DOUBT magazine by Lori Lefterova

Doubt Issue 1

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.” Joseph Joubert

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter & Contents

Conceptual Principles Editorial

Doubt is a fashion magazine with an artsy edge. Dedicated to show the fashion industry as well as making a platform to question it, allowing view points to be considered differently. In its very first issue Doubt will explore and question topics such as androgyny and feminism, and while the magazine features will ask if nowadays creativity exists in the fashion industry or it is just a delusion, the fashion editorials will enquire of how we perceive things.

Analemna Viviane Sassen review

Third Wave feminism

Dissolution of the designer

The White Shirt Twist Palmer // Harding

Back to Silk Marina London Interview

34 Desire to Misjudge Editorial

Dissolution of the designer Dare to compare couture vs hight street, it’s only a question of creativity Written by Alexandra Browne

wice a year the fashion world group together for a month of fashion. Each season following this event, the high street is filled with copies from the designer collections previously seen on the catwalks at recent shows. Instead of making it difficult for the high street to do this – keeping the designers creations unique – collections are becoming increasingly more commercial and easier to duplicate. Figures from London Fashion Week last year show the UK fashion industry is up by £5 billion from £21 billion in 2009. The increase in this is due to a number of factors including; the recession – which the UK are currently coming out of, and the rise in online sales in the fashion sector. 43% of designers at London Fashion Week this year had e-commerce sites. House of Holland teamed up with retailers Metail for their show. This enabled the viewers to try and buy the clothes in real time using an avatar. However, the question is raised as to why the high end fashion designers are allowing their creativity to become commercial and easily accessible. The UK spends more on clothing and shoes (5.6%) than on health (1.7%) and education (1.5%). With fashion being such a key factor in our existence and our individual expenditure, the high street

plays a vital part in being at the forefront of fashion. Peter Dunn, Graduate Trainee Print Designer at Alexander McQueen argues that “what is shown to the public may feel samey...the actual creative process to get to that stage is immensely creative.” “They do follow the same trend forecasting” Dunn explains. He goes on to say that it is so easy for the high street to replicate high fashion collections because “the high street watch the high end designers very closely, and that’ll be replicated immediately because… they don’t have to come up with that original concept… And then there only has to be seven points of difference between a high street piece and a mainstream piece.” The integrity of high end fashion has diminished because of this. We are seeing more designer x high street collaborations and the change in consumer patterns is the reason behind this. 84% people prefer to shop in store with a high street brand than online according to a recent study. Swedish fast-fashion brand H&M lead the way for designer collaborations. Spanning 10 years, H&M have collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld, Isabel Marant, Versace. Their latest collaboration is with designer Alexander Wang. Other retailers have followed in H&M’s footsteps, with River

Illustrations - Ruth McCarthy

somewhere higher. [They become] more informed about how fashion can be presented.” The collaborations may be seen as luxury fashion brands losing their credibility, Dunn understands the view point and believes that informing people would take this opinion away, “it’s like producing art work and people need to understand that”. A spokesperson for H&M said, “the majority of stock is gone as people panic buy

Island last year collaborating with Eudon Choi last year and Liz Black. Vivienne Westwood for ASOS and Topshop collaborating with Ashish. Wang told WWD “there will be a new element of lifestyle offering that’s a completely new way of approaching the collaboration” when the news was announced in April this year. He went on to say “they are very open to pushing boundaries and to setting a platform for creativity”. Wang seems to be allowing the high street to take hold of his creativity and make the collection easily accessible to the public. Although, when the collection launched on 6th November in selected H&M stores, it was very popular. The H&M concession in Selfridges made a total of £68,442 that day, three days later, the last day to return pieces from the collection over £5000 were returns from the Alexander Wang collection. Many customers remarked how the sizing was completely off. Adweek reported earlier this year that “most designer brands only go up to size 10 or 12. Very few accessible luxury brands have yet to touch that space.” Peter Dunn thinks high street x designer collaborations are a good idea, “It makes the high street clients feel like they can really associate with not just the brand they normally shop [with] but

on launch day”. The exclusivity of such designer x high street collaborations show that fashion has progressed from an elitist group to spread across the world and is therefore in greater demand. The latest H&M collaboration with sportswear designer Alexander Wang produced queues outside of stores from 5 a.m. the day of the launch. Neiman Marcus Fashion Director, Ken Downing said “With the onset of bloggers and Instagram, and Twitter, and Facebook, the fashion conversation has become enormous. Today, so many more people are aware of fashion and designers than ever before.” The progression of social media incorporated into our everyday lives and the demand to be updated with all movements in news and fashion diminishes the surprise and exclusivity of designer creations. Lam said “We believe in developing a conversation [with our customers]. It’s never about holding back information.” Therefore, the creative process is not as exclusive and special if other brand are able to access this information, making it easy to duplicate ideas. “There only has to be seven points of difference between a high street piece and a mainstream piece,” says Dunn, “Seven slightly different alterations gets them out of being sued for plagiarism,

in design awards - it is a difficult industry to break without being commercial. “The people who have been really pushed forward have won prizes, have been able to enter various awards, gaining recognition” Peter explains. He goes on, “It also needs to be commercial, you need to look at the buying demographics for stores. For example, Selfridges won’t buy certain pieces because it doesn’t fit their customer. The same with smaller boutiques, those

that they can then pass off as their own.” Derek Lam reportedly will be making his luxury fashion brand more accessible to the public. He said “Traditionally, the plan would have been to just stick to high end. But I went into it saying ‘I want to do as many different levels as possible because I want to reach a wider audience.” For the future of the luxury designer, the possibility of exploring creativity is becoming bleak. And the opportunity for a young designer to create their unique identity and brand is hindered by such things as the economic climate in the UK and the shift in consumer patterns. The fashion industry is a notoriously difficult sector to “make it” in and halting the creative process for future design icons is stopping fashion in itself. “A smart designer understands the importance of developing a business that’s profitable but without losing that creative spirit and losing that dream of what the runway is really about.” Says CEO of the Luxury Instititue, Milton Pedraza. Fashion is known for exploring and breaking boundaries and the norm. Without recognition from certain agencies – the rise

two alone could possibly eliminate some of the pieces that are produced for a collection.” A not her problem w it h fashion becoming so easy to duplicate is that future generations are learning from fashion now. “Young consumers are looking for quality and design, but they’re also looking for ‘new’,” says Pedraza. “They’re much more open to new and affordable brands.” It seems that fashion houses that have been established for a number of years are more successful at keeping their designs new and creative. Adweek reported that Chanel and other “toptier” luxury fashion brands “sky-rocketed 70% in the past five years and are inflating their prices and reducing access to entrylevel products in order to create exclusivity and differentiate themselves from the lowerpriced brands encroaching on their territory.” “Ubiquity does breed some backlash,” says Pedraza. “The problem with luxury retail is that you often don’t know where the line is until you’ve crossed it.”

Analemma Viviane Sassen, Analemma: Fashion Photography 1992-2012 Written by Daniel Man

n a cold, sunny morning and a pocket full of change, I made my way to 16–18 Ramillies Street with an air of intrigue. Being nice and early certainly beats weaving in and out of pedestrian traffic. Enter the Photographers’ Gallery which was tucked neatly away from London’s busier streets and into a place today which promised so much through the words of my fashion-conscious peers. What is the best example towards the phrase ’seeing is believing’? I have to confess, I don’t have the perfect dress sense. Some days I hide my mismatched socks under my track suit when I fetch a pint of milk, on other days, I turn up to see a girl in T-shirt, shorts and flip flops. Picture me vs. full-blooded makeup, heels and a short white dress and you could see where my summer went wrong. Don’t judge, we all have our bad days. But it would take an absolute dummy to miss the perception of impact, feeling and story behind the photography of Viviane Sassen. Her previous works spanned France, America, South Africa as well as her native Netherlands and finally it is time for her London debut; an exhibition titled ’Analemma: Fashion Photography 1992-2012’. Analemma (a four-syllable

word that only Astrophysicists and Countdown Contestants know the meaning of), itself a term that describes the observed changing of the positioning of the sun at an exact moment during a day throughout a year. In other words, if you look at the sun at 12pm everyday for a year, its position would change and draw a figure 8 in the sky. Sassen wanted to display the seasonal flow of fashion with this concept and to the relief of fashion enthusiasts, you won’t be treated with pictures of the sun in the blue sky. What was on display was more of the same: carefully poised bodies against the backdrop of colour, using light to create contrast and bold shapes complemented by the garments (some, lack of) worn by the muse. In this case, rather than the Analemma effect being the product of elliptical orbit and our tilted axis plane to the sun, we have an artist who in my view possess a lot of fun and freedom and used it to achieve the expression she wanted. With well over 300 pieces of work available, it was evident that she hasn’t been slacking throughout 1992–2012. In line with the natural phenomenon used in the flow of her works, nature was a recurring theme along with the garments her muses adorn

Installation Image of Analemna: Fashion Photography 1992- 2012 by Viviane Sassen on display at The Photographers’ Gallery at 16-18 Ramillies Street (31 October 2014 -18 January 2015) © Kate Elliott Courtesy of The Photographers’ Gallery, London

in the pictures. Highlights include the set ’In Bloom for dazed and confused, 2011’, a far-field background of pink blooming with the central figure being the biggest flower of them all; a model flailing her blue and yellow dress in the air like an inverted peacock. The world inside the picture revolved around the fresh colours of the dress under nature’s poise, like a creature from Eden. A more urban example of the diversity on show came from an unnamed photo she made for Carven, Spring/Summer 2012; a model in matching high neck, 3/4 sleeve top and high waisted shorts, laid onto a tartan, multi-purpose playing surface. Once again, Sassen presented bold shapes in the model’s form which was further emphasised by the portrait nature and the singular bisecting blue line down the centre. Whilst the blue possessed her physical form, the semi-circular yellow line drew the colour scheme of her top and shorts against the white line linearity and red flooring. The focus of Sassen’s works were never on the muse themselves. Not as people, any way. She would find ways to hide their faces just so much we don’t wonder and focus on the wrong elements, may it be by a folded arm or a flowery dress. When the face is shown, it was made sure the subject laid in other forms such as the body, illuminated tree and the green trail of fabric as seen in ’Biotope, purple fashion, 2004’. However, like a cheeky shot of espresso in the afternoon, there was a lingering feeling and taste about the whole experience that never really went away. Like many, we enter exhibitions with hope, expectation and

quite frankly, speculation on what we want to get out of it as an experience. In no form I want words to be twisted into criticism, but it could not be helped to feel that the focus of this exhibition was the visual art created by the camera as a whole and not the fashion depicted within it. One could find wandering pieces such as ’Girl in Sand, 2009’ where a beautiful, nude girl curled up in the sand under shadow contrast given by a light source. When I left to walk down the streets of chilly London, as a viewer I was already in a trance induced by some great works but on reflection if I were to put myself in the soles of someone wanting to explore the realms of fashion, it might not be as fulfilling as one would wish for. But then again, a cheese enthusiast wouldn’t be searching for the ultimate tasting experience by trying out pizzas. Sassen did proclaim when interviewed by W Magazine in 2014 that she has a ’love– hate relationship with fashion’. She began in fashion design and was a model herself for a short period of time before she became the photographer as we see her today. First and foremost, her main instrument is the camera. The main course of the exhibition is the photography and the accompaniment, the dessert, is the fashion within it. The Clothes come secondary to the overall image and will only be given the chance to stand if its contributes to the overall image she wanted to achieve. Analemma may not be the taste to, let’s say, people with a love-love relationship with fashion but I follow and appreciate why she is a sought-after figure in fashion photography.

Conceptual Principles

Spread1: rings - Zara / rucksack - Zara Spread2: rings - stylist’s own Spread3+4 : necklace - COS Spread4: strap sandals - stylist’s own / black shoes - H&M Art Direction + Styling + Photography: Lori Lefterova

Back to Silk Here we interview Marina Guergova, the designer behind the brand MARINA LONDON. Interviewed by Ellen Nevrokopska, Edited by Lori Lefterova.

arina Guergova is the designer behind the brand MARINA LONDON. Bulgarian-born, British-bred she found a gap in the market and set up her own business in 2011, after graduating from CSM’s Fashion Design and Marketing course. Now with more than 15k followers on Instagram and a spot at the Designer Showrooms at LFW she tells us more about the success of her brand and her healthy way of living. What does it take to start from scratch and build a successful brand? I think to have good idea that is in someway unique. To do something, even if it’s just one thing, but do it well. Be a specialist in whatever you pick to do. Don’t try to do it all – it’s not possible. Also, patience – there is a lot of trail and error along the way and if you can’t hack it, it’ll break you. You just have to believe in your idea and infect people with it – make them believe in your vision and see themselves within it.

Your clothes have an outlined feminine and sporty feel. Where does the inspiration behind that come from? I have always loved sports and I being a sporty person I love the idea of mixing the luxury of silk with sportswear details. My favourite decades were the 70s and 90s, so the latter shines through quite a lot. From my silk trucker cap that I did last summer, to elastic details on shirts. I love playing with it. A key factor in your success is your dedication to silk. How hard is it to run an all-silk brand? It’s easier than running a brand that tries to do everything. It’s manageable and realistic. I have a wonderful silk supplier and I only work with them. Their quality is exceptional and we’ve worked together for years. They know me and I know their product, we have a great relationship. You have to make life as easy as possible when

you have your own business and in the beginning if you concentrate on just one thing – it’ll help you build strong foundations. Are there any designers out there you would like to collaborate with? There are so many! I mean I would love to work with Vans in some way, Penelope Chilvers, Jessie Harris, Moleskine. We have to admit it. We are massive fans of your Instagram page, where you share many inspiring lifestyle photos, but can you tell us more about the role that the social media plays in your business. Thank you – I’m so glad to hear it! The social media phenomenon, or Instagram to be precise, started in 2010, a year before I started my business. I was immediately aware of what an incredible opportunity for brand awareness that is. Photography has always been a huge hobby of mine and being able to promote my brand through instagram, the way I wanted to, couldn’t have been more perfect. Social media, in many ways, allows young brands to grow and all the support from customers that we get

because of that really is impressive. It’s such a wonderful tool if used well and sensibly. And finally tell us more about your daily routine. Where do you drink your coffee? What are your favourite activities? How does your day end? I guess I always start the day with hot water + then a spoonful of Manuka honey at 8am. Love a DIY fresh juice first thing – carrot, orange, ginger, apple and sweet potato is great. I usually have big breakfast like eggs with avocado and chilli or porridge, coffee at Birdhouse or Story on St John’s Hill in Clapham. Go to my studio and work from there all day doing all sorts bits and bobs. I’m not a fan of lunch, so I don’t really have it during the weekdays – I just graze lots throughout the day. I try to go to the gym, do yoga or spinning three times a week. Have a hot shower at Shoreditch House, grab pizza in Pizza East (best pizza in town) and then I love the movies, so maybe watch a movie with my boyfriend and then go to bed around midnight. I’m an owl and not a morning person, but I’m constantly trying to be more of a morning person – it’s pretty hard!

Art Direction: Lori Lefterova Photography: Alissa Whitefield Styling: Lauren Newberry MUA & Hair: Hannah Williams Model: Sabina @ MiLK Management Clothes: Marina London SS15 Shoes: Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Own

Thrid Wave Feminism A discussion about feminism. From low maintenance t-shirts to Karl Lagerfeld ss 15 Written by Alexandra Browne

fter the Mail on Sunday reported the £45 Elle UK t-shirts with the slogan ‘this is what a feminist looks like’ is being made by women in a Mauritian factory, working for 62p an hour, questions are raised as to whether the latest surge in the feminist campaign is doing the cause any good. The ‘this is what a feminist looks like’ t-shirt has been plastered all over the internet, showing how many celebrities and media personalities are in support of feminist ideals. Labour leader Ed Miliband, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alexa Chung and Emma Watson have been pictured wearing the shirt. Author of Not That Kind Of Girl and creator of hit series Girls, told The Guardian “If feminism has to become a brand in order to engulf our culture and make change, I’m not complaining”. On the other hand, Bad Feminist author, Roxane Gay said in relation to the current feminist movement from media personalities, “It frustrates me that the idea of women enjoying the same inalienable rights as men is so unappealing that we require –

even demand – that the person asking for these rights must embody the standards we’re supposedly trying to challenge. That we require brand ambassadors and celebrity endorsements to make the world a more equitable place is infuriating.” Interestingly, there have been more promotional photos of men wearing the shirt than women. Especially, MPs; the World Economic Forum released statistics that the UK parliament is 23% women. A percentage that has only risen recently with the cabinet reshuffle after campaigning by feminist groups. According to the World Economic Forum, the UK is now ranked 26th in World Equality, in 2006 the UK held 6th place. If the latest feminist movement, seen sweeping the nation has been positive for female equality there would be more changes in society. Earlier this year, Emma Watson, founder of the HeForShe campaign and U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador gave a passionate feminism speech in New York which was applauded with a standing ovation. She said:

Illustrations - Kriste Stankeviciute

“I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive. Why is the word such an uncomfortable one? I am from Britain and think that it is right

that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think that it is right that women be involved on my behalf in policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive those rights.” Emma Watson is right, social issues are influencing this movement. The word feminism leaves an air of stigma, negative connotations and stereotypical characteristics when spoken of. Stories are emerging daily from women who receive abuse, or are raped because they ‘asked for it’. Anti-harassment organisation Hollaback! released a video in the hope to end street harassment which featured actress Shoshana Roberts who was catcalled over 100 times in 24 hours.

The social view of women needs to be changed before progress can be made for equal rights. This summer The Sun newspaper stopped printing Page 3 but society was in turn rewarded with Vine maker, Dapper Laughs, whose misogynist approach to women has won over the ‘Lad’ nation. Lad culture has become inescapable. University social clubs have been all over the news with stories about how they treat women. London School of Economics, Oxford and Nottingham University are amongst a list exposing women in a number of ways. Media’s approach to women needs adjusting too. Magazines, like Elle UK, photoshop and edit their models to make them more ‘attractive’. This view, that women are never perfect until computer generated does not help how women treat other women. Actress, Renee Zellwegger was recently abused online after attending the Elle Women’s award ceremony in Hollywood

when she looked slightly different to how she did last time she was on a red carpet, 5 years previous. Women from across the globe tweeted how ‘unrecognisable’ Zellwegger was and how some ‘monster’ had possessed the actress. Zellwegger hit back the following day declaring she had changed her diet, “I’m glad folks think I look different! I’m living a different, happy, more fulfilling life, and I’m thrilled that perhaps it shows”. The fashion industry is constantly under fire for their un-feminist approach so it came as a shock when Karl Lagerfeld produced a feminist march for Chanel’s spring/summer ‘15 collection in Paris. Models waved banners reading “Feminist but Feminine” and “We can match the machos” for a designer known to criticise females. Katie Yoder, a media researcher for Fox

News said, “With Karl Lagerfeld’s previous criticisms of curvy women, the message he sends appears hypocritical and suggests that white, thin, tall women are the only acceptable champions of the movement.” Dana Lam, former president of Aware spoke at the Singapore Writer’s Festival said how western feminsim is stuck in “intellectual cul de sacs” and claimed the future of feminism is in the developing world. Therefore, the changes from the feminist surge is not coming from western media personalities. Media researcher Katie Yoder explains, “feminism would include all types of women and all views on what feminism can mean...the movement has evolved into an obnoxious liberal clique”.

Desire to misjudge Going beyond the measurements of social labels and sex role characteristics Written by Zoe Leung

Photography: Zoe Leung Styling : Zoe Leung Model : Cass Technical assistant : Alex .W Clothes: Ming Pin Tien womenswear AW14 38

ing Pin Tien’s AW 14 collection was inspired by Xiaolu Guo’s novel “A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers” –A novel focussed on the indifference, culture clash and misunderstanding between a couple of varying backgrounds. If the collection was about love and the eagerness of mutual understanding and accepting in a relationship, my photographs reflect the opposite. I sought inspiration after Pink Films, an ongoing movement of Japanese sex films frequently driven by themes of death and violence, in amalgamation to the victimisation and brutalisation of their female characters on screen. I was particularly drawn to Takahisa Zeze’s Pink Films, which experimented with distressful yet surreal methods of sexual exploration, usually situated in the hearts of the brutal capitalist society of Japan. To juxtapose depressing sex scenes with a landscape of boundless buildings that always look almost identical, have inspired my photographic compositions. Visually, my images circulates notions of dislocation, alienation and

exemplifying sexual awkwardness of my female subjects. Ming Pin Tien’s AW14 collection devoid of physical gender, was compiled of loose-fitting silhouettes, structural layering and a touch of melancholy. The androgyny and awkwardness in both seemed to correspond. Nudity is usually another central facet of my photographic style, however though when featuring clothes from Ming Pin Tien, I refrained from revealing anything more than bare legs. Not because both aspects are unsuited, but more of that physical nudity wasn’t particularly necessary for this shoot. If the essence of sex is present in the image, it will become excessive if physical nudity was also featured in the very same image. After all, these aren’t pornographic images, nor were they ever intended to be. And to reveal anymore skin will only take away the notion of androgyny, taking away the awkwardness of my themes. I simply wanted to deliver the complexities of my subjects, but with clothes that also have comparable intentions, and for this shoot, it was Ming Pin Tien’s AW14 Womenswear.

THE WHITE SHIRT TWIST The white shirt should take centre stage and become the main attraction. Written by Alexandra Browne

t has been an essential item in every wardrobe for decades. Man or woman, the white shirt is that trusty, go-to item. For any time of the day and for any occasion. The staple that is the white shirt never goes out of fashion - but this year it’s having a moment. It’s time for the white shirt to take centre stage and become the main attraction. The most versatile piece of clothing is having a makeover this year. The white shirt has been around for centuries. It was worn as an undergarment up until the sixteenth century when it became more extravagant with ruffles and detachable collars. Slowly befitting the item we see today. The evolution of the white shirt has since made it a popular garment with both sexes. Spring/Summer ‘14 catwalks revealed changes to the traditional white shirt for both men and women. The unisex wardrobe staple was seen cropped, with cut-out sleeves, an asymmetrical hem and in dress form. The popularity of the white shirt and the endless variations reminded us how versatile it is. At the AW14 London Collections: Men

the white shirt emerged on many catwalks –reinvented. London based designers Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding of Palmer// Harding created white shirts that were traditional, yet different and creative. Palmer told Style.com “We feel the white shirt is a neglected bit of a mans wardrobe” adding that it is “always though of as layering pieces, and we want to make the white shirt the star of the show”. Until now, the white shirt is usually seen on office workers as part of their suit and work attire or formally at dinners and parties. The design duo achieved their goal, adding something different to each shirt. The display of asymmetric hems, built-in jersey panels and origami-like collars create a less formal side to the white shirt. Although, the shirts Palmer//Harding created are different and inject attitude into the male wardrobe, the shirts are classic, timeless and versatile. “Men can be quite timid in their fashion choices, they want something traditional but they also need something to break up the same old, same old”. Palmer said about the male wardrobe choices,

encouraging them not to be less formal about their decisions when purchasing a white shirt. Palmer//Harding have sparked a trend and have challenged the way the white shirt is viewed and worn. Although, they are not the only brand that has experimented with the white shirt. Massimo Casagrande added texture with a bubble effect running down the shirts,

a bib and an inside-out pocket was attached to other shirts. Costume National, Brioni, Bottega Veneta and Salvatore Ferragamo amongst others have changed the classic white shirt into something more up-to-date and different. Leather look touches and a range of different collars have been spotted on the streets since. The high street have also taken a shot at creating their own white shirts with a twist. As always, the high street versions are toned down making them more accessible. High street versions of the white shirt with a twist has been extremely popular for womenswear. Lace, boyfriend fit, ruffles, pleats and panels amongst others, are the most popular shirts on the high street available at the moment. TopShop, Warehouse and ASOS lead the way with the most varied and largest collection of white shirts. The popularity of these shirts have been seen on the streets at fashion week and day-to-day life. Rachel Montague-Ebbs, Editor in Chief of online magazine “Lady M Presents” says this is “bringing the white shirt up-to-date and taking it away from the

school girl/school boy trend and adding something to it; making it more versatile”. At the head of this trend for men is TopMan, with white shirts that have mesh panels, asymmetric and mullet hems, bibs and have a variety of different collars. ASOS have also adopted themes from Palmer//Harding in which they have incorporated jersey into the crisp white shirt. ASOS have also experimented with slight ruffles and pleats down the front of their shirts. Vivienne Westwood seems to have inspired Replay in which they have created a boyfriend shirt for men, which is most commonly seen on women. All these have a more relaxed and informal approach making them popular with the ordinary man. Photographer, Alistair Guy explored the white shirt in his latest exhibition, titled “White Shirts” which focused on Hollywood Glamour, a label which has moved on slightly from the “white collar” worker but still has that social status theme attached to it. The emergence of celebrity culture has potentially aided this Hollywood Glamour culture. James Bond famously wears a silk white shirt with his

It’s time for the white shirt to take centre stage and become the main attraction.

tuxedo and has become an iconic figure with male celebrities wearing it on the red carpet. Guy unveiled this exhibition in time for London Collections: Men, where the white shirt was centre stage for many designers. Guy asked his subjects - a collection of models, musicians and designers, including David Gandy, Sascha Bailey and Hugh Harris to wear “a simple white shirt to put more focus on them” to create “a classic and timeless portrait”. Words Guy also uses to describe the white shirt, he adds “it is clean and simple. The white shirt is always being reinvented”. The white shirt was adopted by women

during the First World War and since then has become women’s own clothing item with iconic images throughout time; such as Audrey Hepburn’s white shirt tied at the waist and Anna Wintour’s 100th anniversary of American Vogue featuring models such as Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer all wearing a classic white shirt. The classic white shirt for women has changed slightly over the years as lighter fabrics and a more fitted structure are common with women today. Like the catwalks for Men’s fashion this season, the white shirt was seen all over for women. This white shirt that

has been recreated is modern and injects a bit of fun into the wardrobe. Seen at Balenciaga, Kenzo and Carolina Herrera the white shirt had been cropped, volume was injected, pleats were added and different structures were experimented with. The traditional men’s shirt was spotted at Chloé, Jason Wu and Kenzo. This oversized structure on a female gives the outfit a masculine edge. This was popular as tailoring was also a big hit on the catwalks. Alongside this, romantic shirts were also spotted at Blumarine and Lavin, with oversized pussybow necks and frills. Petter Copping,

designer for Nina Ricci opened the show with variations of the white shirt, with boyish silhouettes and elongated lengths. Peter Som’s collection of white shirts added a masculine edge to his floral and feminine touches. Som told Christiana Binkley at WSJ.com “It can be the star of a look or it can be a backdrop for a great print” He adds, “That’s the best thing about a white shirt - the world is your oyster with one.” And he is not alone as Rachel MontagueEbbs agrees, “You can wear it formally, or you could wear it casually. You can do what you like with it and that’s the best thing about it.”

Doubt Magazine Contriburors Editor Lori Lefterova Graphic Designers Lucelia Foote Nicole Marshallsay Writers Alexandra Browne Zoe Leung Daniel Man Lori Lefterova Ellen Nevrokopska Illustration Ruth McCarthy Kriste Stankeviciute Collages Annie McGill Designers Marina London Ming Pin Tien Photograpy Alissa Whitefield Zoe Leung Lori Lefterova Technical Assistance Alex .W Styling Lauren Newberry Zoe Leung Hair and Make-up Hannah Williams Models Sabina @ MiLK Management Cass

Special Thanks To David Poole Philip Clarke