all
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
is populated with over sexualised images of women. These are just some startling facts about the issues faced by both women and men in Britain today, which give rise to the need for The Women’s Equality Party. Within politics itself women face further inequality. Women account for just 148 MPs, compared with 502 male MPs.
> fashion vanguard
Politics
Women’s Equality Party
Emphasis ought to be placed on the word equal, hence the importance of stating that men are as welcome as women in this party. Equality of gender is it’s initial and current aim, but I expect this belief in equality to eventually extend to equality for all, be that race, sexual orientation or age, for instance. It may currently be a single-issue party, but it should not be forgotten that so too was The Green Party. Their popularity forced major parties to look at their green policies, and this is, hopefully, what The Women’s Equality Party will achieve, as well as success in Parliament. So whilst some may scoff at such a narrow parameter of policies, there are precedents already illustrating the possibilities. It is an exciting time for all women to finally have their voices heard and achieve the equality women have long been fighting for.
Sandi Toksvig, “fantastic group of women – and indeed men – who have decided that enough is enough.”
Hella s air
Katie Calvert
Begin your oddessey
Friday 1 May 2015 07.23 GMT
47
Shares
Comments 70
Sandi Toksvig chairs the second Women’s Equality Party meeting at Conway Hall.
D
escribed by Sandi Toksvig as “a fantastic group of women – and indeed men – who have decided that enough is enough and we need to make some changes,” The Women’s Equality Party aims to fight gender inequality. Formed on 28th March 2015, the party currently has six policies: Equal representation in politics and in the boardroom Equal pay Equal parenting rights Equality of and through education Equal treatment by and in media End to violence to women Each year across the UK 3 million women experience violence. More women attend University yet fewer than one in ten of the UK’s biggest companies have a female executive director, and men earn, on average, almost 10 per cent more than women. It is more financially viable for mothers than fathers to take parental leave when women are entitled to 90 per cent of their previous salary for the first six weeks, and men are only entitled to the base rate, which is £139.18 per week or 90 per cent of their previous salary, whichever is lowest. Finally, the British media
Daily flights from: Gatwick, Manchester, Liverpool to Athens, Zante, Rhodes Santorini, Kos from www.hellasair.com
£89
Availabilty may be extremely limited during high season. Prices in GBP per person. Please see full terms and conditions avaialbe at www.hellasair.com
Vanguard V2.indd 59
59
comments 70
Pauline C
1 May 2015 8:01
3
30/04/2015 22:03
Exciting times ahead!! I will definitely be voting for them. Fingers crossed they make it to the next election. Report
View more comments
related content
International Women’s Day - Make It Happen
Nancy Astor - first female MP to enter Parliament
Fashion Women Power
Feminesto - policies supporting women
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
Decoration or Violation? - Savage Beauty
Homeless women and their periods
Open Discussion: Your thoughts on feminism
The Tale of the She-Soldier
21 Mar 2015
5 May 2015
23 Apr 2015
21 Mar 2015
all
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
and merchandising student who doesn’t let the fact that she has a husband and a son prevent her from humorously showing off her style whilst telling stories relating to bodily functions. She’s funny and she’s a Mormon! Shock horror! This stereotyping of Mormons means that her style of writing and her sense of style doesn’t give the game away. But a tab called ‘beliefs’ does. She could so easily hide that fact in such a secular world we live in, but she’s Mormon and proud. Demonstrating, like so many other women, that to be religious doesn’t mean losing your sense of humour or your sense of style!
> fashion vanguard
Fashion
Spreading the Style Mormon trendsetters taking the blogging world by storm.
Verhoeven
Here’s a selection: wearingitonmysleeves.com writingrainbows.blogspot.co.uk lovetaza.com daysofchandler.com thegirlinthecheckscarf.com
Ma s t e r C h o c o l a t i e r s i n c e 18 4 5
Katie Calvert Monday 16 March 2015 10.27 GMT
10
Shares
Comments 28
comments 28
Adele
16 March 2015 11:05
1
Promoting religion positively - this is fantastic.
Sarah and Indie, Wearing It On My Sleeves blog
Report
T
he name Mormon is rarely associated with the word style. The religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to give it its proper title, is a religion whose prominent feature is polygamy. Mormons are often associated with the USA, and their style is usually considered to be staid and outmoded, far from stylish. But, in fact, there are a number of rising stars in the fashion blogsphere that are Mormon and proud. What is surprising is that it isn’t immediately clear what religious beliefs they hold, but why should it? It could only be perceived as slightly unusual that they cover their bodies a little more than we are used to seeing in the western media, highlighting the issue of flashing too much flesh within our modern society. However, we’re here to discuss Mormon fashion blogging, not the recurring, and frankly, tiresome, female body images portrayed in the media. Refreshingly, a large number of the blogs are by mothers who combine parenthood with fashion. This isn’t surprising since creating a family is very important to Mormons, but it is unusual to see the two subjects entwined in a blog. Take Wearing It On My Sleeves, for instance, Sarah is a fashion design
View more comments 15
Vanguard V2.indd 15
30/04/2015 22:03
related content
Representation of older women in fashion
Gallery: Framing Fashion
Fashion Women Power
Hijab - A Cultural Choice
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
Decoration or Violation? - Savage Beauty
Video: Anna Wintour and Seth Meyers
Open Discussion: Admirable Women
Compassionate Fashion
8 Apr 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
7 May 2015
all
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
marrying there too. Baker was knighted and Florence reinvented herself as the submissive Victorian wife. Through her marriage to Sir Samuel, Lady Florence Baker was able to explore Africa without the need to stick to convention. Once back out on the open road she rid herself of conventional Victorian lady’s dress and wore outfits identical to the ones worn by her husband. She rode astride a horse in trousers when women rode side-saddle, discovering areas and learning about cultures forbidden to most western women. Respected to this day in South Sudan and Uganda, they jointly sought to abolish the slave trade. Her life story is fantastical, uncommon for its time, but still viewed with admiration today.
> fashion vanguard
Women
Woman of the Week Lady Florence Baker
Katie Calvert Monday 20 April 2015 8.15 GMT
17
comments 44
Shares
Sarah C-P
20 April 2015 8:22
1
Such a fascinating woman. Travelled more than most modern women.
Comments 44
Report
GAIA
Lady Florence Baker
A
bducted twice before the age of 15, raised in a harem, and travelling the world on a journey of discovery. It all sounds fantastical but this is just part of the life story of Lady Florence Baker (1845-1916), wife of Sir Samuel Baker, British explorer. Her second abductor was Sir Samuel. Accompanying Maharaja Duleep Singh, later crowned ruler of the Punjab, on a trip across Europe, the two men ran aground off Vidin, now known as Bulgaria but at the time a part of the Ottoman Empire, and had to seek repairs. Choosing to visit a slave market, Sir Samuel spotted and made a bid for the blonde haired teenager, Florence, but was outbid by the Pasha. Deciding he was in love with Florence he abducted her, and married her, possibly in Bucharest. Born Florence Barbara Maria Finnin von Sass, she witnessed the killing of her Eastern European parents in the uprisings and revolutions that swept through Europe in 1848. Abducted whilst living in a refugee camp, she was groomed for the harem, only to discover that it wasn’t dissimilar to being educated in a western convent. On marrying Baker they headed to Africa in search of the source of the river Nile, and Florence was able to skilfully assist Samuel with her fluent Arabic. Having discovered Lake Albert and the Murchison Falls, they returned to England, quietly
View more comments
related content
gaia.com London New York Paris Shanghai 43
Vanguard V2.indd 43
30/04/2015 22:03
Women’s Equality Party
Gallery: Framing Fashion
Fashion Women Power
The Tale of the She-Soldier
1 May 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
Decoration or Violation? - Savage Beauty
Open Discussion: Your thoughts on feminism
Open Discussion: Admirable Women
Wonder Woman does she exist?
8 Apr 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
23 Apr 2015
all
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
include whether you can afford to purchase sanitary towels or tampons that month. As a woman, I can tell you it is impossible to go about my daily life without adequate sanitary protection, since menstruating is a fact of life, not a luxury. Further down the poverty line are homeless women. Just what do they do? You can’t pick up sanitary towels and tampons at sexual health clinics even though they are classed as sexual health items, like condoms, or be prescribed them by a doctor, like the pill. They can be accessed from homeless shelters or hostels, but this is on a limited basis, depending on whether they have run out due to a lack of donations or if the shelters are full. For many women, homeless or not, embarrassment is often a reason for not asking. This can be made worse if it is a male member of staff on duty or if PMS is particularly bad. All women deal with PMS, but the majority of us can discreetly buy our chosen sanitary products with minimal embarrassment and a degree of privacy. A homeless woman has to resort to shoplifting or using multiple sheets of loo roll in public toilets in order to prevent herself from bleeding through her clothing. A campaign, #TheHomelessPeriod, to give homeless shelters an allowance from the government to buy sanitary towels is gathering pace. But firstly, before that can happen, they are asking for people to make more donations. Donations for sanitary products are rare because it simply isn’t something at the forefront of people’s minds, especially the minds of men.
> fashion vanguard
Women
Street Protection Just what do homeless women do when it’s that time of the month?
R O W A N
Katie Calvert
The Art Of Knitting
Tuesday 5 May 2015 8.30 GMT
34
Shares
Comments 86
#TheHomelessPeriod
N
o one enjoys having a period, and even for a financially secure woman, the cost of sanitary products is a bone of contention. Considered a nonessential item by the powers that be, they are taxed at 5 per cent, whilst essential, tax-exempt products include non-essential goods such as alcoholic jellies and exotic meats like crocodile. They are an important necessity in our daily lives, affecting roughly one quarter of our year. That’s three months of costly sanitary products, without which we’d still have to use torn-up towels or rags, washed and re-used daily. Campaigners for an end to the taxation on sanitary products, #EndTamponTax, say that, “it sends out a damaging message to society and says women aren’t important,” and that “it definitely supports [a societal] period taboo, that periods should be something we should be ashamed of and shouldn’t talk to the male Parliament about. Women have been made to feel shameful about menstruation for a long time and… the period taboo needs to be challenged.” It is clearly an issue that affects all aspects of society. In 2012-2013 the number of people using foodbanks was 346,992. This number soared to 913,138 in 20132014. Essential for households and families forced to use foodbanks includes choosing to pay bills over putting food on the table. The choice might also
www.knitrowan.com
For a homeless woman the monthly embarrassment of periods is not just an inconvenience but also a recurring nightmare. Both women and men need to recognise this issue. In India, Arunachalam Muruganantham created a machine so that poorer members of society can produce their own sanitary towels. The taboo of periods is far greater in India, but if a man like Muruganantham can overcome this taboo and work towards change, Britain, as a world power, can do the same.
88
Arezzo - mag 57.indd88 1 Vanguard V2.indd
12/01/2015 30/04/2015 10:27 22:04
change.org
comments 86
Lizzy Jane
5 May 2015 8:55
8
I’m ashamed to say that this issue has never crossed my mind. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Report
View more comments
all
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
The fashion element does get a bit lost but the film is eye catching and light relief. Just a downward look underneath the video shows the link for the collection. Short films are an excellent way of engaging people, humour works even better. But it can’t beat using fashion, politics and humour. It’s a recipe that doesn’t sound like it would work. But it does! The dance moves are infectious but the message is resolutely serious and not forgotten, ending positively. “Girls can do anything”
> fashion vanguard
Fashion
Gender Equality Rachel Antonoff and & Other Stories collaborate, humorously highlighting gender equality.
Katie Calvert
comments 16
Friday 8 May 2015 9.34 GMT
Sarah C-P
8 May 2015 10:48
1
Zoe Kazan is a great actress!
4
Shares
Report
View more comments
Comments 16
related content
A film by Lena Dunham
&
Other Stories have attempted to move the conversation regarding women in politics forward with humour and appealing dresses. Politics doesn’t always have to be serious and fashion doesn’t have to be portrayed as trivial. Put them together and they can inspire change in a fun way. Rachel Antonoff has collaborated with & Other Stories, roping in Lena Dunham (she dates Antonoff’s brother) to produce an advertisement or, for need of a better description, a short 4-minute film of Zoe Kazan desperately trying to drum up support for her presidential candidacy. One woman sums it up with; “No I would love you not to tell me about your campaign. I’m not interested. I’m not interested in anything you have to say, nobody in this neighbourhood is gonna vote for a woman, you think you can do whatever you want and change things. You’re all about your little girl power and you’re gonna change the world and it is not happening” [sic]. But Kazan is lost in the dream of what it would mean to be the next female President. Sure, it’s a lot of dancing, singing and confetti but rather than trivialising it, it seeks to take the mick out of that age old assumption that girls are all just sugar and spice and all things nice, adding a rather fun element to a serious issue, whilst showing off delicate dresses.
A lc i na w w w. a l c i n a . i t 9
Vanguard V2.indd 9
Gallery: Strong is the New Pretty
Gallery: Framing Fashion
Seriously, It’s Fashion
SPOOF Nathalie Croquet
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
Spreading the Style
Open Discussion: Your thoughts on feminism
Open Discussion: Admirable Women
Wonder Woman does she exist?
8 Apr 2015
21 Mar 2015
30/04/2015 22:02
16 Mar 2015
23 Apr 2015
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
all
> fashion vanguard
Fashion Women Politics
Fashion, Women, Power Female politicians and their fear of fashion.
Katie Calvert
Find your paradise
Saturday 21 March 2015 6.30 GMT
28
Shares
Comments 110
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany since 2005
T
hroughout the ages, women, fashion and power have forged strong links. Dress has always signified wealthy status and power and evolved into an embodiment of gender since Eve’s temptation of Adam resulted in the covering of the bodies of both sexes. History illustrates more examples of powerful, prominent male examples in opulent dress, the ‘peacocks’ of the species, since they are usually the main focus of historical events. There have been women whose names immediately evoke a style of dress and we perhaps remember what they wore rather than a likeness of their face. Figures such as Boudicca in fierce battle dress, Elizabeth I in opulent bejewelled gowns, and Queen Victoria in her black, widow’s dress. In recent years, the popularity of women’s fashion has out-weighed that of men and fashion is often used today to signify and bring about change to the status of women, but not always effectively or advantageously. Today we have two main ways of dressing powerfully, adopting a masculine style to symbolise power and be taken seriously, or choosing to emphasise sexuality to demonstrate confidence. Women aren’t twodimensional when it comes to their dress sense; this is the modern freedom of being allowed to dress how
LOTUS
SPA HOTELS
www.lotusspa.com
67
Vanguard V2.indd 67
30/04/2015 22:03
you please in a liberal and democratic society. But this does not prevent us from being routinely judged on what we wear. As women have gradually taken on roles of power, many have assumed a more masculine dress code, with touches of femininity, in order to be taken more seriously. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany since 2005, President of the European Council in 2008, second woman after Margaret Thatcher to chair the G8 summit, and highest ranked female to feature in Forbes’ most powerful people list, does just that. She has adapted the male suit and is often seen wearing a three-button blazer and trousers in an array of unexpected colours. A mention of Margaret Thatcher here couldn’t go amiss. She wore a classic suit and blouse, revelling in being the top female in control of male MPs. Some women in positions of power dispel this, but, more often than not, they are the companions of male politicians. For instance, Michelle Obama, the current First Lady of The White House, advocate for military families and working mothers, promoter of poverty awareness, nutrition and arts education, also uses fashion to her advantage, when speaking about political policies and as a means to promote American designers. She has appeared on the cover of American Vogue twice and on best-dressed lists regularly. Often her appearance is feminine in style, wearing printed housewife dresses whilst discussing education and demonstrating that femininity and power are not mutually exclusive. But this is rare. In early 2008, fearful that appearing too feminine might harm her presidential ambitions, Hillary Clinton snubbed American Vogue. Editor-inchief, Anna Wintour, fired back in the February issue, “The notion that a contemporary woman must look mannish in order to be taken seriously as a seeker of power is frankly dismaying. This is America, not Saudi Arabia. It’s also 2008: Margaret Thatcher may have looked terrific in a blue power suit, but that was 20 years ago.” Within British politics the same is true. It is unlikely that a female politician will be interviewed in depth by magazines whose main content is fashion. A magazine, with the right credentials, which also has a section on fashion – that’s ok! But a glossy fashion magazine, even a well-respected one, is a definite no! Women use fashion to define their place in the world, and their sense of themselves, implying that it could and should be used as a powerful tool in society and in politics. But the criticisms faced by female politicians mean that it isn’t hard to see why they feel that appearing in a glossy magazine would undermine their political ambitions. A male MPs sartorial choice is always secondary to their politics, a humorous addition to the real issue. For women it is the issue. Nicola Sturgeon, leader
The new fragrance
Summer Meadow 60
Vanguard V2.indd 60
30/04/2015 22:03
of the SNP, has presented herself intelligently in recent months. She is a strong proponent of Scottish Independence, detailing its virtues eloquently. Female, from a working class background, admired and respected, her character is sorely missing in English politics. But this respectful light isn’t how the media see her. Articles discussing her style transformation have increased. She is “living proof women become sexier with age, income and office,” according to one publication. Would the same be said about David Cameron? According to Vanessa Friedman of the New York Times, “We live in the era of the Merkelization of female political dress, which has seen women like Ms. Merkel, the German chancellor, and Hillary Rodham Clinton adopt what is effectively the male uniform in softer, brighter colors (sic) to remove the topic from the conversation… Another way to explain the strategy is ‘bore them into talking about the issues.’” The issue is that we struggle as a society to take feminine women seriously, so is it any wonder that politicians adhere to this Merkelization and shy away from fashion? Although women, fashion and power will always be linked, power is perceived as a male trait, and masculine dress is one symbol of it. Women often have to work harder than men to gain authority. If they wear feminine fashion or appear to promote fashion in any manner, then they threaten to undo all their hard work. This sexism must be fought head on. Fashion does have the potential to be powerful in politics, Michelle Obama illustrates this. Since women, in particular, are so closely associated with the industry, female politicians have a duty to face the issue head on and use it to their advantage. In the words of Friedman, “How do you erase a stereotype? You confront it, and force others to confront their own preconceptions about it, and then you own it. And in doing so you denude it of its power.” Change takes time, and it occurs when confronted. Female politicians need to brave the world of fashion. Presenting oneself effectively is key to all top politicians, female and male. Whilst women face far more scrutiny and criticism than men, they must not acquiesce and be forced to abandon their fashion credentials.
comments 110
John Smith 21 March 2015 7:16
4
I’ve been wondering where all the male politicans get their suits from! Report
View more comments
related content
Women’s Equality Party
Gallery: Awaken
Feminesto - policies supporting women
The Tale of the She-Soldier
1 May 2015
3 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
Gallery: Strong is the New Pretty
Open Discussion: Your thoughts on feminism
Open Discussion: Admirable Women
India’s Daughter - It’s a dress not a yes
Est 1934
Bainbridge
21 Mar 2015
Home Furnishing Specialists
Harrogate
•
York
•
Oxford
•
Bath
www.bainbridgeinteriors.co.uk
52
Vanguard V2.indd 52
30/04/2015 22:03
23 Apr 2015
8 Apr 2015
21 Mar 2015
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
all
> fashion vanguard
Fashion
Seriously, It’s Fashion Stop trivialising fashion and take it seriously.
Katie Calvert Saturday 21 March 2015 6.30 GMT
28
Shares
Comments 80
Alexander McQueen, Voss SS01
a v v is t a re
F
ashion as an intelligent and academic subject has long been a contentious issue. The arts have always come second to STEM subjects, and during the last 5 years the British government has systematically cut funding for the creative industries. Is it any wonder that fashion is perceived as a trivial and stupid subject? In Britain, UKIP proposes free university tuition fees for those studying STEM subjects and would axe the department for culture, media and sport, were they to be elected. Whilst the prospect of this happening is unlikely, the belief that the creative industries aren’t important to society and to the economy is not an unusual one. Certainly, many creative industries are favoured or respected over and above the fashion industry. Fashion is often identified for its vanity and its celebrity endorsement, feeding mass insecurities and selfishness. This is despite the fact that the British fashion industry is worth a staggering £26 billion, a 22 per cent increase since 2009, employing 797,000 people. Academically, fashion has gained some ground. This varied and wide reaching topic is now more respected as a subject for study and research. Studies in design
e ye we a r
47
Vanguard V2.indd 47
30/04/2015 22:03
history, women’s history, and popular culture have legitimised fashion, and theoretical debates informed by post-modernism and feminism have helped shape it intellectually. But academia is for academics and attitudes in society are not changing. Fashion is fairly unique in its employment of predominantly women and gay men, another argument for why the industry is not as well respected, as it ought to be, since we live in a fundamentally misogynistic and homophobic society. To see an industry where women rule the roost and gay men feel able to openly be themselves, is, unfortunately, distinctive. It is an industry that embraces everyone. Creativity is regularly a source of comfort for many ostracised members of society, giving rise to discussions on class, race, gender representation, ethical production and consumption. Fashion is out to shock and in doing so it talks about taboo subjects and embraces outcasts, often the weirder the better. As an economic powerhouse, it uses its dominance and influence to speak out in favour of, or, against important issues. Recently, the CEOs of Gap and Levi’s, Art Peck and Chip Bergh, made a joint statement asserting their opposition to the introduction of the Religious Free Restoration Act in several US states. Principally, this act has been created to ensure that citizens can practice their religion without the interference of the government. However, Peck and Bergh claim that the bill provides business owners with the right to refuse services to same-sex couples on the grounds of their religious beliefs. Whether this actually makes a difference, we are none the wiser. But by voicing these opinions they are beginning discussion, with the possibility that changes can occur. London (and many cities around the world) is known for its excellent creative universities. Central Saint Martins has produced some of the 20th and 21st century’s greatest fashion designers. Geniuses such as Alexander McQueen and John Galliano have enthralled audiences and the public alike with their spectacular shows and brilliant designs. Where once catwalk shows were the domain of industry insiders, the introduction of the Internet and social media has led to a more inclusive industry, one where the public gets a real taste of high end fashion. On another level, the public had already had access to fashion in the noughties, which had seen a rise in collaborations, most famously Kate Moss for Topshop and various designers for H&M. This allowed the public to buy a piece of sought after fashion. To some people, this accessibility lowers its standing further as a respected industry. This, again, is a lack of understanding and appreciation of the meticulous workings of the
GAIA gaia.com London New York Paris Shanghai 43
Vanguard V2.indd 43
30/04/2015 22:
fashion industry. Fashion forecasters focus on upcoming trends, predicting colours, fabrics and styles that will be present on the runway and in stores over the coming months. It is a fairly hidden aspect of the industry, with designers taking centre stage, but has been gaining momentum over recent years. The workings of a fashion magazine can be closely inspected in the documentary about the run up to the publication of the most important issue in fashion and at American Vogue, ‘The September Issue’. Vogue is a well-respected publication across the globe, with 23 national and regional editions published monthly. The American edition is edited by Anna Wintour and has remained so for the past 27 years. Known for her steely manner, it is clear throughout this film that Wintour is a perfectionist and formidable character, keen to go above and beyond in order to promote fashion. The vast majority of the public will not realise how fashion editors guide designers, telling them what to include in collections, liaise with companies looking for designers, offering up who they believe is capable of the job, and generally supporting and promoting their work. Furthermore, they bridge the gap between designers and retailers, advising retailers which items they think will be popular and which items they must stock more of. The process of selling clothes to a willing, yet demanding, public can sound all too simple but the process is far from it, and the industry requires intelligent, strong-minded individuals to make sure that it keeps on making the billions that it does. Fashion is seen as a subject not worthy of real discussion, but it needs to be recognised that fashion is worth praise as an astute industry populated by intelligent people. It is so fundamentally important to many economies, including the British economy, and is important as a means of promoting tolerance and acceptance in society. The British are a particular creative bunch and the fashion industry must be championed as a valid art form, not sidelined by more respected creative disciplines or rejected in favour of STEM subjects. Fashion is an industry to be proud of, not trivialised.
comments 80
Priya B
21 March 2015 7:34
1
I miss the spectacle that came with a McQueen show! Report
View more comments
Hella s air
Begin your oddessey
Daily flights from: Gatwick, Manchester, Liverpool to Athens, Zante, Rhodes Santorini, Kos from www.hellasair.com
£89
Availabilty may be extremely limited during high season. Prices in GBP per person. Please see full terms and conditions avaialbe at www.hellasair.com
Vanguard V2.indd 59
59
30/04/2015 22:03
related content
Spreading the Style
Gallery: Awaken
Feminesto - policies supporting women
SPOOF Nathalie Croquet
16 Mar 2015
3 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
Gallery: Strong is the New Pretty
Decoration or Violation?
Wonder Woman does she exist?
21 Mar 2015
21 Mar 2015
Video: Anna Wintour and Seth Meyers 7 May 2015
21 Mar 2015
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
all
> fashion vanguard
Fashion
Gallery: Awaken Get lost in the dreamy nature of Awaken. Photographed by Catherine Booty.
Tuesday 3 March 2015 7.55 GMT
68
Shares
Photography: Catherine Booty Fashion Directors: Katie Calvert & Lauren Tyson Model: Anna Kowalczyk MUA: Rosie Jones Est 1934
Bainbridge Home Furnishing Specialists
Harrogate
•
York
•
Oxford
•
Bath
www.bainbridgeinteriors.co.uk
52
Vanguard V2.indd 52
30/04/2015 22:03
more galleries
Gallery: Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker 21 Mar 2015
Gallery: Framing Fashion by Catherine Booty and Katie Calvert 21 Mar 2015
all
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
> fashion vanguard
Travel
Gallery: Passage to India Beautiful photographs of a vibrant country - read the accompanying article in next Saturday’s print edition of Fashion Vanguard. Photographed by Vicky Sedgwick.
Saturday 14 March 2015 7.55 GMT
86
Find your paradise
Shares
LOTUS
SPA HOTELS
www.lotusspa.com
67
Vanguard V2.indd 67
30/04/2015 22:03
see more
more galleries
Gallery: Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker 21 Mar 2015
Gallery: Framing Fashion by Catherine Booty and Katie Calvert 21 Mar 2015
24 Feb 2015 7:48
Beauty to me is making the most of our natural Suzy Smith qualities, having a glowing persona and genuine carefree happiness in someone regardless of the 2 wrinkles, blemishes and imperfections. all
UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
Open Discussion
Ma s te r C h o co l a ti e r s i n ce 1 8 4 5
24 Feb 2015 8:32
Report
24 Feb 2015 8:55
Report
24 Feb 2015 9:45
Report
I don’t know this is such a hard thing to describe.
Tuesday 24 Feb 2015 6.35 GMT
Smita 3 www.knitrowan.com
Lily M
Comments 135
1
A beautiful sunset setting behind beautiful mountains
Charlie 0 24 Feb 2015 6:42
Report
Beauty is so hard to define but I think beauty is Lizzy Jane something to be appreciated but sometimes envied. What someone appreciates or envies is entirely up to 4 that person’s preference. 24 Feb 2015 6:50
Report
24 Feb 2015 7:30
Report
24 Feb 2015 7:47
Report
15
Vanguard V2.indd 15
30/04/2015 22:03
Beauty to me is something that is always found within. It is what shines through in someone’s personality that makes him or her a beautiful person! A moral human being will always be beautiful.
In my view, it is someone or something that is Tabitha S emotionally or aesetically pleasing to an individual. 1
2
Report
9
Verhoeven
Sam
24 Feb 2015 8:24
To me a stunning view of rolling hills and moorland is beauty.
Eliza
5
The Art Of Knitting
0
What is beauty?
Attia
R O W A N
A combination of aesthetic qualities that pleases, Lizzy Jones intrigues or brings happiness to an individual.
> fashion vanguard
Women
Report
Looks/appearance. As much as I wish that wasn’t the case that is what my first thought was and that is because of the society we live in. Women are constantly bombarded with adverts and images of celebrities, claiming to make you look better. And then magazines religiously discuss a celebrities weight loss or gain. There is simply no middle ground to this bombardment of self-image. Beauty should be about the person as a whole, personality as well.
Emily W 1
Food, nature, design, art, dance, architecture, and language. I’m a textile designer so I see beauty in colour, texture, line, shape and form of objects. It is so subjective. I think too that there is beauty to be found in absolutely everything; even the ugliest object or person has some form of beauty, depending on your definition.
24 Feb 2015 10:53
Report
24 Feb 2015 10:55
Report
One of the most beautiful things for me is the London cityscape, which I imagine many people think is too industrial and hideous to be truly beautiful unlike the countryside (which I too do think is an aspect of beauty). There are many things in fashion that I consider beautiful too – clothing that flatters an individual’s body. I think there is something very ugly about a woman who cannot or chooses not to dress for their shape. And I just LOVE make-up. I know that people argue in the face of make-up adverts saying that a fresh, natural face is true beauty, but I think a face full of make up is equally beautiful, when done in the right way, especially heavy make up. Whenever I notice a women not wearing make up I’m thinking what I could do to make them look prettier, so I guess my focus of beauty is pretty much based on physical appearance. I see nothing wrong in making the best of ourselves. Health and fitness is more beauty to me than cosmetics and manipulation. Beauty is confidence and appreciating the little things in life, back to basics is best, we can get so caught up in self-hate and comparing ourselves to one another when we were born different so why are we wanting to all look the same. View more comments
88
Arezzo - mag 57.indd88 1 Vanguard V2.indd
12/01/2015 30/04/2015 10:27 22:04
25 Feb 2015 7:30 Farah A 9 UK election world sport football opinion culture business lifestyle fashion vanguard environment tech travel home
all
25 Feb 2015 8:15
Report
25 Feb 2015 8:16
Report
Open Discussion How do you think the media is currently representing women who wear the hijab?
Eliza 8
Wednesday 25 Feb 2015 6.35 GMT
Comments 174
25 Feb 2015 8:30
Report
25 Feb 2015 8:41
Report
25 Feb 2015 8:56
Report
25 Feb 2015 9:01
Report
3
Aicha 2
Hijab - A very recognisable aspect of British culture Est 1934
Bainbridge Home Furnishing Specialists
Nicola 2
Madiha 5
Harrogate
•
York
•
Oxford
•
Bath
52
Vanguard V2.indd 52
30/04/2015 22:03
Dina 1
Report
Report
Some consider the Muslim girls that have turned the hijab into a fashion statement on social media a positive thing for Islam and that it’s portraying the hijab and Islam in a more positive light. But they fail to see that the hijab isn’t a fashion statement, and that Muslims seem to have forgotten the real purpose of the hijab.
The hijab isn’t represented in a very positive light, a lot of people see it as oppressive and something that Muslims have been forced to wear, though they couldn’t be more wrong. It seems many are unaware of the real reason we wear the hijab and judge without really understanding.
www.bainbridgeinteriors.co.uk
The events in Syria have damaged the Islamic faith even more, images of English girls fleeing Britain to become jihadi brides has only worsened the perception within the media. These girls covered their satr (intimate parts that a Muslim woman should cover) and so wore hijabs. There will be people that think all Muslim girls wearing hijab are jihadi brides. The media doesn’t do anything to remedy these beliefs, they just incite it. 25 Feb 2015 7:29
Laiba 2
Report
Hijab is very rarely shown through the media (women wearing the hijab on TV is rare), but it has been stereotyped and represented negatively a lot by the media when it is mentioned in the news. 25 Feb 2015 6:58
Begin your oddessey
I’ve noticed that on social media there are more women trying to make it fashionable, hijabi hipsters is a term I’ve heard. Some of them look brilliant and their style is so great that you don’t immediately notice the headscarf. They make dressing modestly cool, which shouldn’t be unusual in a country as diverse as Britain. On the news and in newspapers though, they’re always negative so portraying the hijab as negative isn’t much of a surprise.
The hijab in my opinion is portrayed in a bad light by Hadikha the media and at worst is viewed as a threat.
25 Feb 2015 6:55
Hellas air
Where are the hijab wearing women on TV and in film Hannah (unless part of Hollywood blockbuster on terrorism)? I think this says it all. 5
> fashion vanguard
Fashion Women Politics
Report
I am a Muslim, and the recent events in the media have made me more reluctant to wear the hijab; if I’m completely honest the negativity experienced by those that wear hijab has affected me.
Zenab 7
Personally it depends where you look, I think majority of the media describe Hijab as something that is oppressive and that conceals a woman’s true beauty, something that takes away a woman’s free will i.e. those countries that have banned the hijab. However, there are other instances in the media, particularly on Asian networks, that show the hijab as it should be seen. They show hijab as a beautiful covering that represents purity and innocence. The area I live in and study in is very diverse so I don’t usually see individuals treating hijabi’s differently.
I feel wearing hijab makes you clearly identifiable, and being alone as a female, I think, makes you an easy target of hate crime and generally vulnerable to verbal abuse on public transport or such places. As a Muslim woman, for this reason, I don’t yet feel brave enough to take the commitment to wear the hijab.
Daily flights from: Gatwick, Manchester, Liverpool to Athens, Zante, Rhodes Santorini, Kos from www.hellasair.com
£89
Availabilty may be extremely limited during high season. Prices in GBP per person. Please see full terms and conditions avaialbe at www.hellasair.com
Vanguard V2.indd 59
59
30/04/2015 22:03
Attia 1
Ella B 4
Clara 3
25 Feb 2015 10:30
Report
25 Feb 10:58
Report
25 Feb 2015 12:10
Report
I feel the media is portraying Islamic dress and hijab as being very suppressive and as a conservative manner of dressing. I feel the media think Muslims who cover themselves are in someway restricted or being suppressed by their husbands.
Recent events such as the stabbing of the Saudi female student in the UK or the shooting of Deah, Yusor and Razan in the USA are incidents that linger in my mind, which have inevitably portrayed the hijab and Islam negatively. More often than not the hijab is portrayed negatively as if all people who wear them and cover themselves modestly are extremists, terrorists or unworthy/illegal immigrants and those are just a few that generally come to mind. I believe so long as they aren’t used for wrong doing and used for the right reasons, whether it be fashionable purposes in some people’s eyes or to keep in with their cultural beliefs there is no issue.
25 Feb 2015 12:11
Report
25 Feb 2015 12:35
Report
25 Feb 2015 13:08
Report
25 Feb 2015 13:15
Report
I don’t think that the media is too negative in their Sameera portrayal, but they focus a lot more negatively on the burqa or niqab, which isn’t helped by the banning in 1 some countries.
It feels like I’m constantly told that it is an item Sasha M of clothing that isn’t respectful to Britain and its inhabitants, just as a way heighten racial tension. It’s 1 frustrating because I don’t know a single Muslim who isn’t respectful.
Anya G 0
Daria 3
I see very little about them in the media if I’m honest, I can’t bring anyone to mind that wears a hijab.
Thinking about it I can’t even think of a time when I have seen one in a TV show or magazine. Famous western celebs never wear them and we don’t see much Bollywood or eastern celebrities over here. View more comments
more open discussion
Your thoughts on feminism 23 Apr 2015
avvistare eyewea r
47
Vanguard V2.indd 47
30/04/2015 22:03