THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
ISSUE 04 1
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE Editor Julia Robson Graphic Designer Lauren Chalmers Project Managers Camilla Butler Special Projects Manager, LCF Jason Oakley-Cleife Resettlement Officer, HMP Send
*Sir John Cass’s Foundation is an independent grant making charity that supports a wide range of educational establishments, which bear the name of the Founder, in addition to special educational projects, including those focussing on prisoner education, as well as grants and bursaries for students in London. The Foundation takes its name from Sir John Cass (1661-1718) who was a City of London politician and philanthropist. It is pleased to be supporting this publication and to have been involved in this award winning project from its inception in 2009.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
CONTRIBUTORS HMP Send Amanda, Andréia, Akila, Amie, April, Bianca, Charlotte, Charlotte C, Chloe, Dawn, Ella, Elizabeth, Emma, Jane, Joanne, Keely, Pippa, Rachel, Shelon, Sophie, Susie, Victoria
London College Of Fashion Ruby Abbiss BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism Isabel Calabria BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism Camilla Gee BA (Hons) BA(Hons) Fashion Journalism Hanna Ollivier de Leth BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism Frankie Lee BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism Ryan Lee Vincent BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism
With special thanks to Sir John Cass’s Foundation* Professor Frances Corner OBE, Head of LCF, Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London Carlene Dixon Governor, HMP Send
Dave Charity Acting Governor, HMP Send Josephine Collins Course Leader, BA (Hons) Fashion Journalism, London College of Fashion Rebecca Doolan Social Responsibility Team Administrator, LCF Ruth Eardley CM, HMP Send Sara Ginley Officer, HMP Send Tony Glenville Creative Director, LCF Barbara Jones Enrichment Activities Lead, HMP Send Glynis Maher BA: People Hub
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Kelly Nethercoat Head of Reducing Reoffending, HMP Send Gary Pritchard Acting Head of Security & Operations, HMP Send Claire Swift Director of Social Responsibility, LCF David Swinburne Hub Manager, HMP Send www.catwalking.com
Guest Lecturers Deborah Bee and Harrods Magazine Caryn Franklin Jane Lyle Kath Melandri Denise Reeves Carl Stanley Joe Toronka Dr Hannah Zeilig
Photography Ryan Saradjola BA (Hons) Fashion Photography Tuo Yi BA (Hons) Fashion Photography
Illustration Talisa Piggott | @talisadanielle BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Embroidery Dave John | www.dave-john.com BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Print
All the HMP minibus drivers, everybody working on the gate at HMP Send and all the officers who helped during workshops, the photo shoot and the project.
Printed by HMP Coldingley Printshop
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Welcome to the fourth issue of The Beauty’s Inside, a unique collaboration between London College of Fashion and HMP Send.
What does colour mean to you? A question that came up on the initial brainstorming session went on to start something of an ongoing theme for issue 4.
and advertising; fashion journalist and editor, Deborah Bee, who works for luxury store, Harrods, gave us an intriguing insider’s view on fashion shoots (her favourite being one with Will.i.am). We also learnt about the complexities of living within an ageing population from one of the UK’s leading experts on the subject, Dr Hannah Zeilig; and how astrology works from guru, Jane Lyle.
From exploring the diversity of the colour spectrum itself – given HMP Send’s link with art - to loving (or hating) pink - or regulation prison greens - has been explored in these pages. Even the main fashion shoot sees hot, tropical colour where you’d least expect it (in the gardens which became the backdrop for our photo-shoot!). Flashes of bright colour feature in Sports Luxe, a fashion story prisoners and students felt passionately about.
One of the highlights of the project is always our fashion shoot. This time we had professional fashion stylist, Joe Toronka, to help, along with the brilliant hair and make-up artist, Carl Stanley, who used his talents to bring out the best in us.
And colour, from a race and culture perspective, is also a topic that got us talking, in particular the differences between white and black skin (and the gradient shades of black skin) - and hair.
I hope this issue effectively underlines the breadth of talent, style and wisdom within the Send community. Several features showcase how prisoners have used their time constructively, learning new skills, languages, taking on responsibility by becoming reps and helping others on projects such as, Keep Out. By reading their experiences you can’t help but feel inspired.
The diversity of women at Send is crucial to creating it’s unique and creative community. Here, women keep themselves busy not just working (or even working out in the gym) but working on themselves. The fruits of many of their labours are showcased within this magazine, which is once again funded by Sir John Cass’s Foundation* This magazine represents several months of Wednesday afternoon workshops where participants from Send and LCF students work together to generate ideas.
Enjoy your magazine, which benefits from some great writing and reporting thanks to students and resident aspiring writers, artists, poets and creators. Thanks to all who contributed in every - and any - way. This magazine is dedicated to all who want to make a difference and change their lives…for the better.
Guests who joined us included fashion guru, Caryn Franklin, who talked about taking a pro-active stance towards challenging stereotypical body image in fashion
Julia Robson Editor
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THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF COLOUR THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
WORDS BY RYAN LEE VINCENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SARADJOLA
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‘What’s your favourite colour?’ is probably one of the first questions we get asked as children. Choosing becomes one of the most essential parts of our emerging personality during childhood and early school years. Colour is often left as just that – whether its green, pink or orange - but the power of colour goes way beyond which one you wear the most, or which one matches your eyes. Colour is a shared experience that conjures up memories and sensations crossing cultural and social barriers both as a contrived device for communication and as a naturally occurring, free-flowing ethereal object. Advertisers and marketers would have you thinking blue sells, red attracts new customers, yellow’s a turn-off and so on but if truth be told, colour is about as subjective an experience as experiences get. Centuries of cultural appropriation of colour have constructed such a complex system of colour interpretation that reading colours is an exercise almost as arbitrary as reading star signs. Where the truth really lies is in the wavelengths; a bit of science that goes a long way. Red, associated with attraction, lust, love and all those fiery emotions, isn’t just that way because fire is hot and red. Red hues have the longest wavelength and therefore reach our eyes first; grabbing our attention and making anything red appear closer. Warning signs, stop signs and fire exits are red exactly for this reason. On the other end of the spectrum, violet has the shortest wavelength and takes that little bit longer to recognise and register, making it a calmer less intrusive colour. Violet and deep purples are associated with intellectualism, spiritualism and royalty, as that little bit of extra awareness signifies a higher level of thought! Green, smack dab in the centre of the spectrum doesn’t make our eyes adjust at all; it’s a perfectly neutral colour. Peace, serenity
and balance are all associated with green to echo this sense of stability and neutrality.
The Meaning Of Colour
The science behind the meaning of colour makes it seem like colour interpretation isn’t so arbitrary after all; there must be something to it if there’s science behind it, right?
Red Embodies passion, love and lust. In a negative light, the colour of war and blood, used to commemorate service to one’s country.
People have done a lot over the years to push their own interpretations into more objective reasoning behind the meanings of colours. Not surprisingly, a lot of these are in line with those nifty titbits on wavelengths (but some are just ridiculous). Colour has had its fair share of contention to it as well. As the source of cultural feuds, the shade of fear and hate, prejudice and injustice. The interpretation of colour has proved a dangerous social tool. The branding of colour as the definition of value for a race or an individual has displayed the humanconstructed power of colour at its absolute worst. Taking anything at face value is dangerous. Turned on its head, the diversity of the human race can reinforce the power of colour as a positive thing: the beauty and variety of the natural world embodied in the diversity of the human race. From complex theories on colour from a scientific and psychological perspective, to looser interpretations based purely on feeling and association, colour means a lot of things.
Orange The colour of playfulness and delight, used to signify youthfullness and physical comfort.
Yellow As the colour of sunshine, is generally associated with hope and happiness. Oddly enough, yellow is also seen as a colour of deceit and cowardice.
Green The colour of peace, serenity and balance, used to signify mindfulness of the environment.
Teal Lying between blue and green, teal is seen as a colour of life and calm and is associated with creativity and idealism.
Colour is a celebration - the purples, greens and golds of Mardi Gras, the tropical tones of Carnival, the confetti popping and firework blasting of US Independence Day on July 4th or November 5th’s Bonfire Night.
Blue The colour of sea and sky, blue is seen as a colour of depth, loyalty and integrity making it a popular choice for brand logos.
Colour is pride - the red white and blue of the Union Jack, the rainbow stripes of LGBTQ advocates and supporters, the countless colours of flags around the world.
Violet Violet is associated with intellectualism, spiritualism and royalty as well as higher levels of thought and creativity.
Colour is yours - the colour of your eyes, your skin, your favourite colour, the colour of your favourite clothes, the colour of your love, your sadness, your happiness, your joy and your power - it’s yours to use and yours to love.
Purple A mix of fierce red and calm blue, purple is a balance of spirituality and physicality also seen as a colour of luxury and wealth.
Apart from whatever wavelengths or theorists have to tell you, colour is a tool everyone is given to use as they please and its power is as undeniable as it is beautiful. 3
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VISITING TIME WORDS BY CAMILLA GEE
The way you dress - whether you intend it to or not – sends out a coded message to others about you. So here’s some advice on what to wear for those important days when looking great means so much and not just to you… Although most of the time we adapt our clothes to suit our environment or daily tasks, looking chic 24/7 is tiring; and unless you are the type who enjoys prancing around in front of the mirror, pointless. Dressing to impress for a particular occasion, one that can have repercussions if not enough thought and care are put into it, however, is a different case entirely. Knowing what to wear for visiting time can be a particularly complex scenario for women at HMP Send. “All the girls know when someone else has a visit,” says, Keely, raising an eyebrow… wisely. “They can tell. The girls will compliment each other.” She continues, explaining a kind of invisible support system that every prisoner will appreciate.
your hair and make-up and looking like you’ve “let go” can set off worries, so too can going the other way. Visits from family and friends can act as a lifeline. They can also give a chance - and reason - for women to dress to impress in their own unique way. To get much needed compliments to boost self-esteem and feel good about yourself and ‘normal’. But they can also be stressful too. Trying to convince those who know you the best that everything is fine (when it’s not) requires a lot of effort. Which is why so many prisoners opt for some kind of a balance. Comfort dressing is an agreed part of life at Send. Most women will dress firstly for comfort
There is a large acceptance within the prison that most women will go that extra mile to make more of an effort for visits than if it were just an ordinary day. “We will see other women getting really dressed up,” says Charlotte. “They will be going to the salon, getting their hair and eyelashes done. I definitely make more effort with my hair and make-up.”
“Perfect hair and make-up, in particular, play a big part in how women reassure loved ones that they are okay and coping.”
Perfect hair and make-up, in particular, play a big part in how women reassure loved ones that they are okay and coping. “I feel like this helps my family to feel I am doing well,” explains Charlotte who takes particular care with her cosmetics and hair when seeing loved ones. “I don’t necessarily wear anything special. I used to but not anymore.” Charlotte hints just as by visibly not making an effort in
rather than opting for something drastic, or experimenting with a new high fashion look. The onsite clothing boutique, Sendsations, helps. Although prisoners may tell you this doesn’t necessarily have the most choice (“it’s a bit hit and miss” admits Keely), bearing in mind clothes have to last, it more than serves
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its purpose in terms of everyday, dressy and casualwear. “I mostly wear jeans for comfort with a designer top for visits,” Keely reveals. “I wouldn’t normally wear the top around the prison any other time. It’s a working prison so you don’t get the time to wear that sort of thing.” Elizabeth agrees. “I will wear jeans to be comfy,” adding, “but you tend to keep your best clothes for a visit”. Keely also reiterates how she feels it is important for her to give serious thought about choosing to wear that special top with jeans, to send out the message to her family that she is coping well. “I will also always do my make-up and lashes. Most of the girls do that too.” At Send because visiting times vary and can be held on different days, it’s easy to spot who is expecting a visit – as well as who is not. Sadly not everyone at Send gets visits. One prisoner in this situation explains why she has chosen not to. “I don’t want my family to see me in here,” she explains. To her, prison is not the right environment for her family to be in or to see her in. If you share her opinion or, for whatever reason, do not have visits, there is still a way to have visitors. The chapel can arrange for a volunteer to come in and see women who want to but do not have regular visits. (They are also able to help you to find someone to write letters to, if you prefer this). And can organise the same visitor every time. Which begs the question, how might you dress for a volunteer visitor? I’d say, dress to impress - even if it’s only to impress yourself.
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LEARNING ARABIC WORDS BY JOANNE
Being in prison is difficult. Learning something new is a way to challenge yourself, take your mind off things and come up with something positive you can do on your own.
I decided to learn a new language: Arabic. Its fun and tests your mental ability. Having a good memory helps but isn’t vital. Remembering the alphabet is the hardest part. I have pinned mine on the wall. Putting words into sentences to speak does make it easier and gives a sense of achievement.
A special thank you to sister Fatima, for her time and patience. To find out more about learning languages speak to your offender supervisor and the education department who will deal with applications for this.
Thank you SHUHKRAN
Hello MARHABA
Goodbye MA’A SALAMA
Please MIN FUDLUK [m] / MIN FUDLIK [f]
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A MORE EVEN PLAYING FIELD WORDS BY APRIL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TUO YI
I became the Black Ethnic Minorities Rep to represent the views and specifically the needs of a group that make up roughly around 26% of prisoners at Send. Surprisingly it’s a diverse community in here but there wasn’t a BME rep, although other smaller minorities seemed to have someone.
I put in my application after going to a meeting with prisoners where the lack of skin products for black skin, particularly lack of make-up foundation and hair products available, came up. If you are mixed race, dual heritage or black, tending to your hair is a cultural issue. Also, even though we are classed as just one group under BME we come from many different cultures. The way a Black British woman would wear a wig, say, is different from other races and how they do their hair. If you are mixed race you have various types of hair type as well as skin tones. One of the things that came out of this meeting was how the (synthetic) hair you can buy as weaves aren’t specified in terms of 12” or 16”. Hair and skin products for Black women are specific. Also Black people’s skin can be very sensitive, you need cocoa butter to moisturize. Depending on your type of hair, you need a product to keep it moisturized. The problem is that a lot of officers dealing with this are mostly men. If you say to a man you need make-up they think it’s a vanity thing. I know this is prison. I know it’s not a hotel but this is about BME people getting what they need. Not what they want. This is not about eyelashes. It’s about correct skin
products for skin. It’s not even about makeup although that’s a sore point. Presently there is only one colour of foundation suitable for Black skin: Beige. Not even two you could mix together. There are three places you look when you see a person: head (so face and hair), then hands and feet. Products on the list should represent the needs of all women here. If there were a better mix of stuff it would allow women to be more confident, feel they are being supported and start to feel better.
“What I’ve learned is that a rep’s job is about listening, as much as talking and to both sides too”
The lack of products is having a negative impact in many ways. Say if your family are used to seeing you dressed up looking tidy and wearing make-up and then you turn up for visits wearing no make-up and looking pale and like a vampire, the message to your family is: I’m not coping. They worry. This impacts on the prisoner and family.
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There’s also the issue of saving up to buy things. The goal is to get yourself looking good; it’s about greater selfesteem, confidence, and caring about your appearance. I’m 25 and I know having confidence in my appearance is really important. Much more so than if you were older. Saving creates a duck and dive situation and makes it hard. I know people who go without ‘burn’, phone credit and juice to save up to buy Avon. Some items take a long time to arrive. We have a focus group every three months. I’ve only been to one meeting so far. I offer peer support to everyone that falls under the BME category and who comes to the meeting to raise issues. Right now I’m trying to explain to the Safer Custody Manager that power pick attachments for hairdryers on blocks would be really time saving. I am putting this to them and helping to educate about Black hair care. What I’ve learned is that a rep’s job is about listening, as much as talking and to both sides too. It’s important to explain why women feel the way they do and explain it in a way so everyone understands each other. I have to negotiate… get my foot in the door. Reason with people. Be fair. Ultimately, a fairer playing field is what everyone is after.
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ROMANY WORDS BY KEELY
Coming to terms with a prison sentence and finding yourself alone, when you are used to the safety and sanctuary of your community, can be a terrifying experience. One prisoner who hails from a travelling background, has used her time constructively, and found opportunities and ways to help herself and other women overcome challenges.
I wanted to write an article for this year’s magazine because I had so much fun modelling in a fashion shoot for last year’s The Beauty’s Inside magazine. I loved the pictures that appeared and talking to other women in prison about it. I wanted to pass on a message to any other gypsy and traveller girls reading this about taking up opportunities like this. I come from a very old traditional Romany Gypsy family. I have been married to my husband since I was 16 years old and have 4 beautiful tikners (children). But I have never been alone. I have never been without my family, where all decisions are made together, usually by elders in my family.
originate from West India; our language is a cross between Indian, Egyptian and slang. Like Indian girls, we also are not meant to cut our hair. We have never been locked up not even as children. The country was our playground. We freely roamed the world. Obviously I was drawn to other gypsy girls whose upbringing was the same as mine but I found I could get on with non-travelling people and even surprisingly with governors (officers) as we are brought up never to trust a uniform.
You never disagree. So I wasn’t sure how I was going to cope with a prison sentence being without my family. I was for the first time in my life alone and surrounded by Gorjas (non travelling people) whose traditions, culture; lifestyle and even language was different to mine.
Now I was surrounded by men in uniform but I found a new confidence in myself. I found I could make my own decisions. First I signed up to do the beauty therapy course for 15 months. I studied beauty and I am now a qualified beautician, which is a big achievement for a gypsy girl, as I haven’t had too much schooling. They found I was dyslexic but that’s okay. Now there are four travelling girls enrolled on a beauty course.
The women in the gypsy community are brought up to take care of their husbands and to cook and clean. The men work, protect and provide. Men and women don’t socialize together. Don’t sit in the pub together. The men are with the men. The women are with the women. I know many non-travelling people don’t understand this but it has worked for us for hundreds of years. We
I also became the gypsy and traveller rep in the prison about ten months ago. I had to convince them that they needed a rep. At safer custody meetings I would get really nervous but because I want to get things done I had to stand up for others and myself. I accept there is good and bad in every culture but even in prison there is a trust issue with traveller women. One of the travelling girls wanted to
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apply for a floristry course and needed to write 500 words to support her application. When she asked me for help, I told her to start off by saying she was from a travelling community. She said, “I can’t say that! “And I told her, ‘I used to say that. But now it’s the first thing I say, because it defines who I am.’ I helped her write the 500 words and when it was finished she said, ‘How did you know how to do this?’ I don’t know how… I just knew. It comes from understanding who you are. My aim as a rep was to get staff to get cultural training so that no issues surrounding travellers would be twisted and we would have the same opportunities available to us. I wanted to go about it properly. It was also to do with being constructive with my time. I have fought for things like the gypsy and traveller girls being allowed to have two bowls, one for washing cutlery and plates, and one for hand washing. As gypsy girls, you are brought up never to mix bowls as it’s thought to be mogerty (dirty). So ask for your other bowl girls. Romany gypsys even have their own flag. So I just want to say to any gypsy or traveller girls reading this: find yourself. Become yourself. Do something with your time. This is your time. Just because you haven’t done it before, doesn’t mean you can’t. We are very special people after all.
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STAYING POSITIVE WORDS BY SOPHIE
As the saying goes – beauty comes from within. I believe that image plays an important role in our day-to-day lives and brings out the best in us. Here’s how image and faith can help transform you to be more positive and confident.
When you step out, people will judge you firstly by the way you look, dress and by the way you present yourself. Either by communication, or the way you relate to others with your body language. But it doesn’t have to be about other people’s opinions about you. Positive self-image should give you a good feeling, which will surface on the outside as well as a positive and confident person who is comfortable in your own skin. This sort of positive attitude gives you good energy left over to shine on you and others. Positive attitude makes you ooze with optimism no matter what situation you are going through. I know it might not be easy especially when one is facing trials like the one we are all in but from my experience it’s worth trying because it has increased my confidence and given me strength to carry on shining, smiling and encouraging others. It feels good when people compliment and appreciate you. It affirms the result of your image. We all know that we have limited resources to help us improve our image but when I get good, complimentary comments by even people who come from outside to visit, it encourages me to keep on working on my positive image. The feel good factor makes me pass my positive energy to others by contributing goodness and being
a blessing because not everyone has the positive energy within them as we are all created differently. Sometimes a kind and positive word may heal and bless. Through this experience I have promised myself one thing “they can label me but they will not take my peace and soul away.” I am still standing full of hope throughout this experience. Another very important factor that helps me is my faith. Through my faith and by God’s grace, I have learnt how to be patient, kind, loving, peaceful and hopeful - which is not easy in prison. God has, against all odds, given me strength to help where I can help and encourage others who are finding it hard to cope. I have come to be positive. I believe I am the master of my fate and the captain of my destiny. Behind every real glory there is a real and solid story – sometimes of painful waiting, labouring and tears but I know that my God is on my side. I will bounce back as every setback is a fresh set-up. I am not one of those who gives up easily. Winners stand out and never give up. Life is what you make it. So I will take this experience as a blessing. I have achieved a lot through staying positive. In turn this will keep me positive with my future plans, ideas and career projects.
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Tips on staying positive Take a real interest in others and what they have to say. Be truly happy for others achievements. Have genuine body language, warm hugs, real smiles and inquisitive eyes. Make others feel at ease with positive energy and reserve judgement. Celebrate others successes in the same way you celebrate your own. Lastly ladies, appreciate the gift of life because we are strong and unbreakable.
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PRISON UNIFORM DIY WORDS BY ROWENA PHOTOGRAPHY BY TUO YI
Are prison greens giving you the blues? Think all uniforms look the same? You can still be unique wearing yours. Comfortable being judged as someone who has lost their identity or having their image ruined? Or, faced with a fashion challenge, are you someone who will use uniform as a starting point to enhance and bring out their own style, perhaps? It can help reveal your artistic vision and show off your knowledge of trends and that you are streetwise (even if you’re not!). You can’t change the uniform but you can make subtle changes to how you wear that uniform. The stylish results will boost your self-esteem without making you feel you are dressing up for the wrong reasons. It will still be practical, right? This is adapting fashion to suit yourself and your surroundings. There is nothing wrong with having to comply with rules or a dress code. Just get into the mindset that you are making your own mark and giving prison uniform your own personal take. Remember to get your swag on and stay confident. The uniform may be the same but you are an individual.
1. Roll Up Roll Up
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oll back the sleeves of the t-shirt and then R tuck in. Work the boy/girl androgyny trend by using different coloured laces for dark, heavy prison issue boots. Also try braiding hair. 2. Prettify Get you in a pretty dress. Polish prison boots with hair conditioner for a great shine. Use pink laces or put lace tops around socks. You could ruff up your hair or tie with a ribbon or clip. This looks best with little or no make up. Let your skin breathe and allow the sun and wind to caress your skin. Feel fresh. 3. Orange Is The New Black Wear the colour that rocked the AW15/16 catwalks everyday everywhere with the regulation orange hood jacket. HMP Send’s own. Team with navy blue bottoms and baby blue vest stamped in bold print emblazoned with SEND (as if you and others didn’t already know where you were!) Wear with prison boots. Rough up your hair and tie in a ribbon or clip. Also make sure you use sun factor cream to moisturise dry skin. Be natural. Let your skin glow and use feminine power to sizzle with glamour. And most of all have a great day.
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“The uniform may be the same but you really are an individual.”
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Rowena’s Fashion Rules Shoes Buy decent footwear that can dress up or down. Like a great pair of loafers or thick crepe sole ankle boots. This can save you money in the long run. Quality pays for itself. Two pairs of good shoes and one pair of trainers will be a smart investment. Colour Think carefully about what matches or co-ordinates rather than your favourite shades. Stick to three principle colours, like blues, greys or blacks, which will blend in with most other colours. Keep it simple: Invest in key items such as one cardigan, jumper, or sweat tops or trousers. Outfits that can fulfill multiple occasions. Mix N Match Have at least two or three outfits for ‘best’ but make sure they can mix and match. Like two pairs of trousers, a t-shirt, great blouse, beautiful dress and cardigan or jacket. Three outfits and a good attempt at mix and match.
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Make Up Buy quality from Avon. It may take a few months to build up your make up bag but it will be worth it. Quality make up lasts longer and you shouldn’t have to use so much. Buy decent single brushes for applying powders to get an even look. Use sponges to apply foundation for smoothness. Good lipstick will only need applying once – enough for that visit. Clumpfree mascara lets you flutter your lashes feels good and looks good. Ultimately this will give you confidence. Shopping at Sendsations New jeans here cost around £10 or under. Two t-shirts at £8 or less. Or try the secondhand rails. Here you get jumpers, t-shirts, tops, jeans, trousers, skirts and dresses, even nightwear, all £15 or under. All beautifully washed and ironed. You may be lucky with footwear and pick up some £10 bargain shoes. Sizes permitting.
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FEMCORE IS THE NEW FEMININITY WORDS BY RUBY ABBISS
As Feminism becomes ever more popular in 21st century conversations, the term ‘femininity’ has changed. So much so, a new type of feminine dressing has evolved: Femcore.
Femininity is, and always has been, a constantly evolving notion. Gender and sexuality are viewed now more than ever as a liquid form, similar to a spectrum, as opposed to the black and white view we had in yesteryears. However, even though attitudes have progressed more in line with the modern age, women are still struggling with the idea they have to dress a certain way to be truly considered ‘feminine’. In the Jazz Age during the 1920’s, bobbed haircuts and dropped waists were all the rage as femininity took on an androgynous approach. Fast forward to 1947 and Christian Dior was telling women to re-lace their corsets and wear full-figured dresses to keep in line with his ‘New Look’ – the term used for the new femininity of the time. Since then, the Western world has lived through a multitude of ‘femininities’ and multiple waves of feminism. One would be led to think that times have changed since the 20th Century, that women could wear what they wanted and no longer fear judgement. Nevertheless, women are still fighting for equal rights. Feminist movements such as ‘Free the Nipple’ and ‘He for She’ have received huge amounts of support from both women and men globally, publicising the difficulties women still face in society. Perhaps it was this new wave of Feminism that gave birth to Femcore. Or perhaps it wasn’t? However, no one can deny the change we have seen in the way women dress. Femcore is the new term to define the way women such as Phoebe Philo (creative director of Céline) and Penny Martin
(editor-in-chief of The Gentlewoman) dress. However, Philo was definitely the pioneer of this form of expression. Laid-back, sexy, whilst still taking itself seriously, Femcore is the very definition of the women of our age. Joe Toronka, celebrity stylist, believes Femcore is directly linked to women wearing the designs of other women, automatically making them feel good: “women designing sexy for women, rather than men designing sexy for women.” Essentially, it is the love child of the 1980s power-suits, 1920s flapper dressing and a huge dash of modernity. Think smart with a hint of sexy. Rachel, from HMP Send, describes her take on Femcore as: “you dress this way because you are showing you are about more than just what you look like.” Being more than what you look like comprise the building blocks you’ll need. Derived from ‘normcore’ - the term used to describe the trend of wearing unpretentious, averagelooking clothes - Femcore brings out the personality of the wearer just by allowing it to shine through.
TYPICAL STYLE OF THE 1920s
How to do femcore?
This femininity doesn’t overbear the wearer, nor does it even attempt to distract from their personality, its true aim being to compliment. “It is giving you more choice, it’s not like that old secretary look,” explains Rachel.
A typical outfit for a woman embracing Femcore is a trouser suit with a crisp white shirt. Styling is key: leave behind those 1980s shoulder pads and style your shirt as you like. Unbuttoned just enough to allow a flash of a lacy (obviously not underwired) bra; untuck the button-hole half of the shirt and allow it to hang free or even just wear your shirt with a gorgeous neck-tie, either way there is room for creativity and expression.
This was Philo’s exact aim when designing for Céline. She refers to her collections as “a wardrobe, a practical ABC of clothes” which, by definition, makes it easier for women to dress themselves for the complexity of life.
And ultimately, this is what Femcore is all about: expression. Letting go of what society, fashion journalists and any other person tells you to wear and dressing for the modern, beautiful woman you are is the epitome of this movement.
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FASHION PEOPLE
Deborah Bee is the director of Creative Marketing for London luxury store Harrods. She is responsible for store ‘themes’ and is Editor-in-Chief of all in-house publications. She studied fashion journalism at Central Saint Martins and has reported on fashion for The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph. She worked on British Vogue and has edited several magazines including Scene and Nova. What was the first article you wrote? “My first published article took me a week to write…and was rubbish!” Now the hardest part of my job is finding good writers. Explain your job and what you are responsible for? I’ve been Editor-in-Chief of Harrods publishing for several years and my remit now includes a wider influence over all written and visual communications, including a number of media and digital platforms, from Apps to content for iPads and in-store plasma screens. I come up with the overall creative tone of “voice” for the store. I head up a publishing team of around 37. We create 10 monthly fashion/lifestyle titles, 2 interior titles, 2 men’s magazines, 2 travel journals and a fine jewellery magazine. What is the most fashion-focussed part of your job? Harrods magazine is the “edgiest” marketing tool that the store has. It’s funded by advertising. The inside front cover alone would cost many thousands of pounds to place an advert.
What makes Harrods unique? We don’t just sell expensive gifts, our customers want integrity…something unique. They are always interested in knowing where something was made, who by, how long. The magazine is not so much about selling as to inspire and inform. We get customers coming in with a page from the magazine wanting that very dress, or an entire set of table wear. They love beautiful things but quality is vital. How do you put your own stamp on Harrods magazines? I have a list of words that I don’t allow to be used in print such as “stunning” “nice” or “exquisite”. We call them empty adjectives – words that don’t really mean anything. If something is stunning – what makes it stunning? Write that instead. Another rule is that they never begin a feature about a brand with the brand name. You have to be more inventive. 16
What is the most interesting fact about Harrods? It is like an iceberg. There are 8 floors above ground and 7 floors beneath it! It was the first store to have escalators in the world. When ladies first used the escalators they were given a stiff drink at the top – to recover themselves. That doesn’t happen now. How do you start to come up with ideas for issues for Harrods magazine? Each issue contains an interview with a leading actress or celebrity. The most interesting person I’ve met recently is Will I Am. When he got to the studio for the fasion shoot he started riding around the set on a bicycle. He was so full of energy. Exactly like he is on TV.” *Deborah came in to HMP Send and told us about her life and work. Harrods also gifted many inspiring magazines to our project. For this we’d like to say “Thank you!”
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INTERVIEWS BY AMIE AND CHLOE
“To feel good about yourself is one key to success and positive thinking also takes you there.”
Joe Toronka is a professional creative fashion stylist and has been doing this for 15 years. Joe also teaches at London College of Fashion. He works with celebrity clients all over the world including in the USA.
Carl Stanley is a professional hair and make up artist with over 20 years experience working with celebrities including Katie Price and Lauren Goodwell, to name just a few. Carl’s memoir ‘Kiss and Make Up’ is out now.
What’s the best part of your job? Teaching at London College of Fashion is very rewarding. I also do music videos and red carpet events, which are a lot of fun. What’s the most important thing to you? Knowledge. Developing knowledge is key. What don’t you like about your job? I don’t like the celebrity bullshit, the people around celebrities cause most of it. What does it take to be a stylist? You have a passion for fashion, which is dynamic and so must keep up with the changes and be organised.You also need a strong personality to deal with people’s egos. How and why did you become a stylist? I worked as a PR and worked my way up. Honestly, I started doing styling because I enjoy the creative side. As for the teaching… I like to pass on knowledge. Why did you decide to come here to HMP Send today? Curiosity. I wanted to see how much this project empowered the women. Positivity is one way to allow yourself a chance. To feel good about yourself is one key to success and positive thinking also takes you there.
Who has been your most entertaining client? Jerry Hall (model and former wife of Mick Jagger). She’s super glamorous and funny. She exaggerates her Texan accent and is very camp – like a Drag Queen! You’ve also worked with Margaret Thatcher? I started working with her through a friend. She was a photographer and lucky for me, Mrs Thatcher just happened to like me and I stayed working with her.
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Who is most annoying to work with? Sophie Anderton, the model and reality TV star. She’s such a drama queen! One time she arrived 6 hours late for a shoot. She’s very rude and not pleasant to work with. TOWIE’s Lauren Goodger and Katie Price are also a pain to work with. How do you keep calm with people who are quite hard to work with? If people are really vile, I stick my make-up brushes in my mouth when they’ve got their eyes closed. How does it feel coming to HMP Send and doing the girls’ make-up? Coming to the prison and doing make up is no different from working with famous people. Your job as a make-up artist is to relax people, make people feel comfortable.
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WHAT IS YOUR PASSION? WORDS BY EMMA
I asked the question “what is your passion?” because as I was looking around at the women and staff here at HMP Send and wondering “what are they passionate about?” and “What drives them every day?”
Passion [noun] · [countable, uncountable] a very strong feeling of love, hatred, anger, enthusiasm, etc. She argued her case with considerable passion. Passions were running high at the meeting. · [singular] (formal) a state of being very angry synonym rage. She flies into a passion if anyone even mentions his name. · [uncountable] passion (for somebody) a very strong feeling of sexual love. His passion for her made him blind to everything else. · [countable] passion (for something) a very strong feeling of liking something; a hobby, an activity, etc. that you like very much. The English have a passion for gardens. Music is a passion with him.
The most enjoyable part of asking everyone here the question was being given a chance to share in their enthusiasm! I got the chance to see each person I ask glow and their eyes sparkle a little as they told me about their passion. They became very animated and excited and it made me smile while I listened to their answer. From asking one simple question I got drawn into a long conversation about their chosen subject.
“Getting to produce something from a blank bit of fabric gives me sense of pride in my achievement.” I found with most of the people I asked, four subjects came up a lot. And these were: ‘family’ and ‘children’, and also ‘reading’ and ‘cooking’. I was surprised by some very unexpected answers. I have chosen a few of my favourite ‘what is your passion’ answers to share with you, together with quotes from people I asked. CW: Philosophy It gets your mind going. It asks questions and doesn’t take anything for granted. It’s how we should be in this day and age. Philosophy can be applied to every aspect of life.
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RB: Cooking It’s because I cook with love. I want people to enjoy what I’m cooking and I can experiment with flavours. I get the time to go into my own world when I’m cooking and for me it’s also very therapeutic. SB: Tour de France I love the Tour de France cycling race. I love watching it on TV. The atmosphere is amazing. The different riders and what they go through to win that race. Five hours riding and that’s a short stage! KS: Reading Reading takes me to another place. It’s a form of escapism for me. I’ll read anything but I’m really into fantasy (zombie) books. For me it’s also a way to gain knowledge and it helps me to relax. DL: Recycling It’s about making something out of nothing. Re-using anything and everything. Seeing what you can achieve for free. ME: Sewing I asked myself the same question I had asked other people and for me it’s sewing in all forms. Getting to produce something from a blank bit of fabric gives me sense of pride in my achievement. I want all of you who I didn’t get to ask to put the question to yourself – what are you passionate about?
Images courtesy of Koestler Trust
A ‘CUSHIE’ IDEA WORDS BY EMMA
Part of the joy of working in textiles is that our tutor, Jane, likes to encourage us to take part in the “Koestler Awards” every year. Up until now, we have declined. This year however when the subject came up again, the six of us looked at each other and said: “yes”! We sat down with Jane and had a discussion first about what form the piece would take, then whether we were going to do a patchwork quilt, wall hanging or cushions? As a collective we all said, ‘we’d like to do
cushions.’ The next stage was to work out what we all wanted to do! We batted around a few ideas, then the signs of the zodiac came up and we jumped on it… This was a project we could all get involved in, and it could be split six ways. We were going to do two cushions each. We looked at the different versions of styles of signs and decided on one that was recognisable as the signs of the zodiac. Twelve zodiac signs later, our tutor suggested that we make our cushions from recycled jeans. We loved the idea. When it came down to who was going to do which sign, luckily, we all knew the two signs we wanted to do and there weren’t any arguments. The good thing about doing our own cushions is that we get to put our own individual stamp on them. So we all designed our cushions and then we all made our patterns and off we went. Some of us did hand embroidery. Some used the felting machine. Others used sequins and ‘Angelina’ fibres (loose, fine fibres gathered and sewn into the design). When the front of the cushions were done, our tutor suggested that the cushions be fully piped to give them a more luxurious look. We all rolled our eyes 19
because we all hate piping. One of the women very kindly offered to pipe all 12 cushions and that took a large portion of the stress out of finishing the cushions. Once the piping was done and the backs put on and filled with cushion pads, we all stood back and admired our handy work. We were all very pleased with the finished product. You could see each person’s individual touches to their own cushion. We couldn’t stop looking at them. Anyone who saw them first looked for their own sign and then wanted them. All we have got to do now is see how well they do in the competition; and if anyone falls in love with them and wants to buy them. I know we each got a lot from making them and are very proud of our achievement. Joining textiles requires you to initially make an application which must be approved by your offender supervisor within Offender Management Unit (OMU – responsible for prisoners sentencing calculations, release dates, ROTL etc) who will assess your needs and suitability and forward recommendations on to the activity board.
WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SARADJOLA
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KEEP OUT: THE CRIME DIVERSION SCHEME WORDS BY RACHEL
Keep Out is a Crime Diversion Scheme for girls, aged 13-17, who are at risk of entering the Criminal Justice System. Girls from schools, pupil referral units, youth offending teams, family intervention projects and police groups come to HMP Send where they spend a day working with the prisoner team on workshops and victims consequences personal responsibility.
The prisoner team is made up of between three and seven women and has to be flexible to accommodate team members being transferred, released or otherwise unavailable. Applications are considered on a rolling basis. At present, Keep Out is a part-time workplace, running one-day interventions on Mondays and Tuesdays, with Wednesdays one for team training. Plans are in place to move to full time in the next six months. The team will continue to run one-day interventions and will introduce a 6-week programme, aimed at higher risk young women. Groups travel from London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Hertfordshire and their day begins when they arrive at the gate and are told their phones must remain on the minibus. This is their first taste of prison life – giving up precious possessions – and it gives them a tiny sense of what life is like here. Events currently take place in the visits hall and, once the group is in the prison they make their way there, under the watchful eye of Keep Out Support Worker, Zoe. If ROTL approved, a member of the prisoner team can also collect the group from the gate, and this gives them a chance to see how the group behave before they arrive in the visits hall. Often they have ideas about what prisoners look like, wear and talk. Usually they take the ROTL worker for a member of staff and this is not corrected until the group and the team are all together.
“We show young people that their actions create victims, that there are consequences that follow and that they, and only they, are responsible for those actions.” 28
When the girls discover that the Keep Out Team are prisoners their reactions range from shock (“but you look too nice”) to excitement (“you’re really a prisoner?”) Very, very occasionally a young person will admit to being afraid but the team makes every effort to reassure them, directly and through our behaviour and during the Check-in (a workshop about 30 minutes into the day) girls will frequently say things like “I was nervous at first but you’ve all been really nice you’re all just normal people.”
“This is their first taste of prison life – giving up precious possessions – and it gives them a tiny sense of what life is like here.”
Obviously it’s lovely to be complimented this way but the ‘reveal’ also serves a serious purpose. Often, these young women think ‘people like me don’t go to prison’. They think prisoners are harsh, tattooed maniacs or that they can tell crimes by looking at us. The fact that we’re ‘normal’ but we’re in prison means that maybe it could happen to them, and if they don’t want that they need to look at their decision-making. Decision-making is at the heart of what Keep Out does. The team have all made mistakes. We’re all paying for them. We’re not in a position to lecture young people on what they should do, and we don’t do that. What we do is hold up a mirror – we show young people that their actions create victims, that there are consequences that follow their actions, and that they, and only they, are responsible for those actions. We strongly encourage them to seek support and to feel empowered to make good decisions for themselves and their futures. We don’t tell them what to do. We tell them, ‘its up to you’.
KeepOut achievements
Statistics 2013-14
• Maintained stable prisoner team with the majority of the team members during the year working for KeepOut for longer than 9 months.
Young People
• Increased bookings and achieved annual target number of young people participating in one-day interventions. • Encouraged and supported all KeepOut team members who have been selected to complete NVQ Level 3 in Advice and Guidance with St Giles Trust. • Negotiated with the Prison a Community Worker so the KeepOut team members attaining ROTL (Release On Temporary Licence) status can continue to work for KeepOut. • Established effective working together partnership with St Giles Trust and the Prison. • Commenced the process of review and researching needs of girls and young women who attend KeepOut programmes.
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• 64 groups brought young women to participate in the one-day interventions. • 395 young women attended one-day interventions. Prisoners • 10 female prisoners worked on the scheme. • 3 prisoners attained ROTL status. • 3 prisoners successfully gained parole and have been transferred to Open prisons. • 6 prisoners completed their sentences and have been released. • 5 prisoners completed lvel 3 Advice and Guidance qualification with St Giles Trust.
Information sessions for profosssionals • 4 information sessions have been delivered by prisoner team and staff to 38 professionals interested in bringing young people to events. For further information visit www.crimediversionscheme.org.uk
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YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS WORDS BY ISABEL CALABRIA ILLUSTRATIONS BY TALISA PIGGOTT
Friends are good for the mind, body and soul; and we women are great at it.
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Dr Hannah Zeilig, social gerontologist, came into to HMP Send to talk about her work. She spends her time studying age and the effects of aging in women; and more so, what age and aging means within a social context. During her fascinating talk, Dr Zeilig mentioned that in one study that she had carried out, she found that women tend to age “better” because they formed more effective and long lasting friendships. The presence of friends actually contributed to the psychological ageing process because emotionally women would draw support from each other. In contrast, men are less likely to “open up” about emotions and feelings and thus less likely to form long lasting friendships, especially in old age. This idea of friendship struck us and we wanted to explore further how friends can help with other situations - like prison. Sometimes best friends turn up at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected circumstances. Good friendships are certainly evident throughout Send. Two friendships that we couldn’t ignore within our magazine project are Rachel and Elizabeth, and Shelon and Charlotte. We decided to ask them how and why having a good friend helps them cope. How has having a close friend helped you in the prison setting? Rachel It has helped so much because it is somebody to tell your troubles to. It is someone who you know will always be there and above all else in a place like this it is someone who you can have a laugh with and ultimately release tension. That close friend is someone who you can truly be yourself around in a place that limits that. Elizabeth I have children so it’s someone who I can talk to about my family and my home life. I am going on home leave now so she is someone who I can tell all about it when I get back. She’s done more than just listen; she has educated me in some ways and taught me things that I didn’t know. She is someone to have a laugh with; we have laughed and we have cried. She just makes prison easier and she lifts the mood. It helps to talk about prison and the frustrations that come with it. It works because we are both mindful of each other’s sentences and we help each other.
Shelon For me, it helps every day. Sometimes you can become fed up and emotionally down and speaking to someone who is in the same situation as you, can help to overcome that feeling. Friendship is loyalty so when that loyalty is broken, for me, I take it personally. If that happens, I won’t talk to you. End of. If I call you a friend, I take it seriously; we are in here for a limited amount of time so that friendship will carry on to the outside. It’s very important. Charlotte It’s important to have friendship because as hard as we say we are, you can’t do your sentence without friends to talk to and to listen to you. If you do find genuine friends in jail, it’s special.
“Sometimes best friends turn up at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected circumstances.” How would it be different if you didn’t have that friend? Rachel It would be so much worse. It would make the whole process a lot more gruelling not having a friend there to let it all out to. Elizabeth I just feel like not having that friend could make it all very lonely. Being alone could make your sentence, no matter how long or short, drag and feel like it is lasting a lifetime. Shelon Personally in the start it would have been really hard without a good friend but now that I am nearing the end of my sentence it is less important. In a women’s prison you make friends and break up so that’s not something that I want to go through over and over again. I’m comfortable with my own company now. I need to focus on different things, on getting a job and getting out. It’s time for me to look forward now. Charlotte I think that it’s important not to get too close to someone especially if their sentence is shorter than yours. When that happens they get out and no matter how much they say they’ll stay in contact or visit you it never works out like that, life gets in 31
the way. In prison a lot of people come and go so sometimes, friendship is a delusion. It might have been harder without friends but it doesn’t bother me. It would be hard to not have someone to talk to in times of need. It truly is wonderful to see two people supporting each other through some difficult times but we know all too well that not everyone is that lucky. In times of need sometimes all it takes is a smile as you pass each other, or a ‘how are you?’ at dinner. These little things can change a person’s perspective on the entire day. So when you have a spare second, and you see someone sat alone or looking sad, take a minute to ease their tension, tell them a joke, listen to them or even just ask if they’re okay.
The HMP Send guide to being a good friend: 1 If you see someone has made an effort with their appearance, tell them how nice they look. 2 If it’s clear somebody is going for a visit, wish them luck and offer your kind wishes. 3 If you see someone who is having a bad day, approach them and tell them that everything is going to be okay. Even if you don’t know what’s wrong, sometimes that’s all we need to hear. 4 If you see someone who could use a helping hand, offer it. They may not accept but the offer could mean a tremendous amount. 5 If you haven’t spoken to someone in a while, let them know that you haven’t forgotten about them and are still there if they need you. 6 Smile. Smile at the officers, your peers, your teachers and most importantly take a second to look in the mirror and smile at yourself. Remind yourself that you are okay.
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CARYN FRANKLIN Fashion expert, Caryn Franklin, MBE, came into HMP Send to talk about her life as a style commentator for 34 years. The broadcaster, writer, director and producer, has worked with many major networks to produce TV shows, famously the BBC Clothes Show which ran for 12 years until 1998.
Her interest in body and image politics and selfesteem has seen her travel to war zones, and confronting politicians on mental health issues related to fashion. Her role now is as a fashion activist. Most recently co-founding All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, which promotes diverse beauty ideals. This is what she has to say. “In the 1980’s it didn’t feel like we had the trends conveyor belt we do today. Fashion was a self-belief-system; we used it to say something about ourselves to others. Now that fashion is a money making vehicle for big fashion industrialists, we’ve lost the freedom to enjoy personal styling and individuality. Capitalism and the conveyor belt of trends has removed the freedom to be confident about who we are. New fashion trends often provoke approval seeking from us all. “Have I done it right?” Will the fashion ‘juries’ love me or slate me? It’s all about “Style steal”. Or, “she’s not wearing the right bag with the right shoe and look at her nails!” The celebrity fashion falsehood …that every famous face wearing something fashionable has bought it, when in fact they have been given it to wear or there stylist has borrowed it for them, puts ordinary women under more pressure. Magazines are not working hard enough to bolster self-esteem and promote the products of their advertisers. There is pressure on young women to buy something new every week. Not because it’s a thing of beauty or worth, but because the fast turn over support the business. Primark has no
sell on value in second hand stores. I really shouldn’t get so worked up about it…but I do. Two of the most interesting people I’ve met through my work was the actress, Eartha Kitt, who I interviewed in character...what a marvellous Diva, also the designer, Yves Saint Laurent, was very memorable. He was very humble, post-show, backstage. Fashion designers I admire and have enjoyed interviewing include Vivienne Westwood because she doesn’t ‘edit’ herself – she says it how it is and her designs are more complex in their recognition of the importance of status and signature. Donna Karan and Diane von Furstenberg, both include realism in their designs, they are empathic. Jasper Conran always tells me he is a dressmaker and I like that he is not looking to shock...he does that with his costume commissions for dance companies and keeps it practical on the catwalk. Of course, I also find designers who have a strong visual statement like McQueen, and Galliano, inspiring. They put on theatre with their fashion shows to amplify the emotions we experience around clothes. Designers who push boundaries, like Professor Helen Storey who has developed catalytic clothing and cares about sustainability is crucial... she’s been a mate for 35 years too so I’ve watched her soar! My all time favourite fashion people are founders of i-D Magazine, Terry and Tricia Jones, because they care about people. Terry gave me my first break. 32
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When I started at The BBC Clothes Show, we would put on fashion shows in shopping malls and go into schools. At the time high fashion was not accessible but the Clothes Show changed all that. One of the highlights of my career was taking six lorry loads of second hand clothes to the former Yugoslavia for the Bosnian refugees in a war zone. I can remember the excitement of the teenage boys in particular, sorting through the bales of clothes, which had had any clothes they possessed appropriated by the army. I saw the power of clothes firsthand. Fashion is something we take for granted so much.
“The fashion industry in particular should recognise the psychological impact of its messaging upon the minds of young women.” I’ve spent my career deconstructing fashion. I’m not slavish to fashion. I’m happy with me. Fashion is about telling a story and clothes help me to tell my story. Every brand must have a story too...but it is contracted by advertisers to sell kit...there is a difference and as long as we know that our story is way more important we can use fashion on our terms. I set up All Walks Beyond the Catwalk with co-founders Debra Borne and model Erin O’Connor, to challenge the normative body ideal promoted in fashion. We work with designers, fashion students and colleges, government and industry to question the fashion industry’s dependence on unachievable and limited body and beauty ideals by respecting diversity. When even models don’t look like models, what likeness can real people find within themselves? The fashion industry aims the product at 18-24 year olds but middle-aged women have just as much money to spend. Age and size diversity are crucial things to address. Women’s bodies change and needs to be reflected positively in fashion media. A lot of designers don’t understand how to design for a women’s body because they have only trained on size 8 teenage forms.
Lack of diverse ethnicity is also an issue fashion focuses on a white Western ideal. The fashion industry in particular should recognise the psychological impact of its messaging upon the minds of young women - and men - together with the unprecedented amount of imagery we receive via digital platforms. As women we can’t help but compare ourselves with others. The feminist writer, Susie Orbach, has written in her 2009 book ‘Bodies’, that young women see on average 2000-5000 images every week! This would impact on a young girl’s personal identity. Fashion has a huge impact on young girls’ lives. Media sends out messages to girls from an early age and they are already internalised. I’ve got 2 daughters and spend a lot of time telling them, we/ you are beautiful regardless of how you are evaluated by the outside world. And even more importantly – it’s about what you stand for and what you achieve as a human being that is way more important than your choice of handbag. I call myself a ‘body activist,’ and have always worked in schools and college to bring in a bit of ‘stealth feminism.’ Many adverts send out the wrong messages, even false messages and we just put up with it. MP, Jo Swinson, taught me that we need relatively few complaints to get adverts removed or banned. There is too much digital airbrushing. In many cases a photo is doctored and you see falsification within beauty adverts. She created proper interventions and brought down oppressive adverts. I liked that women got angry about the ‘Beach Body Ready,’ campaign and tore down images on the London tubes. On behalf of the next generation of women, I feel strongly that we must get more involved. It’s a fact that 85% of ‘expert’ commentary in newspapers and magazines and media comes from men. If you were to dissect imagery in the media of men and women you see how many images of women as one-dimensional, objectified, hypersexualised beings, ‘Page 3’ being an obvious example. Fashion perpetuates “this is the way its always been” so there can be no change. So women feel like they can’t have an opinion and they have to go without fashion for their size or 33
shape. Then there are the myths that there are no decent models who are more than a size 10, go round in circles. People who love fashion are all shapes and sized and all skin colours. We also need to challenge sustainability. We need to go to big brands and challenge their exports and the wages they pay workers. We must know more about where clothes are made. I recently went on a trip to Bangladesh and visited families devastated by the Rana Plaza tragedy. In some cases the entire middle tier of the family - the wage earners - had been wiped out. How can they say that fashion has been democratized if there is someone over the other side of the world who is enslaved? This is not democracy. This is slavery. It’s not all bad news. For 20 years fashion has been involved in raising awareness of breast cancer. Fashion can bring about positive change. The developments and acceptance of talking about cancer within women’s magazines and raising funds for cancer could not have happened without fashion. Fashion has the power to ‘embed’ issues into culture. Fashion is an amazing tool with a powerful voice. We all read each other through clothes. Fashion can be used as a healing tool, when women want to enjoy their bodies again after surgery, illness or depression. We want to present our best selves. I’d like to see fashion being used to send messages out about diversity rather than using to objectify or infantalise women. What I say now to students is, it’s over to you… you are the change. Change is good and good change is even better.
Caryn’s fashion tips Always have an opinion. Be authentic. Have ideas. Be polite. Be willing to be part of a team. Encourage others to have great ideas. Always keep a notebook on you. Make lists then tick them off. Do easy jobs first. Always say ‘thank you’.
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SPORTS LUXE WORDS BY FRANCESCA, RACHEL AND ELIZABETH PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SARADJOLA
Sports luxury. Two words that don’t naturally sit together? But this trend is quickly becoming the ‘go-to’ look for accomplishing an effortless and fashion forward appearance. Forget limiting them to the gym. Right now, it’s all about taking your trainers out to the street and wearing them with anything other than active wear. Think vests, bomber jackets and wedged high-top trainers for a wearable look centred on athleticism. From trackstars to rapstars, anyone and everyone is embracing their inner athlete. Most obviously Cara Delevigne, attending the front row of fashion shows clad in yoga pants and stilettos, she is part of the new ‘casualisation’ trend that a lot of celebs seem to be championing. The marriage of sports and fashion first dates back to the 1920s when Coco Chanel popularised a ‘relaxed’ look for women. Creating jersey swimsuits introduced a new look for females and the trend has been on and off the catwalks ever since. Emilio Pucci, a key Italian designer and onetime ski champion (who hailed from Italian aristocracy), came on to the sportswear scene in the 1960s. Abstract ‘Op Art’, kaleidoscopic colours, Psychedelic prints and medieval heraldic banners inspired his popular athletic designs and prints. The 1980s saw designers Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren also embracing leisurewear. Klein’s sportswear was introduced, ranging from high-end to more affordable lines, while Ralph Lauren’s “preppy look”, including casual pique ‘polo’ shirts, became hugely popular.
Back in the 1990s, donning a Juicy Couture tracksuit, a pair of trainers and a baseball cap, was far from glamorous. However, the way we see sportswear has dramatically changed these past few years. The trend has evolved from simple, masculine tees and separates by traditional sportswear brands (Adidas, Fila and Nike), to high-end designers embracing sportswear and incorporating it into main collections with feminine twists, luxurious fabrics and sharp tailoring. From Tommy Hilfiger’s polo shirt and matching tennis style skirt, to jewelled leg warmers by Prada, sports luxe has featured on countless designer catwalks. Alexander Wang, has ushered in a trend known as ‘athleisure’, in particular most recently showcased a number of sports-inspired pieces including neon scuba dresses; heeled trainers and sports mesh fabrics interlaced with sleek tailoring. At the last DKNY runway show, mesh fabrics offered a youthful spin into 1950s inspired midi dresses and skirts, worn with crop tops or bomber jackets and ‘flatform’ trainers, creating an athletic edge to the show. At Topshop Unique, models were styled in scuba dresses and retro-inspired cycling jumpers with full-circle skirts, hot pants or tailored trousers with a side stripe. Proving that this sporty trend can be styled in any way; feminine or androgynous, day or night- this look can also be suited to everyone. Stella McCartney’s collaboration with Adidas began in 2004 with a short run of sportswear. But it was the 2012 Olympics that saw her design the athletic uniforms for the British team that cemented her design career with high performance sportswear. Stella’s twiceyearly collection is now a combination of sport and style with bold branding, explosive colours and fresh prints, redefining sportswear with a brand new approach and blurring the lines between high fashion and gym wear. 34
DKNY S/S 2015
Mary Katrantzou is a more recent high fashion addition to Adidas. Her high definition, blown up prints of details including lace and rivets, give a futuristic feel to tops, leggings and trainers. Knowing how to style this trend is crucial in keeping it fashionable. Sports luxe allows you to blend key statement pieces with sporty classics. Try taking a feminine lace pencil skirt and juxtaposing it with a loose, casual slogan tee, bomber jacket and trainers. Keep jewellery simple and have make-up and hair polished to keep the trend on the right side of luxe (i.e. not lazy!) Sports luxe pieces are known for being wearable with a mix of lightweight fabrics and contrasting textures. The key is in the detail with this trend- look for perforated fabrics, laser cut, neoprene and jersey that give a loose fit, androgynous, oversized shape. Sportswear is accessible, contemporary and comfortable. And in today’s world, what is comfort if not a luxury?
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DESIGNING FOR THE WOMAN MEN WANT TO BE? WORDS BY RYAN LEE VINCENT
Exploring how and why when creating womenswear, a designer’s gender will play a great role in their creative aesthetic. Being a male student at London College of Fashion (LCF) - often dubbed the ‘London College of Females’ by other London universities - is tricky and yet, could fast track my entry ticket into the industry. As one of five guys on a course of nearly sixty studying fashion journalism, there are immediate assumptions made about you - your personality, your sexuality not to mention the occasional misused gender pronoun. However as fashion has been traditionally thought of as a female dominated industry, I couldn’t ask for better training as a man entering a woman’s world. At least, I thought it was a woman’s world. Fashion design courses at LCF have shocking ratios of male-to-female students. Over 70% of fashion graduates are female. However, when it comes to comparing demographics within institutions training up fashion designers, and the designers working within the fashion industry, there’s an anomaly. Sure, there are lots of women working within the $1 trillion dollar industry (according to website, Business of Fashion) but most CEOs, creative directors, MDs and brand executives are men. At Louis Vuitton and Kering those in charge are men-in-suits. In truth, very few women become outright fashion stars in their own right.
Looking at next generation designers emerging fast and furious into the field we’ve got Christopher Kane, J.W. Anderson, Alexander Wang, Olivier Rousteing, Joseph Altuzurra and countless other creatives who are men, most of whom design for women. They join more established players, men like Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs, who have dominated the industry for years. Men who are famous for spectacular runway shows, which are exhibitions of pure fantasy and imagination. Think Gianni Versace and his supermodels. Or, Karl Lagerfeld and his front row line up of celebrities. As opposed to designers like Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham, Phoebe Philo and Miuccia Prada, who arguably put on pragmatic displays of practicality - female empowerment through modernism and realism? Of course, where would womenswear be without women? Coco Chanel is arguably the most well known name in fashion and certainly amongst the most influential fashion icons of the 20th century. Her groundbreaking simplicity of style rescued women from impractical fashions championed by male designers. Chanel challenged and upped the game. An antimale designer to a point, lambasting the objectification of women through such items as corsets and delivering a look that would put women on the same stage as men - a uniform of empowerment for the modern woman. But the battle isn’t over. The modern dilemma, swept up by social media, globalism and the internet, sees the fashion press (and media in general), loving a great show. The illustrious and sometimes utterly ridiculous garments produced by male designers provide just that. Interestingly, only a few female designers work on such a scale of grandeur, Vivienne Westwood and Sarah Burton for example. Yet, despite the spectacle and glitz of their runway shows, these showy male designers find their garments fall short when it comes to actually being worn; which is kind of the end goal of fashion design, right? The very same thing that made Chanel’s influence so potent is now the poison that keeps female designers out of the zeitgeist. The biggest difference for most in this realm of practicality vs. fantasy finds its origins in the simple fact that the men 38
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who are designing for women don’t wear the clothing. Joe Toronka, a leading fashion and celebrity stylist, believes this is the inherent vice for male designers; “Since they don’t wear it, they don’t feel it,” says the guy who has dressed the entire Kardashian family. How could a designer possibly make the most comfortable and practical clothing for a woman if they haven’t experienced wearing clothing as a woman?
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01. VERSACE A/W 2015 02. CHANEL COUTURE SHOW A/W 2011 03. CELINE A/W 2015 04. LANVIN A/W 2015
And it’s this that could be a driving force behind why male designers for womenswear mostly work in the realm of fantasy. Toronka believes however that female designers working in this world of the imaginary have an inherent advantage over their male counterparts. “Take Donatella Versace for example,” he says. “She sells high-octane sex! But at the same time, women wearing clothing she’s designed won’t have the same sort of problems when actually wearing the clothing… something like the clothing not pinching them when they sit down.” These seemingly simple issues have a huge impact with clients willing to pay big bucks for the flashbulb inducing gowns. When all women understand the power of practical, not simply ‘wow’ factor, Toronka believes that true and meaningful influence in fashion is achieved. When it comes to ‘reality’, Phoebe Philo, the designer behind the breakout resurgence of French ready-to-wear luxury brand Céline is a paragon of what could be deemed a realist, practical approach to fashion design; as yet unachieved by the bulk of men designing for women. Philo’s cool, sleek, minimal design has arguably set the trend in womenswear since her tenure as creative director at Céline began in 2008. An exercise in minimal technique across all aspects of the creative output of Céline landed Philo a listing amongst the hugely influential, US magazine, Time’s 100 most influential people in 2014. It’s not difficult to see why. The Céline Chic aesthetic has utterly dominated fashion over the past few years, etching its sleek silhouette over catwalks and casting a tonal glow across every high street shop from Primark to Topshop. Phoebe Philo’s enduring and practical aesthetic has earned her influence beyond measure in the fashion industry. But mentioning her name to someone on the street might garner a raised eyebrow or a nervous ‘I 39
don’t know who that is but I’m going to pretend I do’ affirmative nod. Granted, Phoebe’s influence on the industry is a relatively new phenomenon but is arguably just as powerful. And yet her name is far less a household name than say, Tom Ford. That Ford or Marc Jacobs somehow hold more notoriety and perceived power over the industry than Philo, despite her influential aesthetic being overwhelmingly more prevalent in recent years, begs the question: Is it because she is a woman? Christopher Bailey, Creative Director at Burberry, has achieved a level of notoriety unanimous with quintessential British style. Bailey is well situated in the fashion industry and beyond; meanwhile names like Philo go largely unnoticed in the broader zeitgeist. Does the media just not like female designers? As a woman at the very top of the fashion Press, is Anna Wintour not doing enough to champion women designers to the public? There are myriad of reasons why this might be the case. Superbrands who provide magazine advertising, still tend to have male designers at their helm. But one thing can be gleaned from this; despite fashion being perceived as a female industry, it suffers the same diversity problem as nearly every other, and that’s gender inequality at the top. They say that men in womenswear are designing for the women they want to be. Take, Albert Elbaz, designer at Lanvin, who claims to design for women as if he was a woman. Perhaps I, as a male in fashion journalism (perhaps one of the only sectors that is decidedly female led), I too should be writing for the woman I want to be; championing those women who design for women. Women need and want different things from their clothes. This includes wearing them to transform into the superwoman they want to be (something male designers can excel in). But when it comes to the practical, it falls down to women designers. It’s they who seem to understand fashion shouldn’t always be an escape although it often doubles as a suit of armour strengthening, not masking. Perhaps it’s true to say that female designers dominate in one thing: championing women, faults and all.
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HATE PINK? LOVE PINK? WORDS BY AKILA
I hate pink - not any old pink and not all pinks - but ‘Barbie’ pink. Why? Because society and especially toy manufacturers seem to assume that all girls are crazy for bubblegum pink. NO! Girls like all sorts of colours. If I asked my daughter what is her favourite colour, today she would say blue…and tomorrow she would say purple. I am so glad - and relieved - that she hasn’t been held hostage to the pink parade and when she is older if she chooses pink, I will be okay (well, she will tell me to be okay, and I will be okay!) Brown? Oh yes, well, no, I don’t like brown on me. Not all browns just tan – yuk, yuk – it looks awful on me, but on paler skins it looks brilliant. Yet I can manage to carry chocolate brown off (yeah!) Perhaps what I’m saying is this is all about the hue of colour. What shades suit you may not suit the person next to you. Consciously or subconsciously, we do react to colour: the colour of clothes; the colour of skin, be it black, brown, white or orange in the vein of TOWIE; the colour of hair and the colour of lipstick. We mutter to ourselves when we see someone wearing an item of clothing that we like; and we equally - and quickly - react in horror when we see something we don’t like on a person. We are judging all the time, harshly, kindly and sometimes in envy (yes, green with envy). We judge, categorise and fix someone’s identity based on the colour of clothing. We make assumptions when we look at people. What do you think we are doing when we look at Goths, Punks or Hippies? Coming to prison has fixed our identity. It is a very tough identity to live with, and to move
forward from, but it can be done. It’s a label that we will always carry with us, it may fade but it will never be forgotten. The colours of the buildings, the cells, the landscape and the clothes we wear all contribute to the overall experience.
Pink: With the passion of red and the innocence of white, pink is a pure representation of love and tenderness. I do think that the colours that we are made to wear in prison does affect how we feel about those colours. If you are made to wear a certain colour you may not ever want wear that colour ever again (and you may shudder every time you see it). We all know someone who has been forever put off a colour because of the school uniform they were forced to wear and now are passionate about hating that colour and never wearing it again, or rather that particular shade! Our emotional relationship with colour may mean that when we leave prison we will be forever ‘traumatised’ never to wear that colour, but one thing is for sure, those colours will live on in our subconscious forever more and anytime we see that colour we will be transported straight back to our time in prison. Prison issue clothing is grey, drab and arguably 40
demoralising. Who chose that colour and did they consciously choose such a dull and tedious colour to accentuate the experience of prison? I never really had an issue with grey before but it dominates the visual landscape and when I see, it my heart simply sighs. Maybe in a few years’ time I will have no reaction to this pale shade of grey… only time will tell. Grey is the main colour. The other dominant colours here are the colours of the work areas: bright green, burgundy with bits of grey (grey again) for gardens and the cleaning crew; and whites for working in kitchens. Other work colours that punctuate our visual landscape are: black for hairdressing; turquoise and navy for beauty; sky blue for Keep Out; canary yellow for the gym; sea green for the Peer mentors; purple for the Safer Custody representatives and red for the Insider Representatives. A myriad of colours all sparkling reactions. So anyone looking at us would immediately be able to know where we work just by understanding the colour of our clothes. Our identity is fixed. Have I been traumatised by pale grey? Probably. Maybe in future when I see pale grey with sparkles I will feel and say, “YEAH, I really like that and maybe that’s what I need, some sparkle and glitter with a colour that I hate (or just dislike?) and I’ll no longer go pull a face!”
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WAYS TO COPE WITH MENTAL HEALTH WORDS BY CHARLOTTE
Not been wanting to get out of bed lately? Making excuses not to go out? Feeling blue when the sun is shining bright? One prisoner, who recognises the symptoms of depression, offers advice and help. 1 Get out of bed. It makes you feel worse just laying there. Only go to your bed when you want to sleep at nighttime so you can regulate a sleeping pattern.
It’s easy to ignore what are the common signs of depression. There are also many other forms of mental health that people deal with daily. These range from Bi-polar, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) to personality disorders. There are plenty of ways you can try to help yourself and there is help and support available from professionals who know what you are going through.
2 Smile! No matter how you feel. It may sound silly now, but it really does work. 3 Don’t keep yourself locked away. Set yourself some time out of your room.
Please remember to see a doctor if your mental health deteriorates or if your ‘blue day’ persists. And never feel ashamed to speak out. Mental health problems are more common than you think. Here are my tips for a rainy day. I hope these will help you.
4 Phone relatives 5 Write letters 6 Go and see friends. 7 Treat yourself, or at least plan to. Knowing you’ll be buying a little choccy bar or having a pamper in your room should lift your spirits. And yes, you can have a pamper session in your room by having a foot soak in your bowl, steaming your face, or maybe even taking better care of your make-up!
For more details/information contact the HMP Send healthcare manager Julie Fletcher or mental health nurse Louise Costello.
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BEAUTY, AGEING AND SKINCARE WORDS BY DR HANNAH ZEILIG
I am a social gerontologist, which means I study age and ageing. We live in an era that is historically unprecedented. Britain has an ageing population - as does Europe. We are in the process of undergoing a demographic transition which means that there are now more people aged 60 and over in the UK than under 18. In simple terms our world is turning steadily grey.
Fine Lines Study I have just completed a study examining anti-ageing skin care campaigns called “Fine Lines”. This investigates cosmetic advertising and the ‘perceptions’ of ageing beauty. I studied cultural perceptions of age, by analysing language and imagery in fashion magazines to reflect the pre and post Botox™ era. One finding is that cosmetic companies are advertising their products with increasing intensity.
There is certainly greater cultural tolerance for an older man who is likely to be considered attractive for longer than his female counterpart. Today’s consumers are presented with what appears to be ‘choices’ about how they age. Ageing is presented as if it is ‘negotiable’. “You’d think that the difficulties of getting old are only skin deep, a matter of hair transplants and face lifts, and boob jobs and botox.” Said Tom Shakespeare in his BBC Radio 3 programme exploring ageing.
Changes In Anti-Ageing ‘Speak’ Above all, the vocabulary has become wider and more inventive, drawing on a range of disciplines from the Earth sciences - and even geology.
I would argue…shouldn’t the changes occurring to other parts of our body – such as our brains – be far more important?
The Grey Pound Filmmakers have already noticed population ageing. Movies such as The King’s Speech (2010) marked a watershed moment for analysts of ticket sales when it became apparent that the audience was mostly composed of people over 60.
“Ageing is life itself. And yet at some point, many of us hide our ages and disguise signs of ageing.”
How Old Is ‘Old’? If our age is a numerical description or index, then ageing refers to the process by which we negotiate the passage of time. Ageing is life itself. And yet at some point, many of us hide our ages and disguise signs of ageing. I wonder when this is? Age 6? Or 16? Or even 26? Perhaps around 36?
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Dr Zeiligs Top 5 Face Creams
No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Day Cream SPF 15 £24/50ml, Boots Reasonably priced and thoroughly researched. It has a light texture, absorbs easily and offers effective sunscreen protection. Neal’s Yard Frankincense Nourishing Cream £27.50/50g, Neal›s Yard Neal’s Yard / Waitrose A rich moisturiser that smells wonderful. I often use during winter months but never in summer. Sudocrem £4.50/400g, ASDA/chemists Most effective when applied to troublesome areas of the skin, including spots. Slightly medicated and quite heavy so may not suit all skin types. Diprobase £7.90/500g, Chemists An amazing moisturizer. I first encountered this when my daughter was prescribed it for her eczema. I now use it routinely all over my body, including my face. Face by REN Clean Skincare Rose 012 Moisture Defence Oil 30ml £42/50ml Department stores Not a daily moisturiser but very effective if your skin is feeling dry or at night. Expensive but only needs to be used sparingly. Smells wonderful.
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BRINGING OUTSIDE BEAUTY IN WORDS BY PROFESSIONAL MAKE-UP ARTIST, CARL STANLEY
I was asked what four items (the allowed amount outworkers can keep in their locker along with a 50ml bottle of perfume) to recommend. Here are my make-up ‘must-haves’.
My make-up ‘must-haves’ would be CC Cream, mascara, lipstick and blusher.
Here are my recommendations for all budgets and all skin tones:
Why CC Cream? ‘CC’ stands for ‘colour corrector’. It evens out skin tone and disguises blemishes as well as moisturizing. So a CC Cream is a fantastic three-in-one product.
SAVING THE PENNIES
Why mascara? Not only does mascara instantly ‘open’ your eyes, but it can also double-up as eyeliner by smudging it along your lash-line using a cotton-bud. Why lipstick? Because there is nothing quicker than a slick lipstick to lift your spirits and make you feel sexier!
Outworker, Elizabeth, reveals her chosen 4 items and favourite perfume.
Dark skin tones 1 Sleek MakeUp CC Cream 2 L’Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess 3 Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm 4 Sleek Crème to Powder Blush
1 Mac matte bronzer
Light skin tones 1 Max Factor Colour Correcting Cream SPF10 2 Rimmel London ScandalEyes Xxtreme Mascara 3 Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick 4 Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Blusher
4 Bobbi Brown blusher brush
SPLASHING THE CASH Cream blusher? Well, blusher instantly brightens your face, and as cream blushers are applied with fingers there’s no need for a blusher brush!
Your make-up essentials
Dark skin tones 1 Black Up CC Cream Multi-Action 2 IMAN Volumize Mascara 3 Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipstick 4 NARS The Multiple Multi-Purpose Stick Light skin tones 1 Erborian CC Crème HD 2 DIOR DIORSHOW Backstage Mascara 3 NARS Audacious Lipstick 4 Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick
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2 Rimmel ‘Go Colossal’ black mascara 3 Mac Giambattista Valli lipstick
+ Narciso Rodriguez eau de toilette
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HOW MAKE-UP MAKES YOU FEEL WORDS BY ELLA Make-up to many can be a mask. It can be an escape for those who don’t like themselves. Or it can be a way to exaggerate your beauty. I have used make-up as a mask in the past, when I used it to sell myself to fund a heroin habit. I don’t ever intend to return to that life… but this hasn’t put me off using make up. Now I like to use make- up very subtly to exaggerate my beauty. I am currently a smoker looking for ways to give up. However, I haven’t used any for a while due to my small budget.
“I wouldn’t wear it everyday but sometimes it’s good to boost your confidence and self-esteem. A lot of people do use it to mask their flaws but I feel my relationship with make-up is mainly positive. I agree too many people however use it as a mask.”
Personally? I’d like a make-up ‘makeover’ as I currently don’t feel beautiful…just relatively pretty. A makeover would help me feel beautified. The question I ask you is whether make-up is something that can help us escape hell for a few hours or reach into heaven? What is it to you? A mask? An escape? Or a path to find yourself? Here’s what my friends told me about how they feel about make-up.
“I think it brings out your personality and makes you glow. It also boosts your appearance and makes you feel good for special occasions.
“I don’t like it as I don’t think it suits me and I don’t want to hide my natural beauty behind a mask. I might wear a bit of mascara every now and again but nothing else.
I use it to enhance my beauty and feel my relationship is mainly positive. ”
I don’t really have a relationship with make-up in or out of prison.”
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“I put it on to improve my mood because prison is depressing. I feel it improves my beauty and on the outside I’d never leave home without my make-up. Using make-up makes prison less like the police cells which seem so unnatural and intimidating. It makes the days seem brighter and more positive.”
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“I have a very close relationship with my make-up. I love to wear it because it makes me feel confident.”
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THE LOWDOWN ON EYEBROWS WORDS BY CAMILLA GEE
Eyebrows have grown in the past few years and we have Cara Delevingne and her bushy brows to thank for that. Much like your hairstyle, eyebrows depend of your face shape. Whether your face is oval, round, diamond, square or heart, use this guide to find your perfect eyebrows.
OVAL Ovals tend to have a face that gracefully tapers towards the chin with often a wider forehead and prominent cheekbones. Generally a soft angled eyebrow would most suit this face shape.
ROUND The round face generally measures the same width and length, widest being at the cheeks. One way to make the face appear more oval is to arch the brow slightly. The arch will define the cheekbones and in this case a higher arch is flattering.
HEART The face of a heart shape will strongly taper towards the chin, with the chin being pointy. For best results, use a rounded arch for the brow as this will help soften the chinline.
LONG With a long face shape, you would see elongated features from the forehead to the chin. To make the face appear shorter, the solution is a flat eyebrow. Its horizontal line would make the face seem more petite with less elongation.
SQUARE Cheekbones the width of the forehead. The jawline being a prominent feature. A soft round brow is the way to go, however don’t go completely round, you don’t want eyebrows to look like rainbows.
DIAMOND As for the diamond, this face shape will be very angular and particularly widest at the temples. Although this face shape is quite uncommon, similar to the heart shape, a rounded arch brow will help soften the angled forehead.
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BLACK AND BEAUTIFUL WORDS BY HANNA OLLIVIER DE LETH
Despite the notable increase in more ethnically diverse models on the fashion runways, make-up for darker skin tones remains a neglected industry. Women in HMP Send speak up.
“Whether or not we are in prison, make-up really is important to us,” explains Andréia, who is of Portuguese descent. “A lot of girls here suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). We feel uncomfortable when people tell us we are beautiful because we don’t believe it ourselves. Make-up has the power to change that and make us feel better about ourselves. This is why it is very important to us that there are products available for everyone.” With an average weekly wage of ten pounds, the girls are able to order from a prison list of products. This includes items ranging from toothbrushes and toothpaste, to washing powder. The list also covers various beauty products as foundation and shampoo. “When I used to go to HMP Holloway in London, they always made sure to include different kinds of foundation and hair care products that suited different types of skin colour and ethnic hair type,” says Suzie. “At HMP Send however, they have numerous products suitable for white people, but they hardly target the black prisoners “Whereas there are plenty of ethnic girls asking for darker make-up and Afro hair shampoo suitable to us, they have not yet seemed to incorporate this into the list,” she continues. The issue is present and on a larger scale outside of the prison environment. Despite the large increase of British citizens from ethnic minorities over the past few years – who make up over 14% of the UK population in May 2014 according to think-tank Policy Exchange - many well known beauty
brands have failed to adjust their selection of products. While more expensive make-up brands such as MAC and Nars are the first to incorporate darker shades into their collection, other luxury brands as Chanel and Dior and drugstore brands as L’Oréal and Maybelline, are still behind.
“Make-up has the power to change things and make us feel better about ourselves. This is why it is very important to us that there are products available for everyone.”
“We do have a couple of shades appropriate for medium skin tones, but we would not be able to cater for African women for example,” Emily Brennan, Chanel make-up artist in Selfridges, confirms to me. “The main reason for Chanel not including darker tones is because, despite the growing percentage of women with darker skins, they feel their clientele in the UK would not be large enough to make a profit,” Brennan says. “In the United States the brand does have a wider range of shades, however in the UK they have decided not to launch these as yet, which is purely a business decision rather 47
than an act of racism,” she elaborates. “If the ethnic minorities in the UK continue to grow the way they are now, I am sure both Chanel as many other brands will start incorporating darker colours in their collections very soon,” she concludes. Whilst there is no need for the prison to make a profit on beauty products, HMP Send’s Representative of the Black Minority Ethnics (BME), April, believes there is a good chance for black make-up to be added soon. “As a representative, I have been able to talk to the Head of Equality and Diversity about issues that are true to us and influence our wellbeing here. A lot of black women here want to feel equally as beautiful as the white girls and I think that if we phrase it well, talk in the right way and bring the right arguments to the table, we can definitely win them over!”
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A DAY IN THE LIFE WORDS BY ELIZABETH AND FRANCESCA LEE ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAVE JOHN
7:45am Go to the main kitchen to collect ingredients for the day. Choice is limited so I have to be creative, relying on my skills as a mum as well as my NVQ in professional cookery (gained at Send). Today I’m cooking my speciality of chicken fajitas, so I collect chicken, wraps, salad and cheese, as well as tuna, bread and milk.
Elizabeth, is a HMP Send prisoner currently on ROTL. 6:30am My alarm goes off. I pull back the curtain and see what the weather is like and spend a few moments thinking what I have to do today. 6:40am Breakfast. I try to eat healthily and usually have green tea (£1.89 for 50 teabags), a banana (29p) and prison issue cereal and milk.
8am Putting the food on a trolley I wheel it to the side gate where I will collect it from later.
6:50am Shower. I use Radox (£1.69) and shampoo and conditioner from the hair salon (£2.89 each).
8:05am Heading back to the wing I wait for the other prisoners to go to work. Outworkers go out after free flow, now I have about half an hour to catch up on GMTV and Lorraine.
7am Dry hair and put make up on- I use Dermologica Barrier Repair and Sheer Moisture Tint. The beauty salon stocks Dermologica. As I earn a little more money as an outworker I can (just) afford to invest in a few products. Avon eyebrow pencil and eyebrow kit in dark brown are an essential for an Essex girl.
8:45am ‘Outworkers!’ shouts the officer, and I run downstairs so as not to keep them waiting. There are between two and six of us who go out each day but I’m the only one waiting in the mess today. Getting out of the main gate can take up to 20 minutes, as there are quite a few people and procedures involved. If it all goes smoothly I’m out by 9am. Outside the gate I have a locker and am allowed a few items that I am not allowed inside e.g. make-up, perfume and a phone. I’m not allowed to take my phone to the mess but I take the chance to apply some mascara and perfume.
7:20am Dress for a busy day in the staff mess- maybe my HMP Send sky blue vest and some leather look leggings. I like to look fashionable but need to think practically as I’ll be cooking and cleaning and it gets hot in the kitchen. 7:30am Roll check
9:05am Once in the mess, I put on Kiss FM and prepare for the work ahead (cleaning and mopping).
7:40am Roll correct, and I leave the wing for the day.
9:25am I start cooking. I begin with the chicken fajitas as these take the longest. I also get ingredients prepared for sandwiches and salads that I will make to order. 48
11:30am Service starts. On an average day I serve approximately 40 customers. Today, the special sells out and tuna melt toasties are the second most popular dish. 2pm Service comes to an end and I take a breather for a coffee. I cash up, clean down and update the food safety log with the fridge temperature and leftovers. 2:45pm I lock up and make my way back to the gate. Before I go in I have a top up of perfume. 3pm Back to my room to change into my gym gear, then head to the gym. 4:30pm Back to the wing for a quick shower before roll check. 4:45pm Roll check 4:55pm Roll check… again! 5:05pm Roll correct 5:30pm Dinner 6:30pm I might go to the library to get a book or DVD, maybe sit outside if the weather is ok, or walk some laps around the resettlement unit. 7:45pm Roll check 8:30pm Roll check 9pm Bedtime- another day done, another closer to leaving.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Fashion journalism student, Francesca Lee, 19, is in her second year studying for a BA (Hons) degree at LCF. 7:30am Roll out of bed, sleepwalk straight to the shower to wake me up. 8am Slowly start getting ready for uni- start with my make-up, with my eyebrows usually taking up the most time (every girl knows the struggle). Blow dry my hair- usually leaving it naturally straight and decide what to wear from the ridiculous amounts of clothes I have stashed in my wardrobe (sometimes strewn across my bedroom floor). 9am Meet my girls in the reception of halls. Someone is always late so we are usually left waiting. 9:05am Cross the road and catch the bus to uni, which should take around 20 minutes, however London traffic could say other wise. (sometimes getting the tube if we’re really late). 9:30am Arrive at uni and go straight into my Fashion Journalism for Multiple Platforms lecture, usually with coffee in hand that we have picked up from Costa on the way. 10:45am “Tea and a wee” break – usually consisting of nipping to the canteen and grabbing a green tea, sometimes (nearly always) a flapjack.
11am Fashion Journalism for Multiple Platforms lectureacademic essay structure.
10pm We all get on the tube and start queuing at a club for the Tuesday night student night. Usually just scraping the £5 entry before 11pm.
12pm Teeline shorthand lesson.
3am Piling out of the club, one of us manages to find our phones and book an Uber taxi that picks us up from wherever our phones location is.
1:30pm Lunch- depending on what’s on offer in the canteen, I will either choose a hot Panini (usually roasted vegetable and mozzarella) or go for some air and walk to Sainsbury’s local on the corner.
3:30am We order pizza (always pepperoni and more often than not, a cheesy garlic bread) and all gather in the kitchen to demolish it.
2pm Moving down to the ‘news room’ for my Fashion Journalism for Multiple Platforms (broadcast) by Kath Melandri.
4:15am Finally in bed after a long day, it never takes me long to drift off after a night out, even with the soundtrack to London right outside my window.
3pm Quick ‘tea and a wee’. 4pm Last Fashion lecture of the day. 5pm After my longest day of the week at uni, I finally get to jump on the tube and go back to halls. 5:30pm Gather in the kitchen/living room with two of my flat mates and cook dinner together. A favourite meal of ours is chicken fajitas, which we seem to have at least once a week. 6:30pm Back to my room to start getting ready for the night. 8pm Everyone comes to our flat to pre drink with a concoction of alcohol. I tend to go for wine because it’s cheap, however this doesn’t go down too well with the shots we usually get when we’re out and I start mixing my drinks.
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
WHEN I WAS A GOTH WORDS BY ISABEL CALABRIA
Looking back at your younger self makes you cringe, right? Remember those fashion faux pas and bad haircuts – and the advice of loved ones telling at you to go home and change but you never did? Have you ever considered whether the various phases and trends you went through left their mark on your ‘grown-up’ style?
I’ve always used fashion as a form of expression. I just didn’t realise that’s what I was doing. I wouldn’t call myself a complete Goth - I didn’t do the hair or the makeup - but wow did I do the skulls! One outfit that really stuck with me was a particular favourite. Going to a family event, I can almost still smell the desperation of my mother when she told me, maybe I shouldn’t wear the shirt with a skull collar, and the matching skull tie with the skull and cross bone belt! I didn’t take the advice (of course). I was certain my grandmother would love my outfit. My Goth phase ended fairly abruptly when I asked for some platform shoes sporting a skull wearing a pink bow. Once it stopped getting funded by my parents, I had to accept defeat and moved on. The funny thing about childhood fashion ‘phases’ is that they can turn out to be anything but. They can stick with you. While I no longer sport the skulls, most of my wardrobe remains black. Emma also went through a Gothic style period and explains why she was drawn to dark colours. “I wanted to be different… to rebel.” She didn’t fit the mould like other girls in cliques did. She didn’t have the blonde hair, the thigh gap with the mini skirt to match. She didn’t have the fake nails and ridiculous heels. She needed to find what worked for her. Being a bit more than a ‘size zero’ (like most of us are, Emma!) she needed something that flattered her shape. She went with the age old ‘black is slimming’ adage. Unlike me however, Emma went the full hog. She did the black lipstick,
the red low lights in her hair and the whitened face. She even raided her father’s wardrobe for some oversized shirts. As she’s grown older though, Emma’s slavish devotion to the colour has waned due to amongst other things, prison restrictions. She is still influenced by chunky jewellery and uses it to compliment her own style. Meanwhile her own style has prevailed. “I no longer have to please other people: only myself,” she tells me. Adding, “Sometimes when I am alone, the gothic tendencies creep back but most of the time I remind myself that I am a woman; I don’t need to cover myself in big t-shirts.”
“Ultimately what we are left with is a beautiful amalgamation of our fashion and style experiments and experiences.” Rachel also used to spend time scouring through her father’s wardrobe to find outfits. She recalls feeling like a “daddy’s girl” was a way to resist growing up. She didn’t stop at big t-shirts though. Rachel would also wear her father’s jeans and style them to suit her “Indie type fashion”. As she grew older it became harder to simply go to her dad’s clothing collection but a part of his style continues to impact the way she dresses today. Rachel 50
continues to wear androgynous clothing. She prefers clothes that aren’t revealing. She also loves vintage and pre-worn items. “I like the idea that nobody of my generation – or sex wears these kind of clothes.” The past is a huge inspiration for so many aspects of fashion; nostalgia often plays a huge part in personal style. Elizabeth remembers how in her childhood, stone washed jeans were all the rage. “My mum would go to Dagenham Market and come back with all sorts! Denim was on trend at the time, so I would get jeans and personalise, and style them myself. I just love denim. I even have denim shoes!” Whilst denim might have been on trend at the time of her childhood, Elizabeth is happy to see the trend return, proving that denim truly is timeless and can still be updated and modernised. Even with limited prison wardrobes, she has a number of denim pieces and believes these can go with “any trend” and are “the perfect wardrobe staple pieces.” Fashion is a peculiar thing. Trends come and go but often, without us realising, these trends leave footprints on our style psyches. We remain influenced by our childhood choices; whether they are good or bad. Ultimately what we are left with is a beautiful amalgamation of our fashion and style experiments and experiences. Meaning that our own personal style completely reflects our unique personalities and what we want to portray. And what a beautiful thing that is.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
MY IDEAL DRESS WORDS BY CHARLOTTE ILLUSTRATIONS BY PIPPA
The ideal dress that would pop into my head would be a leopard print corset style top, half fitted to perfection. Increasing the bust and decreasing the waist. I’d love the corset to be followed by layers upon layers (and even more layers) of black netting to make it have a more puffy effect. It’s a girly chic/rock chick look. To make it more ‘out there’ I’d wear a shrunken version of a top hat with more black netting to cover half of the face. To me it oozes classiness.
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
TAKE 5 WORDS BY FRANCESCA LEE
Perfume
1 Chanel Chance Eau Vive Combines squeezy citrus notes of grapefruit and red orange, infused with jasmine and white musk in a round flacon bottle. Sweet. Eros Pour Femme 2 Versace Lemon, bergamot, pomegranate, jasmine and peony with a base of sandalwood. Flashy scent in flashy bottle. 3 Aerin Rose De Grasse Granddaughter of founder, Estee Lauder, now has a posh, top of range perfume line and this is its true classic rose scent. Very feminine and sophisticated, an instantly dectectable rose is tempered with violet, wood and musk. 4 Armani Privé Pierre De Lune From the haute couture line and designed around the note of cassia (also known as “hot cinnamon”), this gives a floral-woody scent which smells very ‘front row’ and in-the-know. 5 Estee Lauder Modern Muse Le Rouge The American perfume giant’s latest offering features a red trouser suited Kendall Jenner in the advertising campaign. Top notes of jasmine and mandarin are fused with honeysuckle and Madagascar vanilla. Smells very ‘of its time’.
Films
1 Southpaw Stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McCadams. A boxing film with a twist. Be prepared with tissues. 2 Inside Out The latest Disney Pixar film is an emotional rollercoaster. This joyful coming of age story will pull at your heartstrings. 3 Jurassic World A sequel to the original Jurassic Park has just as much dinosaur and TWICE as much jump factor! 4 Magic Mike XXL Stars Channing Tatum. Enough said. 5 The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 (Released November 2015) The much anticipated third film in the series promises not to disappoint.
Trends
1 Khaki As in the colour. Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Ralph Lauren embrace for AW2015/16. 2 Sheer Black - or white. By Dolce and Gabbana, Michael Kors and Bottega Veneta. 3 Jumpsuits Check out versions by Dior, Ralph Lauren and Emilio Pucci. 4 Textured denim Gucci, Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger created so much more than blue jeans. 5 White lace As seen on the catwalks of Valentino, Chloe and Louis Vuitton.
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Celebs 1
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Kendall Jenner Kardashian sister, supermodel, face of multiple beauty brands, 19. This teen is taking over the world. Nick Grimshaw Outspoken, Gay Radio 1 DJ with the Oldham accent and trademark quiff, is about to start his own Channel 4 show and join Simon Cowell on X Factor. Alexa Chung Former T4 presenter and model, Alexa, 31, is noted for her personal style. She is now at the heart of fashion, most recently designing her first collection with AG Jeans. Jamie Dornan Irish model-turned-actor played Christian Grey in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, 33. Consequently the blue-eyed, fashion pin up is hotly anticipated to be taking over cinema screens soon. The Weeknd 25-year-old Canadian born R&B singer, The Weeknd, (aka Abel Tesfaye) featured on the theme track for Fifty Shades of Grey is being called ‘the next Michael Jackson’.
Destinations 1
Santorini, Greece A low key Greek Island escape with Agean blue top villas and the most attractive sunsets in the Med. 2 Morocco Find souks amid A-list style, chic boutiques and harbour restaurants in this North African country. 3 Croatia Game of Thrones and a reputation as Europe’s festival capital has popularised this location with its coast on the Adriatic Sea. 4 Milan A hub of fashion and design, Milan is the Italian city always worth visiting. 5 New Zealand Since it co-hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup back in March 2015, not only cricket fans have been unable to get New Zealand out of their heads.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
ASK THE GOVERNOR INTERVIEW BY ISABEL CALABRIA
LCF fashion journalism student, Isabel Calabria, asks HMP Send’s Governor, Carlene Dixon, for her answers to some pressing questions prisoners want to know.
What does HMP Send do to help prisoners reach their resettlement targets and are you happy with how this is going? One of our core aims in the prison service is to reduce reoffending. We have to keep people safe but after safety, resettlement really is our main goal. Send in particular is very good at that. Resettlement means different things for different people and it is ultimately about the individual and their needs. People have varying needs whether that’s substance abuse, violence, accommodation, links to family and finance. Here at send we have 100% employment or activity spaces for all the women. Every area has a link through to some sort of vocational training or education. The ultimate goal is to link in to what the work and education opportunities are in the local area. For women who have to care for children we look at the part time job market to make sure there is something to suit everyone. Things that we are proud of here at send is our therapeutic community and our substance misuse programmes; we have the only 6 month abstinence based drug programme in the country. We are definitely always trying to improve. Once a year we do a needs analysis to identify and address any gaps. We are conscious at the moment that there is very little support surrounding domestic violence so we are in negotiation with the relevant people to see what can be done. I’m conscious there is a real gap at the moment and
want to address it. This is a priority for me this year. Where does the money paid by prisoners for things like tvs and clothes go to and why are the prisoners not allowed to be sent in clothes? The payment for TVs just goes back into a national fund and doesn’t sit within Send’s budget unfortunately. This money goes towards the maintenance and licensing of the TVs; at the moment there is a national programme being rolled out to replace the TVs with flat screens so that is where that money would go but it doesn’t come back to Send. More locally though, things like the money from hair and beauty appointments and textiles, all of that money is reinvested, none of that money goes anywhere else. This money would go back to buying equipment, shampoo, conditioner and materials. Sendsations (the prison boutique), I think is a fantastic facility, which is actually quite unusual to find in a prison. The clothing is either donated through charities, which carry a nominal charge, or we will periodically buy clothing from high street shops and we have to sell these at ticket prices because we need to cover our costs. The small amount of money that may be made from charity clothing will be spent buying more clothes for the women to have access to. There were some changes made nationally that stopped parcels being sent in to sentenced prisoners which restricted women to wearing clothes purchased at the prison. This was to do with promoting 54
the idea of earning privileges and earning money. At Send we provide more than other prisons but we appreciate that there are some women who are serving very long sentences here and of course you want to have new clothes. We will always take advise from women in terms of ideas about outlets to purchase clothes. We will always listen to the women’s ideas. Why are there certain rules in place regarding open-toe shoes and sun cream etc? You will notice that staff also aren’t allowed to wear open toe shoes around the prison. It is a health and safety rule. Previously there were a number of accidents and injuries caused by the trip hazards and lack of support that open toe shoes give. So as much as we would all like to wear nice sandals unfortunately it’s not very safe. It is important that we have a safe environment for everyone who lives and works here. Ultimately I have a duty to keep everyone safe in prisons, that includes staff and prisoners. So I need to reduce the risk of any injuries or accidents. We have wellbeing days for staff and prisoners to make them more aware of their health and wellbeing and take responsibility for it. This includes glucose, breast screening, weight, smoking etc. Sun cream will be provided by health care to those who are photosensitive or those who are on medication that makes them susceptible to the harsh sunlight. It will also be given to those who will be working outside.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
What activities does HMP Send provide to enhance a prisoner’s wellbeing? Enrichment activities are an area that Send is particularly good at. They help make prison a more bearable experience, so we try and be a bit innovative with the things we do. The activities are about helping the women to pass the time a bit easier. It’s about doing something that has a bit of purpose and allows the prisoners to have a conversation about a shared interest. We have set up a women’s institute, a book club, craft club, theatre groups, ‘Changing Tunes’ which is all about music and one of our staff members recently set up a club called ‘Knit and Natter’ in her own time and is actually learning how to knit from a prisoner, so everyone is getting something out of it. It’s a way to talk to people and to make friends. There is a real pressure on prisons at the minute but we are really trying to protect these activities because we see the true value that these things hold for the women. Again we are always happy to hear any other ideas. How are you helping HMP Send and its prisoners stay connected to the community? We try to do a lot with different people within the community. We have a really good relationship with (local art gallery) Watts Gallery which enables the women to get involved in an activity that isn’t just about education and work. I went to an exhibition of prisoners’ work not long after I started here, which went on to a gallery in London’s West End. It was amazing to see and really well received. We also do a lot of fundraising events such as Race For Life within the grounds and Macmillan Coffee mornings and of course the London College of Fashion projects. Our beehives
are a real community project too. It’s not only about learning about bees and how to look after them, bees are becoming endangered and having them in prisons - bizarrely - stops other things getting at them, so its helpful too. We also try and release as many women on license as possible, to keep them connected to the community. We always get compliments back about women on placements.
The main part of the day will focus on attending work or education. More recreational activities will be moved to the evening.
What changes are happening now or about to happen?
Prisons are inspected by the Chief Inspector of Prisons on a regular basis and there are four tests that are looked at. Out of those four tests, Send came out at the highest level for all of them, which is amazing! One of the areas highlighted as not being quite as good was the awareness of equality issues. We have a predominantly white staff group, because of this, we have introduced a few things to try and improve and raise awareness of diversity. I have introduced a calendar of equality and diversity events that managers have been tasked to run, focussing on raising awareness both in staff and in prisoners. We need to celebrate that people have different needs and different cultures. We have introduced bi-monthly focus groups; one for BME women, one for Foreign National women, one for Traveller women and one for the Over 50s group.
Nationally there has been a big drive to save money across all public sector services. As part of this, every prison has been put through a ‘benchmarking process’ to ensure that the spending on the services is comparable. We are in the process of going through that and have had imposed on us a new national core day. Luckily the changes for women prisoners are actually minimal. The (typical) day that we were presented with had women being locked up at lunchtime but we negotiated. We don’t do that currently and don’t want to go back to doing that. So this was a real achievement. There will be changes to how the day is run with the goal being to achieve real work skills upon release.
Nationally, the prison service wanted to do more for short term offenders. At the moment those of sentences less than 12 months do not receive the same support upon release that those serving over 12 months. Now there is a core National Probation Service that deals with the high-risk cases. The new community rehabilitation companies deal with everyone else. When they are bought in, a resettlement plan is drawn up and then, at least 12 weeks before release, they will review the resettlement plan to see what else they will need in terms of immediate resettlement. When prisoners leave they will continue to receive support from the support workers who have been involved for the last three months of their sentence.
“Enrichment activities are an area that Send is particularly good at. They help make prison a more bearable experience, so we try and be a bit innovative with the things we do.”
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EMPLOYMENT AFTER PRISON WORDS BY RYAN LEE VINCENT
Ryan meets a London-based company steering exoffenders into jobs within the creative industries. A lot of things are off-limits to prisoners. But that’s kind of the idea behind serving time after all. One of the ‘things’ however can stretch to ex-prisoners too: a job. What makes this unsettling is the fact that unemployment is a leading factor in re-offending, throwing onetime prisoners into a perpetual and seemingly unbreakable cycle; essentially being punished again (and again) for something they have already served time in prison for. The whole system seems to be broken. Poached Creative, a marketing and communications social enterprise based in Hackney, East London, is attempting to mend it. As one of only a few programmes and foundations in the UK dedicated to helping those who want to help themselves. As one of only a few organisations helping long-term unemployed adults to break into the creative sector, the company, founded by Jessica Smith, in 2009, has helped mentor and train a number of ex-offenders. In the past 18 months, of more than 50 participants on Poached Creative’s Big Issue online journalism programme, including several ex-offenders, many have gone into further education, volunteer work, self-employment or paid employment. “My mission was to bridge the gap in experience and confidence, that stops many talented but disadvantaged people from finding meaningful work,” says its founder, who also runs the programme in Bournemouth.
The company trains marginalised individuals, homeless persons, those suffering from mental health issues and ex-offenders who want to break into the creative industries. Commissions regarding marketing and social media work range from developing a website for young people with disabilities, to creating a public health campaign or documenting a journey through books or film. Often the target audience is key. “This is not just made up work, it’s real work,” says Smith, explaining some work is done by individuals on the programme, offering practical and real life experience. “You could potentially go from being a volunteer on a project to getting paid as a freelancer.” The Poached Creative programme offers free six-week training programmes and ongoing volunteer opportunities. Training is varied and extensive, ranging from news and feature writing, to photography and graphic design. All are supported by guest speakers and informal workshop environments. Trainees can then build a portfolio of work completed during the training, giving them that leg up into the industry that could eventually land them a job. Importantly, not only are participants building a professional portfolio overseen by in-theknow industry experts, they’re also building contacts. Every week professional guests come to the programme to give lectures, providing ample opportunity for networking while still on the course. A focus on “career mapping” in the final week allows trainees to see how their skills can be applied to potential job opportunities. Although the courses do focus on skills specifically within journalism, photography and design, this doesn’t limit what participants are able to do after the course has finished. “One guy set up a bike business after the course,” points out Smith. “He used the skills he got in the training to inform his next moves and set it all up himself.” Programmes such as this - so vital to building a better postconviction environment and better society as a whole - are few and far between. Those that do exist, struggle to stay afloat due to the simple problem of funding. This leaves people like Smith hard pressed to deliver the kind of help that changes lives and challenges employers to look for talent beyond known sources. 56
The programme, which is entirely dependent on funding, sometimes cannot run throughout the year. Smith argues more focus should be put on employing disadvantaged people who are not the obvious ‘right fit for the job’, especially in the creative industries. “I’m always so impressed with the quality of candidates,” she extolls. “People who may have never written before but just have an inkling that they’re a bit good at it, through to people who have had careers in the past, are overwhelmingly interesting people.” The individuals she meets, she believes, almost always have to try harder to overcome the barriers preventing them from landing jobs on their own, with the result their work has more substance, quality and passion than most. So although the talent is there, so are the barriers. Which is where the programme must step in. “We think about what kind of barriers are there for each person and advise on how to help get over them. We can also build some of our volunteer network through past students with a lot of them coming back to volunteer with us. Which is great - because sometimes these things seem so unattainable but when you see them doing it, it doesn’t seem so hard.” Poached Creative serves to showcase that opportunities are out there. Programmes like this exist in order to battle with preconceived and ill-advised notions. Keeping unrepresented classes of citizens from re-entering the workforce and exiting harmful cycles is crucial. Encouraging wider participation, both in the student body and a volunteer capacity could help alleviate some of the problem. The end goal is making sure an exit from prison isn’t just an entry ticket back in. Smith advises would-be entrants to follow their passion. “If you’re into writing, then read, read, read, And READ. Get your hands on anything you can. Just reading widely and actively is really the first step. If it’s photography, it’s really the same thing. Look at lots of pictures. Break down the style… methods… anything. If you’re really interested in something: tell people. By and large, someone will always be able to put you in touch with someone. We live in a networked world right now…so it can happen anywhere.”
www.poachedcreative.com
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
SHELON’S COLUMN
WHO AM I? Let me tell you a history My life, this prison 6 years in a cell for a wrong decision Since young I took drugs To numb the pain But the pain remains
THE BEST AND THE WORST OF IT I adored and LOVED fashion. I would shop in and out of our great British capital, London, at least twice a week. My family and I would always be wearing the latest designer labels fresh off the catwalk. Being in prison was challenging for many different reasons besides accepting the fact you are no longer free to live the life you choose. Firstly being away from my family and secondly, the difficulty of having to leave behind my young children was hard enough. After some comprehension and focus about where I was, I couldn’t quite believe what everyone was wearing. It was grey. It was grey. It was grey. Watching women walking around in prison issue was mind-boggling. Why would these beautiful women want to do this to themselves? It has to be the worst fashion on Planet Earth? The icing on the cake for me was when I realised they even had the grey trainers to match. Please note these trainers had no stripes. No ticks. No name. No laces. No life.
because I discovered a little shop by the reception area called Sendsation boutique. The clothes are remarkable, reasonable and good value. I bought some great jumpsuits and dresses here. This boutique brought back my confidence and taught me a lot about life and people. Being in prison generally knocks your confidence. Being able to dress up and look good put a spring in my step. My selfesteem shot up. When I dress in prison issue for example, I’m not so bold. We also have a range of catalogues, the downside being we sometimes have to do without canteen. However, I’m willing to sacrifice in order to have some fashion in my life. One thing is for certain though. I will never buy a grey tracksuit!
Anger shows in my tears My face hides the fears That my son will reject me And my lover says ‘over’ But it ain’t over yet? I got their pictures on the wall Every day on the phone to my son And his Gran Leon fighting for a grant But I am still a mum and my heart is bleeding So long as I am breathing I pray for the day I‘m leaving.
SEND PLAYLIST Listen - Beyonce (Andréia) Diva - Beyonce (Shelon) Bloodstream - Ed Sheeran (Charlotte)
But at least I had my fashion. This was back in 2009/10 when I was getting hand-ins every three months from my family and friends. Looking good always gave me confidence and boy, did I walk around with my head held high. Then, in December 2013, a rule was put in place to stop family’s sending in books and clothing. This meant no more parcels. “NO!” I screamed. “This can’t be.” Until then I had felt somewhat relaxed in my sentence. I was shocked and angry at the change. Now, who is walking around in prison issue? YES! ME! I feel knocked off my throne and doing time at Her Majesty’s pleasure will never be the same again. For days I had to walk with my head hung towards the floor. Oh the shame of knowing I had to wear prison issue clothing. In time my situation got a lot easier only
Now I am sitting pretty Looking in the mirror But when the mask has gone I’m left bare nothing left to share Yes I’m scared
Heaven (slow version) - DJ Sammy (Pippa)
LOVE BEHIND BARS Have you ever loved behind bars? It aches, it breaks They said, time will heal But in here time stands still And I feel so ill…. For I am loving you behind bars
Hold My Hand - Jess Glyn (Elizabeth) Everything I Own - Ken Booth (Rowena) Rocking Time - Dennis Brown (Bianca) She’s Like The Wind - Patrick Swayze (Emma) High - Lighthouse Family (Julia) Bohemian Rapsody - Queen (Ella)
In my pillow stains of tears For I cry for days, months and years Behind bars I feel insane No one can understand my pain But for one night only I ask you Come into my cell Look up in the stars Only then will you understand my pain Of loving behind bars
Smooth - Santana (Joanne) Can’t feel my face - Weeknd (Camilla)
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Poems by By Andréia Runner up HMP Bronzefield Library
London College of Fashion 20 John Prince’s Street London, W1G 0BJ
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
www.arts.ac.uk/fashion
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