THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE A unique collaboration between London College Of Fashion and HMP Send
Issue 03
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Editor Julia Robson Graphic Designer Lauren Chalmers Project Manager Lauren McKirdy Acting Media Relations and Communications Manager Lynsey Fox
*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, 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.
CONTRIBUTORS HMP Send Amie, April, Charlie, Charlotte, Chloe, Claire, Delon, Diana, Ellen, Emma, Frieda, Jane, Jennifer E, Jennifer P, Keeley, Maria, Maxine, Samantha, Tammy, Taneita, Tanya, Tatiana, Tia, Victoria, Yasmin London College Of Fashion Fiona Anderson, BA(Hons) Fashion Journalism Danielle Fowler, BA(Hons) Fashion Journalism Laura Saxton, BA(Hons) Creative Direction for Fashion Olexandra Solomka, MA History and Culture of Fashion Eleanor Vousden, BA(Hons) Fashion Journalism Ernela Vukaj, BA(Hons) Fashion Journalism With special thanks to Sir John Cass’s Foundation Kevin Everett, Treasurer & Chairman, Sir John Cass’s Foundation Alderman Dr Ray Ellis, Deputy Treasurer and Chairman of Grants, Sir John Cass’s Foundation Richard Foley, Deputy Chief Executive, Sir John Cass’s Foundation Professor Frances Corner, OBE, Head of London College of Fashion Claire Swift, Director of Social Responsibility, London College of Fashion Dave Charity, Acting Governor of HMP Send Kelly Nethercoat, Head of Reducing Reoffending Jason Oakley-Cleife, Resettlement Officer Andy Peacock, Head of Security & Operations Glynis Maher, BA: People Hub Vivian Elliott, BA: Security Basia Szkutnicka, Study Abroad Director, London College of Fashion Camilla Butler, Special Projects Manager, London College of Fashion Carl Stanley Deborah Bee and Harrods Magazine Tony Glenville, Creative Director London College of Fashion www.catwalking.com Photography David Anthony assisted by Neil Parkes Orsolya Luca, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography Alina Negoita, BA (Hons) Fashion Photography Illustration Marina Muun | www.marinamuun.com All the HMP minibus drivers, everybody working on the gate at HMP Send and all the officers who helped during workshops and photoshoots. Printed by HMP Coldingley Printshop
I like fashion because I like to be unique. I don’t want to look like anyone else. It’s a way for me to express my personality. - Maria
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Welcome to the third issue of The Beauty’s Inside, a unique collaboration between London College of Fashion and HMP Send.
Once again, this is funded by Sir John Cass’s Foundation* and represents several months of Tuesday ‘workshops’ where participants from Send and LCF work together to brainstorm ideas, many of which have ended up on the pages of this award winning magazine. This project has seen guests from the fashion industry rock up and tell tales of life and label love in the clothing world. Read about fashion designer and lecturer, Basia Szkutnicka, and her beauty survival tips, and why fashion and horticulture have a lot in common by someone who really knows, fashion historian and LCF’s brilliant Creative Director, Tony Glenville. LCF students felt very much at home in Send given its fashion sensibility, and during our workshop sessions, fashion remains our starting and finishing point. Being all about reflecting change, it’s a great vehicle for motivation towards self-change. In the words of Head of LCF, Frances Corner, “What we wear tells the story of who we are or who we want to be…Fashion deserves to be taken seriously, warts and all, and celebrated for its beauty, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Fashion has been and always will be a constant part of our existence. Why? Because fashion really does matter.” In the magazine we also examine and discuss issues closest to the hearts of Send residents, from long distance relationships to the sheer diversity of women here. However, the highlight of the weekly sessions were undoubtedly two photo shoots (with thanks to Send’s Acting Governor, Dave Charity, and Head of Security, Andy Peacock, for allowing cameras to be brought in for this…and Kelly Nethercoat and Jason Oakley-Cliefe for coordinating). Thanks also to Lorraine in the Send hair salon, (hair rating equally highly as an outlet of self-
expression at Send); the first photoshoot is dedicated to hair styling and photographed by fashion legend, David Anthony. Later in the project, professional hair and make-up artist, Carl Stanley, visited Send and was ably assisted by the team of talented Send hairstylists, which ultimately resulted in the p38 feature on hair colour. We also explored a fashion theme currently trending on the international catwalks: ambisexual androgyny, a blurring of male and female style. And last but by no means least, we used clothes from the Sendsation (great choice of name by the way) boutique to demonstrate the power of pre-loved fashions. LCF students too spend a lot of time in charity shops when it comes to wardrobe building…. There are lots of new arrivals at Send, from the clothing items constantly refreshing the offer at Sendsation, passed in via the team at Send’s Sue Ryder, to the latest blooms in the Send gardens (loving the eucalyptus) now that produce is being grown for Clink restaurants, and shrubs to provide local florists with foliage. Then there’s the resident ducks, chickens (49 Road Island Reds housed in fabulous shocking pink Eglus), 60,000 Buckmaster bees and the cats. In fact, there’s so much happening at Send - crucially so many positive options available to prisoners for dealing with sentences and working towards a bright future, here we merely attempt to capture some of it. To those who showed us their art, textiles, clothing and writing, we say, keep doing it. Feel something is missing in this issue? Come along to the next project and sound us out. But for now, enjoy your magazine.
JR, editor
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CONTENTS Horti-Couture Sendsation Time For A Change? Why Does Fashion Matter? Being Inspired By Basia Szkutnicka Androgyny Androgynous [An-droj-uh-nuh s] The ‘Isms’ In Fashion My Fashion Story Hair Warrior Hairstory
Being Inspired By Basia Szkutnicka 20
Androgony 22
3 8 14 16 20 22 30 32 33 34 38
Beauty Survival Strike A Pose Artist Profile: Tony Corner Long Distance Relationships The Day Gay Marriage Became Legal Do You Speaka My Language Artist Profile: Mary Branson Clark Book Reviews Top 10’s Theraputic Community Activities At Send
Androgynous [An-droj-uh-nuh s] 30
HAIRSTORY 38
40 42 44 46 47 48 50 52 53 54 55
DO YOU SPEAKA MY LANGUAGE 48
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Horti-couture, ‘gardenistas’, clucking hens and the green shoots of Commerce sprouting at Send by Eleanor Vousden
Devika Rattu - BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Surface Textiles Sofia Ilmonen / Daniel Service - BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear photography Kasia Wozniak
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“Florals? For spring? Ground breaking.” As we remember the infamous words uttered by The Devil wears Prada’s wicked glossy magazine editor, Miranda Priestley, it turns out fashion has long had its roots in gardening and horticulture. Soil and Céline? Pruning and Prada? ‘Horticulture’ and ‘fashion’ are two words you won’t normally find together. But a glance at recent designer collections (and not just during the fertile spring/summer season either) shows trends which originate in the garden. When do the international fashion houses of Dolce and Gabbana, Christian Dior, Erdem or Alexander McQueen not use the great outdoors as inspiration? The Spring/Summer 2014 runways blossomed with botanical prints and bristled with environmentalthemed embroideries. Tropical palm prints and floral blooms appeared not just on clothes but on entire catwalk sets at Hermés and Dior; while silk petals fluttered on John Rocha’s catwalk. Christopher Kane took a more scientific approach to the floral trend, using annotated flower diagrams laser cut on tops and dresses to graphically SPELL OUT why horticulture is so important. “We live because of flowers and trees,” the Scottish designer explained. “They produce oxygen. But we take them for granted.” Indeed, as with runway clothes, the amount of attention and care that goes into nurturing plants is so often forgotten as HMP Send’s resident gardening expert, Frank, can testify. Frank, one of the tutors on the horticultural course at Send prison, where up to 50 women work the gardens, reminds us how crucial science is to the planning, sowing, maintaining and harvesting of plants. “On the horticulture course you can learn to test the pH levels of different soils,” he explains. “On my travels – and this makes me sound very sad - I always bring back soil samples from that area to test.” This knowledge is essential as it enables you to understand
how to best grow your own fruit, vegetables, trees, shrubs – the list is endless. He also reveals how every year at Send there is a chilli eating competition – for the brave only. Learning how to grow and nurture plants requires consideration about everything from numeracy to basic science skills.
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Set in six picturesque acres, bordered by lime trees and boasting a stunning wild flower meadow, Send is very proud of its gardening heritage and more recently its produce: from brilliant pink hollyhocks and deep purple snapdragons, to evergreen foliage, and now even free range eggs. On any day, rain or shine, at Send you’ll find an army of green fingered women often in green prison uniform, working in the gardens. Choice of clothing can be a subconscious decision influenced by our surroundings and the harmonious synergy between fashion and horticulture changes according to the season. It was Charles Worth, the British designer attributed to the founding of Parisian haute couture in 1860, who first had the bright idea to create two fashion ‘seasons’ (spring summer and autumn winter) inspired by Mother Nature. As the leaves turn darker, so do our wardrobes. When flowers bloom, so too prints on our clothes transform into the brightest of colours and patterns. Beyond even catwalk trends, fashion’s very roots in terms of textiles (think of cotton, jute, kapok, hemp, linen etc.) lie in nature.
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This link was recently explored during an exhibition entitled Fashion and Gardens, at the Garden Museum in Lambeth, South London, which included a collaborative exhibit by London College of Fashion students. Gardens began to mirror fashion and vice versa as far back as the 17th century, according to curator Nicola Shulman, sister to the editor of British Vogue. “It was about the control of nature. So you actually reduce nature to the most decorative art,” she explains. The show featured fashion pieces designed by Valentino, Alexander McQueen and Christopher Bailey, amongst others, to show how gardens have inspired clothes. From the intricate metalwork of Renaissance wrought iron gates right through to dresses mimicking petals and plants. LCF students also created garments using natural fabrics, plant-based dyes and pattern-cutting techniques to minimise wastage. All the processes aimed to place the environment and sustainability at the core of their designs. Flowers are more crucial to big name designers today than ever before. Where would most perfumes be without the scent of flowers? More importantly, where would big fashion houses be without perfume sales, which - along with make up and accessories - account for a huge percentage of profits? Take Paco Rabanne’s best selling Lady Million perfume, which has neroli, gardenia, hyacinth and lily of the valley as its main notes.
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01 JOHN ROCHA, READY TO WEAR SS14 02 CHRISTOPHER KANE, READY TO WEAR SS14 03 Ana Catarina Rodrigues - MA Fashion and the Environment Minimizing the waste of the design process, developing new pattern cutting techniques and using sustainable materials to create a sustainable collection. 04/05 Gardens at HMP Send
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
One of Tom Ford’s Private Collection scents inspired by the designer’s love for “damp garden soil first thing in the morning.”
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Being creative with horticulture is very much at the heart and soul of Send, agrees Norman from Grounds Maintenance who explains, “We grow many varieties of plants and vegetables here from sweet peas, dahlias, nigellas and cabbages to carrots, chilli peppers and lettuce.” Send’s position, being as it is, out in the sticks, has harvested an exciting recent development: a collaboration with The Clink Charity, whose aim is to reduce re-offending rates by training and placing graduates upon release into the hospitality industry. As a result HMP Send will be increasing its growing productivity in 2014. Following the refurbishment and investment in eight new poly tunnels and a new stand pipe system that allows soil to be watered on a timer at night, vegetables are to be grown for Clink’s three restaurants at HMP Brixton in London; HMP High Down and HMP Cardiff.
“We live because of flowers and trees...But we take them for granted.” - Christopher Kane
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Clink will advise on what to grow and how to manage the produce with the idea to create dishes on the menus resulting in fresh, flavoursome and seasonal food being served. A full-time gardener trainer will oversee the prisoners’ training and delivery of the City & Guilds horticulture qualifications. It is hoped up to 25 women will have a chance to study horticulture to a NVQ Level 2. There will also be more chance for women on a lower level NVQ to join the Clink project and be trained with a practical skill that can be used when finding employment upon release, as well as learning about something inspiring for commercial use.
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As with any activities, any prisoners interested should put in an application to the activities board that meet every Wednesday. Any issues raised will be examined and provided the board sees no concern, names will go on a list. The criteria being that you would be expected to show up and work hard (i.e. don’t sit around sunbathing). It’s hoped a prisoner on day release will transport goods in a refrigerated van to the restaurants. >
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> Ultimately, Send hope to grow vegetables for use in its own kitchens and even to supply local restaurants one day. “We are mindful of all the activities we introduce,” says Barry, resettlement manager. “The Clink project will provide women with insight into growing their own vegetables and becoming more independent. Our ethos is always to maintain the re-building of confidence and selfesteem. We want to provide women with skills that are industry recognised and can be utilised around childcare arrangements. To show them, in growing food for the table, digging, planting and nurturing, you don’t need a man!” Earlier this summer, Lady Caroline Ergemont and the Monument Foundation provided funds to plant a lot of shrubs, used in bouquets for flowers. Local florists were also invited in to advise on what flowers to grow. Cut flowers are very fragile and you’ve got to consider quick and consistent transport to shops. However, the big demand for hardy shrubs, which don’t require such TLC, sees shades of green producing a beautiful backdrop to the spectacular show of lupins, dahlia, pinks and sweet peas etc. with exotic names like Black Fire, Arabian Nights and Autumn Lustre. Talking of shocking pink, this summer also saw the delivery of 49 Rhode Island Red chickens housed in five pink coups. Pink to match the wheelbarrows to brighten up the place. These are all happy hens, all female, who will be producing free-range eggs, again for the Clink restaurants, and ultimately for HMP Send kitchen. And because of a problem with rodents, they have been joined by two cats, that arrived from the Cats Protection League. One is a British Blue, grey shorthaired cat. Both are feral
(i.e. not domestic) cats. “We know they are happy because the food we leave out goes,” explains Barry. In addition to cats - not forgetting our resident duck families - there are two new hives with 60,000 buzzy Buckmaster bees set up by Edwina Wardle, purely for conservation purposes and to provide Send with honey – to provide prisoners with an education into the art of bee keeping. Kitchen manager Richard, promises honey-laden cakes will be on the menu soon. And no one has been stung…yet. Of course, HMP Send has formerly exhibited their gardening creativity in themed pop-up garden spaces at the historic Loseley House garden show in Surrey. Every year a new theme is allocated to exhibitors, in which they have four days to prepare ideas and make the garden itself. Past themes have included the senses, where the team from Send planted vibrant herbs and displayed wind chimes to evoke a dual-sensory experience for visitors. One year the theme was Japan, where the team created a golden oriental garden alongside a wall of rich, terracotta flowers. Another included the 150th anniversary of the English composer Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934 of Pomp and Circumstance fame). “In the garden we had a piano, a treble clef-shaped path made from crushed CDs and music-themed flower beds,” Norman reminds us. Whatever happens next on the catwalk, we predict Autumn/Winter 2014 at HMP Send florals will be big and plentiful. Here, green, as they say, is the new black.
“The garden and fashion creatives is very strong; Sam McKnight (one of the most famous session and catwalk hair stylists in the world) places as many images of his garden on Instagram as he does of his work at Chanel or across the globe. The gardens at Chateau de Wideville of Mr Valentino are his pride and joy (even if he does not actually dig the exquisite flower beds himself!). Stephen Jones and many other milliners, like Philip Treacy (he of turkey twizzler/Royal Wedding princesses Beatrice and Eugenie fame) are inspired by flowers in their creations and the links between the late Christian Dior’s eternally romantic place at Granville where the gardens are as haunting as those of (Monet’s water lilies at) Giverny, and his flower strewn embroideries has certainly been captured in the 21st century by Raf Simons. Simons’ very first Christian Dior haute Couture collection in 2012 was shown in rooms lined in blossoms and blooms from his favourite Belgian florist. Then you have Yves Saint Laurent and the exotic gardens of Marrakesh (which are said to have inspired the craze for colleting cacti in the Sixties), and Ralph Lauren (who built a fashion empire out of ‘Le Style Anglais’ which grew from a gardening uniform in the 17th century) insists on displays of oversize opulent fin de siècle flowers gracing his stores around the world. Meanwhile what is the fashionable fragrance du jour? Anything that smells ‘freshly picked’ of course, like Mary Greenwell’s Lemon; Crabtree & Evelyn new Verbena & Lavender de Provence collection, or one of Tom Ford’s Private Collection inspired by the designer’s love for “damp garden soil first thing in the morning.”
- TONY GLENVILLE, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, LCF
01 BEEHIVES 01
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02 GREENHOUSE AT SEND
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Hello Ducky by eLLEN
Down on E and F we’ve had some very welcome attractions that have become welcome distractions for all of us. Little bundles of joy and their amazing - but slightly crazy - mother have been enlightening us daily with their antics. What is astonishing for me is how quickly they have learned to wrap us around their little wings. The way they waddle over to the benches, making their little grunting and squeaking sounds, gazing up at you with their innocent brown eyes. Shake a cereal bag and they hurtle along the ground, like fluffy balls of lightening, sometimes stumbling over in their efforts to get to the food. Another highlight that’s played out more than once is Battle Of The Worm! One tiny duckling will pluck a worm from the ground only to then become embroiled in a tug of war with its siblings. The chase, as they run after each other can only be described as a scene from The Benny Hill Show, and is met by a chorus of laughter from onlookers. The highlight of my summer? Abso – ducky – lutely.
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Send’s in-house clothing shop guarantees street smart swagger in an ocean of hues. From battered denim, to sporty cotton jersey, don’t be put off by the pre-loved status of separates. Think of it as a renewable wardrobe. Photography Orsolya Luca STYLING Laura Saxton
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
THE SENDSATION BOUTIQUE by Danielle FOWLER
‘Sendsations’, the prison boutique stocking ‘pre-loved’ clothing at Send, seems to have a negative stigma sewn into its many donated labels. Yet it’s hard to understand why? Rather than catering to just one type of person, the shop stock mirrors the very diverse prison community. “We cater for everyone,” explains Ellen, a prisoner who works here. “Send is made up of women of many different ethnicities, sexual orientation and social backgrounds,” she tells me. “All these characteristics are reflected in their personal style. We’ve even got a wide variety of both male and female clothing.” What’s more, the shop also has plenty of options for the inevitable personal change that so many women undergo whilst in prison; change which can lead to an about-turn in sartorial choice. This is a particular Sendsations strength. “When I had clothes sent in, my mum tended to buy more feminine clothing but I’ve changed so much whilst in prison,” Ellen goes on. “I’ve become freer and more expressive within my fashion.” The irony of finding such freedom in prison of all places is outweighed by the self-discovery and positive effects that a clothing makeover can bring to an individual. “Before working at the shop I would wear a hat pulled down over my eyes to hide myself,” Ellen confesses. “Now, in contrast, I’ll choose a hat to accentuate my outfit.” This sense of
confidence and freedom is something the boutique strives for along with surprise. “Is that really from Sendsations?” is a frequent gasp to be heard at Send. And one echoed throughout our photoshoot showcasing clothes from the shop. The fact is, it doesn’t matter where the garment is from. Or, whether it is on-trend or not. “With the right styling you can make it your own,” advises Ellen, adding this is something shop staff are always happy to help out with. “I’ve become much more confident in helping pick clothes out for people ever since I’ve seen first hand what change can bring. I really enjoy it!” An appointment can be made once a month. This includes the opportunity simply to have a browse without any pressure to buy. Although you may find Ellen might simply ask you to just give something a chance. Why not come and have a rummage? Finders keepers.
Pricelist Tops £1 Bottoms £2 Shoes £2.50 LCF student laura saxton models ‘pre-loved’ looks all sourced from local charity shops
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TIME FOR A CHANGE? By JENNIFER
2014 has been a difficult year for someone who enjoys a bit of wardrobe refreshing when it comes to what to wear. The end of hand-ins and lack of affordable mail order catalogues means many of us are wearing clothes that would have been binned at home. We are lucky - of course! - to have Sendsations for a bit of retail therapy but unfortunately, if you are not quite a standard size…or shape…or height, the chances of finding something perfect are slim (excuse the pun!). Happily, HMP Send can offer a solution to many clothing dilemmas thanks to our on site textile workshop operating under the über perfectionist Jane. This employs six prisoners as seamstresses, all from varying backgrounds. Some have developed through prison courses, hobby-sewing, working as professional machinists and studying textiles at school, or college. All the seamstresses however, have one thing in common; they are passionate about producing outstanding work. What happens in the textiles workshop? The textiles workshop produces a range of goods such as bags and cushion covers for sale to the general public, but its most important role is in offering alterations and adjustments, as well as basic repairs, for prisoner clothing at a reasonable cost.
Re-sizing One of the most common alterations we take on is re-sizing clothing - particularly jeans and trousers - because the prison food does have a slight tendency to collect around our waistlines. Letting out seams is a quick job and even adding in an insert (if you need more than an inch or so) can be done in an afternoon. For the conservative dresser we will attempt to match the fabric so that the insert looks like part of the original design, but for those with more flamboyant personalities we can use contrast fabric to create an impact. Your choice, although I say the brighter the better! Another common alternation is changing the fit of trouser legs. Hands up anyone who still has a pair of bootcut jeans hanging about (hangs head in shame!) We can tailor trouser legs to provide a much more trendy look. One problem that can also be laid to rest is broken zips, worn backside or thigh areas on jeans. We have a huge range of zips and
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threads, all different colours and sizes, and can carry out invisible repairs so that you wont be able to tell the difference. We are really good at upcycling… Whilst being able to repair your favourite jeans is really useful, your options don’t stop there. If you have a garment that you just don’t wear, we can help you re-design it (known as ‘upcycling’) so that it can stop lurking at the back of your shelves. A short skirt can be lengthened with contrast fabric, a high neckline can be adjusted to flatter your shape, sleeves can be narrowed, shortened or just plain removed, loose tops or dresses can have darts added to improve the fit and, for those of you dedicated enough to hit the gym on a regular basis, we can even turn jeans into a miniskirt! What are you waiting for… If you feel inspired to re-vamp your clothes come and visit us on any afternoon on free-flow. Remember, the only thing between you and a brand new style is your imagination. See you soon.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD INSPIRED DRESS ALTERATION BY EMMA
common alterations Guide price Shorten Taper legs New zip Repaired holes/rips Take in at the waist Let out/enlarge Re-style
£1 £2 £2 50p £1.50 £2 £2
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Why does fashion matter? by claire Swift
Boo Pala - BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Surface Textiles Photography James rees www.jamesrees.co.uk
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Claire Swift, Director of Social Responsibility at London College of Fashion puts the question to women at HMP Send.
Professor Frances Corner, Head of London College of Fashion, recently published a book called Why Fashion Matters, that questions and highlights some of the (many!) issues and debates surrounding fashion: the industry, its history and how it affects the people that are so involved in its creation.
The Rana Plaza disaster in April 2013 had a catastrophic effect on the industry. The collapse of the factory claimed over 1,000 lives, a significant death toll that equates to some of the more recent casualties of war. The epic scale of this tragedy has prompted the fashion industry to look at its practice and the politics of garment manufacture.
Why does fashion matter? Is it something that should matter to everyone? Is everyone really interested in fashion? Is everyone allowed an opinion on why fashion matters? And no matter how big - or small - how meaningful, how insincere… is there need for this opinion?
We cannot underestimate the effects of fashion within society, or the messages that it sends out as it becomes more intertwined with music, popular culture or politics. As fashion becomes more influential, so too will celebrities and fashion models the world over use their position to challenge and voice opinions on foreign affairs, public health campaigns or world politics.
The fashion industry’s primary purpose is to tell us all about what the next big trend is; what is considered to be stylish, attractive and acceptable (to those who care to follow). Fashion always invites an opinion - and a reaction. It can create an emotive response to a situation within our lives. Our celebrity driven culture now means that everyone will have an opinion somewhere on the planet, whether serious or not. We remember events through the eyes of fashion. Remember the Swarovski dress that Rihanna wore to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) awards that barely covered her modesty? Everyone had an opinion about that dress! It prompted reactions across the globe, both positive and negative.
So what does fashion mean to women in prison? Does fashion matter to the 5% of the UK’s prison population made up of women? Ultimately, fashion has the ability to define an individual and can persuade society what they should believe in, aspire towards or emulate. Yet it also highlights some of the very real issues that they have to face that most of us take for granted. Fashion can provoke memories of childhood and times that were more happier and more positive. When I asked some women at HMP Send if fashion matters, and if so how - and why - the overwhelming, overall, defining answer came back, ‘YES!’ It does matter because it gives back a sense of self. Fashion allows women to express themselves in an environment where they are identified only by their crime. As one woman put it, “I have spent so long trying to be myself.” The fact that fashion helps on the long road to rehabilitation surely means that… FASHION MATTERS.
In truth, fashion matters because it has this effect on everyone. Fashion permeates our everyday lives and has a subliminal connection to the world that we live in. The same way in which history affects us, so too do some of the events that take place in the fashion world which can change our thoughts and opinions on everything around us.
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It matters to me because I can bring out my identity in what I am wearing! I can make a statement. It has always been a big part of my life. I remember when we were young, we would dress up on so many occasions: Sunday school, weddings, and birthdays…I am from Guiana in South America and it really is a part of our culture to dress up. It gives me a sense of identity. I like fashion because I like to be unique. I don’t want to look like anyone else. It’s a way for me to express my personality. I’ve always loved clothes for as long as I can remember. It’s within me. I’m just so passionate about fashion. I love everything about it. What do you love about Fashion? I just like clothes! I like to look good and feel good! You can let yourself go. You can express yourself through what you are wearing. If I am having a bad day or a good day, you will see it by the way I am dressed. I love how diverse it can be. Anything works, even things that don’t work, work! I love that it’s all about expression. You can wear what ever you feel like wearing, whether that’s about comfort or being stylish. I love that fashion is always changing. It gives you the opportunity to mix colours and shapes. One little thing can change a lot! What do you hate about Fashion? People who just follow fashion without any idea of why they are wearing it. I don’t like the way that fashion doesn’t really cater for all shapes and sizes. Lots of fashion shops don’t cater for my size, so not all fashionable clothes are accessible if you are over a certain size or an unusual shape. Why does Fashion matter to you?
that we live in a throwaway society. Magazines put pressure on young people to buy into trends. I’m a believer in quality over quantity. Sometimes you can be judged for the way you dress, especially if it isn’t someone’s personal style and I don’t think that’s fair. How would you describe your Fashion Style? I use clothes to express my mood. For me it is about how I feel and how it makes me feel, so I don’t have a particular style, it could be anything. I like colours and prints, yet equally I can dress up in masculine clothes but with a womanly feel. Unique. I wear what makes me feel comfortable. I don’t fit into a certain fashion category or stereotype, I just wear what I like. Punk-chic. I’m a modern punk. Feminine and floaty. Creative. How does fashion make you feel? It makes me feel like I am me! If I am wearing the right clothes it makes me feel comfortable with who I am and then I feel more confident. It makes me feel happy. I can wear what I want! Fashion used to be my mask. In the past I would hide behind what I was wearing. Now I dress for myself. Fashion adds to my confidence and makes me feel good inside. In the past, I had preconceptions of what people thought of my clothing, but I’m no longer as critical of myself. If you could be a fashion Icon, who would you be and why? I wouldn’t want to be an icon. I’ve spent so long trying to be myself. I don’t want to be anyone else. Lady Gaga. She expresses herself how she wants, in the way she wants. She doesn’t care what other people think. I love Adele. She is not the skinny, model size. She has a full, curvaceous figure and she is beautiful. Contributors Ellen, Delon, Tanya, Emma, Chloe, Tatiana, Maria, Keeley, Jane
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Being Inspired by Basia Szkutnicka By Emma
ILLUSTRATION BY ANA STANKOVIC-FITZGERALD
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Basia Szkutnicka came to Send to talk to us about her passion as a fashion designer and fashion educator. And what better person to do it? Someone to whom fashion is life and life is fashion. Although her name was not one I immediately recognised, it is one I will remember from now on. And here’s why… Born in Britain of Polish decent, she initially told us how her family had lost everything during World War II. Her father, after being ‘thrown out’ of Poland as a child and living in Africa, eventually arrived as an immigrant in the UK- and after working to survive gained an education ‘to get a better life’. As a child Basia had a deeprooted love for animals, especially cats… she even wanted to be a cat! Her mum made her a catsuit and for two years Basia lived in it as if she were a real cat. At Art College in the mid-1980’s, she had struggled to draw and, being a free spirit, didn’t knuckle down until her final graduation collection. She realised the only way to pull this off was to stay entirely true to herself. She even kept the look and concept secret from her tutor, which to her credit paid off. Her collection, entitled ‘Hammond Pop Party’, was singled out, and described as “a breath of fresh air” by acclaimed fashion critic, Suzy Menkes, in The International Herald Tribune. “It had no limits,” she told us, showing press cuttings from newspapers, which looked amazing! The clothes were so bright and colourful. She had purposely allowed the process to be “organic”, she had randomly picked unusual fabrics, including a beautiful cherry print on silk satin and crepe fabric, and a patterned sequin fabric. Basia also thought “outside the box” pouncing on AstroTurf and laser cut cork fabric. Never one to be afraid of the charity shop, Basia also bought 1970’s-inspired platforms for the catwalk show and spiced them up with sequins. “I transformed crap into diamonds,” is how she describes it. “I just allowed
one thing to lead into another.” She even hired her own models, who looked nothing like models at that time, and it was all infused with a sense of fun, something that would later become her design signature.
Basia also revealed how she would have liked to live in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She likes a good black and white movie! She buys - and wears vintage clothing from this period. We learned that a lot of vintage clothes come mainly from America as the English didn’t have the prosperity around this time and did a lot of ‘make do and mend’.
After leaving college Basia took up many opportunities that came her way in the fashion business, with her mentor – the legendary Isabella Blow - backing her all the way and nurturing her creativity. Ultimately, she puts success down to just one thing: “working hard” and being a nice honest person.
A believer in sustainability, Basia also buys clothes that do not go out of fashion. To her, clothes and behaviour are combined. She is not a fashion follower. She’s not into clones. Originality is more important. During a career which involved taking some jobs she liked (and some she didn’t), she has travelled extensively, latterly sharing her knowledge with students hungry to absorb the life lessons she has learned over the decades.
“I transformed crap into diamonds.”
Like many a student before me, I too was amazed at the passion Basia still has. She currently writes for a Russian fashion magazine. When she writes, I’m sure Basia does this with openness and honesty, telling the truth as she sees it, rather than being generic.
She is a very confident person. You can see this from being around her for only a few minutes. Her love for what she does is apparent from the enthusiasm you get when she talks. This was one of many things that drew me to her. She’s also a very sensory person: colour, sound, touch and smell are crucial to the work she produces.
BASIA’S FINAL COLLECTION FOR HER CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS DEGREE SHOW IN 1988
She also lectures on the subject of fashion and design worldwide. When she teaches I’m sure she does it with enthusiasm, honesty and passion. She sets out to share her talent and in doing so inspires others, and she does this in the only way she knows how… by being herself.
Like me, Basia loves shoes! She consults for the Spanish shoe brand, Camper. We also share an interest in the designer Vivienne Westwood. One of several items Basia brought in to show us was a Westwood tailored red jacket with hearts from the iconic Harris Tweed, Autumn/Winter 1987–88 collection. It is a jacket I have admired since I first started researching Westwood. To me it felt like touching the Holy Grail!
A CLOSE-UP OF THE SILK SATIN AND CREPE POPPY TEXTILE USED FOR HER FINAL COLLECTION
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A Photography Alina-Ioana Negoita
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
androgynous [an-droj-uh-nuh s] BY LYNSEY FOX
Androgyny in fashion is the blurring of masculine and feminine styles to create a unisex look – almost like a third gender. Androgynous fashion has been a celebrity and catwalk favourite in recent years. Pop chameleons Rihanna and Rita Ora are often seen out in tomboyish pieces, designers, including Kanye West, have introduced unisex clothing lines, and models, like transgendered Andreja Pejić, are walking in both menswear and womenswear shows. The high street is full of androgynous staples such as blazers, trouser suits, sweaters, fashion tracksuits, sneakers and brogues. Fashion androgyny is having a moment. However, as well as being a current style, androgynous dressing has actually been one of the most enduring fashion trends. It symbolises female empowerment and has been at the forefront of some of the most exciting social changes of the last 100 years. Here we look at a timeline of some of androgyny’s milestones: 1920s French designer Coco Chanel is credited with freeing women from corsets. She claimed she ‘gave women a sense of freedom’. She reworked her boyfriend, the Duke of Westminster’s, tweed jackets and wore trousers so she could horse ride and fish in comfort and style. 1930s-1940s World War II saw women going out to work and they needed comfortable, practical clothing. Rationing also meant that fabric was scarce. Women repurposed their husbands’ clothes. Styles included wide leg trousers, button down shirts and head scarves.
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with her boyish figure and cropped hair and everyone copied. Rolling Stone Mick Jagger wore tight trousers, cropped tops and loads of eye make-up. Male and female hippies grew their hair and wore unisex flares and platform shoes. Fashion was fun and gender rules were broken. 1970s Glam rock, hippy chic and punk were all major trends in the 70s. Glitter make up and satin for the boys, tailored trousers and waistcoats for the girls. The Women’s Lib Movement was at its peak and women dressed for power. 1980s Fashion, music and politics collided to create one of androgyny’s most exciting times. Boy George made the headlines when he first appeared on Top of the Pops in 1982 with people asking ‘Is it a boy or a girl?’. Pop star Prince wore 4” heels and ruffle blouses. Career driven business women dressed for success in suits with large shoulder pads which showed strength.
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1990s Grunge and Britpop saw gender lines become more confused. Doc Martens, Levis, Adidas Gazelles and Track tops were standard attire for men and women. As Blur said at the time ‘Girls who want boys who like boys to be girls’ 2000s Androgyny has lost its power to shock and gender blurring is commonplace. Women are now empowered and encouraged to wear what they like, how they like. Female role models like Rihanna and Madonna are great examples of this.
1960s Androgynous fashion dominated the 1960s. Model Twiggy hit the catwalks
01 COCO CHANEL 02 wwii women Painting timber in a factory 03 madonna
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Youjia Jin - MA Fashion Design Technology Womenswear
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
The ‘isms’ in Fashion: Racism, Sizeism, Ageism BY Olexandra Solomka There has been a lot of debate recently surrounding the monotonous, generic appearance of fashion models. Being almost always white, tall, skinny and young, is a cause for concern particularly for organisations like the NHS data gatherer, MyHealthLondon who question if seemingly ‘perfect’ images of catwalk models can be linked to lack of body confidence in women. “Our obsession with celebrity-looks reduces our self-esteem and makes us unhappy with our own bodies,” says Jane Sullivan, a spokesperson for the company. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), recently published findings that suggest 70% of women, and 40% of British men felt pressure from TV and magazines to have a ‘perfect’ body. The group, which is run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords along with organisations outside Parliament, also claim children as young as five are concerned about the way they look. The international catwalks provide an alternative, less mainstream role model line up for young women in particular and the good news is here the use of non-white models appears to be rising, albeit slowly. New York Fashion Week’s Spring/ Summer 2012 season roll call revealed 82.4% were white. Compared with 8.5% black; 6.8% Asian; 2% Hispanic, and 0.3% other races. If this sounds disappointing, it’s an improvement on NYFW Autumn/Winter 2011 which featured 84.8% white; 7.3% black; 6.2% Asian; 1.5% Hispanic and 0.2% from other races. One prisoner at HMP Send rightly suggests the negative impact this might have on women looking at catwalk reports in fashion magazines. “We should see a wider demographic…everyone should be shown because otherwise you grow up with just one stereotype of what is beautiful.” Furthermore, while we may be seeing slight improvements in the racial diversity of models, we certainly aren’t seeing changes in size diversity. According to the American online PLUS Model magazine, most runway models have a Body Mass Index (BMI), which puts them in the same category as women with Anorexia. With the average fashion model weighing 23% less than an ‘average’ woman, it’s perhaps easy to see why links are made between catwalk models and a record high 1.6 million eating disorder sufferers in the UK. The trend for very thin catwalk models is arguably the most dangerous of all the ‘isms’ in fashion according to Caryn Franklin. “We now have a culture that convinces women to see themselves as an exterior only, and
evaluating and measuring the component parts of their bodies is one of the symptoms,” says the British fashion expert, former fashion editor of i-D magazine and co-founder of All Walks, an initiative dedicated to promoting diversity within the fashion industry challenging body and beauty ideals. With the average UK female adult wearing a size 16, fashion models reflect a mere 5% of society. Is it any surprise many women are made to feel ‘excluded’ from fashion due to their dress size? As prisoner, Amie explains, “you always see a lot of smaller sized women in the fashion industry. There are some models bigger than there used to be… but it’s still not enough. If you’re slightly larger than ‘skinny’ there just isn’t anything.”
“We should see a wider demographic in magazines...everyone should be shown, because otherwise you’re always growing up with this stereotype of what is beautiful.” It can however be argued that fashion models have an aspirational appearance that levers in size and race. “Reading fashion magazines is about escapism,” one Send prisoner states. “We know we won’t ever look like these women. An insecure woman could look at a model her own age, size and race, and still find fault with her own appearance. It’s all down to the individual.” Appearance Psychologist, Dr Phillippa Diedrichs backs this fact up. “Some people are more vulnerable to (fashion) images and these tend to be people who have body dissatisfaction and are unhappy with how they look. They’ve taken on those thin ideals as their own personal ideals when they are unlikely to ever achieve them.” While this may be true, studies undertaken by luminaries such as Dr Ben Barry, a Cambridge social scientist shows that women are more likely to purchase clothes if they can ‘identify’ with the size, race and age of model
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used in the advertisement. Writing in the Canadian issue of fashion magazine Elle he says, “consumers increased their purchase intentions by over 175% when they saw models who reflected their age; in particular, women over the age of 35 increased their purchase intentions by 200 % when they saw older models. Black consumers were 1.5 times more likely to purchase a product advertised by a Black model.” I would advocate however that when companies do use a Plus-size model (i.e. a model larger than a UK size 10), the model is invariably smaller than the clothes size she’s modelling for. For example, a size 14 model will wear clothes for women who are size 20. One more ‘ism’ in the fashion industry is ageism. Despite the ambitions of Channel 4’s Fabulous Fashionistas, a documentary exploring the lives of six 80-something’s and their age-defying clothing styles; and London College of Fashion’s ‘Better Lives’ lecture series which aims to use fashion as a tool to a ‘better’ future, we still see women well below the age of 25 modelling say, anti-aging creams. American holistic health practitioner and owner of the brand, Holistically Haute skincare, Rachel Pontillo believes there are some men and women so desperate to achieve the modern idea of physical perfection, that they will try “anything without thinking clearly” or worse, “getting all the facts about what results to realistically expect.” Catwalk-wise a small improvement has been since the child model law was passed in America in October 2013. During the New York season, anyone under the age of 18 is now designated a ‘child performer’, which has eschewed some catwalk-casting directors. Casting Director, James Scully, who has worked for Tom Ford, Stella McCartney and Lanvin, and has frequently spoken out about the need for more diversity on the catwalks, explains how prior to the legislation roughly 60% of catwalk models were under 18, compared with now, less than 1%. Whilst the industry might be making steps in the right direction, they’re still only baby steps. Most models remain between the ages of 20-24, a disappointing statistic for age diversity campaigners. As we know fashion not only mirrors social, economic and cultural changes, it expresses modernity. As fashion continues to embrace globalism, celebrating diversity in many cultures, reflecting customers from countries with growing economies investing in fashion, namely China, the Middle East, Africa, India and Brazil, will the next ‘ism’ be about this new fashion modernism? Just imagine what the catwalk will look like!
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
My Fashion Story BY Eleanor Vousden
We’ve all got one. A tale about a little off-the-shoulder number, rustled up in half an hour from an old hemp sack, the time you accidentally dyed your sister’s hair bright orange or that 1980s batwing body-con dress you made in a day? Or that time you made superstar Kate Winslet run up the stairs in preparation for the red carpet on Oscar night (WHAAAT?!!!) Fashion trends come and go but fashion memories are for keeps. Here’s a pick of our favourites. Victoria
Jane
“I’m Nigerian. It’s a tradition in our culture to wear Ankara (a woven, brightly coloured, wax-print fabric) to parties; main milestone birthdays especially. It’s all about who looks best and how it’s been made. The birthday host picks two colours for the party and all the guests have to wear them. We design our outfits and visit fabric shops to pick out colours and then get a tailor to make outfits.
“A few years ago, my dad went up to the attic and found drawings of clothing designs I’d done when I was three. I’ve always loved designing. I believe creativity is in your genes but it definitely skipped a generation with my mum who would sew a button and it would immediately fall off.
These parties first got me into fashion. For my tenth birthday, I designed a ra-ra skirt and t-shirt in green and pink inspired by Sporty Spice. For my cousin’s twenty-first, I designed an outfit inspired by the Simmons sisters. Only thing is my cousin hadn’t come up with anything so I ended up having to give her my designs too. We wore the exact same outfits to the party.”
Claire “My interest in fashion was first triggered by the up-cycling craze in the 1980s. I was sharing a flat with a guy in Dorset and we upcycled a mail sack into a dress. It was made of hemp, off-the shoulder, with gold loops at the hem, which were then tied around the waist as a belt. It only took about half an hour to make and I thought it looked amazing. It was something no one else had.
I went to art college in the 1980s and studied fashion. I can remember once buying fabric from the college shop and making a burgundy, body-con ruched dress in mock suede with punched holes and batwing sleeves. I wore it out clubbing that same night. For my final collection I made a suit including a jacket, pencil skirt, blouse and cape in grey with horsehair lining. The jacket had stiff shoulder pads. There’s a photograph of me with my illustrations that went with it. I even went to an interview at M&S wearing it.”
Jenny “I used to live in New Zealand. When I was around nine years old it was cool to wear American basketball t-shirts and caps even if you didn’t support a team. I lived in the Chicago Bulls kit, which was red, and the blue Charlotte Hornets kit. I also remember wearing my mum’s high heels around the house, which were far too big for me and dyeing my sister’s hair for the first time. She ended up with white roots and ginger ends. She wasn’t very happy.”
I am still inspired by the work of the designer, Hussein Chalayan, who reclaims everyday objects and experiments with combinations and juxtapositions.”
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Tony Glenville Creative Director, LCF “At eight years old I taught myself to cut patterns. I made a blue skirt with four different panels for my mother. Which she wore. My teacher once said to me, ‘Tony, you are a disaster…other than your drawings.’ I’ve worked as a fashion journalist and a stylist. I dressed Kate Winslet for her first Oscars. I made her run up and down stairs in her high heels until she could walk in them properly. I can remember one time sitting in her dressing room with her as she flicked through the script for the movie Titanic, which was to make her an international star. ‘Shall I take the role, Tony?’ she asked me, and I told her ‘yeah, why not?’ The rest as they say, is history.”
Fashion begins with hair. Bold, tousled, twisted, textured, crimped or plaited. The Send hair boutique reinterprets the recent, sculptural ‘Boudicca’ catwalk hair statements equally inspired by the wilder environs of the Send gardens. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID ANTHONY assisted by Neil Parkes
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
HAIR STORY: TRUE COLOURS by Carl Stanley
Professional hair and makeup artist Carl Stanley, visited HMP Send for a fashion shoot… and discovered the trend for ‘crazy’ colour is just as popular in prison as it is with popstars and on the international catwalks.
Why do we colour our hair? Well, it’s not such a new practice; from the moment human beings became aware of themselves, they began adjusting what nature gave them. Whether this was to offer protection whilst out hunting, or to make themselves appear stronger to enemies, or simply to attract a mate, they’ve been changing how they look for at least six thousand years. Throughout history, hair colour has carried great symbolism. The Ancient Egyptians used henna to mimic their Queen, Cleopatra, who was a natural redhead; in Roman times, there was a strict hierarchy, with noble women tinting their hair red, the middleclasses colouring theirs blonde, and the poorest dyeing theirs black. Black was – and still is – the easiest colour to maintain. From about 500AD, red hair was considered a sign of witchcraft, so the rules changed. Brunette or golden blonde became the favourite shades – although never yellow, for yellow was by law restricted to ‘women of the night’.
Here, he tells us about the history of hair dye and why women have been dyeing their hair for thousands of years.
It was Elizabeth I of England who was responsible for affecting a turnaround in attitudes. Her auburn hair was universally imitated as a reflection of her regal power. Four hundred years later, Pre-Raphaelite artists regarded redheads as the feminine ideal; presenting them as mystical, sexy free spirits, and ever since redheads have been seen as passionate and bohemian. Perhaps the greatest example today is Rihanna. “I’ve had red hair since January 2012,” says Send prisoner, Chloe; “After seeing Rihanna had dyed hers red. I really liked it so I decided to be brave and dye mine too, and I loved it so much I’ve kept it.” Chloe’s use of the word ‘brave’ is interesting because that is exactly why women choose bold colours. You might not feel brave inside but by giving the impression that you are, people will think you are and you might even start to believe it yourself.
‘Queen Elizabeth I’, George Gower
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‘Veronica Veronese’, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Some women go even further than Chloe. “Brighter colours go well with a strong personality,” says fellow prisoner, Amie. “I can take a loud colour because I’m quite a loud person! Being purple makes me stand out and it shows I’m different than everyone else…and bright colours make everyone smile. Plus, when I’m in the salon getting my colour done, it takes me away from jail, and it’s like I’m having it done outside.” If you’re not as brave as Chloe, or as ‘loud’ as Amie though, colour can still have a fabulous effect on your mood. Perhaps you may just want to hide your grey to make yourself feel younger? Or, if your hair is mousy brown why not try a rich chestnut tone? If you’re worried about being stuck with something you don’t like, you can always experiment with temporary colours until you find one you do like. Maybe a change in hair colour will take you a step further towards a brighter future like Chloe and Amie. Whatever colour you choose, be it pink, Marilyn-esque peroxide blonde, or even just a natural mahogany, let your hair show the world the inner-you or the person you’d like to be - nobody can take that away from you.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
rihanna
Amie and Chloe are two hair colour devotees - and trained hairdressers – on hand to give you tips and advice about getting your hair coloured at Send.
hair colours at hmp send
Finding the right colour for you
you have a distinct style and can take a strong colour. Or if you want red it’s never just about one ‘red’. Colour is about shades. It’s like the 50 shades of grey. There’s never just one ‘grey’. One will be right for you.”
“The first time I used purple on my hair was in 2008,” says Amie. “A friend was dyeing her hair and said ‘let’s try some on you.’ I said ‘no’ to which she replied, “I’ll just do it when you’re asleep then and it will be patchy!” I had it done on the bottom half and ever since I’ve stayed purple. There are so many different shades. I use a few at the same time. Why purple? Because it’s my favourite colour. It reminds me of a favourite Prince song, Purple Rain. I find behind every colour someone likes there’s usually a story. Take Chloe who is young and petite. She opted for a bright, berry Little Red Riding Hood style shade.”
If this is the case you might not get the effect you want. Vibrant colour will fade depending on how much you wash it. Some colours are harder to keep looking bright. I discuss all the options available like permanents, semi -permanents and dyes that wash out after 10 washes.
Hair colour in the Send salon Amie continues. “When women come in to the Send salon enquiring about having colour it's often to do with change. They are starting to look after themselves and consider the future and a new start. The first thing we would do at the salon is to show them a colour chart book. Sometimes I’d advise something subtle: a bit of red or brown or even a hint of purple. Sometimes we’ll do something bold and bright. You need to pinpoint the colour they want. Someone may initially want to go for all over black and I might advise putting a bit of red going through it. It’s their statement. I try not to say too much but I do show them ideas.
“I first dyed my hair after seeing Rihanna go red,” says Chloe. “Each brand has different names for different reds; the one I currently have on is ’dark blonde red.’ For me, hair is a way to express yourself and stay individual. In prison, getting your hair done and dyed gives you a sense of normality and freedom. In the sense of you are free to colour and style your hair in whichever way you please.”
What I do advise about is condition and care of hair, how are you planning to care for it after it’s been coloured. Bleaching hair makes it porous. You have to be careful because putting a strong colour on hair can make it look faded if the hair is in a bad state.
“Finding the right shade can be like finding your way to where you want to go to and who you want to be,” says Amie. “You need to consider whether
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There are lots of considerations to be made when changing your hair. One to consider is cost. This depends on hair length and what product you use. Prices start around £5.50. Another consideration is a big one - whether your hair goes with your clothes/style. Some people concentrate on what they wear, others rely on hair to make a fashion statement. Hair is very much like clothes in that if you look good you feel good. Ultimately, your hair is YOU.”
Salon opening hours Monday – Thursday 8.45am – 12pm 2pm – 4pm Friday 8.45am – 12pm *Prices available at the Salon
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
BEAUTY SURVIVAL
“It’s about survival. You can take everything away from me but I still have myself.”
BY JANE
- Basia Szkutnicka, fashion designer
During this magazine project I asked a visitor to Send, the fashion designer, Basia Szkutnicka, about her lifestyle. What she told me, including the quote above, might easily have come from any fellow prisoner (i.e. the idea, they can take what we have but they cannot take our minds). We all know we are in control of how we take care of ourselves. It’s up to us how and what we choose to do with the time we have. Being mentally fit is not always about food or exercise. Looking and feeling good can also be achieved with the help of creams, lotions and make-up. I always say, we are like a car - If you don’t put water and petrol in it - it will stop. So, if we don’t feed our bodies, our mind and soul will suffer. Ultimately, we can’t function. As the saying goes, you are what you eat, but what you put on (not just inside) your body is just as important. You can read about what Basia told me about her life - and beauty survival kit, which includes tips we can all learn from. And yes, even given the limited selection of products available within these walls the same basic skincare rules apply.
Basia, how important would you say that having a beauty routine is? Very. It makes you feel better about yourself and also makes people treat you differently if you look good.
MAC, Bourjois, Makeup Forever and NARS cosmetics. I have way too much and am a bit addicted to lipsticks. I like nice lips and always use a lip pencil to make them a bit bigger, define them and to keep the lipstick from spreading into those little creases that no woman can stop from appearing after the age of 40.
What is yours? I wish I was more rigorous but because I work such ridiculous hours, I neglect things like putting hand cream on every night. However I take all my make-up off at night, very important, and always use eye cream.
Do you have any products that you take everywhere? When I travel I always take the same products with me, decanted in to smaller containers. It’s important to continue a regime, as sometimes it takes a few months for products to make a difference, I always take MAC powder foundations, MAC mascara and Bourjois black liquid eyeliner.
In the morning I wash my face in cold water and then I use a brand called Biologique Recherché, which you can only get in Paris. That sounds snobby, but I have always had problem skin and it’s taken me years to find something that actually works. I use a product by them called “Lotion P50”, which is a toner, and then follow with their Crème Grand Millesime all over my face for hydration. (I have really dry skin, especially at the age of 48!).
Any tips or brands? La Roche-Posay for eye make up remover and cleanser as its gentle for all skin types and is free from chemicals, parabens and is hyper allergenic. As for make-up, MAC, NARS and Bourjois.
I also use a Biologique Recherché serum around the eyes, as this is richer and absorbs better than a cream. Then I use MAC powder foundation. It evens out my skin; without this my skin looks patchy. After that, it’s mascara, eye shadow, eyeliner and lipstick. I use a lot of
Do you try to stay fit and care about what you eat, sleep and exercise? I’m rubbish at all that. I always say I’ll start running tomorrow but tomorrow never comes! I work very long hours, leave at 9am and get home usually at 8pm, so I should, but I don’t, take time to exercise. I walk ‘Tons!’ so I feel that
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must help. I always try to run upstairs …in the tube etc! The older you get the more you realise that you have to exercise…otherwise it just settles as a spare tyre around your tummy. Not a good look! I sleep so damn well, it’s unreal. Sleeping is never a problem. I don’t allow myself to worry about stuff, that’s destructive, so at night I cuddle the cat (Mimi the Siamese) and we sleep together. Do you feel designers themselves could endorse this more by encouraging their clients to look after themselves etc.? Not really, I think there is so much out there now for people to access, that designers should just keep to what they do best – make better clothes and perhaps for a better price. Everyone deserves good design and it should be available to everyone, not just to those who can afford it. Do you think this could help make women and men of all sizes look good, stay healthy and feel good about themselves? I think feeling good comes from within and when you feel comfortable in your own skin, clothes are merely a reflection of yourself and your identity.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
6 minutes to fabulous
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Conceal and Correct Concealer is your best friend, especially as you get older. Apply before foundation. To reduce shadows apply carefully to the inner corners of the eyes and a little just outside. A little under the corners of the mouth helps it look smilier. Apply concealer along the cheek hollows for a more youthfully plump-faced.
Artful Sculpting You can sharpen your jawline by brushing powder under your chin along the jaw and out towards your ears. Use a bronzer, preferably matte, and buff it in the circles with a brush under cheekbones. To slim your face apply a little on cheek apples.
Invisible Liner To make lashes look denser and help define eyes line your eyes, with a black or brown eye pencil. To apply, lift your eyelid up, look straight into a mirror and draw a fine line right in to the lashes. This is the simple but essential eye trick to master. For a natural daytime look choose a beige neutral shadow and apply it over the lids and into the socket line.
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Fabu-lashes You should spend more time on your lashes than on applying your eye shadow- you will then look much more polished. Curl lashes first- this will instantly make eyes look wider. Use a black mascara, preferably one that is wider at one end, as this will help create an eye-opening fan shape. Use the finer end of the brush lashes vertically focusing on the outer corners for a lifted effect.
The Now Brow Full, thick brows are instant de-agers. For a modern brow simply fill in any gaps with a pencil. Never over pluck brows as this can be ageing and once plucked they may not always grow back. At night before you go to sleep smoothe Vaseline across your eyelashes and brows - it keeps them conditioned.
Magic Blusher Blush is the best face-waker-upper. It gives instant freshness and also makes features more 3D (our faces can look flatter with age). Apply with a brush high on your cheek apples to lift your face. For a youthful look ensure blusher is applied no lower than your nostril and no higher than the top of your ear.
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
STRIKE A POSE BY Laura Saxton
So you think yoga is only for size 8 yummy mummies, haremwearing hippies and health-obsessed celebrities? Well, think again. It’s time we all gave it a go.
Utthita Trikonasana - Triangle Pose
It not only lowers stress levels and promotes feelings of peace and relaxation but is also the perfect way to keep physically fit, increase energy levels and help you sleep. Yoga derives from an ancient Indian philosophy and practice that seeks to align and unite the mind, body and spirit. Through exercise, meditation and breathing, yoga revitalises the body whilst calming the mind, the balance encourages a healthier, stress free way of life. You may ask, “is yoga really for me?” Or question whether you’ll ever be able to balance on your head for longer than a few seconds but don’t let that scare you! If you are willing to give it a try, stay open-minded and work at your own pace (you may never look back!). Here, we look at three case histories of women who made yoga part of their daily lives…and never felt better.
Laura Saxton, 20, LCF student attends Yoga class once a week and practices at home with her housemates
I also like Vrksasana (Tree) I think just putting your hands in this pose makes you feel more together and ready and its a classic pose that everyone associates with yoga and spirituality. I find the head stands most difficult but it is so rewarding when you can do them.
Why did you first take up yoga? I first took up yoga when I came to London 2 years ago as I found it hard to adjust to the busy and hectic lifestyle of London. Coming from a town in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields I was rejuvenated by nature but in a huge city like London I really missed that. I felt constantly drained, mentally and physically. I felt like I was just following the crowds, not really feeling alive.
What are the most important lessons you’ve learnt from yoga? I think that it's hard to keep up with it, I find myself being so busy I can’t always fit in a class but I would say that doing little things like breathing exercises to keep going with it, is the most important lesson. Along with really trusting the practice. I think to really feel the benefits you need to believe in it.
For you, what are the main benefits? I feel so much more in tune with myself and the world. I have a heightened awareness. I don’t get into dazed and lethargic states any more. It provokes me to really concentrate and live in the moment. It also makes me feel better about myself, feeling like I am looking after myself and in control of my body.
Do you treat yoga as a spiritual practice? I would say so, yes. It is more than exercise for me. It aligns the body and the mind. It lets you relate and connect yourself with the world. Do you think that yoga can act as therapy? If so how? Yes, definitely. Like I said before it is my way of getting away from the over-saturated ways of London. We are constantly engaged and stimulated, its my way to detox and find time to value the body and mind by nurturing it.
What are your favourite poses and why? One of my favourite poses is Halasana (plough) it makes me feel like I’m more flexible than I am haha! I used to dance quite a lot so I did have a slight head start with yoga being more flexible than a beginner.
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Do you think anyone can gain from yoga? Yes, I think it would be great to see more people doing it. I always recommend it to friends/ family. It doesn’t always have to act as a form of therapy, its still just a good way to keep fit and a positive thing to practice! Any funny yoga stories? I think one of the funniest experiences whilst practicing yoga was when one of my housemates came to a yoga class having never done it before. He’s quite manly but turned up in harem pants and a tight t-shirt. He looked hilarious. The highlight was when he got stuck in the plough position. The teacher luckily saw the funny side of it. She was very patient. What advice would you give to people who are interested in starting yoga? GIVE IT A SHOT!
Gym opening hours Monday – Friday 8am – 7.45pm Full timetable of sessions can be found on noticeboards
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
Jessie Scholler, 24 Trainee yoga teacher
Anne-Mie, 50, Artist Has practiced yoga daily for 15 years
Why did you first take up yoga? One of my friends had initially introduced me to Bikram yoga as a form of exercise. Bikram is practiced in 40 degree heat and consists of doing 26 postures over 90 minutes. For you, what are the main benefits? At first, I was mainly benefiting from the physical aspects of hot yoga. It’s a great alternative to running or working out at a gym. I have ADHD and have found that yoga really helps to calm me down. For the 60 to 90 minutes that I practice, I have been able leave any thoughts at the door and solely focus on what is going on in the room. What are the most important lessons you’ve learnt from yoga? I learned a very hard lesson about 4 weeks ago now. I wasn’t respecting my body by practicing everyday for 31 days while only getting 3 - 5 hours of sleep a night. I got tired in class and over bent my spine resulting in a slipped disc and a pinched sciatic nerve. I wasn’t able to walk for 3 days and have only now, slowly, begun to practice again. The most important lesson yoga teaches is to listen to your body.
For you, what are the main benefits? Yoga helps me relax. I feel fit now and not tired anymore. It energises me and helps me sleep. It also helps me focus and keep my wandering mind at ease.
Baddha Konasana Shirshasana Bound Angle in Headstand
Vrksasana- Tree Pose
Do you treat yoga as a spiritual practice? I think it is a spiritual practice but not related to God. I treat yoga as a necessity. It brings my mind at ease and makes me peaceful. I am a natural being, part of nature, in my way I keep sane in this seemingly crazy world. Do you think that yoga can act as therapy? If so how? Yoga can act as a means to get to know your body and to learn to know what is good for your body to keep it fit, and to relax the mind, one can’t function without the other.
Do you treat yoga as a spiritual practice? I personally don’t connect with yoga on an overly spiritual level. Do you think that yoga can act as therapy? If so how? Yes, I suffer from depression and ADHD and yoga has really changed my life. I also practice Vinyasa yoga which means linking the breath with movement. For people who suffer with anxiety and depression breathing exercises can help to calm down the mind.
What are the most important lessons you’ve learnt from yoga? Practice as much as you can and keep your breathing in mind all the time. This will help to keep focused and concentrated on what is important. Yoga exercises, relaxes and stretches your muscles, which will allow you to meditate and be at peace with yourself and the world. Your body has a self-regulating mechanism that keeps you healthy. Physical practice and relaxation stimulate this.
Raised Hands Pose - Urdhva Hastasana
Do you think anyone can gain from yoga? I think everyone can gain from yoga. There are so many different ways to benefit ranging from social, spiritual and mental, to physical.
Do you think anyone can gain from yoga? I think so but you have to be willing to commit. When you have done it enough you will have experienced how it can change your body and can keep you younger than your age, have a good posture and be energized all the time. What advice would you give to people who are interested in starting yoga? You have to stick with it in the beginning and slowly try to incorporate it into your life. But once you come so far it is remarkable. You can’t do without it anymore! For sure, if you are middle-aged and feel you are getting these little ailments, pains and no energy, yoga will solve it all. You, your own body will solve it all. The mechanism is there you only have to nurture it. You have to nurture your body and you will feel great.
What advice would you give to people who are interested in starting yoga? People interested should definitely give it a try. Yoga can be practiced anywhere by anyone.
Virabhadrasana- Warrior I
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
ARTIST PROFILE: TONY CORNER BY charlie
What kind of work do you create? I make work with an implied narrative and a puzzling abstraction. It’s important to me that people have to work at knowing an image. It should take time; it’s a mindful process, like getting to know someone.
Is art something that can take a long time? Have some of your most successful pieces taken longer than others to create? I work very quickly, in an expressive manner. But the works aesthetic is always about the quality of marks, layering and textures. It’s a workman like build up, so although each surface is applied quite quickly, the overall amount of time can extend to weeks and in the case of painting, much longer.
What is your urge to create? It’s not so much an urge, more a need. When I was a child, I was really ill and confined to bed. I think the creative impulse comes from back then.
Why do artists feel the need to create? The best pieces always look as though they took no time at all.
What does your style of work say about you? It reflects my interest in the human condition. There is always seriousness to it and I hope it points to the fact that life is neither easy nor straightforward.
Why do you feel art needs to be seen? I think art is a human imperative, like having shelter and a full belly. We are enriched by it and it fulfills an emotional need.
In moments of self doubt (if any!) what do you do? As it relates to my work, I just keep working. As it relates to my life, I just keep working.
Do artists see differently from non-creators? There is an element of seeing the world through another’s eyes. Also, maybe a creative simply looks for other things from the world.
Who inspires you and why? A man called Professor Roy Harris and anyone who spent a life trying to be an artist! I’m inspired by his intellect; he’s very, very, clever indeed! The artists, for their courage and tenacity.
Whilst creating do you listen to music? And if so what? I’m always a bit fearful of being influenced by external stuff, so I work in a quiet space and hardly ever look at other artists. Making art is hard enough without clouding the issue with external clutter.
How do you stand apart from other artists? I try to use a language that is uniquely mine. In fact, when I’m working, I’m pretty sure that I’m not even aware that other artists even exist.
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What literature, film, theatre, inspires you? I’m inspired by the nature of collaboration in theatre. I spent some time at Covent Garden Opera House and watched how the integration of text, image and music were brought together to create the operatic form. My secret passion is for West End musical theatre but I think that’s not meant to be very cool is it? Is it important to have an ego? It’s obviously important to believe in your work, because that’s sustaining. Perhaps the ego is best used as a driver and enabler. Are you a Lone Wolf or do you work better in the company of others? I’ve done both. Collaborating is interesting because of the exchange of ideas but the end product is about the team and you have to be prepared for a bit of give and take. Working in a white studio space is usually about the individual. Are you competitive of other artists? I honestly don’t think about them, I just do my work. If you were a prisoner, how would you best use the space around you – and the experience? I'd try to forget that the actual physical space around me was restricted and use the experience to feed my work.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
The Watcher
“I try to use a language that is uniquely mine. In fact, when I’m working, I’m pretty sure that I’m not even aware that other artists even exist.” - Tony Corner
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS BY FIONA ANDERSON
Does absence make the heart grow fonder as William Shakespeare once said? Fiona Anderson examines how we deal with distance and loved ones. Four summers ago I almost lost my sight to the video-calling software Skype. It was also around this time I started to a) watch the TV show, Countdown, b) attempt to brush-up on anything sports-related and c) listen to Johnny Cash on repeat. First love has you doing bizarre things at the best of times. My Dad was surprised when I asked to borrow his Johnny Cash CDs but asking what the ‘offside rule’ was, almost gave him a coronary. Inconveniently, I’d decided to fall for a boy on the other side of the country and what now seems out of character was merely ‘our’ way of navigating a long-distance relationship. Being separated from any lovedone is tough. We develop different rituals, languages and gestures to maintain contact, to show we’re still thinking of them. Boy X (let’s call him Brad Pitt) and I spent whole days on Skype together, sending each other songs and video clips to convey what we were feeling, or thinking in a more palpable way than words on a screen. Like any couple, we watched television together. 2.40pm every weekday was reserved for Countdown and we competed religiously for that nine-letter word as if we were living together as lazy, jobless students. When he was ill, soppiness set in. I sent a bag of pear drops to remind him of the first time we had met. I learnt distance doesn’t have to stop you from feeling close to someone. On occasion it can even
help you to feel more connected than if they were sitting right next to you. The development of new technology may mean there are a million and one ways to stay in touch but in the end it still harks back to those little things you do and say. Here’s what some of you at Send told me about your long distance relationships.
Missing the activities we often take for granted is something one Send prisoner understands. “My mum sends me pictures of our dog with a little message about what walks they’ve been on together. I love it because I really miss the countryside walks with them.” She has also seen how spiritual rituals help us feel closer to loved-ones as well as our gods. “A Hindi friend of mine has a prayer his mother taught him when he was little and says this to himself if he feels stressed. He says it makes him feel closer to his family, as well as feeling supported and safe”.
“It’s just important to know the love and loyalty is still there even if you don’t speak to someone for a year.”
Keeley appreciates more than many the importance of making every second with a loved one count. She’s been married for twenty-eight years and has now been apart from her husband, who is also serving a sentence in prison, for a year. “I get ten minutes to call him every month and he has ten minutes to call me. It’s hard because the phone cuts out after ten minutes exactly. You get carried away and can be in the middle of a conversation when the line suddenly goes dead. I’ve taken to saying ‘I love you’ at the beginning of calls instead.” Her husband sends drawings of vardos (traditional gypsy carriages) and the couple still write letters. “I used to send him letters but didn’t realise how important it was until I came to prison. They can lift your entire day, now I’ll always put in that extra effort.”
- Delon
For Ellen, enjoying everyday activities with her mum has become an important way to stay in touch since entering prison. “It’s about doing mutual things you both enjoy. We watch TV or films and then come together to chat about it.” She also has special songs (John Legend’s All Of Me is mentioned, I daren’t admit to knowing Ring of Fire backwards…). Or she sends songs as a way of saying, “Listen to the lyrics and know I’m thinking about you”.
Alice, an Australian friend of mine who is based in London, uses every mode of communication. Her parents joined social networking
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site Facebook just to stay in touch. Modern technology became particularly significant when her grandfather died. “During this time I was emailed the funeral booklet and a copy of the eulogy. My Dad read out a little thing I wrote on my blog (a personal website) at the funeral, which helped me feel like a part of it.” On a different note entirely, she maintains an intimate relationship with her boyfriend via a video-sharing website, called Vimeo. “Vimeo means we don’t have to synch our lifestyles/ work schedules to find private time. As for who else can see the videos, the account is all set to be top secret but I’m pretty sure there must be some technician in the Vimeo office who has access!” But for all the modern technology facilitating communication all over the world, ultimately the unwavering, time-tested bond of human love outweighs anything. “It’s just important to know the love and loyalty is still there even if you don’t speak to someone for a year,” explains Delon. “I know I can leave prison and pick up with people exactly where we left off.” Whatever happened to Brad Pitt you ask? Turns out we didn’t have that ultimate bond (shocker!). Our fate had nothing to do with distance. This was merely the combination of first love and a relationship based on midday game shows and boiled sweets.
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29.3.14 The day gay marriage became legal BY Tatiana
Saturday 29th March 2014 was the day it became legal for LGBT (the acronym referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people) in England and Wales to marry. Scotland followed suit and the first same sex marriages will take place in autumn 2014. This is a huge step forward in a fight that goes back hundreds of years.
After same sex relationships were decriminalised in 1967, LGBT people began to see light at the end of the end of the tunnel. There are Pride parades where people can celebrate their sexuality. The Rainbow Flag is recognised all around the world. Gay bars are seen as hip not seedy as in the past or hidden underground. These days people base their social lives around gays bars and clubs even if they are straight as they are seen as a safe, fun environment.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights campaign group Stonewall told the BBC “This historic step will mean that, for the first time, every gay person in England and Wales will finally enjoy exactly the same rights as their heterosexual friends and family.”
LGBT relationships are now becoming commonplace rather than being seen as unusual or secret, as is adoption in same sex marriages. It is now accepted that children can benefit from a loving relationship of two parents either gay or straight.
Until 1900 same sex relationships were considered to be serious crimes. The sentence was death by hanging. Between 1900 and 1967 same sex relationships were still considered illegal. People believed that homosexuality was a mental illness and people were either imprisoned or sectioned. LGBT people tried to hide their sexuality and married the opposite sex often remaining unhappy, just to fit in and feel accepted.
On the 31st March, 2014 at 10pm, many watched the Channel 4 Programme “Our Gay Wedding” and cried happy tears with a proud smile. Being gay is no longer seen as different in this country. Now you can wear a wedding ring knowing you are legally married. People can’t help who they fall in love with.
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
do you speaka ma language? BRAZIL By MARIA
With the spotlight on Brazil for the World Cup 2014 we asked a Brazilian Send resident to tell us a bit more about her country. From places to go, food and drink to beaches and catchphrases.
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FRASES PHRASES QUEM TEM BOCA VAI A ROMA If you got a mouth you got Rome. Translated as If you know how to speak out for yourself you can go far (even to Rome) and achieve your dreams. A popular saying for when you can get something done, as in seriously accomplished. SOU MALOQUEIRO SOU BRASILEIRO Brazilian and proud. You are proud to be tough because being Brazilian is about being tough and grounded. MAIS VALE UM PASSARINHO NA MÃO DO QUE DOIS VOANDO Better you have caught a bird in the hand than two flying. Bit like our ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’, meaning it’s better to accept something that you have or can use now rather than to try to get something better that you might not be able to get.
MUITA AREIA PARA O MEO CAMINHÃOZINHO You are too much sand from a little truck. Meaning you are way too much you are over the top. There is too much sand coming from a little truck.
LUGARES PLACES PRAIA DE COPACANA RIO DE JANEIRO The most beautiful place to go and see Christo Redentor - the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer, the beach Macarena, Pao de Suca (Sugar loaf mountain). From this beach you see all these places. On the beach there are
sports, football, volleyball. You can surf in the ocean. There are bars, parties. Nearby there are cheap hostels. In the nearby favelas there are Baille Funk nightclubs that go on all night until the sun comes up. It’s always hot and there are always street parties where you have a sound system on the street. This is where the carnival is.
this. It’s a mix of beans, rice, fried potato, egg and beef all together. You get it at lunchtime it’s always cheap. It’s our national dish (a bit like your British fry-up).
ÁGUA DE COCO Coconut water – fresh from a big, green ripe coconut. This is so fresh and you can buy it on every corner. Very cheap.
CHURRASCO GAÚCHO This is a grilled meat dish from South Brazil which is nearer to Argentinia, famous for its beef. It’s like the best type of meat grilled usually in the open air or BBQ. I’m from South Brazil Caxias Do Sul, it even gets cold there like London. MOQUEQUA DE PEIXE This is from North Brazil where the food is hot and spicy because a lot of inhabitants were originally African. This is fish and white rice and its delicious because of all the spices and coconut milk.
A.V. PAULISTA SÃO PAULO The most beautiful and important street in the city where all the big businesses and banks are. “I’m from São Paolo so it’s important to me although it’s not so much a tourist place as the heart of the city.”
ACARAJÉ This is a fish meal wrapped in a tortilla and is very spicy indeed. It’s got a red sauce and is really hot, if it's not it’s not Acarajé.
PRAIA DA BOA VIAGEM RECIFE, North Brazil Recife (‘heh-see-fee’) is the fifth largest urban area in Brazil in the North East, population 1.538 million, and is a beautiful place to go. It’s different in North Brazil. Different foods and a lot of Africans originally came here to live so it's more black. Frevo is a type of carnival with different music.
FRUTAS FRUIT PITANGA From North Brazil this is a tiny, bitter fruit, orange in colour. It’s full of vitamin C. You order it with food and take to the beach. Sometimes when its so hot this is all you want. AÇAÍ From the Amazon this is a berry which is a superfood. It’s got anti-toxic properties and is full of vitamins. We pulp it up and mix it with granola and ice and make it into a sorbet. It fills you up and is full of energy. In summer we live of Açaí especially when its too hot to eat a lot.
BEBIBAS DRINKS
FLORESTA AMAZÔNICA AMAZONIA This is in the middle of Brazil and it’s the biggest rainforest in the world, 7,000,000 sq metres in total with the majority contained in Brazil (it also has parts in Peru and Colombia). You get all types of trees, animals, birds, insects and tribesman. You also get all types of fruit. There is nothing like the taste of tropical fruit from here, particularly the Asai.
CAIPIRINHA Lime, cachaca – a spirit distilled from sugarcane juice way stronger than vodka – sugar and lots of ice. It’s cheap in Brazil but outside of Brazil is considered a luxury because Cachaca is expensive to export.
COMIDA FOOD
CERVEJA SKOL Our national beer brand comes in cans or bottles. It’s our equivalent of your Stella.
PF (PRATO FEITO) FEIJÃO, ARROZ, BATATA FRITA, BIFE, OVO FRITO This translates as ‘plate done’. If you go anywhere in Brazil you can get
GUARANÁ BRAHMA A non-alcoholic soda made from the Guarana fruit which we have in cans or bottles. Great with pizza or popcorn.
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MANGA ROSA A type of huge mango with a pink outside which you peel the skin off and its just so sweet and rich…like eating candy. It’s so delicious and packed full of vitamins. ACEROLA Similar to pitanga but this is pink. It’s rich in vitamin C and slightly sour. It’s a very popular juice and people take this to the beach.
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ARTIST PROFILE: MARY BRANSON CLARK ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT SEND BY charlie What kind of work do you create? I mainly create large-scale sculptural light installations, many of these are public. I also take on residencies where I respond to communities and spaces by creating an artwork at the end of my time spent somewhere. At present I am working for Watts Gallery and the Michael Varah Trust within Send Prison for one year. Also I am resident artist at the Houses of Parliament and will be making a permanent artwork in response to the women’s suffrage movement. What is your urge to create? I’m driven to communicate my thoughts and ideas about the human condition - and I have found a language through art to do this. The realisation of a successful piece of work and the way it can impact on someone I have never met is an amazing feeling, so drives me on. What does your style of work say about you? I’m conceptual and I spend a lot of time thinking and walking. I respond to spaces and people and most of the time I’m a sponge, soaking up light, temperature, atmosphere and observing the coded rituals of our
behaviour. Then I can start to work. I suppose what it’s saying about me is - I’m inquisitive and want to know more. I have to experience stuff to understand – I’m not so good at reading and remembering, but once I have experienced something first hand I will never forget.
and permissions etc can take several years to realize. I don’t think that because an installation has taken longer to make, it has more depth or it is somehow better. I make the work and then it’s out there and judged. Why do artists feel the need to create? I can’t answer for other artists, but I don’t think I could do anything else this is how I am wired up, and although sometimes it’s hard work – I’m happy to be this way.
What artists inspire you? Many many artists inspire me. Walter de Maria and Nancy Holt, they are land artists who created artworks out in the New Mexico desert in the 70’s. Their artworks respond to, and are activated by the environment. They are still as incredible today as they were 40 years ago. Susan Lucy cares about women’s rights and has been creating multi layered mixed media installations since the 70’s. Bill Viola is a video installation artist who tackles what it is to be human - and Martin Creed, whose artworks makes me smile!
Why do you feel art needs to be seen? I don’t necessarily feel art needs to be seen. I like the idea of art existing which no one can see – The sculptor Phyllida Barlow talked to me about this and I think there is a poetic beauty to the concept. A big part of my process is sharing however, so it's important to me to involve people and absorb their feedback. Do artists see differently from non-creators? We are all creators, all observers. Maybe I just spend more time at it than someone who has another profession – perhaps as artists we tend to be more intense in the way we study what is going on around us.
In moments of self-doubt (if any) what do you do? In moments of self-doubt, I do panic and worry, then when I get a grip, I walk and try let go of what I perhaps thought an outcome for a piece of work ‘had to be’. Part of my artistic process is learning not to fight unexpected directions and go with instincts. This can often ultimately lead to a much better concept. Something always turns up to put life back on track, and then I feel OK again till the next time!
Whilst creating do you listen to music? Yes, I listen to music while I’m working, the genre depends on what I’m doing. In early stages of making - I will listen to classical music that has complex musical patterns that I can lose myself in. If I’m printing, I want to have fun, so I love to listen to Jazz, or maybe some mad electronic music.
Is art something that can take a long time? Have some of your most successful pieces taken longer than others to create? I have ideas in my sketchbook that date back over ten years. A lot of what I do is about timing. The right space, group of people, the will for the artwork to happen, and of course money. When you get those elements coming together a piece will be made, so I have many projects on the go. Some works - because of the scale
What literature, film, theatre, inspires you? All the arts inspire me – I love theatre and opera, classical concerts and crazy organ recitals in churches that make your insides shake! I enjoy cinema – The Wolf of Wall Street was the last movie I really enjoyed.
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Is it important to have an ego? Oh dear what a question...I struggle with mine. Sometimes I think I would like to put it in a box as I’m better off without it. Life is more exciting for me when I try and not to let my ego control things too much - and that goes for my artwork too. I think I’m ultimately trying to share ideas that are bigger than any individual. Are you a Lone Wolf or do you work better in the company of others? I am a mixture of both. I create on my own but I usually need others to realise my ideas. Are you competitive of other artists? I was thinking about this one for a while..You know I don’t think I really am. It’s not something that’s important to me. If you were a prisoner, how would you best use the space around you – and the experience? I think I would struggle. I am a very 3D person, and as such I would be restricted to what I could make. I would use my time to learn to paint, starting with simple stuff and hopefully improve. I would also keep a journal. Is being at Watts in Send what you thought it would be? This residency at Send isn’t what I thought it would be – but to tell you the truth, looking back, I realize that I didn’t really have a clue what it was going to be. I come once a week and I mentor the Watts group, we watch documentaries, have visiting artists, learn new techniques and we have a lot of discussions about life. We have a laugh. Art is fun, and loosening up is good for creating – the rest is up to the members. They are a great group – I enjoy being with them and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with them.
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01 Mary Branson Clark - Supernature, 2012 02 Nancy Holt - Sun Tunnel, 1976 03 Martin creed - Work No 220, Don’t Worry neon, 2000
Watts Gallery is a unique Arts & Crafts building which houses the collection of G.F.Watts and offers and insight into the art, people and ideas of the 19th Century. Watts Gallery’s innovative and unique Art for All learning and outreach programme provides a rich seam of learning through the Watts Gallery Collection and Watts Chapel.
“Part of my artistic process is learning not to fight unexpected directions and go with instincts.” - Mary Branson Clark
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If you would like to get involved in Watts Gallery or Koestler Trust Awards, you can submit a general application to the Activities Department.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
BOOK REVIEWS By JANE
Make the Most of Your Time on Earth: A Rough Guide to the World 1000 Ultimate Travel Experiences - By Phil Stanton You may well be reading this article sitting in your prison cell thinking ‘why on earth would I want to look at a travel book?’ Good question. But why not? Have you never thought how magical it would be to travel to some far distant shore…? The book begins with an introduction from Martin Dunford, publishing director of the Rough Guide series of DIY guidebooks, inviting the reader to write in with their own unique travel experiences. This is exactly how this book - an index of personal travel tales around the world - has been put together. So, you have individuals sharing such things as ‘Painting the town red at La Tomatina’, Spain, describing the annual festival where hundreds of revellers get together to throw ripe tomatoes at one another. (No, this is not your average, run of the mill travel book!) The ultimate aim of the guide is to make the culture of the destination, rather than simply the destination, the focal point; highlighting everything from eating where locals frequent, to watching a local football match. In other words, a book to inspire the traveller to venture that bit further from their comfort zone… to a place far off the beaten track, where the travel experience of a lifetime could be waiting. This book shows that finding that special place does not have to mean travelling too far from Blighty. You could start with some ‘Holkham Magic’, strolling along the beach at Holkham in Norfolk, considered to be the best beach in Britain.
Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons In Life - By Richard Branson
What about cycling in the New Forest? Pitching your tent and taking your bike on car-free paths. Or for the sports enthusiast, watching football at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’, aka Old Trafford, home to Manchester United. Each section of this book finishes with a miscellany section where you can read such things as ‘Law of the Land’. At the end of the Britain and Ireland section, it amused me to find that by law, all London taxi drivers must ask their passengers if they have small pox or the plague! Luckily this is rarely upheld in today’s society!
I was in fact reading another book at the time I saw the title above. It may have had something to do with my mindset at the time that made me think, “That’s just what I need to read!’The book, named after one of the author’s favourite sayings, is a ‘quick read’ as it is only one hundred and six pages long. But having put aside my original book, I am glad I did. Over the years I have come across many different opinions on Richard Branson. Some good, some bad. Having read this book I am of the opinion that those who have a defamatory word to say about him must be affected by the ‘green eyed monster’ syndrome! This is a man who has made something quite incredible of his life. Sadly in the world we live in, this usually puts people’s back’s up, simply because they want what someone else has. Never do they stop to think, ‘maybe I could achieve this?’
Of course, if you were inclined, or lucky enough, to venture further afield, you can read about chilling out in the Ice Hotel in Sweden. (“The only upmarket establishment in the world where you’re guaranteed a frosty reception.”) Just about everything in this – literally - cool hotel is made of ice. If you don’t manage to get a wink of sleep encased in expedition strength sleeping bags and reindeer pelts, just remember this is a once in a lifetime experience.
The book is divided into nine short chapters each with uplifting titles. It begins with a very uplifting introduction where Mr Branson tells his philosophy in life is to, “Work hard, and play hard.” However he does state quite honestly that he hasn’t followed this rule at every step in his life. In a way he lets us in on his secrets to success but on closer inspection we find no big surprises. Just lots of common sense and in many ways being in the right place at the right time.
Or, if you’re after something more romantic how about stargazing on Cerro Mamalluca in Chile? In the northern half of this country, clouds are basically non-existent and the skies are the brightest blue enabling you to see such constellations as the Southern Cross along with more familiar, Jupiter, and Mars. Even if you don’t fancy yourself as an intrepid present day Phileas Fogg you will find this a remarkable book you can pick up at any time and dream until your heart’s content.
One section that left a lasting impression on me was in chapter six, (“Live The Moment”) which starts by saying, “Love life and live it to the
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full. Enjoy the moment. Reflect on your life. Make every second count. Don’t have regrets.” Easy to say I know, but Branson beautifully sums it up with an analogy about Spanish surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí. Dali would go for walks in his cliff-top garden, pick a peach, and admire its golden skin. He would let the delicate fragrance fill his senses before taking a single bite, allowing his mouth to fill with the fresh juice and savour the moment. Then he would spit out the mouthful and throw the remaining peach down into the sea below. He said it was the ‘perfect moment’ and he gained more from that, than eating a basket of peaches. Richard Branson believes that regrets are like wanting the peach that was thrown to the rocks below. “Regrets weigh you down. They hold you back in the past when you should move on.” I found this book very inspirational and a real eye opener to the real Sir Richard Branson. Branson believes in goals. Maybe you too should set yourself a goal this week: to read this book. If nothing else than to say to yourself, ‘Screw it, let’s Do it.’
Library opening times Mon – Thurs Sat Sun
6.30 – 7.30pm 9.30 – 11.30am 2 – 4pm
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
MUSIC
TRAI NERS AI ADID R FORCE AS CONV SAMBA JORD ERSE AIR M ANS BLAZ AX1 E VANS RS TN REEB S NEW OK BALA NCE
R& B Funk es roov Rare g gae Reg nt e bashm lassic hc smoot tic pop s a pl rock ams slow j ge a gar
the TOP 10 HIGH STREET BRANDS TOPSHOP MISS SELFRID E RIVER ISALND MANGO H&M GAP URBAN OUTFI TTER BENETTON S NEXT ZARA
What’s your favourite iconic movie? Coolest brand of sneakers? Best affordable fashion shop? Music to write home about? OMG! Read the hot list compiled by the women at Send…
FILMS
ng Bird ki c o M a To Kill Roots GREASE ING DIRTY DANC us d furio fast an The City Sex & ky roc uliet and j romeo ican pie amer st gho
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DESIGNER S
CHRISTIA N AUD JAEGER IGIER TOM F MARC JAORD CHISTIAN COBS LOU FRED PER BOUTIN R JOSEPH Y jeffrey VIVIENNE campbell WE S T W DIOR OOD
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
TherapEutic community BY amie
Therapeutic community (TC) is a commitment to analysing your behavior in the context of a prison to try and gain insight and understanding into why you have ended up in prison.
“My understanding of theraputic community is that it is an intervention course. You have to have at least two years left of your sentence, as it must be 18 months to 3 year in total. This can be discussed if a person needs or wishes to stay longer.
How did you first get into tc and why? P - I first worked on the TC when I came to HMP Send in 2009. The governor believed that I would be an asset to working in a group setting due to having previous experience at another establishment. T - I answered a recruiting campaign just for TC which said what it involved and was about.
At theraputic community they say the things you find the hardest are the things you need to say. Therapeutic community isn’t easy. It’s hard. You feel every emotion. There is some you won’t like. Also you go into a lot of deep things even the things you’ve buried and chosen to forget.
What was your first day like? P - My first day was being shown around the TC unit and introducing myself to the women. T - I can’t really remember besides realising the overall sense of how deep the commitment was.
People think you can never change a lifetime of behavior but therapeutic community enables you to do exactly that. Therapeutic community breaks down barriers and shows you that the officers are human too and do a lot to help you on your journey.”
How do you think the experience has changed you? P - The experience has changed me for the better, as I now have become a better listener and a more understanding person. T - It made me less defensive and more empathetic and more curious about people’s behavior.
- Amie, TC member
Amie talked to Senior Officer, Paul and Officer, Tina about their work. P - Senior Officer Paul Bessent T - Tina Fullerton
How do you cope with listening to personal stories? P - It was hard at first, but then with the TC training it becomes more apparent how to deal with the groups and the women’s personal stories and you are able to detach at certain times. T - Just a balance and knowing they are in the past.
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Do the stories you hear still create a reaction? Or have you become more open minded, if so how? P - At first the women’s stories were affecting me but through time you become more open minded and learn to detach from taking personal views. Some women have had terrible lives. T - Some make me feel time has had no effect. If you could say five words about your time on tc what would they be? P - Five words to describe my time on the TC are, interesting, satisfying, proud, challenging and eventful. T - Rewarding, worthwhile, emotional, enjoyable and exasperating. Would you recommend tc to other women in Send? If so why? P - I would recommend to any woman to take on the challenge of being in therapy, as at first it is very hard but when they believe in themselves it becomes easier to speak in front of others. T - Of course, 100% as it gives a lifeline towards change and a better life.
THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
ACTIVITIES AT SEND HMP Send Curriculum and Provision
Offending Behaviour Programmes
Vocational Training Work Parties (various levels)
Gym Facilities
RAPT -Drug and alcohol programme
Circuit Training NVQ Business Administration
Therapeutic Community
Weight Management NVQ Beauty Therapy
PIPE
Ball and Racquet Skills NVQ Hairdressing Spinning Classes VRQ Catering
Employment opportunities within the prison
PE courses (up to 3 at any one time)
Card workshop
NVQ St.Giles (advice and guidance)
KeepOut
QCF Horticulture
Kitchen
QCG Customer Services
Weights Badminton Volleyball *See noticeboards for full timetables
Miscellaneous
Education Assistant Cleaners
Education Curriculum (various levels)
Listeners Trained by the Samaritans to support prisoners.
Gym English Gardens
Shannon Trust Reading Plan Prisoners are trained to mentor other prisoners through the Reading plan which teaches prisoners to read
Maths Housing peer advisor ITQ Health Champions Food safety
Maths Mentors Prisoners are trained to mentor other prisoners to improve their Maths skills
Wing Laundry Cookery Library worker Paints Party
Employability skills and financial capability
‘Sendsations’ clothes shop
Business enterprise
Stores and Laundry
Textiles
Various Peer mentors
Art & Design
Various orderly roles
Healthy Living
Release on Temporary Licence Risk Assessed prisoners are able to work within the community, progressing from structured voluntary employment to paid employment. Watts Gallery Art programme in which prisoners work with our Artist in Residence from Watts Gallery
English (for non-English speakers) Assertiveness and Decision Making First Aid Family Relationships Diversity Distance Learning, Higher Education and Open University
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THE BEAUTY’S INSIDE
AWARDS
The Beauty’s Inside has won two prestigious awards in the last year and gained praise from the UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
In November 2013, the incredible talents and hard work of the women at HMP Send and LCF students really paid off when Issue two of the magazine won the very sought after Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of the Year award at the Times Higher Awards. The Awards celebrate talent and creativity in the UK Higher Education sector. The Widening Participation or Outreach Initiative of the Year award recognises the most imaginative and innovative project that encourages people from non-traditional backgrounds to enter higher education or extends the reach of an institution to new areas of activity. The judges were wowed by The Beauty’s Inside and said “(We) were also impressed by how the project enhances the experience of students by showing how their specialist discipline can inspire and motivate others to achieve.” To celebrate the award the Times Higher Education magazine wrote a supportive and encouraging article telling their 95,000 readers about The Beauty’s Inside. In March 2014 Issue Two also received recognition from the Big Society Awards, a set of awards created by the government to recognise and
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celebrate individuals, groups or organisations doing exceptional work in their community, going above and beyond to make things better for others. On announcing the award Prime Minister David Cameron said “The time and energy London College of Fashion students and staff have devoted to this project has given female offenders an opportunity to gain real transferable skills to help them rebuild their lives outside prison”. He also Tweeted ‘Congratulations @LCFLondon who win #BigSocietyAward for giving female offenders the opportunity to rebuild their lives’ to his 800,000 followers. The Beauty’s Inside has been hailed as revolutionary, insightful and meaningful which reinforces London College of Fashion’s belief that fashion education can be a transforming force which can be accessed by everyone. LCF and Sir John Cass Foundation would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of The Beauty’s Inside and we hope that you are as proud of the magazine and all that it has achieved as we are.
JOIN US FOR ISSUE 4 Does fashion matter to you? We are now seeking volunteers to contribute to the fourth issue of fashion magazine The Beauty’s Inside. Come along, meet guests and work with experts from the fashion and beauty industry. Develop creative skills – and more importantly - your confidence. You can contribute in many ways from ideas for content, to writing, styling or even posing in a fashion photo shoot. For further information contact Barbara Jones, Enrichment Activities Lead
Photography James rees www.jamesrees.co.uk
London College of Fashion 20 John Prince’s Street London, W1G 0BJ www.arts.ac.uk/fashion