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Trend /trɛnd/
noun 1. a general direction in which something is developing or changing. 2. a fashion.
verb 1. change or develop in a general direction. 2. (of a topic) be the subject of many posts on a social media website or application within a short period of time.
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INCLINATION
INCLINATIO INCLINATIO
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INC INC
INCLINATION
ON ON
CLINATION CLINATION
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CONTENTS THINK 11 AN ERA OF EDITING 17 BACK OF THE LINE
CHAT 30 KIM K VS FAST FASHION
LISTEN 38 BEHIND THE TURNTABLES
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FROM THE EDITOR The word “trend” adopts many different interpretations, it is defined as a direction in which something is developing or changing. The term “trending” has emerged into our daily vocabulary through the evolution of social media within our generation and translates to the interest of a topic which recurs over social media platforms. Blend publication is a platform of expression, covering a broad range of topics including fashion, music, popular culture and lifestyle. As Blend are all about covering the topics you care about it was only fitting that our first edition was themed “Trend”. Each article within this issue is about a topic which was trending on social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, over the current months.
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THiNk
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THiNk EDITING OUR APPEARANCE EDITING OUR BODIES EDITING OUR MINDS
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AN ERA OF EDITING
of “beautiful” people in
of a social-media star
“beautiful” clothes living
from their Instagram and
a “beautiful” life.
next to it the unedited
If you’re anything like
version.These comparison
me, it can be so easy to
images are shocking but
compare your features
enough to give any of us a
and lifestyles to their
reassuring sigh of relief
perfect ones. Although
as we observe the original
there is nothing wrong with
body shapes and features
lusting over another’s
of these girls are a lot
appearances it becomes an
more realistic before the
issue when what we are
Photoshopped version. Some
comparing ourselves to is
images show little change:
an unrealistic expectation.
smoother skin, a rounder
media has practically
The ultimate illusion of
bum or even more plumped
become a necessity, it’s
social media is all very
lips, however on others
guilty pleasure that
real, it’s so easy to look
it is almost unfathomable
we can’t seem to drop.
at an image and perceive
that the unedited photo
Avocado Social Online
it to be the real deal,
even depicts the same
explained “UK social media
however this is not the
person. The page hosts
usage hit an all-time
case.With over 100 thousand
pictures of some familiar
high at the beginning of
followers on Instagram,
faces of reality stars
2018, with a hefty 83%
Beauty.False is an
such as Kady McDermott and
of the adult population
Instagram account with one
Tyne-Lexi Clarson, as well
now tweeting, ‘gramming,
mission only, which is to
as Instagram icons Tammy
snapping and liking on
debunk the false aesthetics
Hembrow and Sahara Ray.
one or more channels”.
of these Instagram models
This page has a phenomenal
Whether your platform
we so desperately aspire
follower to following
of choice is Instagram,
to be. Beauty.False
ratio, following only a
Twitter or Pinterest, our
doesn’t feel the need for
measly 6 accounts including
brains are constantly fed
an excessive bio simply
fellow exposing pages
with endorphin-releasing
stating “Celebrities
“exposingcelebsurgery” and
online content. The daily
look like this. We know
“fakegirlsfvckya”.
feed of social media
the truth”, and this
sites averagely consists
truth they are more than
refreshing and comforting
of a few funny videos
willing to share. The
to know that these models
of animals, a handful of
page displays a glorious
are not all they seem to
scenic photography pics
array of comparison style
be, it begs some calls for
and an overwhelming number
collage posts with an image
concern.
In our generation, social
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While this page is
THiNK
BY LOIS WANDLESS
Most importantly it
Priory Group explains
really be content with
shows us that some of us
that over 1.6 million
ourselves. It’s easy to
are destroying our self-
people in the UK struggle
absorb ourselves in this
esteem over a perfect
with eating disorders.
world of social media and
aesthetic that doesn’t
However, with even social
perceive what we want to
even exist in the first
media influencers feeling
from one simple image but
place. Today unrealistic
under pressure to airbrush
it’s important to remember
body expectations are not
their looks the real
that everyone is portraying
unheard of, it feels like
question is why are our
their best self to social
everywhere we look there
collective expectations so
media whether they realise
are images of tormenting
high? It can be debated
it or not.
ideals. These fake
that if mainstream media
aesthetic goals can be
didn’t portray such
known for photoshopping
more damaging than we may
unrealistic ideals then
their images but many
think with eating disorders
maybe we would lower
fashion retailers also.
becoming more prevalent and
our self-expectations,
an influx in people wanting
however, it may just be
retailers such as ASOS
cosmetic surgery.
impossible for us to ever
and H&M are utilising
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Not only celebrities are
However, fashion
their position in the fashion industry to make a movement towards realistic imagery. It has been at least a few years since ASOS began displaying imagery of bikini models, with unedited stretch marks and acne scars, as well as H&M joining this movement last year. ASOS is also
renowned by Twitter
users for its diverse use of different sized models, with a curvy range and the models who ar1 e displayed as a part of this are also untouched by Photoshop. Although ASOS and H&M are not the first brands to embrace unedited imagery, they are providing more positive message within the industry. These retailers are making incremental progress into how women’s bodies are represented, looking to the future it is hopeful that other brands can follow in these footsteps.
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STYLE
STYLE STYLE
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STYLE
STYLE STYLE 15
THiNk
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BACK OF THE LINE: WHY IS MENTAL HEALTH STILL NOT THE PRIORITY? BY LOIS WANDLESS
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THiNk
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A
recent study by
BBC has investigated the increase of mental health problems in our country. It is no shock that mental health problems are notably on the increase BBC claims this could be due to “Economic uncertainty, social media, the influence of the media and rising expectations of what life should be like”. BBC also explains that mental-health problems usually begin within young ages in the UK, with half of mentalhealth problems being established by 14 and three quarters by the age of 24. Although these problems begin at a young age, The Children’s society explain that “70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age”. This is due to the UK’s declining mental health services, BBC explains that although £1.28 billion has been earmarked for the services between 2015 to 2011, in fact 40% of
mental health trusts have seen their budgets cut since 2015.The impacts of cut funding is proving harsh on our country; some patients are waiting up to a year for an appointment with a counsellor and others being discharged from hospitals for being “too complex” for the NHS to aid. The BBC describes mental health to be “the poor cousin compared to the spending on physical ailments” with 23% of NHS activity being taken up by mental illness and only 11% of funding being given. With the lack of money or time to be given for people requesting counsellors or therapists it is no wonder that an increasing number of patients are being prescribed to medication. Doctors are becoming more likely to prescribe antidepressants for a longer period with research suggesting it is the most effective way of treating patients, however more patients are reporting that they are not receiving effective help. The cuts
THiNk 19
* Name has been changed to protect identity
ď ľ The cut to mental health funds within the UK have not gone unnoticed with many people feeling that the support they are given is weak. In the era of the social media rise many people have taken to social media to voice their opinions about mental health services. With many of these opinions being negative I wanted to further explore the depth of another’s experiences. I spoke to Hannah* after he posted an interesting tweet expressing their concern with their experiences and the services.
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What experiences have you personally went through with mental health services? Do you feel that mental health services go far enough to help people who are struggling in the UK? I feel that medication and talking services are the only thing offered to those struggling at the minute, which are not good enough for me personally. Furthermore, I think talking therapies are very successful and helpful for those with minor mental
How do you feel personally about the current state of mental health services within the UK? I think the mental health services in the UK are the worst they have ever been. It is so clear as a person who has been in and out of different mental health services over time that there is not enough funding or help for those suffering with mental health and unfortunately I feel that I will only get taken seriously if I am at a high
health issues, however the services provided are currently not sufficient enough to help those suffering with problems worse than this. In my own experience, being offered talking therapies for severe mental health problems has only had a detrimental effect on my mental health. If you are one of those fortunate enough to be offered therapy, the waiting list can be so long that there is a risk your mental health can deteriorate over this time.
I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with professionals in relation to my mental health. The most common one from doctors in the past is that I am too “normal and functioning� to be diagnosed with a personality disorder, despite symptoms ruining my everyday life. In my opinion GPs do not have enough knowledge on mental health. I have mentioned my suicidal thoughts to the doctors many times for them to be brushed off as normal due to my medical history. It took me seven years of different therapies and medication to be accepted for a proper assessment by the community mental health team for a diagnosis, something I had been aware I needed for years. The assessment I had was another bad experience, after discussing a lot of personal things that I found difficult I was not taken as seriously as I believe I should have been.
risk to myself.
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“
At the end of this
assessment I was left hysterically crying to a doctor because I was so scared about what I was
How do your poor experiences with these doctors and services make you feel?
going to do. I received little sympathy and was
I’ve got to the point
allowed to leave when I
where I have almost given
was clearly in a unhealthy
up with the doctors and
mental condition. I later
mental health services
received a letter with a
for now because every
broad diagnosis of traits
appointment I get rejected
of a personality disorder
or let down. This makes
which included a lot of
me feel 100 times worse,
mistakes about this I
I always leave much more
discussed.
upset than before I arrived. I think this is
This was a year ago
one of the worst things
and although I am on
about mental health but
a waiting list for an
fortunately for me I am
educational group I have
used to this. However, I
had no help for this since
hate to think what could
the diagnosis. Another
happen if someone had built
unacceptable thing I
up the courage to get help
have experienced, more
for them to be turned away.
than once, is a lot of
As this has been the case
my referrals being lost
for me many times I know
within different services
it leaves you feeling like
and miscommunication about
there is absolutely no help
important information. I
at all.
waiting lists more than once due to a mistake with my referral, something that I expected would have been dealt with more seriously.
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“
have had to join numerous
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Our struggling mental
many independent services
health services are just
outside of the NHS that
a minor aspect of the
offer support and work
issues faced by the health
tirelessly to help those in
services in our country.
need. Below listed are a
However, with mental
few services and helplines
health being valued as
which offer advice and
important as physical
support; let’s talk more.
health why does government funding not represent this? We are lucky enough to live in a generation where we are promoted to talk about our problems we may be struggling with mentally. There is a lot of acceptance and time given by others in terms
Samaritans call 116 123 (free from any phone) SANEline call 0300 304 7000 (4:30pm - 10.30pm) If you identify as a male call the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) 0800 58 58 58
of mental health, however are we promoted to do this to support our failing mental health services? Campaigns advocate us to talk to one another and support each other but there is only so far this help can go when there is a lack of professional help to support this. If the nature of themes within this article have impacted, you don’t feel helpless in terms of mental health services. There are
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If you’re a student look on the Nightline website to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am - 10pm everyday) Phone operators all identify as LGBT+
SHIFT
SHIFT SHIFT
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SHIFT
SHIFT SHIFT
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CHaT
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CHaT
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As Kim is such a pivotal
This back and forth saga
cog in the fashion
started with Kim throwing
industry’s engine it is
a jab at fast fashion
undoubtable that many fast
brands after posting a
fashion brands such as
photo in a beautiful dress
Missguided, Pretty Little
designed by her husband
Thing and ASOS all soak up
Kanye. She captioned the
the trend indication she
photo “Going through old
oozes. The change within
fitting pics & found this
the fast fashion industry
gold look that Kanye made
throughout the past few
for me for my Miami trip
years has seen a shift from
last summer (I went w the
classic and simple options
neon vibes instead) P.S.
to quick fix trends that
fast fashion brands, can
debatably, one of the
have flown straight from the
you please wait until I
biggest fashion icons of
Instagram explore page.
wear this in real life
our time. She has a hefty
Brands such as FashionNova
before you knock it off?”.
number of trends she has
and Missguided pride
The light-hearted comment
set under her belt, from
themselves on duplicating
was clearly not taken well
fronting her husband’s
a celebrity look within
by Missguided, as they
brand Yeezy to breaking
a matter of days, if not
launched an exact knock off
the beauty industry with
even hours, take Kylie
of the gold number within
her KKW range. With almost
Jenner’s birthday outfits
a day of Kim’s post. In
130 million followers on
for example, knock off
the United States clothing
Instagram it seems that Mrs
looks were made available
designs are legally allowed
Kardashian West, along with
on FashionNova within the
to be duplicated without
the rest of the Kardashian
next day.
permission from the
KIM K VS FAST FASHION BY LOIS WANDLESS
K
im Kardashian is,
clan, is a key indicator
original source. Unlike
as to what trends we
other creative industries,
need to be watching. The
While the relationship
like the music industry,
reality star has seamlessly
between the fashion
fashion is not protected
worked her way up into the
retailers and Kim has
adequately under the
fashion game from rebooting
often been cosy, with the
American copyright law.
Balmain’s brand image and
retailers adding fuel to
Due to this FashionNova
being a head influencer
her fashion reigning fire,
is seemingly untouchable
for brands such as Louis
Kim has begun to take
by law, however brands
Vuitton and Versace.
insult from the fashion
like Missguided and Pretty
brands.
Little Thing are not.
CHaT 31
In a now deleted post,
Diet-Prada, an Instagram
It’s questionable
Missguided shared an image
account who debunks
whether Mrs Kardashian
of a copycat version
fashion copycats, posted
West is yet to call out
of the gold Yeezy dress
an interesting theory on
FashionNova because of the
and captioned it “The
the whole Kardashian Vs
brand’s relationship with
devil works hard but
FashionNova saga. After
her sisters or even the
Missguided works harder. @
FashionNova managed to
promotional relationship
KimKardashian you’ve only
produce a knock off Thierry
with the brand that
got a few days before
Mugler dress that Kim had
increases her publicity.
this drops online”. Kim
worn just the night before,
They say that copying is
was certainly triggered
the watchdog Instagram
the highest form flattery,
by this post and on the
account suggested that for
but these brands have
20th of February she
FashionNova to achieve this
finally crossed the line
filed a formal complaint
there may some help from
for Kim.
in California federal
Mrs KW herself. The post
court against Missguided.
displays images from the
As Kim has provided her
FashionNova shoot of the
services of being an
dress where the dress has
unwilling spokesperson
been called “The Kim Dress”
for Missguided’s copycat
after then being changed
products she is expecting a
to “Winning Beauty Cut Out
payback from the brand of
Gown” when released online.
“no less than 10 million
The theory that Kim could
dollars”, based on the fact
be working secretly with
that brands usually pay
FashionNova is not vastly
her millions for long-term
unlikely when other members
partnerships. Missguided,
of the Kardashian family
who previously had a whole
are big influencers for the
section of their website
brand already. However,
devoted to Kim’s look even
Kim was quick to deny any
calling it “Crushin’ on
allegations and accused
Kim”, has now removed all
the fast fashion brands of
evidence of style stealing
stealing designer’s profit.
from the mogul. The lawsuit has shaken Missguided but has led to many others conspiring about why FashionNova hasn’t also taken such a hit.
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BEHIND THE TURNTABLES BY LOIS WANDLESS
parties from Ibiza to Bali
fallen by 2% from 2017,
ranging from £10 to £100
this begs the question
for tickets.
is the industry on the decline?
It’s been reported by the International Music Summit
Pete Tong, DJ and co-
(IMS) that the value of
founder of the IMS, told
the global electronic
Music Week he believes the
dance music industry
bubble of the dance music
has evolved from the
was $7.3 billion at the
industry is “punctured” but
underground 1980’s illegal
end of 2018. The music
not “burst”. He followed
rave scene to futuristic
event industry thrives
this up by explaining “The
festivals drawing in crowds
increasingly especially
party’s over, it’s now time
of hundreds of thousands
during summer with weekend
to really get your hands
of dance music fanatics.
long festivals filled with
dirty, get back to work and
Ask anyone in the UK aged
thousands, not only are the
look after this business
40 - 50 about dance music
event organisers to profit
you’ve built for this level
and they’ll explain the
massively but also the DJs
and get it to the next
roots of the culture with
playing there. With names
phase”. As many inspired
gatherings of thousands
such as Calvin Harris
dance music lovers are
attending to escape the
earning almost $50 million
gaining accessibility to
mainstream clubbing scene
a year and DJ’s such as
music production equipment
and explore the genre of
Sven Vath and Carl Cox
the number of aspiring DJs
acid house. The UK was not
earning up to $30,000 for
and event producers is on
alone in experiencing the
one set in Ibiza, it is no
the rise, resulting in a
influx of electronic dance
wonder that the industry
populated industry. With
music, becoming a worldwide
has blossomed over the past
this being said, Blend
movement from house music
3 decades.
spoke to one third of
D
ance music culture
breaking through in Chicago
party-starting collective
and the undeniable techno
Quest 808, Patrick, to
presence in Berlin. From
However, the $7.3 billion
find out why he feels the
underground movements the
worth of the electronic
industry is so attractive
electronic music scene
dance music industry has
and what it means to part of such a saturated market.
broke through into mass mainstream culture with
39
ď ľ What does dance music
culture mean to you?
DJing. It was never an aspiration to become a professional DJ but I just
For me personally,
called Quest 808. Our aim is to bring a
felt I knew so much about
more refreshing programmed
dance music is a way of
the music industry and had
event while recognising
disconnecting from the
such a huge interest in a
new-school talents as
realities of everyday life,
number of different genres
well as celebrating some
a chance to escape all the
of music that learning how
of the early pioneers of
pressures and problems we
to mix just felt like the
the scene. In the near
regularly have to contend
next step in the process.
18 months we have been
with. Nightclubs, raves,
After playing out a few
operating we have brought
festivals and wherever else
times around Newcastle, I
a whole host of top-
we can find are all regular
felt that my opportunities
class DJs to play for the
places where we like to
were limited due to
first time in the city,
venture out, let loose and
certain monopolies in the
Nicolas Lutz, Voigtmann,
express ourselves fully.
city, and I also felt the
and Carista to name a
Life can sometimes be tough
scene lacked some sense
few! Running these events
but when in the middle of a
of authenticity, with a
has also given ourselves
dancefloor, we are able to
lot of similar, repetitive
a platform to play and
feel at one with the music
bookings. Certain bookings
showcase our own talents.
and feel all our struggles
were coming back to the 2
float away, that is until
or 3 times a year, making
the inevitable point when
the local scene a lot more
the music turns off and the
predictable and therefore
lights turn on!
a lot more boring to be a
Why do you feel that many people are beginning to join this industry?
part of. Music lovers want to see variety, they want
What inspired you to join the industry?
The music scene has
to see people play who
become a lot more
they never thought they’d
accessible in recent years
get to see before, they
with the rising amounts of
don’t want to see Solardo
DJ and production equipment
festivals regularly for a
for the seventh time this
on offer in the market. It
few years, it was only a
year. Therefore, along with
has become a lot cheaper
matter of time before I
two others, I decided to
to start DJing with the
decided I wanted to start
start my own events company
invention of DJ controllers
After going to events and
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and CDJs. Before the rise in the ever-digital world, technology was a lot more expensive and not many
What do you think the reasons are for the increasing amounts of events and festivals?
people could afford to buy turntables and every track
I feel like many people
people running events for purely financial reasons.
Looking to the future, how sustainable do you feel this industry is?
they wanted on vinyl.
are attracted to joining
It took a lot more time
the industry based on
and effort to build up a
financial reasons. With
due to popularity in the
record collection, with
soaring ticket prices for
industry are making the
hours of digging across
many events and festivals,
music scene less and less
various record stores to
it seems like many people
sustainable. With huge
be done. Nowadays people
are trying to cash in
booking fees and contract
can buy tracks online for
on the industry which is
deals in place for most
a relatively cheap cost
leading to a saturated and
artists, all costs are
and have them downloaded
‘lazy’ market. By lazy I
having to be paid by
and ready to play within
mean that there is a lot
promoters, leaving many
a matter of seconds.
less thought going into
with a slim chance of being
Personally, I feel that
the programming of events,
able to break even. As
with more producers and
with many repetitive
the industry is becoming
DJs as the industry begins
bookings from promoters
more saturated with an
to grow, the more music is
who want to make a quick
influx of new producers and
available to us, whether
pound. Furthermore, many
DJs the money to invest
that be in digital or vinyl
festivals have practically
into market is becoming
format. The increasing
the same line ups year in,
further stretched, this
amounts of music available
year out. This leads to a
teamed with the increasing
can surely only be a
huge drop in variety and
costs could be detrimental
positive thing in helping
makes the scene a lot more
for the scene. Although,
producers to get the
boring to be a part of.
I like to believe that
recognition they deserve,
However, I have no doubt
increase in new entrants to
while also providing more
that there are still huge
industry and the increasing
music for DJs alike to mix.
numbers of people putting
prices only represents
on events and parties for
the popularity and future
the love of the music but
growth of the dance music
unfortunately there is an
industry.
ever-increasing number of
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Ever-increasing prices
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MOVEMENT
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