elissa flynn
Nū is project creating a multi-channel brand including a print publication, website and immersive events held in Brighton. The focal point for Nū is on our belief that there is a higher value in social connection and real life experiences than many of us take advantage of in our over-digitally dependent dayto-day lives. Derived from the Old English word for ‘now’, Nū encourages its consumers to welcome the present, indulge their inner inquisitiveness and step away from the screen of the digital world. Nū is a creative platform exploring fashion, music and art; brought to life through immersive events held in Brighton. With an aim to seize and expose local artists and musicians in their prime state of energetic ambitious raucousness, such as Dorset’s Leeches, Southampton’s Bel Esprit and Worthing’s Jay Sawyer. “In light of current world situations it is more important than ever to band together and stand up for what is good and what is right. Our focus at Nū is not solely on a product, or a brand, we aspire to organically form a community through inclusion and connection - a community that thrives on creativity.”
Macro Environment Nū is an SME company positioned in the Fashion industry within the Lifestyle market. Working closely with independent artists and venues such as Dorset’s Leeches, Southampton’s Bel Esprit and Worthing’s Jay Sawyer, the initiative works to promote unconventional and unruly artists at the start of their career. Specialising in organising progressive shows, making print publications and curating exhibitions, the loyal community of consumers will allow Nū to set in place a unique system, whilst promoting a more sustainable outlook on life. This enables them to introduce a large and diverse young audience to the fashion, music, art, film and photography that they trust.
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• Shipping and traffic laws, will affect how the company distribute their products. • Changes in environmental laws may affect shipping, paper and ink supply/usage. • Protecting artist work through copy rights and disclaimers. • Potential for legal claims against content. • Talent release/consent forms should be completed for images, film and interviews.
Political
• Increase of income tax of consumers may affect sales, as publications and events are not essential to everyday living. • Brexit: laws and regulations are likely to change; over the past years it has grown into a single market, allowing goods and people to move around unrestricted, it may be harder to book/work with international musicians and artists. • Post Brexit inflation will affect how people spend their money. • The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is severe. This could result in closure of borders lowering the international market and ease of travel, lack of sales of fashion and lifestyle magazines and people becoming more reluctant to leave their homes for outings unessential to everyday living, such as music events. • The risks associated with legislation change can have a positive or negative effect on the brand, and/or restrict trade of products or places that can restrict ability to trade. • American election may have an affect on how bands and artists are able to work in collaboration in the UK. • UK general election.
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Economical
The cost of the publication and events. Falling exchange rates may impact how people spend their money. UK unemployment rate, will affect spending of people in target market if they are or have recently become unemployed. The British Chambers of Commerce has decreased its GDP growth forecast from 2.6 to 2.3% in 2017 post Brexit, resulting in lower than expected growth in household consumption and services. The UK business investment is expected to grow 7.4% in 2017. Cost of rent and utility bills for target market will affect their spending habits. Mortgage costs.
Social
• Rising concern for sustainability. • In 2013 74% of households claimed to recycle all the time. • Religion or culture of target audience may affect their interest in the platform. • Lifestyle of demographic will affect their disposable income. • Change in trends meaning topics of the platform and publication may become less popular. • Change in consumer attitude affecting their emotional connection to the brand. • Consumers seeking platforms where like-minded people are represented and communities are formed.
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Legal
Technological
Social media platforms expanding companie’s online presence. Online marketing through social media free of charge, with options to sponsor and expand later. Interactive consumer relationship through online promotional strategies and social media. Online magazines may be more convenient for consumer. Using technology and social media to bring community together. Technological developments and trends will affect where consumers seek new information and content.
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Environmental
Carbon footprint. Promotion of used clothing and recycling. Sustainable paper and ink - FSC endorsed. Recycling at events. Bad weather, consumer unlikely to want to leave the house to purchase publication or attend events.
Micro Environment
Operating within the publishing sector, one of the brand’s most unique characteristics is the tie of their quarterly publication with their events, allowing consumers access to printed media, shows and events, as well as other perks. The platform runs online, in print and physically through its immersive events such as gigs, exhibitions, parties and film screenings, the first of which was a takeover of ‘Uncle Monty’s Party House’ at Marwoods Bar & Coffee House, Brighton. Targeting young and creative inquisitives alike, the brand aims to pull its consumer away from behind the screen of the digital world and catapult them back into reality through its tactile publications and varying events.
Huck
Variety of Events
Clash
Looking at other fashion and music magazines and platforms, there is a wide range to choose from. One of Nū’s unique selling points is their persistence to find and support emerging artists; therefore their competitor will be doing something similar. This eliminates some wellknown magazines that only promote fully established and popular music/arts. Crack, Huck, and Clash are the main competitors for Nū. Although Subbacultcha is placed close to Nū on the positioning graph, as it does not run in the UK it is considered an influencer opposed to a competitor.
Subbacultcha Huck
Kaltblut
Nū
Crack
Betty
High Fashion
Vintage, Street Style
i-D
Beat
Dazed and Confused Oh Comely Wonderland Fused Rough Trade Idol
Oyster Notion
Pylot
Low Variety/No Events
Flux
Competitor Review Although Huck and Nū have similar aspirations, the two function slightly differently; Huck is mass market, covering global arts and culture, whereas Nū hone in on local communities. Both have a keen eye for creative ability and finding idiosyncratic talent amid a crowd of monotonous normality. As Nū are a smaller organisation, the service of the website and publication all feel more personal, despite being accessible to thousands of people. Huck contains long form slow journalism, which is something that Nū could expand on. Clash contains more adverts but has a lower price point than Nū, with a strong focus on music and fashion but with less art and a busy website. Crack is very focused on music of all kinds globally, and their magazine is full of upcoming events and promotions, which can distract from the content. Similar to Nū they are localised and their publication is large format, which allows for a very visual and considered layout. Both Clash and Crack have inspired layouts with appealing use of colour, Clash in particular has a strong style of imagery, some of which would work in Nū.
Huck Magazine have a similar ethos to Nū and are also targeted at millennials, supporting independent culture, people and movements that go against the normal flow. Huck seeks out freethinkers, roaming the globe to document grassroots counterculture as it unfolds with those who are bursting with new thoughts and ideas. Their focus is on bike and board sports, travel, perspectives and art and culture, which include: art, music, photography, print and style. Their site is very accessible with a vast array or information, opinions and creativity; this runs alongside their print magazine produced every two months and available to buy for £6.
Clash Having begun in 2004, Clash have formed their brand identity and refined it over the years, resulting in an identifiable niche style evident in their publications and online. Clash Music is the umbrella for Clash Magazine, ClashMusic. com and Clash Live Events. Exploring themes of music, fashion and film, the tie of their website, events and publication allows consumers to fully engage with the brand in-between issues. Clash has a wide spectrum of audiences through their ability to acknowledge both established and emerging artists and the crossover of genres. The tone of voice reflects through the brand visuals, which are laid back and organised with a classic but contemporary feel.
Crack Crack is an independent platform for contemporary culture, music and art, realised through their free monthly printed publication, as well as regularly updated website. Beginning 7 years ago, the platform now have 75 issues to their name, each growing and changing and has recently announced their expansion into Amsterdam. Primarily music based, Crack magazine is a fountain of knowledge of old, new and aspiring musicians, laid out beautifully in a large newsprint style publication. Each issue features an artist print in the centerfold, often full colour poster style illustrations.
Strength
Weakness
Opportunity
Threat
• Strong principles • Concern for the environment • Clean and appealing branding • Easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing website • Print magazine is engaging • Social media accounts on website • Frequently updated social media • Informative
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• People on the road (part of target market) will be unable to obtain copies of the magazine • Other more specific magazines competition
Strength
Weakness
Opportunity
Threat
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Knowledgeable of their field Stylish Creative Clean likeable website and branding Print publication – mulitaward winning Reasonable price point: £6.99 Regularly updated social media Shows and Events Support of established and emerging artists and musicians Links to social media on website Creative aesthetic of publication Aligned and non intrusive advertising in publication Work with music festivals
Unable to view magazine online
Website isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as publication Advertising in publication
Curating exhibitions and gigs Music playlists curated by Huck
Expanding further across Europe More events around the UK More local focus
Diversifying too much may lead to loss of original focus/aims Small text in publication No related art content – missing audiences within target market Other printed publications could be more accessible
Strength
Weakness
Opportunity
Threat
• Knowledgeable • Creative • Collaborations with artists • Clean branding • Free Publication (£5 online) • Regularly updated social media • Shows and Events • Support of emerging and established musicians • Links to social media on website • Publication themes: music, culture, arts • Publications on Issuu.com • Relevant ads
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• Expanding further across the UK and Europe • Explore and feature the style and fashion of the target marke
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Not easy to find printed publication All events Bristol based If picked up for free, consumer less likely to keep hold of
Other printed or digital publications could be more accessible Too many ads
Consumer Profile The defined target market is: 18-35 Location: London, Brighton Creative, Cultural, Individual, Passionate, Inquisitive, Eager to learn, Stylish, Intelligent, Mindful, Sociable Enjoys: discovering new music, art, discovering and supporting independent artists, travel, fashion, reading, immersion in nature, gigs, keeping up to date with current affairs, festivals, a good party
Music: Brands: Vintage Charity Shops Independent stores Urban Outfitters Zara
Varied taste New muscians Tame Impala Mac Demarco David Bowie The Maccabees Foals Mystery Jets Beach Baby The Cure The Black Keys Khruangbin Connan Mockasin
Target group: They are youthful but mature with an appreciation for fashion and the arts with an eclectic taste in music. As well as sharing a love for print publications, they share the commitment and support for young, up-and-coming artists. The audience is comprised of mostly artists, musicians, readers, writers, students, and professionals working in creative industries and media.
Brand Community: These people represent the ideal audience of the brand. They are a dynamic and complex community of people passionate about music and art, supporting the platform through the purchase of the publication and regular attendance of events. They challenge and inspire, as the future of the brand is gradually moulded.
Strength
Weakness
• Creative • Collaborations with artists and musicians • Clean website and branding • Publication: Quarterly • Social media updates about the brand, content and events • Immersive events • Support of local and emerging artists and musicians • Links to social media on website • Publication themes: fashion, music, arts • Online playlists • FSC endorsed paper used in print publication • Encourages consumers into physical 3D world into social, creative environments
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Opportunity
Threat
• Membership/subscription for publication and events • Expanding further across the UK and Europe • Blog • Digital publication to purchase online • Engagement with readership for ideas to enhance platform • Mini free zine to give out at events • Income from events and publication sale • Potential adverts and/or sponsorship revenue • Partnering with established venues with regular clientel • Regular event slot • Artists and musicians promoting the brand
• Limited knowledge outside of South Coast – could be difficult to expand brand later • Cost of publication • Being unable to keep up with fast paced trends and demands of consumer • Price point being relevant to consumer • Competition of already established events and publications • Future production costs • Other printed publications could be more accessible • Limited use of Social Media may hinder online engagement
Doesn’t have a following or established client base as it is a start up Lack of backing money Has not formed a good reputation for itself yet as it is new Lack of stockists Only one event launched so far No income stream First time launching a brand and product
Low usage of Social Media - only to boost events and info related to publication/brand
Youthful but mature
Collaborations with artists and musicians
Conscious of environmental and ethical issues
Immersive events
Appreciation for new and old Sociable Sharing and acknowledging fashion and music innovations Aware of the good and bad in the world around us Gender neutral Mindful Responsible Engaging
Seeking to learn and constantly improve as a brand and community
Website Immersive
Inquisitive
Publication
Intelligent
Informative
Brand Essence
Stylish
Brand Values Brand Personality Brand In Action Brand Positioning Statement
Product Process The process of Nū focuses on slow content, with a production of 4 print issues a year. The brand will begin by drawing up a list of desired content for the particular issue, this will be followed by sourcing, contacting and liaising with artists, musicians and creatives. During the content development and layout stage, Nū will also we working on the brands social media, website and events. Each area of the brand will be aligned and working with similar themes. Each Issue will have it’s own launch party in Brighton where consumers and contributors are welcomed to celebrate their efforts towards the brand and enjoy themselves.
Physical Environment
Promotion Nū’s main promotional strategies are through word of mouth and through their use of Social Media: Facebook, Instagram and Spotify. As the brand progresses and the community forms and evolves, their promotion will be self generating, with the community expanding through their events. Social media is used to connect and engage online with their consumer, whilst informing their product and events, creating a buzz and anticipation around each event. Their social media accounts are very clean, often with promotional images or professional looking photographs, but in a relatively laid back style.
The brands physical home is in Brighton as this is where their events are held, however the publication also explores artists locally and from around the UK. Nū will be sold in Magazine Brighton and their partnered stores in London and around the UK. The publication will also be available to purchase online through Magazine Brighton which will be linked on Nū’s website. Nū’s website opens with their collaborative film ‘Traces, Imprints, Memories of Movement’ by up-andcoming documentary filmmaker Matthew Lewis. The piece explores the concept of choreographer Demelza Corbett and her documentation of movement in a still. The website features a variety of sections and subsections but kept in a clear and easy to navigate layout, such as ‘Home’, ‘Film’, ‘Events’, ‘Publication’, ‘About’. Subsections for ‘Publication’ and ‘Film’ include ‘Fashion’ ‘Music’ and ‘Art’ with the bottom of the homepage featuring social media badges for Facebook, Instagram and Spotify, where the brand connects with the consumers. The brands events are held in a variety of independent venues across the city of Brighton and Hove, this is where the platform is brought to life, their first installment was a takeover of ‘Uncle Monty’s Party House’ at Marwoods Bar and Coffee House. The brands online presence allows access globally to consumers who wish to follow the brand but are unable to get to Brighton for the events. The publication is also Brighton based representing local talent featuring artists and musicians, however they may not always hail from the area.
People The people of Nū are aged around 1835, a mature yet young and optimistic audience, they enjoy informative editorial but with a touch of playfulness. The brands tone of voice relates directly to the target audience, who follow the platform for their knowledge and creative offerings. The people in the brands imagery are within the target market; portraying the openness of the platform, as they are not all professional models, this eliminates exclusivity. The people of the brand are also those featured within the publication, bands such as Southampton indie quartet Bel Esprit, and artists such as Brighton/ Bristol graphic designer Alex Kelly. The Re:use fashion editorial shoot was shot by up-and-coming fashion photographer Harry Cooke working with aspiring model and acting student Toby Constad, and Sophia Amelia who is working her way into the performance industry from performance school The Brighton Academy.
The products of Nū come as a package of the quarterly Publication and immersive events, which will allow the consumer to connect with the brand. The products and visual elements of the brand are of consistent styles and mood; photography is usually playful, relaxed or thought provoking. Nū tone of voice is intelligent, but relaxed, their passion for the subject flows through their words, reaching out to their audience. They are not overly formal, but write assertively with a range of vocabulary allowing the reader to take their topics seriously, sometimes with a subtle sense of humour. Typefaces are steady, with the same fonts used online and in print. Overall the brand uses minimal layouts and concise colour schemes making features clear to read and differentiate between. The format of the publication will be on 300gsm cover and 100gsm inner, the size is 260mm x 327, this is larger than A4 but smaller than A3.
Placement The publication product is placed in the Publishing sector, within the fashion and lifestyle market, with its physical placement in a selection of independent retailers with high reputation to ensure consumers can rely on the quality of the product. The publication will first be sold in store and online at Magazine Brighton and a selection of their partnering stores.
Price The price of the publication will be £12, this may be subject to change after the first issue in accordance to alteration of print type and paper stock.
The brand will build awareness through their active social media accounts, with regular posts engaging with consumers and acting as promotional platforms. Their Facebook account will build brand persona communicating upcoming events, exciting features and new content online whilst bringing the brand to life online. Nū’s Instagram account will be carefully curated to convey the visual elements and aesthetics of the brand, this will be relatable to the consumer and be relevant to upcoming events and content. Promotions through the website will focus on upcoming events using banners and image links; using filmic and image based responses to events and content of the publication. The website will also be used for consumers to find relevant information on the brand and events, whilst relaying and informing their brand identity through images and videos that relate to their ethos and their target consumer. The launch of the brands first event ‘Nu Takeover: UMPH! Uncle Monty’s Party House’ was successfully promoted online and through word of mouth, to create a buzz and anticipation. The impact of the initial launch engaged consumers, and widened the brands audience whilst building a relationship with the venue ‘Marwoods Bar & Coffee House’. The launch party gave consumers more information on the brand and an idea of how it functions and its persona; attendees now have opportunities to gain exclusive benefits to future events, starting a relationship with its consumer. Each Issue launch party will act as a catalyst for future events welcoming collaborators, venue owners, musicians, artists and consumers to the brand. Sponsors would be kept to a minimum and carefully selected so as to only support the brands ethos and independence. The publication will be available to purchase at the launch events, afterwards the publication will be available to buy physically through Magazine Brighton, beginning in Spring 2017. The Social media accounts will become gradually more active in the months preceding the launch, with posts starting February 2017. Housing Issue 1 at Magazine Brighton will begin to build a physical relationship with the company but also customers of the shop who may not have heard of the magazine already. Here the brand will build awareness and familiarity to a wider audience as well as desire and potential sales. The store will begin with 10 copies which they will buy at 65% of the cover price, their partnered stores will also take 5-10 copies each.
1.1 Year 1 Objectives The initial objectives of Nū are as follows: 1. To stock and sell a minimum of 10 copies of Nū Magazine at Magazine Brighton, Trafalgar Street, Brighton. 2. To promote launch of Nū Magazine Issue 1 at Brighton event, featuring bands in current issue. 3. To sell a total of 50 copies of the 1st Nū issue through stockists in London and Brighton, and direct sales to event participants and contributors. 1.2
Year 2 Objectives
1. Produce Issue 2 with a focus on Brighton arts, music and culture. Increase number of magazine sales to 100 through local and London stockists. Increase number of events to a minimum of 4 per year to raise revenue. 1.3
Year 3-4 Objectives
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Launch Bristol and London focus for Nū editorial. Hold monthly Nū events to increase brand recognition, raise revenue and achieve direct sales of magazine. Increase sales to 500 per year.
1.3
Year 5 Objectives
1. Year 5 Take Nū branded events to public arenas such as festivals. Increase stockists nationwide in music shops and venues, fashion shops and magazine outlets, coffee shops and bars. Consider online subscriptions to increase brand loyalty. Increase sales to 1000 per year.
Future Projections YEAR 1 – 50 sales of magazines + 1 event. Revenue 60% of list price. No profit. YEAR 2 – 100 magazine sales + 4 events in 1 city. Revenue 60% of list price. Break even. YEAR 3 – 300 magazine sales and monthly events in 2 cities. Revenue 60% of list price. Break even/profit YEAR 4 – 500 magazine sales and monthly events in multiple cities Revenue 60% of list price. Profit. YEAR 5 – 1000 magazine sales and weekly events in multiple locations. Revenue 60% of list price.
Keys to Success
• Having quality editorial content and appealing aesthetic • Carefully monitoring trends in art/music/fashion and culture • Controlling costs • Attaining increased sales targets • High profile and consistent marketing of both well curated events and magazine
Funding Options • • • • •
Total funding raised from events to cover print/ distribution costs Seek investors – Enabling bigger print runs thereby reducing item cost. Seek advertising for magazine and online platforms Start up loan – repay end year 5 Crowd funding such as: Kickstarter and Indiegogo
Venues When looking at locations and venues for the brand to be housed and for the events to be held, Brighton became the natural choice. Brighton is a very vibrant, creative and musical city; it is also very familiar to me, which made it a perfect base point to house the brand publication and events. On a research trip to Brighton, I visited a number of independent venues across the centre of the city speaking to managers about how they work with outside promoters to host events. The insightful research opened many doors which lead to the first brand event: Nū takes over: UMPH! ‘Uncle Monty’s Party House!’
Visual Content Development Using a variety of analogue and digital cameras, I began using photographs from trips to Brighton to experiment with visuals for the publication, to begin defining the brand aesthetic. The first to be developed was a disposable camera, which began in June 2016 and ended in October 2016, and was taken to a variety of events. This was developmental and experimental as the outcomes were unpredictable, I continued the experimental photography techniques including in the ‘Self Image’ shoot where I used coloured gels over the lights and transparent plastic to create reflections and distortions in the images. Colour separation and digital illustration techniques have also been used on Photoshop using a Wacom tablet to create images. Photos taken for one of the first features with Dorset band Leeches, have been edited and colour corrected using Adobe Lightroom, visual qualities for the publication include retro and candid style imagery, the editing has been done to enhance this, embracing the graininess and film effect. Photos were also taken on two different analogue cameras, some of which have been used in Issue 1.
Colour Development Using key images I created a colour palette for the brand to work with, these have been used for branding, the publication and website. Aiming for a mellow colour palette to fit the minimal style of the publication, I have included warm, cool and off-white colours.
Website Made using Adobe Muse, the website is an integral part to the platform and can be found online at nu-magazine.co.uk. Although the ethos of the brand is away from the digital world, film is a large creative output that Nū wants to be a part of, this is why our website only hosts specific content. This includes our collaborative films such as ‘Traces, Imprints, Memories of Movement’ an explorative piece by up-and-coming filmmaker Matthew Lewis, documenting the creative process of choreographer and artist Demelza Corbett. The website also features a section on the publication where each month we upload 3 previews of art, music and fashion content.
Photography: Harry Cooke
Aesthetic: Minimal Sleek Slightly alternative Natural light
Location: Multi-storey car park Skatepark Outside
Themes: Re-use Vintage Sustainability & Ethics Charity shops Contemporary responsible style
“The buzz around the launch of Nū was exciting - cool tunes at a cool venue, and I came away with some cool clothes!” Iain L
“A friend and I went to an event on Thursday 23 March put on by Nū, was an awesome night met lots of really interesting people including the DJ’s on the night who were legends. The vintage clothes swap was a great idea. Overall thought the night was run really well and will definitely go to the next one.” Nick V
On the 23rd I packed up the clothes from the vintage kilo sale and drove to Brighton DJs in tow, we picked up a massive clothes rail which barely fit in the taxi and headed into central Brighton. When we arrived at Marwoods we were greeted by Harry the manager and Emily, who I had been emailing for the past few months organising the event. I’d set up an after party through Ollie Terrey at one of Brightons coolest bars/clubs Patterns for their weekly event Midnight Funk Association, with the agreement that all UMPH! attendees are granted discount on door entry. I made a stamp and photographed it, so the door staff at MFA knew who had been to our event. There were a few tech issues so the music kicked off around 7.45 and people began wandering in at around 8pm. The home made punch was delicious and the Brighton Bier was hitting the spot for those not on spirits. The clothes rail drew a lot of attention as more people arrived I made sure to approach them and explain what was happening and made them feel welcome. There were some cool individuals who I introduced to the rest of the crowd and the house party vibes began to flow as everyone was ‘mingling’. There were a few requests to buy clothes off the rail instead of swapping, which I allowed, definitely undersold myself though, which is something to be aware of next time. Although there wasn’t a huge crowd, or as many as I had hoped the atmosphere was really nice, friendly and chilled. I was concerned that the venue would be disappointed at the turnout, but after chatting to Harry and Emily I felt much better. They explained that events are difficult and often hit and miss, the fact that there were people upstairs, some who have never been here before, enjoying themselves and buying drinks was an accomplishment. The feedback from the night was all positive, the music also went down well, however a few people said the lighting by the DJs should be dimmer to encourage people to dance more. Overall I think as a first event it went pretty well, there’s definitely room for improvement, but I feel if it were to become a regular event there would be a good turnout with friends from the last event bringing new friends. The community aspect would really start to build, as it had started to as the night went on, with everybody knowing each other, just like a house party. I would also perhaps advertise selling the clothes for a fair price, opposed to just swapping. Also having the stickers and cards to giveaway was really useful, it meant that people took a little bit of the brand away with them and I was able to pass them over when explaining the event. There was really positive feedback on the branding from both attendees and Harry and Emily from Marwoods.
NĹŤ Publication
The final product of NĹŤ consists of a publication, website featuring films, and live immersive events in Brighton. The publication features illustration, design, musicians, fashion, a think piece article and creative individuals. The brand aims to provide a platform to showcase new and emerging artists and musicians at the start of their careers in their prime state of energetic ambitious raucousness. With a local focus, primarily in Brighton and the South Coast, the publication mostly features local artwork and bands. The large format of the publication allows for a very visual aesthetic and layout style, with consistent fonts and colours.
A series of 3 publications exploring the distorted issues of ethics and sustainability within the fashion industry, focussing on deforestation, water pollution/usage and landfill. Each issue hones in on one particular problem “Issue of the Issue” in a written article including relevant facts and figures. The publications also include recommended events “Life’s too short for boredom”, themed collages, considered adverts of brands actively being more sustainable, and highlight upand-coming bands. Physically printed as an 8-page fold out zine, with a featured A2 poster on the reverse.
distortion dɪˈstɔːʃ(ə)n/ noun 1.the action of distorting or the state of being distorted.“the virus causes distortion of the leaves” synonyms: warp, twist, contortion, bend, buckle, deformation, deformity, curve,curvature, malformation, disfigurement, crookedness 2.the action of giving a misleading account or impression.”we’re fed up with the media’s continuing distortion of our issues” synonyms: misrepresentation, perversion, twisting, falsification, misreporting,misstatement, manipulation
Reader Profile • Age: 18-35 • Interests: Fashion, Innovation (music, fashion, technology), the world/ environment, the creative world, socialising, festivals, travelling • Qualities: Creative, Fashion Conscious, Intelligent, Varied Style • Shops at: Topshop/man, Vintage stores, Urban Outfitters, Levis, Apple, Charity shops • Looks for: Quality, Sustainability, On-Trend, Unique, Vintage • Listens to: Alt J, Arctic Monkeys, Red Hot chili Peppers, Bombay Bicycle Club, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Tame Impala, Bonobo • Style: Casual, Fun, Sophisticated
Deforestation for Fashion play.spotify.com/user/distortionfashion
Glass Animals are a four-piece band from Oxford, friends since a young age they formed shortly after leaving school, releasing their first EP whilst studying at university in 2012. With comparisons being made to the likes of Animal Collective, Wild Beasts and Alt J, these days the band works with a blend of dreamy electronic and indie guitar music, with the occasional R&B sonic. Having fluctuated between band names, beginning as Afro Pony, to Alligator Puffin Chicken Go Yeh Woo they have remained consistent with their chill out place “The Shed”. The Shed is a hut in the woods filled with pillows and blankets where they hang out and record music. Fans, of Unicorns and Slugs, in three words they would sum themselves up as “occult bunny lagoon”. Debut album Zaba out now.
Issue
Forest The
Featured Music
for their viscose and rayon fabrics. Companies have given themselves three years to find alternative solutions, including straw and recycled fabrics. Henrik Lampa, H&M’s sustainability manager questions consumers desire for their clothes to withhold so much environmental baggage, “I don’t know anyone buying a garment would like knowing that the fabric was sourced from an endangered or ancient forest,” he says. “The sustainability issue is a big learning curve for fashion companies. Consumers are expecting us to make good choices for them — and yet we can only make good decisions with good awareness of what is going into our products.” Nicole Rycroft, Canopy founder and executive director, has said that the dissolvable pulp used to make 30% of rayon and viscose is sourced from endangered and ancient forests. “Ancient and endangered rainforests are being logged, pulped and turned into T-shirts, dresses and suit linings,” she says. “So these man-made cellulosic fabrics like rayon, viscose and lyocell, are created from trees cut down exclusively to feed dissolving pulp mills.” But what is it worth? According to data from the Council for Textile Recycling and the environmental agency, textiles constitute to 5% of all landfill. The average American is said to throw away 70 pounds of clothing and textiles a year.
£3/Issue 1/distortionfashion.com
Many endangered and ancient forests in Indonesia and other countries around the world are being destroyed due to the manufacture of textiles such as Rayon and Viscose. These fabrics in particular are produced using dissolving pulp, which is found in trees. The wood is first turned into wood chips, cooked, to separate the cellulose fibres from the other components and finally put through a process of washing and bleaching before being dried and finished, usually into bales or rolls. In Indonesia reports have claimed the expansion of mega plantations and illegal land grabbing have been on the increase, resulting in loss of land, livelihoods and resources for the local communities. “Every year, tens of millions of trees are turned into clothing through the use of forest fabrics like rayon and viscose,” said Brihannala Morgan, senior forest campaigner at RAN. “These forests have played a critical part of local community livelihoods for generations, and are now being seized and clear cut for forest fabrics. “Without strong policies from fashion companies, rainforest destruction and human rights abuses can become part of our clothing.” H&M, Zara, Marks and Spencer, Levi Strauss, ASOS and other major brands are teaming up with Canopy, a non-profit organisation for their Fashion Loved by Forest campaign. The brands are working together to change their supply chain to remove endangered and ancient forests from their source list
Welcome to Distortion. We are going to open your eyes to a new dawn of the sustainable fashion industry. We believe the natural world with its chaotic perfection and infinitely intricate detail has so much to offer; but we must remind ourselves that it is not a commodity. It’s down to us now; we must nurture the earth as it has nurtured us for generations. We invite you to take this journey with us, as we seek to discover those creative innovations that will shape our future.
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Through our first issue we will explore the forests, what’s not to love about immersing yourself in the fresh abundance of a forest? Our featured band Glass Animals seem to agree, as we look at what we as consumers are doing to the forests, and what some brands are doing to protect them. Cover photography by Rees Thompson
Life’s too short for boredom “Let us tell you a tale… there once was an enchanted world in the middle of a smokey city where the stories of Grimms’ were brought to life.” If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in London with no plans, the Queen of Hoxton is calling to you. Ready for the winter, the transformation has been complete, the rooftop bar now a wonderland inspired by Grimm fairy tales. Once Upon A Wigwam is the perfect enchanted retreat to cosy up with a cocktail or one of their mouthwatering dishes. A variety of events are held during the day and night, with club nights at the weekend.
“look out for interpretations of well-known stories like Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel as you get lost in its fantastical forest and magical menu, bringing you a drinking and dining experience London’s yet to offer.”
Issue of the issue
DEFORESTATION FOR FASHION Many endangered and ancient forests in Indonesia and other countries around the world are being destroyed due to the manufacture of textiles such as Rayon and Viscose. These fabrics in particular are produced using dissolving pulp, which is found in trees. The wood is first turned into wood chips, cooked, to separate the cellulose fibres from the other components and finally put through a process of washing and bleaching before being dried and finished, usually into bales or rolls. In Indonesia reports have claimed the expansion of mega plantations and illegal land grabbing have been on the increase, resulting in loss of land, livelihoods and resources for the local communities. “Every year, tens of millions of trees are turned into clothing through the use of forest fabrics like rayon and viscose,” said Brihannala Morgan, senior forest campaigner at RAN. “These forests have played a critical part of local community livelihoods for generations, and are now being seized and clear cut for forest fabrics.
“Without strong policies from fashion companies, rainforest destruction and human rights abuses can become part of our clothing.”
H&M, Zara, Marks and Spencer, Levi Strauss, ASOS and other major brands are teaming up with Canopy, a non-profit organisation for their Fashion Loved by Forest campaign. The brands are working together to change their supply chain to remove endangered and ancient forests from their source list for their viscose and rayon fabrics. Companies have given themselves three years to find alternative solutions, including straw and recycled fabrics. Henrik Lampa, H&M’s sustainability manager questions consumers desire for their clothes to withhold so much environmental baggage, “I don’t know anyone buying a garment would like knowing that the fabric was sourced from an endangered or ancient forest,” he says. “The sustainability issue is a big learning curve for fashion companies. Consumers are expecting us to make good choices for them — and yet we can only make good decisions with good awareness of what is going into our products.” Nicole Rycroft, Canopy founder and executive director, has said that the dissolvable pulp used to make 30% of rayon and viscose is sourced from endangered and ancient forests. Rycroft states,
“Ancient and endangered rainforests are being logged, pulped and turned into T-shirts, dresses and suit linings,”
“So these man-made cellulosic fabrics like rayon, viscose and lyocell, are created from trees cut down exclusively to feed dissolving pulp mills.” But what is it worth? According to data from the Council for Textile Recycling and the environmental agency, textiles constitute to 5% of all landfill. The average American is said to throw away 70 pounds of clothing and textiles a year.
Water for Fashion The fashion industry relies on abundant amounts of water to produce the clothes and shoes we wear, but have you recently considered where that water comes from, or where the contaminated by products and toxins in the water go after the products have been made?
a large scale, a majority starts in our own homes, 40% of domestic water footprints come from laundry. The health implementations of contaminated or lack of water don’t only affect humans, but the Aquarius plants, fish, and animals that also drink from the water.
It takes over 100 gallons, that’s 455 litres of water to produce one pound of raw cotton or shorn wool, that doesn’t include rinsing and preparing the product or washing and dying. Today the real challenge comes from ensuring there are sufficient water supplies in the regions where the products are made. Researchers for Growing Blue claim that 20% of the worlds commercial products are produced in water scarce areas around the world. China, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are prime examples of developing countries with this issue, producing the clothes and shoes we wear. Only 2.5% of Earth’s water is freshwater and only 0.3% of it is readily accessible to humans.
But it’s not all down hill, brands have been working on concepts and strategies to help save water, Nike, Gap, Levi Strauss, and H&M to name a few. Recently Nike announced it’s new ColourDry Process, a dying technique using supercharged liquid CO2 to force the dye into the fabric. Supposedly the only residue is the used CO2 that is separated from the left over dye, which is then isolated; therefore, no residue inks or chemicals get dumped into the environment. Reportedly the process uses 63% less energy and almost all the dye, reducing chances of environmental pollution from waste products. It also requires less manpower than traditional dyeing, which adds to its economical qualities.
Where water is concerned there isn’t only one issue, the main factors come down to usage, and pollution. Cotton accounts for 90% of natural fibres used in the textile industry and 40% of all apparel produced globally. Farming cotton constitutes as the single largest water consumer in the apparel supply chain, because it is farmed in dry regions. Roughly 17-20% of industrial water pollution is due to textile dyeing and treatment, around 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used throughout processes around the world and are eventually released into fresh water. Mills release Formaldehyde, chlorine and heavy metals such as lead and mercury, whilst cotton is highly dependant on pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. However not all pollution is being created on such
Apparel Made 4 You, company in California has come up with its own waterless technology called the ATI system. Their technique consists of using photons and thermal energy to transfer an image from a template onto the fabric. They claim the process takes about 30 seconds for a piece of fabric large enough to make a shirt. Also an economical approach, the machine fits in a room the size of an average bedroom and requires a fraction of the manpower compared to traditional dyeing. Air pollution is also reduced due to the lack of overhead spray methods. Both techniques are said to have better colour penetration and resilience than most water dye methods, improving production, usage and potentially brand recognition.
Land for Fashion Landfill has become a rising issue, it’s estimated that over 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away in the UK alone. Recycling is a well recognised practice, with most houses around the UK equipped with recycling bins alongside general waste, however not so many people are aware of textile recycling. At least 50% of the textiles we throw away are recyclable, however the proportion of reused or recycled textile waste is only 25%. The two issues with textiles in landfill come from the two types of fabric, synthetic, or natural. Synthetic manmade fabrics don’t decompose, so end up taking up a lot of space in landfill, whereas woollens decompose releasing methane gas into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. Recycling also results in less pollution, as the fibres do not have to be manufactured or transported abroad, which reduces the carbon footprint and saves energy. Research claims that if every person in the UK bought a reclaimed woollen garment each year, on average 371 million gallons of water would be saved, and 480 tonnes of chemicals. Landfill also poses a threat to local water supplies; each time it rains the water flows through the waste, washing all the chemicals and hazardous materials to the bottom where it collects. The hazardous substances include those from textiles, such as fabric dyes, the water collection has been recorded as 200 times more toxic than raw sewage. Charity shops, restyling and vintage shops are also a good alternative to throwing clothes out and falling into the tap of fast fashion. By shopping sustainably or customising your preloved garments, you can update your wardrobe without harming the environment. Many textile and fashion brands are now creating fabrics and garments from recycled
fibres and products, such as plastic drinks bottles. Brands like Levi Strauss, GStar Raw, and Pategonia are all widely using recycled bottles in their garments, with Armani jeans incorporating eco fabrics since the mid 90’s. Wrap.org have been looking into the subject, their report shows: • the average UK household owns around £4,000 worth of clothes – and around 30% of clothing in wardrobes has not been worn for at least a year; • the cost of this unused clothing is around £30 billion; • extending the average life of clothes by just three months of active use would lead to a 5-10% reduction in each of the carbon, water and waste footprints Brands such as Lost Property of London up-cycle Leather and other materials for their bags, which are designed and made in London. With a zero waste policy, they use traditional craftsmanship, and also source vegetable leather, staying true to their design ethos. Mosevic are a fashion and sustainability conscious eyewear brand, creating products with their own invention of Solid Denim. Each pair of sunglasses is hand crafted in Cornwall, ensuring that each product meets their own high standards ready for forward thinking consumers. “We infuse layers of denim with a carefully selected resin to create an extremely strong and tactile material that we call Solid Denim. With all the right properties for building high quality sunglasses that are strikingly different we are proud to introduce Solid Denim to the world.”
As an upcoming textiles designer, Emily specialises in print and stitch. We have collaborated for her most recent project ‘City Block’ to produce her a lookbook to showcase her prints and designs. Emily uses screen-printing coupled with hand stitch for many of her fabric designs, pairing hand techniques with digital designs. She also specialises in creating UV printed tiles with matte and spot gloss areas in sections of intricate designs.
For Emily’s lookbook we wanted to display her work in a way that would communicate her ideas and aesthetic effectively within a small publication, that could be handed out and given to potential employers. Emily gave me complete creative freedom of the design and layout of the publication, I decided to work with a size just smaller than A5 and slightly wider in proportion. I incorporated her colour palette and logo font, and sectioned her designs into technique categories such as “UV Printed Tiles”. She had a lot of photos that were of all the prints created with different techniques, I decided to print these on tracing paper and incorporate them throughout the pages. I left some pages fully colour blocked to allow for the tracing paper images to lie on top. Emily’s name and logo is on the front cover and the project title on the lower back cover, with her contact details in the inside cover. I worked with a minimal but assertive layout, as many of her designs are very colourful, I did not want to over power the viewer and confuse the eye with too much going on, but have incorporated a few full bleed images. We agreed the book would lend itself to saddle stitch binding using embroidery thread from her colour palette to contrast the blue of the cover.
Dick Moby Fashion Film Exploring the genre of fashion film I created a short fashion film for Dutch sustainable sunglasses brand Dick Moby. The brand have quite a playful aesthetic, which I wanted to bring into the film with a fast paced glitching effect. After collaborating with photographers Rees Thompson and Ed Adams I used TextEdit to manually glitch JPEG images and layered them in Premiere Pro. I wanted to create the effect the sunglasses were flying onto the models faces, so I edited still images on Photoshop and to green screen and key them in Premiere Pro.