London Runway Issue 32

INTERVIEW WITH RYLANDS HEATH + OLIVIA COOK . FASHION INTERNSHIPS . GRAYSON PERRY

LFWM: BOBBY ABLEY, E TAUTZ, BACKSTAGE . NEW YEAR PARADE . MONAPINK . LARISSA REIT

ISSUE 32 12TH JANUARY 2019

RRP £9.99

LONDON RUNWAY

CONTRIBUTORS Chief Editor: Rhiannon D'Averc - editor@londonrunway.co.uk Editorial Assistant: Candice Wu - info@londonrunway.co.uk Staff Photographers: Ian Clark and Fil Mazzarino - shoots@londonrunway.co.uk Features Editor: Rachel Parker - features@londonrunway.co.uk Arts Editor: Naomi Purvis - arts@londonrunway.co.uk Music Editor: Neil Dowd - musiceditor@londonrunway.co.uk Staff Writer - Joanna Cunningham Graphic Design: Alex Panek, Melina Hadjiargyrou - design@londonrunway.co.uk Advertising enquiries - info@londonrunway.co.uk Submissions - info@londonrunway.co.uk Contributors: Martin David Edwards, MonaPink, Sidrah Sardar, Janaina Critini Da Silva, Nastasa Karankevic, Luis Bonfiglio, Tim Van Der Most, Larissa Reit, Victoria Banda-Tweed, Ellie Green, Georgina Wynter, Merel Van-Der-Knoop, Miles Lucien, Judith Willis, and Pietro Recchia Special thanks to Olivia Cook and Rylands Heath

Get more content and access to special offers and behind-the-scenes at patreon.com/londonrunway Š 2018, London Runway Ltd  and contributors Printed by Pixart Printing and distributed in-house by London Runway Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publisher. The views expressed in London Runway are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff.

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EDITOR'S LETTER So, here we are in 2019! It's a new year and a fresh start, and the fashion world has been diving right in with London Fashion Week Men's already having taken place.

We've got plenty of coverage to share with you from those days of events, which saw the overall spectacle moving to a new location for the first time. The Truman Brewery is normally more closely associated with graduate arts exhibitions, but - for better or for worse - it was home to legions of fashion fans last week instead.

We haven't just been sleeping off the mince pies since our last issue we've been busy in the studio and chatting to some very interesting people. You can see the results here as we share an interview with Rylands Heath, an up and coming indie pop band who are sure to make waves with their infectious sound.

Equally infectious is their sense of fun, which came out during a studio session that was more laughter and goofing off than actually taking pictures.

We'll reserve comment on the shows until later in the issue when you've had the chance to see a few - and rest assured, we have plenty more to show you in our next issue as well, so there's plenty yet to come.

We also have an editorial showcasing the beautiful jewellery from MonaPink, from which our cover image was taken. An explosion of colour was artfully put together by makeup artist Sidrah Sardar, bringing out the gorgeous rainbows of MonaPink's earrings.

In case you were wondering what goes on behind the scenes, we're kicking the season off with a gallery of backstage shots at various LFWM shows. It's a treat, and you'll be left wondering whether you'd rather be back there or on the front row!

We also have a personal account of a fashion internship gone wrong, as well as an examination of artist Grayson Perry and whether his decision to cross-dress as his alter ego, Claire, can inspire us to dress more daringly.

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Continue reading on for another interview with brand owner and student Olivia Cook, a fantastic editorial with clothing designed by Larissa Reit, and much more. We're also wrapping up a few of the Christmas parties we attended during the festive season, looking back fondly on glasses of mulled wine and champagne.

We've got some exciting opportunities coming up for models, designers, and fashion industry professionals, so make sure you sign up to receive emails every time we release an issue. You can do that on our website at londonrunway.co.uk. See you there!

Enjoy -

RHIANNON D'AVERC

CONTENTS

18 VISUALS London Men's Fashion Week: Backstage

80 WORDS Fashion News

4

4

Refraction (Cover Editorial)

18

The Life of a Collection: Luis Bonfiglio

32

New Faces

37

Isn't it Fun to Dress Up?

29

Power of Identity II: Backstage

43

Interview: Olivia Cook

34

Style (Conscious) Guide: Ethical Activewear

52

The Darker Side of Fashion Internships

50

London New Year's Day Parade

53

Interview: Rylands Heath

80

Sylwia Romaniuk Grand Opening Couture Boutique 68

Neighbourhood Voices: San Francisco

96

Supertonic (Editorial)

88

The Big Question

Your Style Horoscope

78

London Pacific Fashion Week

82

E Tautz

100

Bobby Abley

108

Amour De Luxe Christmas Party

121

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LONDON RUNWAY

BOOHOO CAUGHT SELLING REAL FUR

Animal welfare charity Humane Society International first flagged up the issue after testing the 'faux fur pom pom jumper'. They commissioned an independent textiles expert to perform the tests, revealing that the fur was real - and most likely rabbit.

Humane Society International then passed this information on to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), who were quick to act.

Boohoo.com have been caught out in similar instances before, and though they say they now have robust checks in place, it appears they are simply not going far enough. They claim that the product came from an external UK-based supplier, who had signed an agreement to not sell any real fur products. A signature on a piece of paper, however, turned out not to be worth much at all in terms of actually preventing the sale of real fur.

A proportion of all Boohoo.com stock is checked by an in-house quality control team, though they also failed to spot any problems on this occasion.

It is clear that Boohoo.com need to do more, not just to protect animals against use in the fur trade but also to be sure that customers can rely on them to sell items as advertised. The potential for distress to buyers - such as those who have extreme fur allergies, for example - is high in this case, and is not something that the retailer can afford to ignore.

NEWS

via Boohoo.com

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BY RHIANNON D'AVERC

“Consumers should be able to trust the ads they see and hear – and they certainly shouldn’t be misled into buying a faux fur product in good conscience only for it to turn out to be from a real animal,” Miles Lockwood, ASA director of complaints, commented. “That’s not just misleading; it can also be deeply upsetting. Our rulings serve as an important notice to retailers and the clothing and textile industry about the need for truthfulness in their claims around faux fur products, and to get their house in order or face further action.”

FASHION

British online retail giant Boohoo.com has been caught selling real fur on its website. The product, a jumper which tested positive for rabbit fur, had been advertised as faux.

LONDON RUNWAY

FASHION

PROTESTING GARMENT WORKERS DISPERSED BY POLICE

BY RHIANNON D'AVERC

NEWS

Bangladeshi villagers, via Pixabay

Protesting garment workers in Bangladesh have been dispersed by police on a fourth day of protesting, as they block roads in an attempt to push for higher wages.

At the time of going to press, the Bangladeshi government stated that it was considering raising the minimum wage for garment workers in order to stop the protests. Tear gas and water canons have been used to attempt to stop them from happening.

Why should you care what is happening to low-income workers in a far-away country like Bangladesh? Because the country is the second biggest exporter of clothes in the world, behind China meaning it's more than likely that a high percentage of the clothes in your wardrobe were produced there.

At least one worker has been killed, and many more injured, in the clashes between protesters and the police force. They have been blocking roads and burning tyres in the Savor industrial district, just north of the capital, Dhaka.

“Police at first tried to convince them through discussions and requested them to leave the roads so that transport can move easily, but instead they threw stones and bricks,” Tahmidul Islam, a police officer in the area is quoted as telling Reuters. “So to disperse them police used tear gas ... Now the situation is under control and the workers have left.”

Similar protests in the nearby area of Mirpur have reportedly not met with any violence. The country's Minister of Commerce, Tipu

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Munshi, has stated he is hoping to resolve the situation within a month.

The latest protests were triggered after the government proposed a minimum wage rise of 51%, up to the equivalent of £74.60 a month.

However, it is claimed that this increase - the first since 2013 - will only help a small fraction of the more than 3.5 million people employed in the industry.

A panel of factory owners, officials, and union leaders has been convened to discuss and investigate the pay demands.

LONDON RUNWAY

RITA ORA COLLABORATES WITH GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI

The shoes designed for the collaboration include chunky Cuban Link heeled boots, slides, sandals, mules, and peep-toes. There will be both flats and heels on offer.

Zanotti is known for collaborating with high-profile stars, having done so a number of times already in the past. His collection with Jennifer Lopez in 2016 is one notable example. He also created a collection with fashion designer Christian Cowan last September.

Via Giuseppe Zanotti

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NEWS

BY RHIANNON D'AVERC

The fashion industry is hardly short on music stars trying their hands at designing shoes. As well as J-Lo, Rihanna and Katy Perry have had a go in recent years. Celebrity footwear is still on-trend, with notable personalities such as Gigi Hadid also putting out their own collections.

FASHION

Giuseppe Zanotti has announced an upcoming collaboration with British pop star Rita Ora, to be launched on January 24th. Dubbed 'GZxRita Ora', the collection will be priced between $795 and $2,495.

LONDON FASHION WEEK MEN'S BACKSTAGE We take you behind the scenes, to the makeup chairs, dressing rooms, model boards, and nervously paced floors of the backstage area. Enjoy these shots from a range of shows at LFWM - and look out for some more backstage galleries for specific designers later in this issue.

Photography by Martin David Edwards

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refraction Photography - Rhiannon D'Averc Hair and Makeup: Â Sidrah Sardar Jewellery: MonaPink - monapink.com Models: Janaina Cristini da Silva and Natasa Karankevic

Janaina wears: Spark Three Single Earring - ÂŁ380, MonaPink

Janaina wears: Ray One and Two Single Earrings - ÂŁ500 each; Stacking Rings - price on request, all MonaPink

Above: Natasa wears: Comet Two Single Earring - £570, MonaPink

Right: Janaina wears: Ray Three Single Earring £500, MonaPink

Natasa wears: Lightning One and Two Single Earrings - ÂŁ570 each, MonaPink

Natasa wears: Necklaces - price on request, MonaPink

Janaina wears: Spark One Single Earring - ÂŁ380, MonaPink

Natasa wears: Nightfall Long One Single Earring - ÂŁ500, MonaPink

Above: Natasa wears: Necklaces - price on request, MonaPink

Right: Natasa wears: Necklace - price on request; Dusk One and Two Single Earrings - ÂŁ450, all MonaPink

Above: Janaina wears: Ember One and Two Single Earrings - ÂŁ450 each; Stacking Rings - price on request, all MonaPink

Left: Janaina wears: Spark One and Four Single Earrings - ÂŁ380 each, MonaPink

Janaina wears: Ray One and Two Single Earrings - ÂŁ500 each; Stacking Rings - price on request, all MonaPink

Janaina wears: Eclipse One and Two Single Earrings - ÂŁ500 each; Ring price on request, all MonaPink

LONDON RUNWAY

THE LIFE OF A COLLECTION: LUIS BONFIGLIO This season, we're following designer Luis Bonfiglio as he puts together a collection - from the first inception of the designs through to the finished pieces. This issue, we continue with the journey of selecting the fabrics.

In this issue of London Runway, I will talk about the process of selecting the fabrics for my Fall/Winter 19'20 collection.

After I have finished sewing all my prototypes, I take a photo of each design - from the front, side and back so that I have a visual of all the designs from different angles. The pictures are then uploaded to Photoshop and arranged in an A4 format and then printed out and organised in a folder. This folder will be an important tool and will be taken with me when I go fabric hunting.

Fabric shopping and selection is a very time consuming and hard process. You have to go to several different stores as you will never find all the fabrics you need in one store. For this collection, I bought most of the fabrics in an amazing store in Valencia, Spain. This store was very close to a designer's dream as it was huge and had hundreds of different types of fabrics! I literally lost track of time and have no idea how many hours I was there. Before travelling to Valencia I did a lot of research on the store to ensure it was the right place to get my fabrics from. The reviews for the store were brilliant and highlighted the fact that they had a great selection of fabrics, in all kinds of different material combinations, colours, designs, and weights.

During the original design and construction of the prototypes I would have already started thinking/getting ideas of what kind of materials I will go for, however, sometimes some specific fabrics will be unavailable and as a result, you will have to use alternative fabrics! A perfect example of this was when selecting fabrics for this collection I wanted to use lots of chiffon but unfortunately, it was off season so alternatively, I had to use super light and soft tulle. As a result, using tulle as an alternative to chiffon gave more volume to the designs and was actually much better and closer to my vision for this collection.

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Upon arriving at the store I had mixed feelings as it looked a bit old from the outside. So I walked towards the entrance and pushed the door, then entered, and I was without words! I looked around and I was just completely speechless, this store blew me away to fabric heaven. They had three floors full of fabrics, beads, bands, buttons and zippers, just everything you are looking for and it was just the perfect place for me.

The staff there were very helpful and friendly. I was assisted by an older but very knowledgeable gentleman.

This gentleman, like the rest of the staff members there, was wearing a cool more or less vintage suit combined in a trendy dandy look.

His English was quite poor, like my

LONDON RUNWAY

Spanish, so we tried to speak some "Spanglish". It was actually a very funny and rewarding experience there.

I showed him my designs and explained my vision of how the fabrics should be. I told him that I would like to have solid and vibrant colours, not too thin but also not heavyweight. After a lot of explaining he understood my needs and walked with me to a kind of hidden wall section on the ground floor and started showing me fabrics. Roll after roll and he was talking and trying to explain to me what kind of material they were and different ways to use them. This guy was a real professional and he knew exactly what I was looking for.

So I touched all the fabrics he showed me and started to select which ones will come with me and which ones are going to be eliminated. He showed me different fabrics in different material combinations like cotton and wool, or super high-quality synthetics in combination with Cupro or cotton, etc. So depending on your designs, you chose the quality and material combination you need.

"THE HIGHER THE QUALITY OF THE FABRIC IS, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THEY WILL BE." Once I'm back in my studio, all the pictures of my designs are placed on my wall. I will then look at each picture and choose which design will get which fabric and colour by cutting out fabric samples and placing them on the designs to get a better overview. I will make my final decisions on which design will be made in which fabrics after switching the fabric samples back and forth between the different designs.

And now the biggest and longest procedure of the collection will take place. SEWING ALL THE DESIGNS! You will see the final garments in the next issue of London Runway.

For this collection, I knew that I wanted to have high-quality materials, lightweight but at the same time an amazing touch/feel and with vibrant solid colours, no prints and fluid effects. After finding the main fabrics for my collection, I bought two different lace fabrics, high-quality synthetic fabrics (as with synthetic you can reach vibrant colours), silk and soft tulle. An important point about fabric is, you get what you pay for.

The higher the quality of the fabric is, the more expensive they will be.

It also depends on the design of the fabric, the material combination and the weight.

Portrait by Tim Van Der Most

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ISN'T IT FUN TO DRESS UP? Naomi Purvis explores the artist Grayson Perry and his female alter ego, Claire, questioning whether or not there is a deeper artistic meaning behind his act of crossdressing.

While tapestries and ceramics are what you would find at a Grayson Perry exhibition, it is perhaps the artist himself that’s the real showstopper – or, in fact, his fashionable alter ego Claire. Grayson Perry is an English contemporary artist whose love of cross dressing is perhaps just as important to his career in the art world as his artwork itself. His work often seeks inspiration from topics such as identity, gender, social status, sexuality, religion or from political issues within society. Alongside this, auto-biographical references are also a common theme, with references to the artist’s childhood, his family life, and his female persona Claire, who he brings to life through cross-dressing. Crossdressing is the act of wearing clothes commonly associated with the opposite sex within our society.

It may be done for a number of reasons including comfort, disguise, or as a way of self-expression.

As Perry’s work uses traditional media, the juxtaposition of the artist reinventing himself as Claire almost makes her more endearing. He chooses to express himself through cross-dressing, which may be seen as an untraditional or unconventional act by society. While his artwork follows the norm, his love for cross-dressing is a refreshing example of someone not conforming to society’s ideas of what we should be and how we should act. It reflects a sense of freedom and personal acceptance that is entirely fascinating to witness.

By linking his work to his own life, it gives it a more personal connection, allowing the public to feel closer to the subject matter of the piece they’re looking at. Claire also brings an element of this, encouraging others to feel comfortable in themselves in whatever way they choose. It also provides the opportunity to create a persona so far removed from one’s self the appeal is somewhat alluring.

Image via Pinterest

On the one side, Grayson Perry looks the same as any other artist, messy haired and well dressed. While in contrast, Claire is much more flamboyant and extravagant.

Equipped with a bushy blonde bob and brightly patterned princessesque dresses, she couldn’t be further from the artist’s everyday appearance. Some outfits are almost childlike, accompanied with rosy pink cheeks and over the top hair bows. The slight extremeness of Claire’s wardrobe choice begs the question of what exactly is Perry trying to express through his avant-garde alter ego? Is it a lost childhood love of dressing up? Or perhaps a reflection of his own thoughts of society and women?

Ultimately, the act of cross-dressing only exists because of society dictating the way a man and women should dress. Who decided women should wear dresses and men trousers? Why is it that our clothing preferences are dictated by an unspoken rule created within the society we live in?

While cross-dressing may have been brought into the public eye by the

Image via Victoria Micro

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LONDON RUNWAY likes of Grayson Perry or other wellknown figures such as Eddie Izzard, the act itself has played its part throughout history. Within society there is the misconception that all those who cross-dress are also gay.

Although some men who choose to wear woman’s clothes my not consider themselves to be transgender, cross-dressing has accumulated similar judgement and disapproval from society. Although we can imagine that cross-dressing has been done for many decades, the little evidence available suggests a sense of secrecy. While this may have been a way of avoiding hatred or judgement, the need to act in secret brings an allure to the practice which may draw people in with curiosity.

Cross-dressing is still a talkedabout topic today. For example, there are many conversations around whether children should be dressed in pink and blue depending on their gender. Along with that comes discussions revolving around whether children should be allowed to play with toys that have somehow been predetermined for use by the opposite sex. Some parents wouldn’t dream of letting their little boy dress up as a princess, whereas others would merely see it as harmless fun.

In theory, perhaps that’s all crossdressing really is, an act of harmless fun.

Should we be looking less at the deeper meanings that may lie behind the act and instead focus on the way in which cross-dressing is

the perfect form of self-expression?

It allows someone to portray themselves in a way in which other means may not have let them. It has no rules or boundaries, whether it’s as flamboyant and Grayson Perry’s Claire, or perhaps much subtler, however you choose it offers a great deal of experimentation and freedom. The connotation that cross-dressing is practiced only by those within the trans community is something that should also be erased. Although many transgender men and women can openly crossdress, the practice shouldn’t be reserved solely for that label and everyone should feel like they can dress in whatever way they choose.

Regardless of whether there is a deeper meaning behind the persona, what both Grayson Perry and Claire have given society is an example of someone being who they want to be and not conforming to predefined social norms. Through clothing, th eartist has been able to express himself in ways in which his artwork alone never could. So, what can we take from this? While we should continue to encourage selfacceptance, let’s also consider how our clothing can dramatically impact our emotions and continue to promote it as a tool of selfexpression. After all, there’s a lot of fun to be had in dressing up.

Find Naomi’s work on her blog: millennialmonologue.wordpress.com

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Images via Royal Academy

OLIVIA COOK

INTERVIEW

Candice Wu spoke to Olivia Cook, a Fashion Psychology student with a growing fashion brand, about being creative in London – and the psychology of dressing.

Who are you and what do you do?

I'm Olivia. I'm 22. I love fashion, make-up and food (of course!). I set up my brand WEIRDO clothing on Depop in September 2017, but I had been previously selling through the app for years. I also study MSc Applied Psychology in Fashion at London College of Fashion, as I finished my Psychology degree this year and then, luckily, found my dream Master's course!

Where are you from originally?

I am from Essex and commute to London for university and work commitments.

Why London?

I knew I always wanted to study/work in London, as there are so many opportunities here and the shopping is, obviously, amazing!

When did you first get into fashion?

What was your inspiration?

I would say I have always been into fashion. As a child, I used to love dressing up and creating “interesting” looks, and my love for fashion has only grown as I have gotten older. I would say I have many inspirations for my fashion sense and interest. Depending on the day, I find inspiration from 90's grunge, 80's disco, family members and glitter!

What made you decide to study fashion?

I decided to study a fashion degree, as not only do I get to surround myself with others who love fashion as much as I do, but I also get to combine my love for fashion and my love for psychology. The most exciting aspect of the course is that

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LONDON RUNWAY Fashion Psychology is so new, and I was excited to be involved with that.

How is it studying fashion in London? Pros and cons?

London, for me, is the only place to study fashion in the UK, as fashion is everywhere in London! The best part of this is being able to take inspiration just from being there.

Also, London College of Fashion is recognized worldwide, so it's amazing to have the opportunity to study there. The only thing I would change is the commute. I can't say I love the Central Line as much as fashion! Â

"YOU SHOULD ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND ARE INTERESTED IN"

Are you enjoying your course so far?

The course itself is so interesting, and I am so excited to be able to use what I have learned to help individuals and companies using fashion.

Do you think a fashion degree is worth it?

I do personally believe that a fashion degree is worth it if you are passionate about fashion, as this can motivate you to push yourself further and learn and develop as a creative throughout the degree. It can also open up so many opportunities.

What advice would you give to students who want to study fashion but aren't too sure?

The advice I would give is just to go for it! You should always do what you love and are interested in, as this will motivate you to push yourself to do the best. Plus, you will end up in a career doing what you love!

Have you presented your work in any shows or exhibitions?

I haven't presented any of my work, as I only started the degree in September.

Also, as my degree is more science-

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based I don't have much to present that isn't science-y and full of boring statistics. Haha! But I use my Depop page as my creative outlet and select and sell clothing that reflects my style.

LONDON RUNWAY How does your design process begin and pan out?

With my degree, I am not designing in the typical way that many of the fashion students do. Instead, my designing is relating fashion style with an individual and thinking of ways in which an individual could wear certain garments to express their thinking style and personality. I am mainly interested in body image and selfesteem in relation to fashion style, so I draw my inspirations from Instagram models who post body positive photos as I want to help others to feel confident being themselves.

Tell us about your brand and the ethos behind it!

My brand is called WEIRDO clothing, and I set this up on Depop. I research popular styles and upcoming trends and hand select the items I sell based on this. My brand is called WEIRDO clothing as I want to encourage everyone to be themselves and wear whatever they feel comfortable in no matter what anyone else thinks of them. My brand is inclusive of all ages, genders, races, sizes, shapes and etc.

I want everyone to feel comfortable to express who they are.

What are your future aspirations?

For now, I want to grow my brand as much as possible and hope that this could turn into my career. However, I also would love to set up an 'alternative therapy' type of business that uses fashion to improve the mood and well-being of depressed individuals, as I find helping people to be so rewarding.

If you could describe yourself in 5 words what would they be?

Fun, Hardworking, Creative, Busy and WEIRDO (of course!)

"I WANT EVERYONE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO EXPRESS WHO THEY ARE"

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Find Olivia’s brand, WEIRDO Clothing, at depop.com/oliviacook06/

All images via Olivia Cook

LONDON RUNWAY

NEW FACE Name: Georgina Wynter Age: 22 Location: Battersea, London Agency: Unsigned How long have you been modelling for?

I’ve only recently got back into it, but as a kid I used to model a lot along with acting and dancing.

Where are you from originally?

I’m half English and half Jamaican and I’m from Battersea.

Do you have an unusual talent or party trick?

I can lift my leg up and go down into the splits really quickly like a cheerleader.

Photography by Fil Mazzarino

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What would surprise people to know about you?

I think it’s surprising that I’m a very positive person and I give off a very positive attitude but looking at me you wouldn’t assume that What are your modelling ambitions?

I want to be modelling professionally. I want to be with an agency, getting myself out there a lot more. Whether it be for work or a hobby because it’s what I love to do.

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NEW FACE Name: Merel Van-Der-Knoop Age: 37 Location: London Agency: Freelance How long have you been modelling for?

Sort of over a year. Doing things on and off.

Where are you from originally?

Originally from the Netherlands but I’ve been in London for over 12 years.

Photography by Rhiannon D'Averc

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Do you have an unusual talent or party trick?

I do boxing.

What would surprise people to know about you?

Maybe that I’m quite daring. I tend to seem quite quiet but I love bungee jumping and skydiving.

What are your modelling ambitions?

I would love to do magazine work.

At the moment I’m currently exploring different avenues and trying to find my niche.

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NEW FACE Name: Miles Lucien Age: 27 Location: North West London Agency: TMA

Do you have an unusual talent or party trick?

I can drink until everyone else falls asleep!

How long have you been modelling for?

I am two months in.

What would surprise people to know about you?

I was a bartender for a few years, and before I did office work.

Where are you from originally?

My Dad’s South American and my Mum is Caribbean.

Photography by Rhiannon D'Averc

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What are your modelling ambitions?

To have fun, meet new people and travel a lot.

POWER OF IDENTITY II

BACKSTAGE Last issue, we brought you the stunning looks from the Power of Identity II show at Japan House.

Here, our photographer Ian Clark takes you backstage and onto the front row for another taste of how this Czech fashion extravaganza went down.

Photography by Ian Clark

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THE DARKER SIDE OF FASHION INTERNSHIPS Judith Willis describes her personal experience of life as a fashion intern.

In an industry that is becoming increasingly hard to infiltrate (unless you have connections with the right people), fashion internships are more often than not the only way to get your foot in the door.

As the end of university drew closer, I knew it would be difficult to be taken seriously as someone who wanted to work in the fashion industry. I had no contacts, no experience and no relevant degree or qualification.

All I had was my determination and knowledge. I spent hours trawling through career websites looking for opportunities I could apply for, and that’s when I came across an advert looking for interns to work in the Head Office

of a designer resale company. I composed a message to the email address left on the ad and waited to hear back. Shortly thereafter, I received a response from the customer service team giving me the direct email address for the company’s Head of Operations, Tina*. In hindsight, this probably should have been my first red flag.

A member of customer service would never give the email address of someone in such a senior position to,essentially, a stranger. But in my excitement, this didn’t occur to me, and I wrote another email, this time, to Tina. Understandably, Tina was confused as to how I had come to get a hold of her direct email but, nonetheless, she invited me in for interview the following week. I was ecstatic.

When I arrived at the Central

London Head Office address, I was confused. I stood before a Turkish restaurant in my powder blue Ted Baker shift dress with a lace collar and cuffs looking sufficiently out of place. I checked my emails to check I definitely had the right postcode. I did. So I called the number Tina had given me. Someone picked up but the line was muffled. I gabbled nervously about having an interview with Tina and wasn’t sure if I was in the right place.

“Can you see a Turkish restaurant?”

“Yes?”

“Go round the side and you’ll see a black door, that’s us.”

Sure enough, there was a black door. I pushed on it but it would not budge, the wooden door frame was so warped. Eventually, a girl swamped in a Metallica t-shirt yanked the door open.

“You’ve gotta really push it,” she told me.

I stepped into the dingy, narrow hallway. You could barely move for all the flat pack DHL boxes that were crammed around the staircase.

Red flag number two. I followed the girl upstairs but we were stopped by a young woman in mid-twenties dressed in leggings and a denim jacket.

“Are you Judith?”

“Yes, that’s me?”

“Hi, I’m Tina.”

Again in hindsight, I should have

Image via Pexels

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been thinking: this is Tina? Tina who only looks a few years older than myself is Head of Operations?

But in my naïve little head, I thought “she looks nice!”

Tina ushered me back down the stairs and through the cramped hallway, blithely apologising for the mess, and took me to the bar next door for my interview. The interview itself lasted around twenty minutes, and the questions were very basic. The responsibilities of the three-month long internship included but were not limited to: quality checking products sent to us

by VIPs, writing descriptions for said products, assisting with VIP collections and deliveries, and general upkeep of the office. My hours would be 9:30AM-5:30PM and I would be paid £15 per day.

Yes, £15 per day. Oh, and I also had to bring my own laptop to work on.

RED FLAG RED FLAG RED FLAG. But what did I say?

“When can I start?!” Idiot.

On my first day in the office, I felt full of promise. This was very quickly diminished. There were nine of us (four of which were interns, including me) confined to one room surrounded by boxes full of clothes and shoes piled precariously on top of each other (trying to get to the desk that I shared with three other women was like playing a game of life-sized Jenga). My new colleagues set about teaching me the ropes and getting to know me, but just before 10am, Tina stormed into the room and barked, “Why is that monitor not on?” Everyone turned to the blank television screen hanging on the wall. One of the girls started explaining that she had been helping me but Tina immediately shut down her excuses and told everybody to get on with their work.

I was stunned. Tina had seemed so pleasant during my interview, but I came to learn very quickly that she had instilled the fear of God into everyone. Tina’s MO was to be a tyrant and terrify you into a silent, quivering heap – which seemed so incredibly unnecessary when the founders were always so polite and calm. In total, I worked exactly two

Images via Pexels

months out of the three-month internship before walking out. I walked out for many reasons.

Firstly, because, despite promises, I was not being given the opportunity to do anything other than write product descriptions.

Secondly, I was being paid so little money that it was not even covering half of my travel costs to get up to London each day. And thirdly, I hated the way interns were treated at the company. We worked like hamsters in a wheel keeping that company afloat and it was never recognised. On one occasion, our health was put in danger when we were ordered to take it in turns to spray aerosol at cockroaches that had infested our kitchen because the company didn’t want to call for an exterminator.

Another time, I had to empty the office bins at the end of the day (which I had no qualms about doing). When I went to the third floor to empty Tina’s bin, she had discarded a near full cup of coffee and not realising this, as I tipped the contents into the black bin sack, the coffee cup exploded all over me, saturating and ruining my white jeans. I yelped and looked up at Tina who simply glanced at me before looking back at her computer. Just as I was

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about to rampage out of the room, she called after me and waved her empty takeaway food carton at me. I marched down Oxford Street, my legs streaked with cheap coffee stains, and began to come to the realisation that this was not what an internship should be. An internship is all about learning and developing skills as an individual to prepare you for a proper job in the industry. Yes, you’re at the bottom of the ladder, but you should be taken care of by your superiors. Not ignored or chastised for no good reason.

In the company I work for now, interns are hired on a one year contract and are given an annual salary, just like everyone else.

They’re taken care of by their departments and they’re learning all the time. That is what a true internship is, and I found that out the hard way. When you’re young and keen, you are sometimes blindsided by the obvious problems.

My parents immediately saw the red flags and warned me, but I was determined and if I had not taken that awful internship, I’m not quite sure where I would have ended up.

Even though I did not necessarily learn much in the way of skills or knowledge from the internship, I learnt a valuable life lesson and it is one I will continue to pass on to anyone looking for a way in.

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STYLE (CONSCIOUS) GUIDE ethical and sustainable style guide selected by Rachel Parker

Adrenna

Core long sleeve crop - black £82

Silou London

The Irina Bra– Chilli Oil £119

Uncaptive 100% organic cotton

Organic Cotton Unisex Zip Hoody in Grey £49.99

ETHICAL ACTIVEWEAR Sports Philosophy

Econyl Volcanic Compression Leggings £47.40

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AllBirds Women's Tree Runners £95

LONDON NEW YEAR'S DAY PARADE Photography by Pietro Recchia

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SYLWIA ROMANIUK GRAND OPENING COUTURE BOUTIQUE Photography by Fil Mazzarino

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We headed down to the grand opening of Sylwia Romaniuk's couture boutique to witness the launch for ourselves. Plenty of guests were in attendance to enjoy the spectacle, admiring her gowns with their luxurious elements.

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RYLANDS HEATH INTERVIEW Rylands Heath are an indie-pop duo who are typified by their harmony driven, genre-bending and - most importantly - anthemically catchy sound. Neil Dowd met with the ‘Luton Lads’ to discuss their rise to hometown success, the behind the scenes mechanics of the band and what the future holds for them.

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LONDON RUNWAY Hi guys - what are your names and what are your roles in the band?

Jack: My name is Jack. I am the singer, rhythm guitarist and general nice guy (laughs).

James: I’m James and I’m just everything else.

Jack: But not a great bloke.

James: I’m everything else but I’m a terrible person. Nah, I’m the drummer, bassist and backing vocalist.

Your band is called Rylands Heath - where does it originate from and why does it hold significance to you?

Tell us about the inception of the band - how did you guys first bring this project together, were you friends before you started playing together?

just seemed to fit together.

Jack: We’re not friends now actually! *laughs*

Jack: I think for us a more modern example would be The Wombats.

Their sound varies a lot across each album in terms of genre, but each album encompasses what we want to do musically. We like grappy guitar rock and we also like synthy pop anthems so their discography really has everything we’re looking for.

James: We were friends, now we hate each other. Nah, we went to school together but became closer as friends through playing music together. We were in the same class for GCSE music and we would always get told off by the teacher for sneaking off to write together. We sort of bonded over our shared love for music.

Jack: We were in a band at school together and eventually it just morphed into what we are now.

What kind of bands or artists would you guys say most influence your sound?

James: Yeah, like listening to their first album and their fourth album back to back, they sound completely different, but you can always tell it’s

How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard you?

Jack: Everyone knows this question is a musician’s worst nightmare. I think we go with the term ‘indie pop’ normally. But I think the thing we try to emphasise is the pop elements in that. We’re not one of those bands that see ‘pop’ as a dirty word. We’re under the belief that things being really upbeat and catchy is a good thing.

James: Yeah, we’re not dark or serious at all and I think our music reflects that quite well.

Jack: So during college when James used to drive me home, we would always try and guess the names of the roads around our estate and anytime we’d say one we’d always be like ‘ah that would make a great band name’. So when we drove past ‘Rylands Heath’, we automatically thought the same thing.

James: So when it came to us booking gigs and we needed a name in order to secure our slot on the bill, we’d just use Rylands Heath because we thought it was funny and just a generally pretty cool name.

Jack: Eventually it got to the point where we were always just referring to ourselves as Rylands Heath and it kind of just stuck.

So what are your individual backgrounds in music? How heavily do they differ to the work you’re currently doing?

Jack: I think we’re both quite similar in that our families aren’t very musical. Like, they know a little bit, but we kind of found our love for playing and doing music independently.

James: Yeah definitely, like for me from the age of three years old, I remember putting on little shows for my family in the living room (laughs). Yeah, it was always something I wanted to do. I remember watching a Busted DVD that I received as a Christmas present for the very first time and just thinking ‘that’s it’. Once Jack came into the equation, everything

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"WE'RE UNDER THE BELIEF THAT THINGS BEING REALLY UPBEAT AND CATCHY IS A GOOD THING’"

LONDON RUNWAY The Wombats and that’s an element that we’d definitely love to have in our sound. Other inspirations we’d say are bands like The Feeling. Like with us, we have the belief that there is no such thing as a ‘guilty pleasure’.

Jack: Yeah, if it’s a good tune, it’s a good tune. You should see us in the car just blasting out proper cheesy music like MMMBop by Hanson and we’ll be absolutely loving it. We feel no shame about that (laughs).

For a two-piece band, you have an incredibly anthemic sound that most bands need at least double the amount of members to accomplish.

What are the dynamics behind creating that ‘full band’ sound as a duo and how does it translate for your live show?

Jack: In the studio it’s great because we can just sit there with the producer and add like six different guitar tracks to make it sound massive.

James: Yeah and I don’t think we have any problems that arise because there’s only two of us. I mean from the very start back in January 2017, we spent like the first six months not only writing material, but also figuring out how we were gonna be able to make this work in terms of our live set. There’s loads of two-pieces at the moment doing the same thing. You’ve got Royal Blood using octave pedals to achieve a similar sound to a guitar only using a bass. For us though, we decided to use backing tracks and in our heads, that didn’t really matter as it was still everything that we

ourselves had recorded. So when we play live, Jack will sing and play rhythm guitar, I’ll play the drums and do backing vocals and everything else that we’ve recorded in the studio will be on the backing track.

Jack: It does divide opinion though, a lot of people will turn around and be like ‘ugh that’s fake’. But there’s also a lot of people that don’t even realise we’re using a backing track.

James: At the end of the day it’s all stuff that we’ve recorded ourselves and we can take comfort in knowing that wherever we go we’re always going to have that ‘full band’ sound because of those backing tracks.

Am I right in thinking that James sometimes switches between bass and acoustic guitar throughout the set?

James: Well, yeah, we do one song in our set where we both just play acoustic guitar and sing. In some smaller venues we opt for doing it completely acoustic and that creates a really nice and intimate atmosphere.

Jack: yeah, it also kind of breaks down the whole idea that everything we do is just dependant on backing tracks, if anyone in the audience is ever thinking that.

Talk to us about your songwriting process. How do you go about bringing your ideas to life and how do you feel that your lineup affects that?

Jack: In some ways I think it’s easier writing as a two piece as opposed to a full band because it distils the roles that we do in the band. With our dynamic, I’ll do the lyrics, melody and a rough chord structure and then I’ll come to James and as we said earlier, he’ll do everything else (laughs).

James: It was a joke, I swear (laughs). But nah, it’s mainly because I can’t write lyrics or melodies to save my life and whenever I try it always comes off really cheesy which is why I think our dynamic works really well because Jack’s pros are my cons. So working together, we compliment each other quite well and can often

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LONDON RUNWAY bring out each other’s strengths. We can never step on each other’s toes and I think that’s a reason why we’re never getting down each other’s throats.

Jack: We’re very easy when it comes to clashes in opinion. We can normally sense which one of us feels more passionately about their idea or opinion and we’ll know that’s the right choice to make.

James: Yeah, it’s gotten to a point where we can trust each other’s gut feelings which is always helpful. In the studio we’re the same, we’re not precious with our ideas at all.

Jack: Yeah, we’re always like ‘why would you be precious with any particular idea, when everyone in the writing and recording process are all working to make the track better?’ We think it’s always better to at least try out any idea and know for certain rather than to dismiss anything and then wish we had done it in the future.

So, you’re a Luton-based band, and as a fellow Lutonian I noticed a lot of familiar places and faces whilst watching your music video for your track Coming On To Me. Talk to us about the process of making the video. Do you regard your hometown as an integral factor to your identity as a band?

don’t like your music, is there really any point of trying to take it any further? For that video, we got involved with the NGYT which is a local theatre group. I think both us and NGYT really care about bringing more of an arts based community to Luton, so working with them and contributing to that was amazing.

James: 100%, like beyond playing music, we both love watching local live music and other local arts based events so finding a way to bring that all together in our hometown is incredible. It didn’t make sense to us to not care about it. It’s a massive part of who we are. Like our first gig was an acoustic flash mob in the middle of the town centre (laughs).

slow songs into our set (laughs).

"THAT’S OUR AIM, HIGH ENERGY AND A LOT OF FUN"

Jack: I think so. It’s where all our friends are from and if your friends We’ve filmed music videos in the theatre and it all kind of led us to the point where when the Luton Football team were promoted to league one, we played at the promotion event and it was one of the biggest and best gigs we’ve done. It felt like a monumental moment being able to represent the arts of our hometown at such a big event.

From looking through social media, it's easy to see you're a highly active band as far as performing goes, playing shows like Valevest and various venues and places across the country. How would you describe your live show to anyone that hasn’t seen you play before?

Jack: I’d say high energy to a point where we should probably put some

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James: For us personally, we don’t like seeing slow songs at gigs. We wanna jump around and have fun.

Jack: Yeah, I think sometimes it feels a bit indulgent to play a slow song at a show. It wouldn’t fit right with who we are. We want our shows to have a ‘feel good’ vibe and we want to be able to see people enjoying it so we tend to just stick to a faster, more upbeat type of performance.

That’s our aim, high energy and a lot of fun.

One venue that for an unsigned band is particularly impressive to have ticked off the bucket list is The Royal Albert Hall. Could you talk to us about how that came about and your experience of playing there?

Jack: Yeah that show was alright I guess (laughs). Yeah it sort of came out nowhere. We did a show for Music For Youth last year in a tiny, little showcase. We knew nothing about the events they put on and it turned out that they do three nights at the Royal Albert Hall every year where they have everyone from jazz bands and orchestras playing and they had us there, it was pretty insane.

James: It was weird because it felt like it was just like a normal gig. It was hardly any different to any other show we’ve played.

Jack: Yeah, it was a nice experience.

LONDON RUNWAY Like right before we went on stage, we were able to go and see some of my family and were able to just chat to them as if it we were just any normal show. It was nice to be able to do that because it put us in the right mindset to just go up and play a normal show and let whatever happens happen. I think luckily we didn’t work ourselves up about it which we definitely could have.

James: Yeah, we waited until afterwards until we let it sink in and were like ‘what just happened?’, it was absolutely ridiculous. We couldn’t even see the highest seats in the venue from where we were.

How did preparing for a show of this magnitude compare to preparing for a show that you’re used to?

Jack: Well, we only had two songs and they had suggested to us which songs we should do beforehand. We aimed to have the mindset where we treated it like any normal show so we didn’t go too crazy with rehearsals. We didn’t aim to do anything spectacular or different, we just played as we usually do and hoped it would go down well.

James: Yeah, definitely, we were given an eight minute slot, so we decided to extend the two songs that we were playing so that we could use up every single second of the time we had there.

Jack: I think we may have been fifteen seconds over, but I think that’s okay. Nobody seemed too annoyed with us about that.

Your latest single ‘Work Of Art’ was released back in November. Talk us through the process of getting back into the studio again. Was there anything you did differently in comparison to prior releases?

James: Yeah, this time we recorded at Studio 91. We were recommended the studio by our friends in Only Son and it was the perfect studio for us.

We’ve worked with a few different studios and producers in our time and they’ve all been fantastic. But it was definitely a journey to get to Studio 91 and to be working with Sam. He knew exactly what we wanted, like one of the examples we

gave for who we wanted to sound like was Fickle Friends and he just ‘I did their first EP’ so we knew we were in good hands. We were there for three days and the songs just came out exactly as we imagined them.

opposed to a full EP. I feel like sometimes you can minimise how good/successful a song can be if it’s the third track on a three track EP. Especially being an unsigned band, the chances are that it may get overlooked.

Jack: Yeah, I think it had been about six months since we had recorded a song, it was nice to give ourselves more time and really dig deep to make tracks that we were truly going to be proud of and get the most out of our time there.

James: Yeah definitely, I think we only ever want to release music that we’re 100% confident and proud of, so I feel like releasing them as a stream of singles just helps for each track to get the attention that we feel they deserve.

Jack: Exactly. But yeah, there’s definitely more material on the way.

James: What we’ve always said about this track is that it’s how we’ve always wanted to sound, so that’s just perfect.

Is there any plans for a debut EP or more singles from you in the near future?

Jack: I think the way we prefer to release our tracks is as singles as

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Earlier in the interview, we talked about your musical inspirations.

Would you say that these bands/ artists also influence your style and fashion as a band?

Jack: For me, I had a moment in 2016 where I basically just stole the fashion and style of a band called

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The Marmicans. I just completely ripped off their look, right down to the rolled up jeans with white socks, which I now wear with everything.

Loud, pastel shirts were also a big thing for me at that time. I’ve kind of developed past that now, but for a while that was a huge aspect of my fashion sense.

James: I’m fairly similar in the sense that I feel like I’ve found something that works for me. The running joke between me and my friends is that I’ve always got to be wearing a black t-shirt with a different coloured shirt over the top. That’s like my uniform. It’s just simple and easy (laughs).

Where would you like to see Rylands Heath in five years time? Are there any specific goals that you would like to achieve?

Jack: Definitely a solo tour without James. Hopefully I will have finally broken away and done my own thing (laughs).

James: I don’t believe any band who are asked that question and don’t say ‘I want to be the biggest band in the world’.

so far and just hope that anyone reading will take the time to give us a listen.

Jack: Like obviously that’s the goal, we’re a pop band. But yeah, if we could be doing this full-time and making a living off of it and playing shows for people, that would be fantastic.

Find out more about Rylands Heath and listen to their music at facebook.com/RylandsHeath

Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to our readers, or any fans that may be reading this?

Jack: Fans?… Hello mum! (laughs).

Nah, we’d just like to ask people to check us out. I mean at this point I think all we really want is to be pushing our music to as many new people as possible.

James: Yeah, to be honest we’ve been quite lucky with getting onto a few good Spotify playlists. I’d hate to think what our statistics are like on other streaming sites. But we’re really proud of what we’ve achieved

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"I THINK ALL WE REALLY WANT IS TO BE PUSHING OUR MUSIC TO AS MANY NEW PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.’"

Supertonic Photography - Fil Mazzarino Wardrobe - Larissa Reit Model - Ellie Green MUA - Victoria Banda-Tweed

Larissa Reit is a London based contemporary fashion designer from Germany, specialising in textile experimentation using technologies.

The brand’s unique aesthetic incorporates digital print, laser cutting and pleating. By layering printed fabrics in order to manipulate them, Larissa is able to create optical illusions which become especially interesting when movement occurs.

larissareit.com Ellie wears: Coat with Puffy Sleeves - £1195; Metallic Pleated Top - £650; Trousers with Print - £750; Round Bag - £450, all Larissa Reit

Ellie wears: Metallic Pleated Top - £650; Trousers with Print - £750; Culottes Trousers with Print - £950; Top with Laser Cut Detail - £470; Round Bag - £450, all Larissa Reit

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Ellie wears: T-Shirt with Print - £170; Skirt with Laser Cut Detail - £595, all Larissa Reit

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Ellie wears: Metallic Pleated Top - £650; Trousers with Print - £750, both Larissa Reit

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Ellie wears: White Dress with Print - ÂŁ1,290, Larissa Reit

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Ellie wears: Silk Blouse with Print - £850; Metallic Blue Dress - £680; Belt with Laser Cut Details - £250, all Larissa Reit

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Ellie wears: Cropped Metallic Jacket - £450; T-Shirt with Print - £170; Skirt with Laser Cut Detail - £595, all Larissa Reit

Ellie wears: Metallic Pleated Skirt - £795; White TopLONDON with PrintRUNWAY - £350; Round Bag - £450, all Larissa Reit

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NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES ABROAD: SAN FRANCISCO In this special edition of Neighborhood Voices, Candice brings you the styles of her home city, San Francisco.

There is nothing more enjoyable than going home to family, friends and daily home-cooked food over the holidays. With the lingering festive spirit, here are some styles and voices of my friends and family back in San Francisco. San Francisco’s characteristic quirkiness and potent individuality shine through in the styles of its visitors and residents. With a constant temperature that ranges from seven degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius, it never gets cold enough for the intense layering that is needed back in London, but that does not mean that the winter fashion is any less interesting.

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ALANIS SALINAS (SAN FRANCISCO, PHILIPPINES) What and who are your fashion inspirations?

My fashion inspirations are myself pretty much. I just wear what I feel like.

What goes into your decision process when dressing and presenting yourself? Does the neighborhood or where you are from affect what you decide on?

The first thing I usually do before I dress is to check the weather. If it’s sunny or bright, I tend to wear brighter clothes, and when it’s more cloudy, I wear clothes that are darker.

Are you from San Francisco? If no, do you visit often? Why? I’m from the Philippines, but I was practically raised in San Francisco. Yes! There's a lot to do, like shopping, haha!

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SABRINA WU (NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO) What and who are your fashion inspirations?

My roommate is a fashion designer and so I’m often very inspired by some of her creations.

I’m a bit of an introvert as well, so I tend to observe a lot—strangers on the streets fuel my imagination quite often!

What goes into your decision process when dressing and presenting yourself? Does the neighborhood or where you are from affect what you decide on?

The way I dress in San Francisco is completely different from how I dress in New York—but not too drastic. I look at the weather often and however I wake up that day is how I want to present myself. More often than not though, I pick an item I really want to wear and center my decision around that, but I’m also really indecisive and that can get pretty messy. A Magic Eight Ball would probably help, no?

Are you from San Francisco? If no, do you visit often? Why? I’m a recent grad from The New School University in New York, which is like my second home, but I’m originally born and raised in San Francisco. I don’t tend to really come home that often, so it’s always a trip wherever we go somewhere as a family since I haven’t been back in a while!

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KHAYE REYLA (PHILIPPINES, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO)

What and who are your fashion inspirations?

I just like to wear comfortable clothes. I usually wear sneakers/slip-on and high waisted jeans.

What goes into your decision process when dressing and presenting yourself? Does the neighborhood or where you are from affect what you decide on?

I check the weather first before I decide on what I want to wear.

Are you from San Francisco? If no, do you visit often? Why? I’m originally from the Philippines, but yeah! I usually go here to buy gifts for other people or if I feel like shopping for myself and eat sometimes.

You can see more of Candice's work on Instagram by following @Candice_x9.

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E TAUTZ The E Tautz show brought the colours of nature: earthy browns, the grey of a rainy sky, ocean blues and greens, and clay red. Juxtaposed against relaxed tailoring, it made for a collection that looks both modern and classic, suitable for wardrobe staples that could last for years.

The models walked through the allwhite space with both an urban, youthful edge and a more mature gentlemanly charm. A collection for just about anyone, this is a masterclass in creating clothing that the average person on the street will want to wear.

Photography by Martin David Edwards

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E TAUTZ

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BOBBY ABLEY Bobby Abley is known for taking us back to childhood and to quirky, kitschy references. His new collection was no exception, calling on Pokemon, of all things, for a whole range of sartorial references.

Not least of these was the giant Pikachu which actually walked the runway.

If you're not enough of a Pokemon fan to have them emblazoned all over a two-piece tracksuit, then the designer included subtler options such as a Burberry-esque matching set, cosy knitwear, or a pair of dungarees.

Photography by Ian Clark

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BOBBY ABLEY BACKSTAGE Photography by Martin David Edwards

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YOUR STYLE HOROSCOPE Candice brings you a continuing series of style horoscopes that will help to freshen up your look for the New Year.

As some inspiration, what better way to start off the New Year than to experience and try something completely out of your element or reinvent yourself with this style guide? New Year, New You! In this series of the Style Horoscope feature, I will be introducing you to some subtle (and not so subtle) changes encompassing all aspects of your style from music and travel destinations to (of course) some fashionable suggestions. To start this guide off, here are colours most commonly associated with your sign.

Aries March 21 - April 20 RED

As one of the most passionate and intense signs, red is definitely a colour that Aries signs should embrace for the New Year if they are not doing so already! Incorporating bits of red such as with this organic cotton corduroy trousers or with this floral fit and flare dress from Thought will help to better reflect this sign’s firey, burning personality.

Taurus April 21 - May 21 SPRING GREEN

Associated with growth and nature, these Earth signs will feel more connected spiritually when added bits of spring green to their wardrobe. They can do so by the means of playful eyewear such as with these Wormwood or Banks glasses from Kaleos Eyehunters.

Gemini May 22- June 21 YELLOW

Eccentric Geminis, if they have not been doing so already, should add splashes of yellow into their wardrobe to better emulate their bubbly and bright personalities. This Paradise Garden silk scarf by designer and artist Alexandra Otieva is an elegant and quirky way of incorporating that bold colour.

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Cancer June 22- July 22 SILVER

These loving, nurturing signs will love incorporating bits of silver into their style. These silver Phase earrings and Wave ring from Wearth London are perfect reflections this sign’s intuition and connection with the moon.

Leo July 23- August 21 GOLD

As the centers of attention, this outgoing and glamours sign loves adding bold gold statement pieces into their wardrobes, especially for the new year! These Flared Foil Trousers by ASOS and Raid Ankletie Block Heels will definitely leave an impression wherever they go.

Virgo August 22- September 23 FOREST GREEN

Earthy tones are often associated with this sign. Their calming and tranquil energy will be better radiated when donning bits of deep forest greens, such as with this mineral eyeshadow by BareFaced Beauty or this pair of green trousers from ZARA.

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Libra September 24- October 23 DUSTY PINK

Pastel colours will invoke the sweet and loving nature of this calming and graceful sign, so adding a nice, dusty pink to their style will further emanate that. This Robin Glow Stick highlighter by Lush or this Mia nail lacquer by Zoya are great ways to incorporate this colour for a subtler, elegant approach.

Scorpio October 24- November 22 DEEP MAROON

Black is a characteristic colour for Scorpios, but switch it up with some colour this year with a nice deep maroon. This Bohemian liquid lipstick from Anastasia Beverly Hills is a sexy way to add that colour while still staying within the comforts of these mysterious signs and not darkening their whole look down.

Sagittarius November 23- December 22 VIOLET

This adventuring traveler sign should delve into a purple fantasy that will guide them closer to enlightenment and spiritual satisfaction. A great, explorative way to add this colour into their lifestyle is through a complete hair makeover! This Unicorn Hair Dye from Lime Crime is both vegan and cruelty-free, so choose to colour your whole head or just ombre while being guilt-free and fear-free of harmful toxins.

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Capricorn December 23- January 20 DARK BROWN

As a reflection of roots and the earth, a nice dark brown will keep this ambitious and hard-working sign grounded and centered on their goals for the new year. This Heidi Leather Bag from Bibico is a practical, stylish and versatile addition to any Capricorn’s wardrobe.

Aquarius January 21 - February 19 DEEP BLUE

Progressive go-getter Aquariuses will shine in a nice cobalt blue piece that reflects their inquisitive natures.

Pieces, such as this Crinkle Velvet Blazer from Topshop or this Tom Duffle Coat from Komodo are great for this proactive sign..

Pisces February 20 - March 20 AQUAMARINE

This dreamy water sign will benefit from oceanic hues, such as aquamarine. Staying in touch with their soft side, this genuine sea glass jewellery by By the Sea Jewelry will delicately add those bits of colour that reflect the sign’s sensitive and empathetic natures.

You can see more of Candice's work on Instagram by following @Candice_x9.

All images via respective retailers

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AMOUR DE LUXE CHRISTMAS PARTY We had the pleasure of being invited to the Amour de Luxe Christmas Party, where brand owner Bo Kenyon presented her Comfort and Champagne ranges. These exciting lingerie collections were showcased in a short runway presentation,

bookending performances from live singers @the_kaly and @amayahmusicofficial. The lingerie is delicate and expressive, with a range of styles to suit any woman – but all bound to make her feel special.

Images via Amour de Luxe

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Q A

THE BIG QUESTION

We asked, you answered

IF YOU HAD TO BE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH JUST ONE ALBUM, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

&

“I’d say the Motown hits because of the historical value that they have”

“Dirty Dancing soundtrack” - Natasha Mobey, milliner

- Josephine Louison, model

“This is a hard one for me because I love music, but I’d have to choose Sade’s Lover’s Rock” – Cleo Barkley, model

“ELVIS PRESLEY GREATEST HITS'”

– Kay Jay, model

“MUSE’S FIRST ALBUM”

“Roisin Murphy, Overpowered.

There’s sad songs, there’s happy songs. There’s ravey, there’s chill, there’s dance. It would have to be, because it’s fun, and then if you’re sad, there’s a bit of sad on there.”

- Adam Frost, designer

“I WOULD LISTEN TO THE NEW MARIAH CAREY ALBUM, 'CAUTION'”

– Victoria, model

“I’m gonna say one of Michael Jackson’s albums, I can’t choose a particular album but it’d have to be him”

– Jeff, model

– Georgina Wynter, model

“I would have to choose Lady Lady by Masego. I really love it when newer artists just don’t care about genre and can combine so many different styles together” – Luanda, model

“I would choose an Italian composer who does a lot of film scores. They’re very chilled but dramatic”

“My album would definitely be Brett Young's country album”

– Jacob, model

“I’D CHOOSE THE 80’S GREATEST HITS”

– Jas Louise Goodman, model

– Kamil, model

Get in on the action - follow @londonrunwaymag on Instagram to spot next issue's question

LONDON RUNWAY Find London Runway: londonrunway.co.uk instagram.com/londonrunwaymag twitter.com/londonrunwaymag facebook.com/londonrunwaymag pinterest.com/londonrunwaymag/ info@londonrunway.co.uk Front cover: Natasa Karankevic wearing MonaPink by Rhiannon D'Averc Back cover: Backstage at LFW by Ian Clark