what is going on your face. The Validation gave my skin the radiance and boost it needed and I instantly looked revitalised; imagine your skin after a good holiday and lots of rest. The Lush Spa certainly does live up to its name and its old English country aesthetic.
The Lush Spa, 123 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 4PL Validation Facial £75 for 60 minutes
POWER FACIAL AT
Karine Jackson
In the choas of central London, there is a quiet, serene oasis of respite called the Karine Jackson salon. But this is no myth: it’s 100 per cent real and 100 per cent fabulous. Below the busy sister salon on Litchfield Street, where stray hairs are turned into glamorous locks, lives this sanctuary of peace. After filling out your first time form, you can expect to be treated to a cooling glass of sparkling water and a friendly chat with Karine herself. The next thing you know, you’ve been smoothly negotiated through the spa to a private consultation room and introduced to your beauty therapist.
Karine Jackson, 24 Litchfield St, London, WC2H 9NJ Power Facial £42.50
I was booked in for the 30 minute special (for those of us who are permanently meant to be somewhere else), and I expected half a job, done well. But I felt like an A-lister, with my every whim catered for. Cleansed, moisturised, toned; even the odd extraction (don’t ask), the facial raised my expectations for any future facial. Thirty minutes felt like a day’s holiday; I’ll be sure to go back again, when I get a minute.
beauty / grooming | 55
male grooming 1
TRY NOW 1 MANATOMICALS HAIR/BODY WASH £3.20 www.waitrose.com
3
Manatomicals admit they only want you for your body, and well, look at you – you are pretty buff. This one does exactly what is says of the tin and more...
2 MEN ROCK STRAIGHT RAZOR GIFT BOX STARTER SET £39
A straight-talking gift set from a company that claim to have taken inspiration from traditional barbers and Jermyn Street.
2
3 COLLIN RESULTIME REGENERATING COLLAGEN GEL £47.25
www.collinresultime.co.uk This multi-use gel will regenerate and preserve the youthfulness of the skin, boost cell and tissue metabolism.
CONTROVERSIAL PRODUCT OF THE MONTH... WOULD YOU? ESSIE MAN-E-CURE £16.50 www.amazon.co.uk A simple matte nail colour used to enhance men’s nails. It makes even the most masculine of nails look conditioned and clean, because let’s face it: no one likes dirt under their fingernails.
NEW BA NDS GET YOUR EARS ROUND THIS LOT!
WORDS BY LIAM MCCREESH
Deptford Goth RATHER THAN AN indication of what to expect musically, it’s probably safe to say that Daniel Woolhouse’s Deptford Goth moniker is a humorous, self-aware reference to his own melancholic and introverted nature. That’s where the humour starts and finishes, though, because there’s a tangible sense of sadness that permeates his music.
Woolhouse began writing his debut album ‘Life After Defo’ in his bedroom while working as a teaching assistant. Following in the vein of The XX and James Blake, his minimal compositions borrow tastefully and sparingly from UK garage, R‘n’B and dubstep. ‘Life After Defo’ is out now and it’s without question one of our albums of the year so far.
Public Service Broadcasting PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING is the name of the unique electro-rock project of J Willgoose Esq and Wrigglesworth (not their real names we’re guessing). What makes them so distinctive is the fact that they’ve been granted rare and privileged access to the British Film Institute’s archive of wartime films to sample at their leisure.
Eschewing a vocalist, their instrumental numbers underpin samples from public information films, archive footage and propaganda material; imagine disembodied and peculiarly old-fashioned British accents over the crackle and hiss of tape. That they’ve managed to avoid becoming a novelty act is testament to the brilliance of the songs themselves, which reference everyone from The Chemical Brothers to post-rock titans Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai.
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FO IONS.. E5 PAG UCT SEE INSTR
majical cloudZ SOMETIMES A BAND name tells you everything you need to know before you’ve even pressed play - as is the case with Montreal duo Majical Cloudz (aka Devon Welsh and Matthew Otto). Back in November they released the rather lovely ‘Turns Turns Turns’ in which spacey, airy textures fade in and out of the mix like an ebbing tide.
Fast forward a few months and new single ‘Childhood’s End’ signifies something of a departure. Lyrically, it’s pretty stark but it also sees them ditching their sonic dreamscapes for something more austere and direct, a change of aesthetic that’s been accompanied by a more traditional approach to songwriting and arrangement.
PINS
Their debut album ‘Impersonator’ is out now through Matador.
HAVING COME TOGETHER through a shared love of reverb, My Bloody Valentine and wearing sunglasses indoors, Manchester all-girl four-piece Pins have been bubbling up in the Manchester scene for a year or so now. With a distinctly vintage sound, their impressive racket is part Velvet Underground, part Phil Spector and part The Jesus And Mary Chain.
They’ve been lumped in, a tad unfairly, with the new wave of C86-inspired indie bands (see Vivian Girls, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart), which is frustrating when tracks like ‘Shoot You’ have an unmistakable menace about them – something that was intrinsically absent from the innocuous and non-threatening C86 scene. They’ve been gaining a reputation for their incendiary live shows and their new EP, ‘LUVU4LYF’, is out now.
Temples SIXTIES NOSTALGIA ISN’T so much a fad as a constant in the otherwise fickle world of indie music. Ever since Britpop’s imperial heyday, the UK’s alternative music scene has come to resemble a giant game of Wackamole; one with an interminable resource of unimaginative young men channelling the holy trinity of The Stones, The Kinks and The Beatles. That said, there’s something about the current crop of sixties revivalists (see also Tame Impala) that is altogether more refreshing.
Temples, a four-piece from Kettering with remarkably authentic period hairstyles focus on the tripped-out, psychedelic sound of the era which had at its core an ethos of unbridled experimentalism. Sun-kissed single ‘Shelter Song’ is the perfect antidote to a winter that’s long outstayed it’s welcome and is out now.
music | 57
GIGS OUR PICK OF THE CAPITAL’S BEST LIVE MUSIC THIS MONTH WORDS BY JONO WHITE
THE STONE ROSES
KINGS OF LEON
FINSBURY PARK // 7TH–8TH JUNE
THE O2 // 12TH – 13TH JUNE
North London is set for a musical invasion from, err, The North this month, as The Stone Roses gear up to play two massive shows in the capital with support coming in the form of Ex-Smith and demi god Johnny Marr. Marking their first official return to London soil since reforming back in 2011 (okay we’re discounting their appearance at Shoreditch’s tiny Underground last summer because we’re still annoyed we couldn’t get in), expect more ’90s Madchester hits than you can shake a stick at and a hefty dose of nostalgia to take home with you.
Kings of Leon have always had an endearing ramshackle charm about them, and it’s that, mixed with their ear for a radio hit that’s helped the Tennessee four-piece steadily rise to festival headliner status since they broke out with ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ a decade ago. While they’ve endured a couple of years in critical limbo, their recent live shows have seen the Followill family back at their captivating best. We expect the chorus of ‘Sex On Fire’ will be heard all across the capital by the time they drop that into the set this weekend.
TORO Y MOI KOKO // 4TH JUNE
MAROON 5 THE O2 // 23RD – 24TH JUNE Maroon 5 have come a long way since their breakout album ‘Songs About Jane’ back in 2001. Having evolved from an everyman pop rock five-piece into a one-headed, perfectly-groomed monster,
Adam Levine and friends will be dropping in on The O2 late in June on their first visit to the capital since releasing fourth album ‘Overexposed’ last year. Making that final leap to arena band status and securing their position atop the pop rock pile in the process, expect Jagger-esque moves, more hits than you can handle and a hearty singalong from the LA titans.
Camden’s Koko gets a dose of funky psych-pop early this month in the form of singer-songwriter Toro Y Moi. Any doubts you might have that Toro’s Chaz Bundick is a one-trick pony should be cast aside now; the American producer’s new album ‘Anything In Return’ ushers in a new maturity for him and sees him moving away from his chillwave roots, while his live shows are now a more eclectic experience as a result. Bundick’s West Coast sensibilities are the perfect antidote to any lingering winter blues, and we’re betting that if you head down to Koko on 4th June you’ll be bang on course for some solid summer vibes.
Photographer: BENJAMIN JOHNSON / Stylist: RIVKIE BAUM Grooming: ENZO VOLPE @ HMS CREATIVE: USING CLARINS SKINCARE FOR MEN AND MITCH HAIRCARE
Eddie wears: Shirt by Burton, Suit by House Of Nines Te wears: Suit by Asos, Waistcoat by Jaeger, Shirt by Stylist’s Own Sonny wears: Suit by Jaeger, Shirt by Merc
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Having stormed the charts with their debut single ‘What A Night’ back in April, Drafted catches up with the Chingford three-piece to discuss life in the public eye... WORDS BY KYLE GOODWIN
music | 59
“I
’ll tell you what’s cool,” grins Loveable Rogues guitarist and vocalist Eddie Brett. “Getting on an aeroplane to go to a gig. You get to check your guitars in.” Eddie’s thoughts trail off into a daydream as his fellow band members Sonny Jay and Té Eugene Qhairo continue the conversation in an equally enthusiastic and excitable manner. You’d be surprised if you happened to meet these three in a pub one night, to find they are one of the most talked about bands in pop right now. With all the attention they’ve been getting, they’re still extremely laid back, unpretentious and come across as completely normal guys. And not even the release of their new single ‘What A Night’ and an arena tour supporting Olly Murs – which included two sold-out shows at London’s The O2 – can turn them into pop divas. “Well, we’ve got a job, now,” jokes Eddie, “so Mum’s happy.” Life has been very different for the Loveable Rogues since they appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012. Their cheeky, infectiously catchy pop songs didn’t take long to warm the nation’s hearts and in particular that of a certain Mr Simon Cowell, who nailed down the boys’ signatures for his record label Syco, resulting in a fascinating working relationship. “Simon’s cool,” says Té with a smile. “He loves a bit of cheekiness. Everyone has this idea that he’s really harsh but I think we went through that on the show. That was his time to judge us. And he did judge us. But he liked us and he’s a gentleman.” Although they’ve been busy working on their debut album and travelling up and down the country for interviews and photo shoots, it could have been a very different story for Loveable Rogues. When first contacted by the Britain’s Got Talent team, it took eight separate attempts to finally convince the boys to do the show in the first place. “We didn’t think Britain’s Got Talent was appropriate for us at the time,”
“WE DON’T REALLY TAKE OURSELVES TOO SERIOUSLY. WE’RE JUST ENJOYING BEING THE AGE WE ARE AND MAKING THE MUSIC WE’RE MAKING.” explains Eddie. “We were approached about it and initially thought it wasn’t really for us. We’d been a band for four years and if people don’t like you when you’re on live TV going out to millions of people, it can all finish there and then.” Bands have a serious choice to make when approached by the new wave of televised talent shows. Do you say yes, and risk getting a negative response in front of the nation? Or do you politely decline and do it the old fashioned way... touring relentlessly and trying to attract industry attention through word of mouth and hard work? Given the choice, it’s not an easy decision. “Some people can be really amazing on those shows and others completely plummet,” adds Té. “We had in our heads that we’d prefer doing the slog rather than have it capped off like that. But once you put all your preconceptions to one side it can be a really good opportunity. We haven’t regretted it at all.” The gamble has certainly paid off. If you happened to watch Loveable Rogues’ appearance on BGT (or have seen it on YouTube since) you’ll have noticed how instantaneous the audience’s approval was. It took about 20 seconds for the crowd to let off a deafening cheer, and although that was largely due to the
chorus of ‘Lovesick’ kicking in, you can’t help thinking their accessible nature and likeable personalities had a part to play, too. “We don’t really take ourselves too seriously,” states Eddie. “We know we have a serious side to us but we also know we have a fun side. We’re just enjoying being the age we are and making the music we’re making.” In an industry where image is of equal importance to talent, the Loveable Rogues are a breath of fresh air – not concerning themselves too deeply with how they’re perceived and effortlessly pulling off a fun and nonchalant attitude towards their environment. “There are a lot of acts out there that are really cool, or trying to appear really cool,” Té continues. “They’re really serious and I don’t know if we could be like that even if we tried. We’re just ourselves. Most people can relate to us because you probably know someone who you went to uni with that was quite similar.” With their debut single and video out now, the Loveable Rogues adventure has only just begun. Our guessing is the boys will surely be checking their guitars onto a few more aeroplanes in the years to come. www.loveableroguesmusic.com
going out | 61
DINE OUT
morena bakery
the mayor of
scaredy cat town brunch beats
The shed
DRAFTED’S FAVOURITE LONDON RESTAURANTS... WORDS BY JOSIE JONES
SET IN THE HEART of Shoreditch and just around the corner from Brick Lane, this modern, Paraguayan-inspired bakery should come with a warning: this place has some seriously delicious baked goods, and once you try their dulce de leche (involved in most of their products and on sale in jar form), there really will be no going back from your tastebuds. Everything is baked on the premises and they use traditional Paraguayan recipes that leave you with one problem – what do you choose between the cheesecake, carrot cake, muffins or tarts? Morena bakery has a seating area that makes it a perfect place to meet up with friends, but
it’s equally the best place in town to get that sneaky post-dinner party dessert. Go on, treat yourself – you know you deserve it. While they do traditional teas and coffees, make sure you truly embrace your Latin spirit and try Mate – the Paraguayan version of English Breakfast tea and served in it’s beautiful, traditional jar. So when you next decide you need to get a bit more cultured, skip the gallery and head straight for the cake shop.
IT’S SUNDAY MORNING, life is a little hazy and you now long for sustenance; another drink would be nice, preferably somewhere dark and secluded. Thankfully, The Mayor Of Scaredy Cat Town fits the bill. Buried beneath The Breakfast Club in Spitalfields, The Mayor Of Scaredy Cat Town is a speakeasy by night and on Sundays, a tip-top brunch venue. Cleverly, they’ve teamed up with their upstairs neighbours to offer a menu including fluffy American pancakes, bacon dripping in maple syrup, eggs of all different varieties and specially designed breakfast cocktails. Yep! Breakfast cocktails. High stools, cosy armchairs, wooden benches and eclectic knick knacks decorate the bar, while the dim light ensures even the fuzziest of heads has a place to recuperate. Although walk-ins are welcome, we advise booking ahead. After all, we’ve all seen The Breakfast Club queues, which, if you’re heading to The Mayor Of Scaredy Cat Town you quite smugly get to skip. Head to the front of the queue and grab a member
of staff, inform them you are here to “see the mayor”, before being ushered through a secret door. One Sunday a month (check their Facebook for details) will see implementation of Brunch Beats – live DJ sets to accompany your brunching and Sunday drinking, allowing you to carry on the party that bit longer. The vibe is ultimately chilled and much less frenetic than upstairs but with the same delicious food. Oh, and did we mention? Breakfast cocktails.
THE SHED BRINGS a little bit of countryside chic to the very heart of Notting Hill. Created by brothers Oliver and Richard Gladwin, this little slice of heaven is an extension of their rural lifestyle back in West Sussex and the menu is based on growing, foraging and great cooking. Inside the cosy dining room, the décor is eclectic yet homely and you easily forget that West London is still right on the doorstep.
The staff at The Shed are extremely knowledgeable, in fact you’d be hard pushed to find a happier bunch with such excitement for their menu anywhere else in London. This is undoubtedly due to the brothers’ daily menu training and their own sheer passion for all things foraging, local and fresh. Reservations and walk-ins are welcome – although on the night we were there it was full and buzzing, so booking ahead is advisable.
The menu is a daily rotation of Sussex-sourced produce (from their younger brother – a farmer) and other local suppliers, while the courses themselves a series of ‘small plates’, allowing you to try Oliver’s exciting and imaginative menu in all its glory. Whether it’s the sticky spatchcock quail, the mouthfuls of mackerel sashimi or the rabbit ravioli you’re after, their kitchen is full of delights. There is a real focus on utilising the whole animal here, which means their creative use of everything from nose to tail ensures minimal wastage.
OPENING HOURS Tuesday to Saturday: 12pm to 12am
40 Cheshire Street, London E2 6EH P: 0207 033 9057 www.morenabakery.co.uk
OPENING HOURS: Monday to Thursday: 5pm to 11pm Friday: noon to 11.30pm Weekends: noon to 10.30pm 12-16 Artillery Lane, Spitalfields, London E1 7LS P: 0207 078 9639 E: henri@themayorofscaredycattown.com www.themayorofscaredycattown.com
122 Palace Gardens Terrace, London W8 4RT P: 0207 229 4024 E: info@the-restaurant.com www.theshed-restaurant.com
A Multi-Award Winning Bar JuJu has just been named Best DJ Bar at the London Club and Bar Awards 2012 and has previously been awarded Best Bar 2011, Outstanding Mixology 2010 and Best New Bar 2009. JuJu is the perfect location for any event. The stylish bar has been the setting for many successful birthday parties, PR launches, corporate events and client drinks. You can book a number of different areas, including the whole venue that can hold up to 300 people. The private room sourcing its own bar with a capacity of 80 people (with DJ facilities and iPod dock available), but for smaller get-togethers you can book an area for up to 20 people or the VIP room for 25 people. We also have a projector screen and internet access should your event require them. JuJu will be at Henley Regatta from 3rd - 7th July For further information or to book your place, please call 0207 351 5998 or email laiha@jujulondon.com
316 – 318 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UH T: 020 7351 5998 E: info@jujulondon.com W: www.jujulondon.com
JuJuChelseaLondon
JuJuKingsRoad
going out | 63
BARS
it’s a drink you’rE after? try these...
mizuwari
WORDS BY JOSIE JONES
Shutterbug CREPES AND COCKTAILS: what more could you want? Shutterbug do just that and as a lunch / brunch stop by day and a cocktail hangout by night, they call themselves the perfect ‘predrinks place’. You’d be hard pushed to find cocktails in East London these days that are both delicious and easy on the pocket, so at around £7.50 per drink, Shutterbug is pretty budget-friendly. Attached to a newly-built gallery and arts centre and just a few steps from the legendary Cargo, it’s ideally situated for the start of an East London Night. With sweet (try the red velvet), savoury and ‘special’ crepes on offer to accompany the tailored drinks menu it’s not the way you’d usually imagine kicking things off, but lining your stomach with their tasty treats sure does do it in a unique way. Work nearby? It’s open every day for breakfast, brunch and lunch if you need to grab a quick bite or have a morning meeting on the schedule. The outdoor section of the bar is being fully developed for the summer months, and we reckon when the sun comes out, this little gem will quickly become the place to be. OPENING HOURS Monday to Wednesday: 8am to 6pm Thursday to Friday: 8am to midnight Saturday: 10am to midnight Sunday: 10am to 6pm 1 Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA P: 0203 222 0518 E: info@shutterbug-london.com www.shutterbug-london.com
Looking Glass Cocktail Club WHEN IT COMES TO searching for the right cocktail bar in East London some say there might be a lack of truly great ones, but Looking Glass Cocktail Club certainly lives up to its name. Off the beaten track set some way down Hackney Road, it’s one of the last places you’d expect to find a chic and stylish cocktail bar with the added touch of a secret say-themagic-word back room. Ask your waiter to “look through the looking glass” and he’ll lead you out to comfortable sofas in the second bar area. Out front might allow for a few drinks as you watch the world go by, but the back room is home to the DJ and more intimate surroundings. Popcorn is served alongside the drinks (one has to line one’s stomach, of course) and the Alice In Wonderland theme is spun throughout. Some of the cleverly crafted cocktails are served in teacups, while others feel more like a dessert than a drink, and their choclate bitter spray that awakes your taste buds with every sip is a nice touch, too. Due to its location the bar attracts a smart, trendy, Shoreditch drinker making for a slick and fashionable crowd. It’s still in its infancy, but the Looking Glass Cocktail Club is definitely set to shake up Hackney Road. Well worth a visit. OPENING HOURS Monday to Saturday: 5pm to midnight Sunday: 12pm to midnight 49 Hackney Road, London E2 7NX P: 0207 613 3936 E: info@lookingglasslondon.co.uk www.lookinglasslondon.co.uk
BINCHO YAKITORI PRESENTS Mizuwari: a whisky dive bar hidden beneath the lively, traditional Japanese grill Bincho in Soho. Mizuwari – meaning ‘mixed with water’ – is home to one of London’s largest Japanese whisky collections including many rare expressions such as Hakushu Heavily Peated and Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel. The intimate and traditionally furnished bar is discreet and unfussy but has knowledgable staff who can help you navigate their extensive whisky selection. The bar also offers a taster selection making this a great venue to try some new flavours. Mizuwari has a ‘bottle keep’ service, where whisky-aficionados can purchase a bottle of Japanese whisky to be kept in the bar with their name on it, ready to enjoy on their next visit. For those not into sipping on straight whisky, the bar boasts a specially designed cocktail menu (all whisky-based, obviously) to introduce the novice to the subtle flavours of the spirit. You will need to make your way past diners in the bustling Bincho restaurant and head downstairs to discover the den that is Mizuwari, but it’s the place in London to discover the true taste of Japanese whisky in a relaxed, authentic setting. OPENING HOURS Monday to Sunday: 5pm to midnight 16 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 4TL P: 0207 287 9111 E: miki@bincho.co.uk www.bincho.co.uk
FLEMINGS MAYFAIR T ucked away in the heart of one of London’s most decadent districts and just a stone’s throw away from Green Park is the gorgeous Flemings Mayfair hotel. Far surpassing its four star decoration in comfort, service and style, it’s a conversion of six Georgian town houses that has been delivering the utmost in luxury to Mayfair visitors for over 160 years. And with the recent refurbishment of over 50 guest rooms now complete, there’s no better time to drop by and experience true quality for yourself.
With 129 individually-designed hotel rooms, the attention to detail throughout every square inch of Flemings really has to be seen to be believed. With no two rooms the same, wherever you stay throughout the hotel is sure to give you a story to tell at the bar. In addition to the 119 deluxe Mayfair rooms, there are 10 luxury apartments and if you’re celebrating something really special, there’s The Townhouse. A sevenbedroom private residence that comes with all the dedicated five star service from the Flemings team, this one should be on every comfort addict’s bucket list. The team behind the designs at Flemings wanted to create a very British feel with a quirky twist, by taking something classic and putting it in a modernised environment. Mixing classic British elegance with punches of colour, the new designs combine a sense of fun with a strong feeling of luxury. One of the most eye-catching features of the deluxe Mayfair rooms are the striking wall designs. Some bear vast
With no two rooms the same, wherever you stay throughout the hotel is sure to give you a story to tell at the bar.
tree murals, others are decked out to look convincingly like three-dimensional stacks of luggage or indeed a library, and with the finest materials used for the bedding and upholstery within, not a penny has been spared on making every room as unique as it can be. Try not to get swept up in the romance of your bedroom though, because there’s a heap on offer elsewhere within the hotel’s walls. As far as food and drink goes, you won’t find many other hotels with this sort of choice on offer: Flemings Grill is famed for its modern European cuisines, while there’s also the Cocktail & Tea Rooms, where they promise to deliver you the most wicked Martinis in Mayfair as well as offering a mouthwatering list of cupcakes and even a Chocoholic Afternoon Tea, for those who
really want to indulge their sweet tooth. This one’s worth a visit even if you’re not staying in the hotel – their Wicked Martini Soirées offer you two signature Martinis and a selection of mouthwatering canapés for £32.50 per person. So if you’re after an opulent weekend break, or something longer, Flemings is ready to welcome you with open arms. With the finest service on offer and the centre of London on your doorstep, it really is a hidden gem if you’re looking for a stay in Westminster.
7-12 Half Moon Street, London, W1J 7BH P: 0207 499 0000 E: guest@flemings.co.uk www.flemings-mayfair.co.uk
THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH’S PICKS OF LONDON’S FILM, COMEDY, FOOD AND FESTIVALS WORDS BY ANDY RITCHIE
rooftop film club SCREENINGS FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK WHILE YOUR LOCAL MULTIPLEX might be struggling to
draw in the crowds, independent cinemas are certainly thriving. And as we told you about with our Secret Cinema piece last month, the more unique the viewing experience, the better. The Rooftop Film Club returned to the Queen Of Hoxton in Shoreditch last month and is settling in for its summer season. At £12 a ticket and with a bumper cult classic-filled programme (recent screenings include The Notebook, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Mean Girls), it’s one of East London’s best-kept rooftop secrets. Sure, there’s a mountain of stairs to climb to reach it, and you won’t catch us up there when it’s raining (although they do have a stash of ponchos should the heavens open), but the staff are friendly, the drinks are cheap and there’s a certain romance about it if you’re trying to impress that special someone.
going out | 65
THE COMEDY STORE PLAYERS EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY
WHILE STAND-UP COMEDY has been enjoying a
renaissance as of late, The Comedy Story Players have been proving since way back in 1985 that when there’s no script you get the loudest laughs. The current lineup of the Guinness World Record-breaking act features Andy Smark, Neil Mullarkey, Richard Vranch, Lee Simpson and Josie Lawrence (with less regular appearances from Paul Merton), and every Sunday and Wednesday at The Comedy Store they hit the stage with one rule: there are no rules. It works like this; they ask the audience to shout out various people, places or scenarios and fill an hourand-a-half with entirely improvised sketches based on their suggestions. A simple premise, sure, but this lot are impossibly sharp and there aren’t many shows where you’ll get crowd participation like this. Tickets are a wholly reasonably £17 (or £12 concessions), and there are listings on the website of big-name drop-ins every few weeks. www.comedystoreplayers.com
TASTE OF LONDON FESTIVAL 20TH – 23RD JULY
www.rooftopfilmclub.com
LONDON WONDERGROUND UNTIL 29TH SEPTEMBER BROUGHT TO YOU by the
If it’s food, glorious food you’re in the hunt for this month, be sure to get yourself tickets to the British Airways Taste Of London Festival in Regent’s Park. With over 40 of the city’s best restaurants offering up taster menus as well as over 200 producers and brands serving up their finest samples of food and drink from across the nation, there’s something for every palate. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the festival, and with a host of celebrity chef appearances – including three generations of the Roux family cooking together live – it’s something of a culinary Woodstock. Tickets are priced from £25 (£12 for children), although we suggest bringing a decent amount of pennies along on the day. Trust us, you’ll want to eat everything.
same bunch of eccentrics that run Udderbelly, London’s Wonderground returns to the Southbank Centre for its second season, and promises a wide range of comedy, theatre, cabaret, music and family entertainment to take us through until October. Last year saw 277 different performances taking place under the unique Spiegeltent, while this year the area surrounding it has been transformed into a brilliantly Dickension mesh of sideshows, bars, and rides. See their website for the full schedule, but our pick is Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ being performed by a two-man orchestra on 25th June. www.londonwonderground.co.uk
www.tastefestivals.com/london
WORK EXPERIENCE
SECTIOn | 1
In case this whole magazine thing doesn’t work out, our Deputy Editor Kyle is going to spend each issue trying to find a back-up career.
This month, he tries his hand at busking... WORDS BY KYLE GOODWIN
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ases of free beer. Waking up in a different city every morning. Queues of women lining up outside your dressing room. Sure, being a musician can be a pretty cool job. But we can’t all be in Bon Jovi, not at first anyway. Everyone’s got to start somewhere. And for a musician trying to make a name for themselves (and earn enough money to buy their next round of cheese sandwiches), the easiest place to start is out on the streets. But being a busker isn’t as simple as it may seem, as UK hip hop artist SuperStead and I recently found out. I’ve been writing songs with Stead for about a year-anda-half; after being introduced through a mutual friend, we started meeting once a week and before long had penned about 20 tunes together. We both absolutely love it and are currently in the process of putting a full band together. Anyway, we’ve both done the odd acoustic set before, but we’ve never gotten out onto the streets for a proper busk. Before we did that, though, we had the challenge of fashioning a makeshift guitar strap out of a USB cable and a friend’s scarf. That explains the suspicious looking green thing around my neck in those pictures up there. Initially the plan was to head up to Camden to play on one of London’s prime busking spots. But being dictated by Britain’s traditional summer rain we were forced to seek shelter under the arches of the South Bank. By the time we had set up and were about to play our first song, we were asked to move along. No, it wasn’t the police, or the local council or even a security guard from one of the surrounding businesses but a homeless Irish fellow who wasn’t happy with us busking on his patch. “We’re not actually looking to make money,
mate,” I tried to explain. “If we do make anything you can have it.” This guy still wasn’t happy. So after a few more minutes trying to convince him that we aren’t real buskers and were just doing this for a magazine article, we decided to find another spot. As long as we were here, our friend wasn’t going anywhere. So not wanting to take anything away from the homeless people in the area – and definitely not wanting to further wind up an angry Irishman - we packed up and left to find somewhere else to play.
“YOU CAN’T BUSK HERE. YOU NEED TO MOVE ON.” Five minutes later we were unpacking again, having found a good bit of shelter further along the river. And yes, this time we did get to start playing some music. For authenticity, we laid the empty guitar case out on the floor and threw some loose change onto it, trying to create the illusion that people were actually giving to us. Unfortunately, an illusion is all it was going to be this afternoon. Floods of people clutching umbrellas streamed past us, not acknowledging our existence in any way. We moved on to our second song. Again, no-one stopped. It was halfway through our third song that we finally caught someone’s attention enough for them to put their plans on hold and hang around for a moment to check us out. And no, it wasn’t an A&R guy from Universal, or an established producer wanting to book us into his studio, or even an X-Factor scout. It was another homeless man, this one on crutches and blowing wildly into an old, rusty harmonica.
“You ok there, mate?” we laughed, stopping midway through the song. The man hobbled over to us and introduced himself as Jimmy. “Have you ever seen a birthday card as good as this before?” he asked, pulling a crumpled bit of paper out his pocket that had been signed by Alan Carr. ‘I Love You Jimmy!’ it read. “That’s pretty cool,” we agreed, not wanting to query how on earth he knows Alan Carr. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but within a minute or so, Jimmy and I were playing a rendition of ‘Return To Sender’ by Elvis – Jimmy taking the lead vocals and occasionally puffing in and out of his harmonica. We waved Jimmy goodbye at the end of the song, congratulated him once again on his birthday card and carried on with our set. Scores of Londoners passed us by, still grasping their umbrellas tightly, but still, noone stopped and no-one gave us a penny. It wasn’t looking promising. And as we continued to plough through our 22 song repertoire, we were approached again, but this time by a security guard from a nearby business. “You can’t busk here,” he exclaimed. “You need to move on.” There was no point in arguing. The guy didn’t care for our reasoning. He was just doing his job, and that was that. Our efforts at busking were almost entirely unsuccessful. But Stead and I won’t be disheartened. The South Bank obviously just isn’t ready for us.
VERDICT: FAIL Want to decide whether Kyle and SuperStead were any good? Blipp this page to watch a video of them busking, or head to twitter.com/barsfullofroses to check out some songs.