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Issue Eight
Issue Eight
Welcome to Issue Eight of Image 34 Magazine! Firstly thank you for taking the time to read the issue and supporting us with each issue we release. I can’t believe this issue will be the final volume for this year and our next issue will be the second anniversary to the magazine! On the cover of this issue we have costume designer to the stars Wendy Benstead! So why Wendy? Well I started talking to Wendy back in 2009 via twitter. Over the years we kept in touch yet never worked together or met. Finally when Image 34 came along I asked her to be a part of the magazine! We tried to put a plan in motion but both being busy bee’s it took us over a year to meet. After the first meeting with Wendy I knew she would be our cover girl! Wendy is one of those people you meet and you literally say. That girl is genuinely lovely. As you can see our secondary cover is of Wendy’s fabulous work! A costume designer is known for their work and you never see the great person behind it. So we flipped that on it’s head and put the wonderful Wendy on the cover as well giving us our two fabulous covers. Wendy is the first costume designer to work with the magazine and feature on the cover! So I hope you enjoy this issue as we get “behind the seams with Wendy Benstead” and some other lovely features!
Keep Updated
which was great!
------------------------Ebony’s new EP is out now Click here to get it. -------------------------
RUMOURS Radio
Ed Wimp
For anyone who doesn’t know who Wendy Benstead is give a brief introduction to yourself. I am owner and director of Wendy Benstead Ltd, a small London-based costume and clothing design and production service. We make costumes for film, TV, theatre, performance and commercial use, as well as bespoke bridal wear, alterations, design assistance and seamstress hire. What made you get into costume making? As a child I watched films with fantastical costumes, such as Labyrinth and The Slipper and The Rose, and I fell in love with the idea of dressing up. I used to dress up a lot as a kid, I liked that clothing could help you pretend to be someone else. I also loved the surrealism of costume over fashion, I loved that it was meant to transport you into another time or place. Then when I saw how amazing
costumes could be in films like The Cell, The Fifth Element and the later Star Wars trilogy, I was hooked and knew I wanted to create clothes like that. What was the first item of clothing you made up? I first remember making ‘baby doll’ pyjamas in mint green satin with my mother and sister from a commercial pattern when I was around 9 years old. But I think the first piece I made by myself was a pair of white PVC flared trousers with turquoise stars on the bum! I made them by cutting around an old pair of trousers, and wore them to a music festival. That was when I was about 14 or 15 years old I think. Some costume makers come up with gimmicky names for their brands. You stuck with your name as your brand. Did you have any gimmicky names that nearly were?
Of course! I tried out tonnes of puns and plays on words, but everything felt too silly. I wanted to be taken seriously as a business rather than as ‘craftsy’. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it just wasn’t how I wanted to place myself. There are plenty of ‘Sew’ based puns like, ‘Sew and Sew’ or ‘Just Sew’ that we went through, but my name is unusual, recognisable and it works as a brand or label. There is only really one that nearly made it, and that was ‘Thread and Ginger’, as I am a red-head! That might still get used though if I ever start a line of clothing! How important is selecting your own fabrics for a costume to you? It really does depend on the job and the client. For example, I think it’s more important for a bride to select her own fabric, or at least to be involved. I think she has to fall in love with the fabric choice, as it will often
determine the whole character of the dress. For costume-based work, it’s really important to use the right fabric for the job. If it needs movement, or robustness, I need to be able to work in a fabric that supports that. Costumes have different requirements for stage and screen, and it’s vital to the success of the piece that the right fabric is used. Most designers and stylists I work with though have an excellent knowledge of this, and if not, I am always happy to advise when they make the purchases. Design wise, of course I love to select fabulous fabrics for clients, but it’s their choice ultimately and we can work with pretty much anything. Your title is costume & dressmaker. How does it make you feel when people give you the label fashion designer? I have tried to battle this one
for a while. It’s hard, as I know most people see fashion and costume as the same thing, and while there are crossovers, the industries are very different. We make clothes for performance, for that one moment on screen or stage where you have to believe that person is an 18th Century Lady, or an air hostess, or a panto dame, or a crocodile! Or for a bride who wants to feel special on that one Big Day, as a wedding is just as much a performance as any show. The one area I think we crossover is making celebrity wear for Red Carpet or concerts, as these garments have a lot of base in couture, but often need performance requirements, such as quick change. Have you ever considered being a fashion designer? I never wanted to be a fashion designer. I am actually not great at drawing, nor am I great at coming up with the creative ideas! I work best when
presented with an exciting concept, mood board or reference images. Fashion is designed to be worn as an extension of who you are; costume is intended to make you into someone else. You have worked for some amazing artists including Paloma Faith, Jessie J and Kimberley Wyatt. How does it feel to be working for these clients? - Obviously working with anyone who is at the top of their game is exciting! It is also true that performers like these get to wear some really amazing designs that are much more elaborate than general high street wear, so being involved in such projects is great. But for me, no one client is more important than another, and we work hard to make every client feel they are getting the garment they dreamed of. From an exposure point of view, having names like these on our client list has been
really incredible and I am honoured to have worked with some great people, celebrities, designers and stylists alike. If you could create something for anyone who would it be? -Oooh, that’s a tough one! I would have said up until recently Lady Gaga was the Holy Grail for me, but I had the immense pleasure of creating some pieces for her recently; however, there is still so much more I would like to do for her! I find her incredibly inspiring as she is fearless and isn’t afraid to look ugly, which is refreshing. Her pieces are always about the drama of performance, rather than just fashion. Katy Perry and Rita Ora would also be people I would love to make for. And more feature films; I want to make more costumes for the Big Screen! Directors such as Tim Burton and Tarsem Sing inspire me too. And I would have LOVED to create any of Eiko Ishioka’s designs; she was my all time favourite costume designer, but she passed away a
few years back. After pouring everything into a costume it must be hard if it doesn’t get used. How do you deal with that? This does happen from time to time, and yes of course it is disappointing. Sometimes it will be a director’s call based on what works best on the day on screen, or perhaps a costume might end up being not right for the storyline, or a scene gets cut. Sometimes it will simply be that the designer or performer changed their mind. You just have to be thick skinned about this and accept that in a fast paced industry like this, decisions get made on the spur of the moment, and it’s not always personal! I have seen some of my pieces pop up again though years later, so things often get kept for another day! On set you work such long hours. What is your trick on
getting you through the day?
be brave, but be nice.
Coffee! And lots of it!! Also having a great team who can see the funny side of still being there at 5am! It’s not just on set though, I find these long days actually quite easy as you are kept busy and there’s always a buzz of excitement when filming. The toughies are being in the studio all night making to meet a deadline. If there’s a shoot happening or a celebrity going on stage at a certain time you just have to do whatever it takes to get the piece done; sometimes that means working all night to finish. Of course, it’s great to keep the end in sight and remember that we’re creating something incredible that will have its ‘moment’, and that’s what gets me through.
Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
What would you say to a costume designer starting out wanting to work in this field? Take every opportunity that comes your way, as you never know where it might lead. And
From the amazing people I work with! I am inspired by the fabric choices and designs of the stylists and designers who come to me, and by the brides who have such great ideas. Also, watching films and theatres shows can draw inspiration for new projects, as well as new technologies in fabric making. The new laser printing that’s been around in the last few years has got my creative juices going, as well as looking at historical references. I also get inspired by the work of other people, which is okay as long as you are not plagiarising. I also get little ideas of things I would like to create for friends, or for my clients. Kimberly Wyatt is a bit of a muse for me as I love to think costumes up for her! She always looks incredible and as a dancer her costumes always need that extra
attention because of the movement requirements. What has been your favourite piece you have ever made? Hmmm, would it be okay to say my own wedding dress?! Of course I am always emotionally invested in everything we create, but this was a special one for obvious reasons. It felt amazing to have complete creative control for once, and to be able to actually wear it! As most times I make something I love, it goes off onto someone else! If not that, then I will always have a little place in my heart for the red dress I created for Paloma Faith’s performance at the BRIT Awards 2011. There were 4,000 diamantes, which took my amazing team and I three days to painstakingly hand-glue on. At that time it was one of the most highprofile pieces I had done, and getting to walk on stage at the BRIT Awards with Paloma’s stylist to ‘place’ her was an amazing feeling. But then
CeeLo Green stood on the dress and it tore! It was a rollercoaster job and at the time that broke my heart, but I can laugh now! A lot of our features and issues have been with singers. They really push their music via social media sites. Do you feel social media plays a big part in promoting your work? Absolutely it does! Facebook and Twitter are amazing tools for networking, as well as showcasing your work. I have connected to loads of great people within the business via social media, and it definitely brings work in. The costume community are fantastic at networking and there are great pages, blogs and groups for this. I have ‘met’ designers in London through Twitter, as well as America, Europe and South Africa! It’s also great for sharing, swapping stories and getting tips on where to source things. It really is invaluable. I’m on Facebook
& Twitter.
Gaga too please!
If it wasn’t costume making what would it be?
Any last shout-outs?
I have wanted to do this for so long, I’m not really sure there was a ‘Plan B’. Make up for film and TV has always interested me though, and I would love to have learned to do special effects make up! Where do you hope to see “Wendy Benstead Ltd” this time next year? I’d like to continue to expand the business and to move onto a bigger studio. I’d like to have more feature film work in 2014, seeing more of our creations in films would be great. I would also like to continue to improve my network with skilled people who work in the field, and make new exciting connections. I enjoy doing the large scale commercial runs of multiples too, such as the x30 Mentos Space Suits we once did, so more of those. And more for
Of course, my amazing team, especially my Head Maker Heather who is simultaneously my right hand gal and my second brain! ---------------------------------------If you are in need of any costume work get in touch with our amazing / inspirational cover girl Wendy Benstead via her website! Click here for the link. ---------------------------------------Of course we went behind the seams with Wendy in her studio. However it didn’t stop there. Wendy made an exclusive outfit just for Image 34 with a mad hatter twist! The next set of photographs show this amazing creation and our shoot with Wendy! ----------------------------------------
Anna Murphy For anyone who doesn’t know who Anna Murphy is give a brief introduction to yourself.
Where do you feel most inspired?
I'm a musician and sound engineer probably best known for my work in the folk metal band Eluveitie. Apart from that I have various other projects and bands and work at the "Soundfarm" studio in Lucerne. Just recently I released my first album as a solo artist, "Cellar Darling".
Anywhere. Inspiration just comes and goes as it pleases‌ You had a massive backing for this first album with over 18,000 raised of the 16,000 hoped! How did that feel to have people back you? Amazing! Having the support from my fans means so much more than releasing an album with a label.
How would you best describe your music? I like the term "Eclectica". I don't like to just stick to one genre or have any limitations, so I just do everything I feel like doing. That resolves in my music being very eclectic and all over the place.
Your parents are both Swiss and Irish Opera singers! How did this influence you growing up? I was in the opera all the time and heard classical music and singing from every corner. So I was introduced to an artistic scene very early and I had
very open and non-strict parents. Do you feel it led you towards a career in music? I actually didn't want to become a musician until I somehow ended up in a metal band at the age of 16. I wanted to go down the academic path and study various things. And now I can't imagine doing anything else than music‌ I guess it was just meant to be or something like that, haha. How important do you feel these sites have been towards helping your career?
The internet is so important for everything these days, I don't think anyone I know could function without it, not just musicians. You have taken a very hands on approach to this album. Why is this important to you?
I guess it's just because it's the first time that it's "just me". I've done lots of band work and have cooperated with people and now if I'm going solo I want to do it right. What made you paint the album artwork? I didn't have any idea what the artwork could be and instead of turning down ideas of others I just decided to do it myself. Then if it turns out to be crap I can only blame myself ;-) Did you ever consider being a painter before a singer?
No, not at all! How would you best describe the album? It's as Anna Murphy as anything can get. Probably the most personal and honest thing I've ever done.
What inspired the album? All sorts of things that happened in a span of about three years. I don't want to give you the typical "love, drugs, sadness & madness" answer, but in the end that's what inspires people most I think. But I don't like to rub those things in people's faces, so I like to keep my lyrics a bit cryptic and not too obvious so there's still plenty of room for the listener to let his mind do it's own thing. What made you come up with the name “Cellar Darling�? I really like the sound of those words and how they ended up to be the title of a very dark and morbid song of mine. Any last shout-outs? Thanks very much for the interview and the support!
Mollie Bylett For anyone who doesn’t know who Mollie Bylett is give a brief introduction to yourself. I’m a just turned 20 singer / songwriter, with a hunger for life love and music. Oh and I blog, and I love travelling, and yummy food and taking photos How would you best describe your music? I would say I’m a product of everything I listen to most. So a mix of artists like Hudson Taylor to Tom Odell, Gabrielle Aplin to Kodaline, to Imagine Dragons to Mumford and Sons. I guess pop and folk infused acoustic music... if I had to try and pin point it?!
What music inspires you most?
I’m a sucker for an acoustic guitar. In fact take any song, strip it down to an acoustic guitar and a raw vocal and I’ll probably fall in love with it. I’m quite open minded with genres and new music that I listen to, I honestly have so many influences. Where do you feel most inspired? There isn’t a certain ‘place’ I feel most inspired. I love new experiences and experiencing new emotions and difficult situations because I love to write my way through them or out of them. I mean I don’t want to inflict negative circumstances on to myself, but it’s these times that allow me to self reflect and grow as a person, all of which I voice
through my writing. How old were you when you learnt to play the guitar? I’ve been playing for about 2 years, I had a few lessons but what I know is mainly self taught. I won’t claim to be a guitarist but as you may have seen on my YouTube I can play enough to accompany myself and write my own songs – something I’ve always wanted to have creative control over. For your acoustic set with Image 34 you covered Kodalines “High Hopes”. What made you cover this song?
am a massive fan of their songwriting so it was just a matter of WHICH song I was going to cover. As well as your music you like to blog. What do you blog about? I am a Lifestyle and Music blogger under my name(molliebylett.blogspot.co.uk). So I cover everything from my personal journey as an artist, new artists I find and love, yummy recipes, hotspots to try out, to documenting my travels around the world and day to day life. How did you get into it?
Kodaline are possibly my favourite band at the moment. I love pretty much every single track on their record ‘Brand New Day’. It’s my go-to CD when the suns out and I want to sing along in the car and was the soundtrack of my summer. I am heavily inspired by the production on their album and I
I started my blog when I went travelling earlier this year, purely because I love making scrapbooks and documenting memories to look back on when I'm old. (But also for my nearest and dearest to keep up to date with me around the world). From there, I
really found a passion for photography and writing and decided, if people want to lookgreat, and if not – what a perfect thing to look back on and show my grandchildren... I’m definitely not wishing my life away, I just find life is flying by and sometimes I love looking back over the last couple of months and realising just how much I’ve done. You also recently travelled around to South East Asia. Why was this? I guess a lot of my friends were going off to Uni or starting jobs and I didn’t want to do either. I knew from day 1 I never wanted to go to Uni or have a ‘normal’ life. After finishing my Alevels I started to focus on my music career but I craved freedom, like, I just wanted to explore and get out of the bubble we all get stuck in at home. I knew that if I didn’t go now, I would potentially get carried away with my life and
never have the money or time to go. It ended up being very spontaneous with a girl I met in Marbella over the summer, but honestly was the best decision I EVER made. What did you learn from the trip? I know it’s the most cliché conclusion that people come to when they return from travelling but it really just puts everything into perspective. You are surrounded by free spirits and sunshine and you are all in the same boat. Whilst I was travelling it was never once about money or what car you have or what house you have, nor did we spend they day on our phones/ and computers which was extremely refreshing like you would not believe. Everyone was just up for a laugh and I would honestly say I learnt how to be happy. The most valuable lesson I think I’ve ever learnt.
Finally are you writing any music right now? I am indeed! Since I returned I have been focused on my original music so I hope to release my debut EP early 2014 which I am SO excited about. None of my original music can be found online so I can’t wait to surprise people, and it will be worth waiting for. And I promise you then – you wont see the end of me! But until then I will continue with my YouTube + Soundcloud (molliebylett) and you can follow my journey on my blog (molliebylett.blogspot.co.uk)
Any last shout-outs? I just want to say thank to every single person who has been part of my life in the last year and may be reading this. I have grown so much as a person and as they say ‘you are a product of the people you spend the most time with’. Who said 13 was an unlucky number?
Isabella Rose Taylor For anyone who doesn’t know who Isabella Rose Taylor is give a brief introduction to yourself. I am a young fashion designer and artist from Austin, Texas. I began painting at a very early age. It is through my art that I came to fashion. I feel that if art had legs it would be fashion.
What was the first item of clothing you made? The very first item I made was an art apron ! I still have it :)
What made you get into designing clothes?
We still can’t get over how much you have achieved and you are only 12 years old! Have you found it hard being taken seriously by the fashion industry because you are so young?
When I was around 8 or 9 I was really getting into mixed media in my artwork and decided it would be good if I knew how to sew. I did sewing camps over the summer and just continued from there.
I have been so lucky to have so much support in following my dream. I have not really focused on whether or not people take me seriously. I do know that since I have been painting longer there was a
time when my art went from what I enjoy doing to who I am. It was at this point that I became an artist, likewise with fashion. So to me it is much more important that I take myself seriously instead of other people. Where do you get most of your inspiration from? I really feel I get inspiration from all around me. Sometimes it is from my art or my travels or even what music I am listening too. What has been your favourite piece you have ever made? I think my favourite piece that I have ever made is Elliot Fringe Kimono jacket. It has great movement and looks great on. If it wasn’t designing clothes what would it be? I still paint daily so my guess is it would be more painting and designing textiles.
You don’t just make clothes either. What other creative activities do you enjoy? I really enjoy oil painting. I also love to bake. We love your t-shirt “Blood Sweat and Glitter” where did you come up with that? Blood, Sweat and Glitter is my motto. I just thought of it when I was reflecting on how to achieve my goals and follow my passion. Blood reflects the passion I have, Sweat is the obvious hard work it takes to achieve your dreams and Glitter is the imagination, the creativity as well as the fun ! What would you say to any young person with a dream but feels they can’t achieve it yet as they are too young?
There is no age on trying to follow your
passion. Perseverance and determination go a long way in order to reach your goals. I tell other girls that it will take blood, sweat and glitter. Any last shout-outs? Just a big thank you for considering me. I am honoured to be a part of Image 34. I am thankful. Such an honour to do what you love to do. I am so blessed. ---------------------------To view Isabella’s new Spring 2014 collection click here ----------------------------
Home & Decor
First off I would like to say a big Hello to all Image 34 readers, my name is Hollie Langan and this is my first time writing for image 34 and hope to bring inspiration, trends and ideas in interior design. I work in the interior world at India Jane which has recently opened its doors in Farnham, Surrey, England.
Christmas really is a time to celebrate and we tend to do this by incorporating a lot of rich and calorie laden foods into our diet. Here are my top tips & tricks to enjoy & survive the festive season BUT remember to enjoy that special day.
limit your consumption & remove the lid to cut down the numbers. When making your own use a square base of filo pastry and add mince on top.
Pigs in Blankets – swap cocktail sausages for quorn cocktail sausages to cut down fat and kcals.
Alcohol – Baileys, Wine, Gin & Tonic, and Beers the list goes on. It is hard to keep on the straight and narrow and enjoy yourself with so many work parties & family events. Try Vodka, Lime & Soda this has approximately 50 kcals per serving and has the lowest sugar content or ask for White Wine Spritzers with soda water.
Mince Pies – These treats can really add up,
Crisps – We all have our addictions, for
DIET SWAPS Mulled Wine – a delicious drink - Try to make your own to avoid the extra sugar that’s often added.
many it’s chocolate but for others it’s crisps. They are out in force on the buffet table and before you know it you have eaten more than a normal bags worth. Safer options than your cheese puffs, Walkers sensations & quavers are twiglets and bread sticks. These options have less saturated fat and you don’t need as many to be satisfied. Pate – Stay clear of pate at the buffet table. The healthier options are the tomato, chickpea or yoghurt based dips like salsa, yoghurt and chive or hummus. These provide protein, vits & mins and fewer calories. Crudities – Vegetable sticks like carrots, celery and peppers are wonderful, you can never have too many of these with your dips. Pork Pies – I have to be honest, these are really bad for your diet and I would advise avoiding these until the big day itself.
Cheese Board – If you’re like me and you love your cheese then avoiding the cheese board is simply not an option. I love my strong cheese and couple with a glass of vino I could eat the lot. My top tips are to stick to white cheese, like feta, goat’s cheese and stilton if available, avoid the cheddar and smoked varieties. Try and limit the portion size and eat with oat cakes not crackers. Chocolates/biscuits – The time of the selection boxes! Every family up and down the country is more than likely to receive your Celebrations/Miniature Hero’s/dairy milk boxes and many more. You need to practice discipline over these and make sensible choices….opt for 75% dark chocolate if possible. Instead of eating a whole chocolate bar eat half and leave the other half till later in the day, that way you are less likely to eat two.
Biscuit tins - Full of temptation, again pace yourself throughout the festive season save the really rich biscuits for your Christmas day treat.
fat from the meat sprinkle this lightly across your meal as it is laiden with calories but hey it’s only once a year ;-).
Roast Dinner - Roast dinners are surprisingly good for you, load your plate up with the vegetables and be careful with the portions for the rest. Turkey- Turkey is full of protein and B vitamins and a great option for Christmas day. Opt for a Turkey Or Chicken Roast over Lamb or Pork.
Stuffing I make my own stuffing every year and find it far tastier than the shop brought variety, add nuts, herbs and sage. The lighter option is always the vegetarian one.
Roast Potatoes- If you are cooking these it’s up to you to cook in goose fat or stock, if goose fat do limit the amount you put on your plate. Vegetables Pile up your with carrots, parsnips, cabbage and a bit of cauliflower cheese. These are the best options to fill ¾ of your plate. Yorkshire Puddings- stick to one if you’re trying to be good. Gravy – Often made with the
Sauces – Depending on the dinner it may be Cranberry, Apple, Bread or even stilton, sauces add flavour but they also add calories. Do not be deceived by the fruit option as they are often high in concentrated sugars. These sauces are to be enjoyed in small amounts.
All that’s left for me to say is Happy Christmas and enjoy the festive season, life is for living! Just stick to the 80%20% Diet rule and you can’t go wrong! Merry Christmas, Rhiannon x
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