QTpi

Spring/Summer 2013

QTπ £6.00

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elcome to the very first issue of QT π (pr. cu-tee-pie).

We are here to celebrate what others may consider a guilty pleasure, to promote what may be seen as too twee, and encourage the liberation of women through declaration of love for an aesthetic reminiscent of the fancy dress chests of your childhood.

We don’t represent cute in a way that “cute” could be belittled, but a way that it cna be celebrated and applauded.

If this sounds appealing to you, then this publication will be just what you have been waiting for. Expect ice-cream pastels, stimulating visuals yet intellectual depth. We hope that you like it,

Kati Elliott Editor

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ontents

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Gwen Hot Boys Icon Sneaky Sandy Sugar Coated Instagram Katie Hillier

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QTπ Editor

Kati Elliott

Contributors Kane Hodgkiss,

Luis Moy Manning Lauren Doyle With Thanks to Rob De Neit, Sara Hassan, Kane Hodgkiss, Luis Moy Manning, Lauren Doyle, James Wesson, Alfie Gardner, Louisa Jewes & Georgia Seago. info@katielliott.com

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JeongMee Yoon Crazy Fans Child Star Wigs & Pups Cute Apps Nail it My Cutie Pony Cute or Cringe?

katielliott.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publcation may be reproduced in whole or part without from the publishers. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the restropective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. © 2013 QT π Magazine

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QT π pays homage to The 90s pop queen and total style icon, Gwen Stefani and investigates her infulence on Harajuku

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s one of the most prolific female faces of the 90s and 00s, Gwen Stefani is not just a style icon but also a cultural icon. I wanted to look into the effects that western culture and media has had on the Japanese subculture of Harajuku, and how Gwen Stefani has affected this.

I have looked into the impact westernisation of Harajuku culture has had on the Japanese subculture and I have established the impact that western culture has had on the world-renowned shopping district of Shibuya, Tokyo, and how and why these effects have been implemented.

Gwen was the lead singer of 90s band ‘No Doubt’, and released her first solo album, Love Angel Music Baby in 2004. The album was heavily based around the Harajuku culture, and even included a song dedicated to Gwen’s love of the girls, named “Harajuku Girls”, where she sings “I’m fascinated by the Japanese fashion scene, just an American girl in the Tokyo streets”. For the entirety of the promotional tour of the album, and all music videos and performances of songs from the album, Gwen’s “Harajuku Girls”, aptly named Love, Angel, Music and Baby, (after the album), followed her around on the red carpet, in interviews and doubled up as her backing dancers.

There was a lot of uproar from the Japanese about the use of the Harajuku Girls within Gwen’s act, culminating in an angry article in Salon Magazine by Mihi Ahn, stating that Stefani used the girls as accessories, and oppressed the eastern culture and tradition by having them follow her constantly.

The article states that the girls were not allowed to speak in anything another than Japanese when in public, (although they were all known to be Americans of Japanese descent).

Ahn thought that this was emasculating and undermining of the Japanese culture, stating “She’s taken Tokyo hipsters, sucked them dry of all their street cred, and turned them into China dolls”. This image of China dolls is fairly blatant within this photograph, as the girls silently Vogue behind Stefani as she is photographed, as if they are living props.

In terms of style, Stefani has adopted the stereotypical image of a Harajuku girl, with tutus and pastel colours, and as Ahn describes it “looks like what might happen if a 5-year-old girl jacked up on liquor and goofballs decided to become a stylist.”

The style of the Harajuku girls was world-renowned yet relatively confined within the members of the subculture, yet the style is brought to the mainstream as Gwen wears the style to the Brit Awards. As award shows are a feast of inspiration for followers of fashion, people of western society could be influenced by the photographs of Gwen Stefani with the Harajuku Girls and want to purchase clothes of a similar style to fit in with their image. As Gwen states in her song “Harajuku Girls”:“What’s that you got on, is it Comme Des Garcons? Vivienne Westwood can’t go wrong, mixed up with second-hand clothes (Let’s not forget about John Galliano)”,European designers such as Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano adopted the styles of the Harajuku and used it to influence their collections that would then be sold worldwide to both eastern and western audience.

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Gwen with one of her Harajuku Girls

In the same way, the way that Gwen adopts and embraces the style of the Harajuku girls and channels it into her look and the vibe of the album. By the trends moving from a subculture to an A-list celebrity, influencing trends within high-end designers, it shows how subcultures create a trickle-up effect into the mainstream fashion industry.

The advert from Stefani’s fragrance line ‘Harajuku Lovers’, alongside Stefani’s “L.A.M.B” clothing line, (also named after the Love Angel Music Baby album), created various ways in which the consumer could feel a part of the subculture, be it listening to her album, wearing her fragrances or her dedicated fashion line, it became easy for anyone to gain access into this small culture from the other side of the world.

The function of a campaign is to sell a product, and the role of the model within the advertisement is to personify the product and help the consumers imagine themselves with the product. The fact that the model is a white, Norwegian model shows the reader how the style can easily be translated for a western audience which then incorporates a larger target market as if a Japanese model was used, the assumption could be made that the product was aimed at young, Japanese Harajuku dwellers.

Stefani’s effect on Harajuku and vice-versa has changed the Japanese subculture forever. The Western world’s interpretation and reception of the style created an adaptation that has filtered through various layers of the fashion industry and subcultures of western countries to create a duplicated yet diluted version of the style.

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C B 10 QT π’s

top

ute

oys Check out these ten boys from across the globe we think are topping the cute charts at the moment.

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1

Justin Bieber

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3

George Shelley

4

Harry Styles

Jaden Smith

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Francisco Lachowski

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James Franco

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Tom Daley

8

Nicholas Hoult

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Zac Efron

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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IOC The

Ruth Handler

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Handler’s first Barbie, 1959

sk anyone is the world what the most iconic girls’ toy is, and you will undoubtedly receive the same answer. Almost every girl/ woman has or has had one, and you cannot deny that she dominates the toy market.

Yes, Barbie; the icon of the past half century. But where did she come from? And more importantly, who?

Enter Ruth Handler. Everyone knows of the doll, but what about her creator? One of the most prolific inventors of all time, Handler sits in the female businesswoman hall of fame. It all started in 1945 when she, her husband and Harold Matson founded Mattel, with the intention of making picture frames. A year later, Matson sold his share, and the Handlers decided to drop the frames and make dolls house furniture instead.

Handler had two children, Barbie and Ken. When Barbie was a child in the 1940s, Handler watched her play with flat paper dolls and knew something had to be created with a more lifelike, realistic approach to a doll. Thirteen years later, Barbie was created.

She was the game changer. Until her arrival, there was nothing of comparison on the market; girls’ toys had changed forever.

She was two things: a reflection of everything a girl wanted to be, and a mirror for what society was. Her clothes, her hair, her accessories, she was a way of girls to live out their dreams.

But she was a gamble for Handler. For years, everyone told her Barbie was a bad idea, she claimed “little girls just want to be bigger girls”, but no one thought she had a point. At that time, she had fought hard for her credibility within her industry, and she had to risk that credibility to go with her gut instinct and launch the 3D doll. Even her husband, Elliot lost faith in the idea, claiming the “No Mother is going to buy her daughter a doll with breasts”. But the risk paid off, and Barbie boomed worldwide.

Ruth barked orders at her designers, who thought it impossible to make the doll profitable, but Barbie meant more to Handler than just a doll. She meant more than just a plaything to little girls, and Ruth was the one who understood that. However, postwar America encouraged young girls to aspire to be homemakers and mothers, which resulted in baby-like dolls dominating the market. The idea of playing with a baby doll replicates the actions of a Mother, yet Ruth watched her daughter play and understood

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that she wanted to play as if she were an adult who didn’t just aspire to be the homemaker, but could be whoever she wanted to be.

And that was what she stood for. Although a stern businesswomen with a definite plan for her and Barbie’s future, behind the whole operation was heart. She had seen a niche and filled it, and Barbie went from strength to strength and continued to dominate the girls’ toy market. Nothing pushed Handler more than being told something couldn’t be done, and the years of negative feedback drove her to build Barbie into one of the biggest success stories of manufacturing history.

“Little girls just want to be bigger girls” -Ruth Handler

In 1970, Handler was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, the only means of treatment was a mastectomy, which Handler deemed not enough to make her feel like a woman post surgery. She gathered a team, and engineered the first silicone implants, under her new brand “Nearly Me”. This demonstrated, again, Handler’s reluctance to simply agree with what was told to her. She was never going to sit back and accept what others would deem ok, and she was a trailblazer for the phrase “if you want something done properly, then do it yourself”.

Handler wasn’t a reflection of the stereotype of the Barbie; but she was certainly the brains In 1970, Handler was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, the only means of treatment was a mastectomy, which Handler deemed not enough to make her feel like a woman post surgery. She gathered a team, and engineered the first silicone implants, under her new brand “Nearly Me”. This demonstrated, again, Handler’s reluctance to simply agree with what was told to her. She was

Handler’s Barbie Dreamhouse style house, Santa Monica under her new brand “Nearly Me”. This demonstrated, again, Handler’s reluctance to simply agree with what was told to her. She was never going to sit back and accept what others would deem ok, and she was a trailblazer for the phrase “if you want something done properly, then do it yourself”.

Handler wasn’t a reflection of the stereotype of the Barbie; but she was certainly the brains certainly the brains and heart behind the beauty. And in a time of difficulty in post-war America, she was a pioneer for the empowerment and liberation of women on a worldwide scale. She was a hero that women can thank for their first doll, which helped them feel like a girl, and for the surgery to make them feel like a woman.

Handler with her “Nearly Me” breast implants

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Pink patent shimmer concealed wedge trainer, Guiseppe Zanotti, £475

Dalmation ponyskin hi tops, Jeffery campbell, $135

Sky blue star print hi tops, Converse, £52

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Swarovski crystallised dusky pink sneakers, Christian Louboutin, £1,395

neaky Trainers aren’t just for the treadmill anymore, so step out in this seasons hottests sneakers, whether you’re going for a jog or out for lunch, these styles are perfect for dressing up or down. So ditch the heels, and get your sneak on.

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Silver glitter metal capped sneakers, Miu Miu, £335

Push Hello Kitty hi tops, UBIQ, $255

Pastel suede Air Max 1s, Nike at ASOS, £95

Fuschia faux fur plush hi tops, Jeremy Scott for Adidas, £145

y

Black leather 3D flower sneakers, Chanel, POA

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We spent 5 minutes with Californian award winning creative dog groomer Sandy Paws, to talk poodle power.

1) What started you off with the socalled “extreme” poodle grooming?

I started to play with color on my personal dogs in 1999, and my first contest was in 2000.

2) When did you start grooming? And at the time when you started, was anyone else doing a similar style of dog grooming? I started grooming in 1994; but creative grooming has been going on for many years. People have been dying their dogs pink since at least the 1950s, but I have seen a picture from the 1800s of a poodle with a swan carved into its coat.

3)What has the reaction been to your way of grooming Cindy? Do you get any negative responses?

I have had 4 death threats. As with anything else we get a wide response of reaction from people, most of the time people react/respond without a full understanding of what they are looking at.

4) What’re your influences when coming up with new designs for your personal dogs?.. i have Lola now, and a white husky named Skadi that I just used in the last contest we did.

And what influences me?? LIFE. There are so many inspirations, just open your eyes!!!

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5) Are there competitions for this type of grooming?

This is why I do this type of grooming, for contents. My dogs do not look like this year round, usually they are “growing out coat” for the contests. I do two per year, the closest two to my shop are Pasadena, California in February and Vegas in the summer, but they are held all over this country as a part of a large grooming trade show. There are booths, seminars, education, and contests going on for 3 days, but creative grooming is only one contest of about 6 different contests

give to your small children to play with, like Blopens and chalk. There are also semi-permanent hair dyes for dogs or you can use semi-permanent colors for humans.

I have used dark dogs, but their hair needs to be lightened first before color (just like a human), so we usually do not use dark colored dogs.

6) Your dogs and yourself have become quite well known due to your grooming skills, would you say you’ve sparked a trend within the dog world?..

As stated before, this has been going on for a while now; there are many of us creative groomers across this country and all over the world. It is just starting to take off in England, but at a contest I found it quite strange when a couple from China recognized me and wanted to get a picture with me., they said I was very popular over in China.

8) Is grooming something you always wanted to do?

No I wanted to be a Vet, but couldn’t afford college. I accidentally fell into grooming, but I LOVE IT.

7) Within your grooming shop, do you get customers wanting similar styles done?

Most of the time clients want a touch of color in the tail or a simple design (like a heart at valentines day), but nothing extreme.

8) Is grooming something you always wanted to do?

No I wanted to be a Vet, but couldn’t afford college. I accidentally fell into grooming, but I LOVE IT. 9) Your website explains that your dogs love to be dyed and dressed up, are they dressed up all the time or just for events/competitions?

Most creative grooming dogs LOVE being colored because they love the attention. I would never force a dog to be colored if the dog did not want to be. Cindy got to know what cameras were and would run up to people with a camera, push their hands with her nose, and then pose like she was saying, “hey you take my picture”.

My dogs usually have some color in them year round but the extreme carving is only done for contests. The 2 dogs I have now fight to get on the table, both wanting to be worked on and colored.

10) What type of dyes and products do you use?

And can only white/pale-furred dogs be dyed the same sort of colours used on Cindy?

All the colors we use are SAFE. Most wash out right away or within a few washings; things you

7) Within your grooming shop, do you get customers wanting similar styles done?

Most of the time clients want a touch of color in the tail or a simple design (like a heart at valentines day), but nothing extreme.

“What influences me??

LIFE. There are so many inspirations, just open your eyes!!!”

9) Your website explains that your dogs love to be dyed and dressed up, are they dressed up all the time or just for events/competitions?

Most creative grooming dogs LOVE being colored because they love the attention. I would never force a dog to be colored if the dog did not want to be. Cindy got to know what cameras were and would run up to people with a camera, push their hands with her nose, and then pose like she was saying, “hey you take my picture”.

My dogs usually have some color in them year round but the extreme carving is only done for contests. The 2 dogs I have now fight to get on the table, both wanting to be worked on and colored.

10) What type of dyes and products do you use?

And can only white/pale-furred dogs be dyed the same sort of colours used on Cindy?

All the colors we use are SAFE. Most wash out right away or within a few washings; things you give to your small children to play with, like Blopens and chalk. There are also semi-permanent hair dyes for dogs or you can use semi-permanent colors for humans.

I have used dark dogs, but their hair needs to be lightened first before color (just like a human), so we usually do not use dark colored dogs.

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m Rochas

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ha t a n

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s er nd

Sd ugar coate

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Giam

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alli V a t s atti

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Choose pastel outerwear this winter to keep yourself warm in a sugar-coated-shell.

From boxy and oversized to single breasted, or super simple to embelleshed, there’s no limits as to how to adopt this trend. Dressed up or down, you’ll certainly keep cool in these ice cream shades from buttercup yellow, to lavender and duck egg.

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Mugler

Gucci

Louis Vuitton 27 FMP.indd 28

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Valentin Yudashkin

Honor

Acne

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F

I ollow

1) @DIVA_DIAMOND – Follow for pictures of internet-famous Jeffree Star’s candy-coloured puppies, Diva and Diamond; two Pomeranians who regularly change hues from pinks to yellows to lilacs to blues. Perfect for pretty pooch lovers, maybe not for animal rights activists.

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2) @DOLLHOUSEPETS – Follow for cute pics from Singaporean puppy groomers and breeders. Tiny toy breeds groomed to perfection and dressed in the Far East cute get-ups you’d expect from a world-renowned puppy shop. Perfect for puppy fanatics and toy breed lovers.

nstagram

3) @MATTIRWIN – Follow world-renowned photographer Matt Irwin, curator of cute ‘but in a fashion way’. Expect Japanese harajuku cuteness mixed with LA cool. Perfect for fashion insiders with an eye for cute and cool

on

4) @MANDILENNARD – Follow for musings of PR legend and Chanel obsessive Mandi Lennard. Expect a lot of Chanel, sportswear and expensive cool stuff. Perfect for Coco lovers and streetwear buffs, maybe not for non-fashion heads.

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5) @ONCHMOVEMENT – Follow Los Angeles based accessory brand Onch Movement, whose jewelry has adorned the likes of Kate Moss, Nicki Minaj and Amy Winehouse. Expect quirky jewelry, eccentric influences and A List friends of the brand.

6) @RUMPSHAKER – Follow Atlanta based jewelry designer and all round cute lover Rumpshaker. Expect child-like jewelry, hoodrat nails, coloured weaves and 90s style. Perfect for cute ghetto lovers, maybe not for the faint-hearted.

7) @MIHATENUJURI – Juri Chan Follow for “adventures from the pony room”, from Juri Chan, collector of My Little Pony.

Expect perfect pastels, ponies and cute knick-knacks fit for any pony-savvy princess. Perfect for pony collectors and princesse

4) @MSSTYLEZ – Ms Stylez Follow for visual updates from Disneyinspired designer Ms Stylez of vivid illustrations and her lifestyle influences. Expect bright colours and naughty Disney characters. Perfect for edgy graphics lovers, maybe not for anti-drug Disney fans.

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KH atie

illier

Named one of the 50 most influential names in British fashion, Katie Hillier is one of the world’s best accessory and jewelry designers.

Having designed for such brands as Loewe, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney, Hillier’s roster has no comparison. Her brand tagline “Luxury. With a wink” perfectly defines the look and feel of her brand. Her signature bunny jewelry collection mixes delicate 18ct gold and tiny diamonds with cute handdrawn silhouettes to create beautiful pieces as seen on Victoria Beckham, Henry Holland and Alexa Chung to name a few. With a harmonious equilibrium of quirky, eclectic style and exceptional quality, you cant go far wrong with a piece from Katie Hillier.

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Gold, silver and rose gold paperclip pendants, from £350

Pink diamond and yellow gold ring, £295

18ct gold and diamond bracelet, £895

18ct gold and diamond bunny studs, £895 18ct gold and diamond bunny ring, £2,900

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A glimpse into the artwork of JeongMee Yoon, and her ongiong work of “The Pink and Blue Project”

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C F razy

ans

How has the rise of social networking affected obsessive fan culture? and what kind of threat does the new breed of fan pose to their idol? QT π investigates.

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Justin Bieber surrounded by fans, 2013

ith the rapid rise and prominence of celebrity culture within today’s society, fan culture has escalated correspondingly. Fans are nothing new and have been present parallel to stardom, but what has changed to make fan culture so conspicuous? The renowned ‘Beatlemania’ has evolved into a bad case of ‘Bieber Fever’, which has a more sinister side.

I wanted to look into just how sinister fan culture has become, and what lengths fans are willing to go to meet with or get close to their idol. This topic is very interesting, especially as celebrity safety has been compromised due to the persistence of their fans. Experience has shown me just how dangerous fans can get and the topic has recently been covered regularly in the media, as the problem seems to be growing.

Historically, a media stereotype of comicbook/sci-fi fans is brought to mind when discussing or exploring fan culture, but recent years have seen an explosion of fan groups and a shift of focus to fans of music, film and celebrities in general. Fan culture is formed by groups of like-minded people with one strong common interest in their chosen idol, and these groups have evolved to massively incorporate new technologies and social media.

I wanted to discover just what effect the introduction of social media has done to fan culture and how it creates a connection between fan

and star. The days of the untouchable superstar are over and I want to look at how it’s influencing fan culture and how much it’s affecting today’s stars.

I am going to be looking into the effect that obsessive fan culture has on the stars that experience this level of fandom. As the people on the receiving end of such activity, I want to look into the effects and dangers of having such dedicated fan bases and what measures and precautions have to be put in place for the safety of the affected stars. I also want to look into which stars attract the behavior and what about them draws in these fans.

Cases of star stalking have been covered by the media for decades and even sparked the idea for the film The Bodyguard (1992), but I don’t want to look into psychoanalytical evidence of stalker behavior. By focusing on fan culture from the past five years, I wanted to look into the difference of this new breed of fan and how it’s affecting the way current day stars have to live their lives The modern day media creates a platform for personal information to be relayed to the masses, making it public knowledge. Within today’s importance of online presence, almost all celebrities have a twitter account, Facebook page and/or Instagram account; these are also large platforms for transmitting information to fans, but from the stars themselves as opposed

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to the bias of the media. This means that the information published by the stars themselves is of positive content, converse to the primarily negative content of the media coverage. By fans ingesting information from both sides, they gain a vast knowledge of the personal lives of their chosen ideal, which can be seen as positive by the fans, but certainly negative by the stars.

The obsessive fan behavior that has been reported has affected a variety of celebrities, however there are particular stars who have faced the brunt of it. Due to the majority of research into this subject only speaking to fans or no one at all, I feel that the view of the stars needed to be addressed; therefore I feel it necessary to explore this issue via recollections of personal experience.

Firstly, I want to look into the reality television talent competition, The X Factor. I was lucky to have the opportunity to work on the ninth series of the show. This gave me a huge insight into the bizarre world of fandom, and I could see it all first hand.

I was shocked by just how dedicated and intense fans could be, but this experience opened my eyes to that. On the first week of the live shows, even though I arrived at the studios at 8am, there were around 50 fans waiting outside the building. All young teenage females, they were holding banners, singing and chanting contestant’s names. When I spoke to a security guard, he explained to me that they would be there all day, and more and more would arrive as the day went on.

The image below shows the fans gathering around the gates and fences of Fountain Studios (where The X Factor is filmed), as aforementioned, the fans are predominantly young and female. These fans were mainly attracted to the premises by the boybands and young male singers of the competition. I spoke to

boyband ‘Union J” member JJ Hamblett about the crowds outside to which he stated “it’s mad, we’re not even famous but they’re always out there”.

Boybands are getting younger and younger and in return are attracting a more intense audience than ever before. X Factor groups Union J, District 3 and predominantly One Direction are at the forefront of this behavior. This form of fandom is different to the aforementioned, whereby identification with the star creates its fan base; this is a primarily young female fan base that chooses to live their whole lives around their obsession of their particular stars. However it’s not just stars that have been created on the television that are susceptible to these fans, there are other means of gaining these intense fan groups.

As two of the world’s most famous current stars, I want to compare the fan bases of American musician Lady Gaga and Canadian superstar Justin Bieber. Both have over 30 million twitter followers, making them both the most followed people in the world; yet there are distinct differences between their fan bases.

Stereotypically, the fans of Justin Bieber are teenage girls, whereas Gaga’s fan base is more diverse, with males and females of all ages, and also a large homosexual fan base.

The general topic of Bieber’s song lyrics is love, which appeals to his typical fan; where his romantic song lyrics are placed to make the audience fall in love with Bieber. This supports the idea that his fan base is predominantly female, who like him and his music due to finding him attractive and/or falling in love with the image of him portrayed through his music.

Conversely, Lady Gaga’s songs cover a range of topics, from love to accepting who you are, for example, Gaga’s renowned song ‘Born This Way’ (2011) is all about loving yourself for who you are. This teamed with her work for Gay Rights within America has created a powerful yet diverse fan base in comparison to Bieber’s.

Although they have similar sized fan bases, the behavior of Bieber’s fans is much more obsessive and intense than of Gaga’s, who seem to love her more by means of respect not sexual aspiration. This could then suggest that the sexual desire of the fan towards the Bieber could form a more sinister and infatuated audience.

Another interesting point is the names of which the stars themselves give to their fans.

Lady Gaga refers to her fans as ‘Monsters’, Bieber calls his fans “Beliebers”, and as a result, almost every music act is now doing the

Fans outside Fountain Studios, 2012

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One Direction with their fans, 2012 same. By subconsciously grouping their fans, they are pushed into making communities, which build an arena for competition, where the fans bounce off each other and compete through obsessive activity to get close to their star.

But this can, and does affect the stars. Celebrity breakdowns have filled the pages of tabloids and gossip magazines for years, however this doesn’t seem to be due to the implications of obsessive fans. After a short interview with Tiana Brown, who worked closely with Justin Bieber on his recent “Believe” tour, I was given an insight into how the stars feel about the issue. When asked about how Bieber feels about the literal millions of girls he has following him, she explained, “He loves it! He’s like any guy, who wouldn’t want all those girls after him?” (Tiana Brown, 2012).

After every question about the dark side of these fans, Brown explained Bieber’s love of the attention, but nothing about the sinister element of it. This, to me, implied that maybe Bieber is kept unaware of the extent of the obsessive behavior as a means of protecting him from it. By simply seeing his fans for their adoration, and not for their neurotic behavior, it could either suggest that he is unaware of the magnitude, or doesn’t see it for as bad as it is.

For years, the media has exposed and reported on the lives of the rich and famous, but social media has created a method for celebrities to do that themselves. While considered a positive thing, as stars can then have an input on the way they are portrayed by their audiences, it is also a way that the fans can interact

with their idols. This can be a great thing for publicity and for promotional purposes, but when fans abuse this right it can turn sinister.

The ability to reply to and message stars via Twitter has caused a huge illusion of closeness for the fans. The capability to converse with celebrities with the same ease as your friends reiterates my earlier points of the misconception of a relationship between the fan and the star. There are various fan accounts that state, for example “… retweeted me on _/_/_” where the fan is blatantly bragging about the illusory relationship formed via the ‘retweet’.

Although the Internet makes it very easy to converse with fans, the stars’ privacy can also be hidden; however some features of social networks can create quite a dangerous element to the relationship between star and spectator. Both Twitter and Instagram have features which use “geotagging” whereby a map of your precise location at the time of submitting data is posted alongside a tweet/photograph. This can then cause havoc for the stars as their location generally is wanted to be kept quiet to avoid not only the press and paparazzi, but the outrageous fans who will see he information and then travel to the area stated in an attempt to find their idol.

From this exploration, it has become obvious how social media has affected modern day fan culture. Fans have expanded from posters-inbedrooms and can create strong communities that can bring down and negatively affect their idols. However, as more social platforms are introduced, how and when will it end?

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C

S hild tar

Is is acceptable to wear children’s clothes as a fully grown woman?

QTĎ€ explores the reasons as to why the childrenswear market is booming and who, and why, is buying it.

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T

hrough my teen years, I remember finding it particularly difficult to find clothes. At 14/15, I didn’t want to be in cutesy, frilly childrenswear, but couldn’t quite fit into adult’s clothes like the majority of my friends could. Not tiny, but certainly not tall, when I first started high school at the age of 11 I had to wear an age 6 school skirt. When I look back now, I guess it was quite cute and/or funny, but at the time I remember being quite embarrassed by the fact that I wasn’t big enough to fit into women’s clothes, let alone the size of my age.

Within the past ten years, since my schoolwear fiasco, childrenswear has taken one hell of a turn for the better. I don’t know if someone complained, or someone took the reins and made an executive decision to change it once and for all, but whatever happened, we can all be thankful. Little girls’ outfits no longer consist of chunky opaque tights, cardigans and pinafores; pre-teens can now dress in clothes that are on trend, comfortable and flattering. And the best part? So can you.

More and more childrenswear retailers are upping their game and designing their child ranges very similar to they way they’re creating their womenswear collections, meaning you can wriggle into girls’ clothes and still look the part.

Like my school skirt nightmare, the sizing is all out. Most childrenswear ranges go up to an age 14 or age 16, but this isn’t as clear as it sounds. I know that I am a size 8 in most women’s clothes, yet in girls’ I can be anywhere between age 12

and 15, but this is a good thing, meaning if you’re a size 12 you can still fit in childrenswear.

And the real bonus of wearing children’s clothes? The price. Not only are kids clothes cheaper than adults, but they’re also VAT free, which means you can say goodbye to paying 20% to the government every time you hit the high street. So the clothes you want,VAT free, and they fit you, what’s the catch? Well it’s very unlikely that you’re going to wriggle into a pair of children’s jeans, unlike women’s trousers, they’re not built for bums and hips. But when that’s the only catch, there’s no complaining when it comes to shopping in the children’s section.

I recently went to buy a pair of trainers, and I am a UK size 5/6. To play it safe, I was going to have to buy the men’s pair in a size 6, which was £72. However, I then realised that the junior sizes go up to a 5.5, which was a better fit, and only £45. With only half a size difference, there is no question as to whether to pay the full price, or just £45.

So many designer brands are creating or expanding their kids’ collections that it’s becoming more and more enticing to get involved.

Marc Jacobs, Chloe and Burberry all do children’s collections fit for any relatively petite female; and when the main collections are just that bit too expensive, it means that buying into the brand is cheaper and more accessible.

These collections draw direct inspiration and vision from the mainline collections of

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the brands, meaning you can still dress how you want to, but for a slice of the price. And in the same way the womenswear works, different childrenswear designers cater for different tastes and trends, so from Wildfox Kids to John Galliano Kids, all tastes are covered.

2013 saw the first ever Global Kids Fashion Week, where designers collated from all over the world in London to showcase their child-sized collections.

Held and received in the same way as any other fashion week, GKFW really brought childrenswear into the fashion industry and away from its prior aesthetic (no more unfitted dresses and thick tights). The luxury childrenswear market in the UK is already worth £500 million in the UK, and AlexandAlexa.com’s GKFW strives to expose and promote the childrenswear industry and showcase it the same way as womenswear.

The designer roster at the event attractedsome of fashion’s biggest names with their little ones in tow, including Jemma Kidd, Portia Freeman and Charlotte Tilbury. So if it’s good enough for the likes of the Beckham kids, surely it’s good enough for you?

The kids’ market is becoming so enticing that a whole new breed of women is buying into it. Now this is by no means a new thing, but the alteration in girlswear styling has created an opportunity for women to have the choice between ladieswear and childrenswear.

But buying into the kids’ market has some-

-what of a stigma attached to it. If you’ve ever (wrongfully) watched an episode of Gok where his “project” has worn kids clothes, you’ll see how he feels that it signifies somewhat of a quarter-to-mid-life-crisis. A lot of people believe the same, and feel that women buy into childrenswear to grasp onto their youth and make themselves feel younger.

But how much of that is true? Fair enough, we’ve all probably seen someone who is a culprit of this, but a mid-life-crisis is not the only thing now alluring women into the girls’ department; especially when you can now look like a woman despite wearing children’s clothes.

H&M is a trailblazer in this movement within childrenswear, and their expansion of standalone Kids stores has brought the accessibility of stylish childrenswear to women worldwide. Their collections are so similar to their mainline collections, that no one would tell the difference, especially when label doesn’t even say H&M Kids. Even their campaign (bottom right) doesn’t look like a kidswear advert.

So I think it’s safe to say that it is definitely ok for adults to wear children’s clothes, and it is without doubt becoming not only acceptable, but also cool. When buying into high-end brands is made easier by lower prices, who can complain? And who can deny that kidswear is the way forward?

Fight the state of the economic climate by buying what you want for half the price and still feed your fashion hunger.

Models from Global Kids Fashion Week

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hite dw k an eater, w P in an s ragl 9 £7.9 Pink ombre sp orts leggings, £12 .99

Polka print bomber jacket, £17.99

e glitTurquois 6.99 ter bag, £

Black zip leggings, £7.99

t Leopard prin 9 .9 jacket, £17

All available at H&M Kids and HM.com

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Pastel ice cream locks and super cute puppies. what could be cuter?

W P

& igs

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ups

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RS alph’s Rant

Observations and opinions from the cutest Chihuahua in town. Be it fashion, lifestyle or dog-style, Ralph’s got something to say.

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Check out our top 4 apps for the coolest, cutest digital content on the market.

From photography to games, keep it cute on your smartphone.

CA ute

pps

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1 Name: Nail Salon Price: Free About: hand paint and embellish nails on a virtual hand to create various nail art designs. In-App purchases are also available to purchase extra gems and embellishments.

3 Name: LINE Camera Price: Free About: Take photos via the app then add various filters and light reections, the cover in graphics including gems, studs and type.

2 Name: Hello Kitty Camera Price: ÂŁ2.99 About: Take photos via the app and watch it detect the faces in the photo and applies Sanrio style graphics to create super cute photos.

4 Name: Kaleido Lens Price: Free About: create beautiful and abstract kaleidospopal images from your albums or new photos via the app camera.

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N it

ail As nail art takes centre stage in the beauty world, we talk to the women making it happen.

As girls worlwide are grafting on their art QT π finds out why.

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D

uring the past 5 years, nail art has expanded and swept the fashion industry off its feet. It no longer belongs in cheap nail shops with garish designs, but on the runway and hands of inuential women worldwide. After being thrusted into the limelight, girls from all over have taken up on the art and have turned to the Internet to showcase their talents and talons.

As social networking is expanding daily, so is the amount of users using it as a platform to express their work and creativity. These women have formed an online community, whereby great work is commended and credited and others appreciate and are inspired by the work posted online.

The days of ‘just’ being a nail technician are over, and a new breed have moved in with more than just technical ability. The process is considered and valued as artistry, which has built a perfect nurturing environment for this type of work.

Women from all corners of the world are creating and exhibiting their skills, and turning their passion into their career. This has brought these strong women to a point where they can create a livelihood by following their dreams.

We wanted to salute the girls who are making it work and achieving their goals and dreams by grafting with passion.

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AIN

Name: Isis Nicole Crystal Marshall, but I go by Isis Nicole.

Age: 22 Location: I am currently in the Midwest! Many miles away.

Occupation: Writer

1)What draws you into the nail art community?

This is a tough but great question. I think the endless amount of creativity keeps me in. I love to discover new, raw, talent. You know, like the new girls on the nail scene stepping out from their studios or salons, who get lost in the Internet- particularly the Tumblrsphere. It’s kind of hard to summarize the feeling I get but I’ll try.

It’s like my heart starts pumping and my eyes start glowing when I come across a cutting-edge artist, especially one who’s down to be interviewed by me. That’s the best part of being a Nail Porn star on the other side of the globe. I’m also drawn in because I get to know nail artists on a personal level and I’m amazed at their ambition.

2)Why is Nail Art so important to you, and how long have you been involved?

I’ve always been fascinated with nail art. Growing up I would see my grandmother and her friends keep their nails done, then during my mom’s college days (around 1997) as a side hustle, she would do nails on campus. As an African-American, I feel that nail art has always been a fashion statement in the black community. Now that high fashion has taken it to higher heights, the general public has become more accepting to the form of expression, and I’m happy it’s continuing to catch on. I suppose on a more technical level of involvement, I would say 2008-2009 was when I actually got the courage to start blogging different nail art.

And then from there, I was asked to join Sophy Robson’s Nail Porn blog. Prior to that I would stalk a former women’s streetwear collective The Brownbabies LA for nails which in turn led me to M.I.S.S., and before I knew it, I was connecting more and more people. Sometimes I wonder how I am able to connect so strongly with influencers like Sophy Robson and DISCO Nail. I mean, these women are game chang-

icole

sis

The fficianado

-ers! But I’m starting to practice this new mantra where instead of asking why, I say why not.

3)Who’re My list

your 3 is way

fave nail artists? longer than 3!

4)Tell us about Nailgasm and what it meant to be involved..

NAILgasm is this incredibly dope nail art documentary by Ayla Montgomery. We were connected via the Internet (not the group, but the world wide web), she told me about how she wanted to make her project, and I asked to help. The opportunity still means the world to me, I mean she flew me out to London and she’s always giving me props in the press! What I love about Ayla (also known as Brass) is that she just goes for it. When she has an idea she attacks it at full force. She taught me a lot, and I love seeing her progress.

5)Tell us about Tipsy Zine, and it’s concept/meaning..

Tipsy Zine is an indie nail art magazine that I helped create with Astrowifey. I had just graduated from college, earned my BA in journalism, when the opportunity presented itself. Astrowifey was into my style of writing and asked me to join her, so I became the co-editor, and it’s been growing ever since. I have learned a lot about myself as a writer and a young woman through Tipsy in such a short amount of time, which I find very valuable. I had managed to somehow create content to fill up a magazine which I had no idea was in me. Alongside composing stories, quizzes, and interviews, my favorite part has been scouting different contributors who are also writers, from all around the world. I mean just crazy communications stuff that makes me so proud, like my girl Binti who did a French to English translation with a nail company called Nailmatic. Before Tipsy I had always been assigned stories that were either hard news, music related, or opinion columns, so it was a refreshing challenge to be part of something that’s really the first of its kind. What Tipsy means to me is like a total inebriation off of nails. It’s meant to be this tangible nail feed---in other words having a few nail nerds do all the nail hunting so

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you don’t have to! As a writer and a fan, I feel it’s important to have a sweet escape. When you look at something you should be able to enjoy it. So I hope people have been able to sit back relax, and see what’s poppin in the nail world.

6)Have you tried to do nail art yourself?

I have! It was pretty tacky, but I tried! It was a sunrise-sunset thing I had the urge to make on some press on’s one night. In college I also placed some crystals on this girls manicure and she gave me money. But that was it. I do not identify as a nail artist in any shape or form. I just get my nailsdid because I’ve been spoiled with such dope art.

“These women are game changers. But I’m starting to practice this new mantra where instead of asking why, I say why not.”

- Isis Nicole 8)What’s in the future for Isis Nicole?

Well, I just launched a colouring book called That’s Totally IN! The Adventures of Isis Nicole Illustrated by Sara M. Lyons that features these rated R for nudity kawaii nail art decals, so we’ll see how people take to it. I’d also like to do more directing. Other than that lot’s of things are in my future. Things I can’t even speak on, so in the words of lady Robson, you’re just going to have to watch this space!

Follow Isis on Twitter: @isisnicole Tumblr: isisnicole.com Insta: @theisisnicole

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5

Nail Artists

you should know

London

Chicago

Astro Wifey a s t r o w i f e y. t u m b l r. c o m

Madeline Poole M P n a i l s . c o m

Sophy Robson s o s o f l y. t u m b l r. c o m

Chicago

Tokyo Disco Nail d i s c o - t o k y o . c o m

Spifster Nails s p i f s t e r. t u m b l r. c o m

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MC y y

utie

pon

Ponies, nails and the cutest accessories; what more could a girl ask for?

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Cr C ute o

ringe

?

How much is too much when piling on the cute? We look into who and how to stay cute, yet cool.

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f you’ve purchased this magazine, then you undoubtedly have a love of cute things, and an eye for an aesthetic of this style; but while living your life though this aesthetic can be a good thing, there is such a thing as overdoing it. But how much is too much?

The odd flash of pink in your outfit, or a cutesy phone case hints at your love of cuteness, but can you pile on the pink and still look cool? Or are you creeping your way to cringe?

Thanks to our Nicki (left), I think it’s safe to say that there is definitely a limit as to how much cute you can wear, and looking like a Japanese version of Buckaroo isn’t really “a look” this season.

Fair enough that you want to express what you find aesthetically pleasing through your style choices, but we need to create a boundary within this grey area that can turn cute into “can you not”. Wearing cutesy clothes are portrayed (by the untrained, uninterested eye) as childish and garish, yet balanced and styled carefully, you can create beautiful ensembles with exciting statement pieces.

From person to person, this boundary and grey area is moveable, and what can be considered too much for one could be acceptable for another, and the key is to find the right balance for you. As the majority of the style we deem cute is an influence from the far east, you can imagine the slimming of the gene pool by the time it reaches us in the west; but how diluted is our style in comparison?

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Photos flood the Internet of kawaii Harajuku girls, head to toe in frills, pink and accessories fit for a 5 year old, which on the streets of Tokyo is fine. Yet when we channel this look directly as opposed to influence western style with this look, we come up with something that just isn’t what you planned or asked for.

At some time, we’ve all asked “who styled her?” as some celebrities have really, really made errors that deserve a dismissal of the stylist, but you don’t want that sort of criticism when you’re out in town, especially when you don’t have a stylist to blame it all on. So we’ve decided to come up with 5 rules to help you to avoid ending up in this situation, without having to ditch the style you long for.

1) Do not wear more than one piece of the same colour (unless it’s black or white) 2) The key is accessories, not clothes.

3) You want to look like you pulled your outfit from a wardrobe, not a fancy dress chest.

4) If you think it’s too much, it probably is.

5) Before you leave the house, take off the last accessory you put on, a la Coco Chanel.

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