Handle with care

HA ND L E WITH CARE.

The pressures faced by men to conform and assume a certain role in society is damaging.

Not just to society itslef but to the mental health and wellbeing of the men themselves. The good news is that times are starting to change and the influence of contemporary image making can help influence that. Men of today, it is time to make a decision to adapt, evolve and move forward in to a new form of masculinity and identity. Handle with care would like to thank all the boys involved in the research and an insite in to their live’s and their views of masculinitny in today’s society. Also to the models throughout the editorals and to the wonderful kat olszewska for her support with photography.

H A N D LE W I T H CA R E .

SUNDAYS AT GRANDMAS

INDIA WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY KAT OLSZEWSKA MODEL OLLIE MEEKE

CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING

She is the woman that is always there for you, your rock, your queen; she is your Grandma. The woman that knows you best and will always be there to do your muggy laundry.

Waking up with a slight hazy head from last nights activities, rubbing your sleepy eyes, you turn over to pick up your phone. Zoning out as you sit up in bed you hear sounds of clinking china from downstairs, followed by a whizz of a kettle; it’s your Grandma downstairs making you a cup of tea before you’ve even started your demans for the day. With not much on your schedule today why don’t you just turn off your phone and let’s set aside some hours to your beloved old dear. Put on your sunday best on and sit down with grandma for a nice cup of tea.

H A N D LE W I T H CA R E .

EARLY MORNING RISER CREATIVE DIRECTION, STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY INDIA WRIGHT MODEL

ADAM GILFOYLE

With the location holding tones of the deep blue, forestry greens and woodland rusts. Playing with wooden sticks, running through the crops, evoking times of childhood; the innocence of boyhood and the now savoured moments of freedom. Opportunities to wear experimental and free clothing. A runaway from adulthood, even just for this minute.

Boyhood relived through the clothing, the movements create distinct contemporary shapes. Continuing themes of the idealistic, a creation of interesting shapes from the placement of net dresses and velvet jumpsuits which is an experimentation of texture; selecting and infusing soft feminine garments with structured knits. The images creating a sense of freedom and dream like quality with the sunlight reflecting off the model.

D RAW M E L I K E O N E O F Y O U R F R E N C H G I R L S

H A N D LE W I T H CA R E .

LUDIC INDIA WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY KAT OLSZEWSKA MODEL DOM CARTLEDGE

CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING

Often we’re told that your younger years are the best of our life and that adolesence is a gift.

Unfortunatly, most often, the realisation of this only comes when your no longer in it. Youth is not cherised as it should be. Each of us hoping to be an adult as our years fly by, not embracing our free younger years.

Bringing you back to a time when you were also free.

For all those still embracing the golden years. Before you’re forced to simply play them on repeat, remember that these years indisputably are the best of your life.

H A N D LE W I T H CA R E .

SIT & WAIT CREATIVE DIRECTION, STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY INDIA WRIGHT MODEL

LUKE OWEN

Nodding at 70’s style with colour inspiration from Wez Anderson’s grand budapest hotel. Delicate fabrics such as silk and fur with floral prints to complement and add a feminine touch to the clothing. Shot on a Pentax k1000, adding to the retro and authenticity of the editorial.

While you sit and wait, stopping just for a moment, take some time out to think to yourself.

H A N D LE W I T H CA R E .

STRONG & STABLE INDIA WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY KAT OLSZEWSKA MODEL DAN PIPE

CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING

Bringing you authority & power, held through positions of dominant context. This editorial, ‘Strong & Stable’, responds to the idea’s of hegemonic masculinity. A theory demonstrating that male power is not just held in the individual but through social structures. The location at leeds uni, the rodger stevens buliding, is a strong structure representing the focus on a man’s career and the power it brings holding a strong outer shell to a man’s identity. Representing the psychological negative impact the pressures of a mans career has on his identity and feeling they can’t open up and be sensitive as the dominant definitions of masculinity are embedded in the social institutions making them feel insecure.

H A N D LE W I T H CA R E i n c o n v e rsat i o n w i t h...

Dom Cartledge, LAU student & model from Ludic editorial

We sat down with Dom Cartledge to discuss his views on masculinity & the impact it has had on his life & work.

Define the term ‘masculinity’ I would say I think about society and their ideas on it, like blue for boys and pink for girls, i’m gay and when was younger I wanted to play with barbies, Thankfully my mum and dad weren’t bothered. In the gay community I think if your a really muscly, strong gay man then your put on a kind of pedestal that your better than other people.

What three words come to mind when you hear of the word ‘man?

Beard, hard faced, strong Do you feel comfortable opening up about your feelings to other men?

Not really no, I don’t have a lot of boy friends, more girls and I open up to my mum more than I do my dad as my dad doesn’t really show his emotions.

Do you feel a macho stigma when around other lads?

Yes definitely, when another guy walks in to a room thats really masculine and strong, I think the way I present myself changes straight away. I feel like I try and act up to it, like deepen my voice and hold myself differently. I work in New Look so when I serve men I treat them differently to how I would women I would say like “You alright mate.” when I would never normally speak like that.

Do you feel your clothing represents you and would you say its a sense of expression?

Yeh I would say it’s a sense of release for my, I like to plan my clothing, like i’ve been wearing a lot of pink recently, i’ve started to love it. I wore a pink jacket in a picture I posted on Instagram and a random boy commented on it saying “Gay” and I was just so shocked by it, like what is he getting out of commenting that on someones picture who he doesn’t even know.

Does your creative work help you express your feelings more, is it a release for your feelings?

Yes defiantly, for my dissertation I am looking in to masculinity and femininity and the idea of gender neutral, for my Extended Practice I want to look at photographing boys and I am going to be working with a fashion student at London College of Fashion who I met through Instagram.

Who is someone you look up to?

I love Britney haha, she’s like an icon for me but I also really like Ollie Alexandra, I think he’s really inspiring with his BBC3 documentaries he’s done about being gay and the community.

Do you feel confident in front of a camera?

I like to think I am but when it comes down to it I don’t think I am, I like to have control with my own camera.

Do you think social media makes people hide or open up?

I think its a positive thing as you can express the person you really are, it can kind of seem a type of illusion as people see the happy times of your life.

Is power and money something that drives you?

Yeh definitely, everyone want’s to have power and money, I think boys are seen in society to have more power than girls do, theres a really interesting episode on the TV series ‘Girls’ called American Bitch, which looks at the power and control men have over women it’d be really interesting for you to watch. Also I guess when you look at the news it’s all over with different stories of whats happening right now in the world.

Whats your favourite colour?

Yellow