EXPOSE by Sophie Bailey

expose

We are proud to introduce and welcome you to the very first issue of Expose magazine.

This issue comes at the most important period for every student. Excited, curious or worried about what will happen next, we have one last chance to show the world what really makes us tick. We are the next generation of emerging creatives and this summer is our chance to showcase ourselves to the awaiting industry.

We exsist to celebrate the talent at Middlesex University’s School of Art & Design and this issue look towards the graduating class of 2014.

We understand the importance of the digital age and the place it plays without our art school. However we are incredibly privileged to descend from one of London’s most well-known, talented and brilliantly controversial art schools- The Hornsey College of Art. The archives held that document the history of such a prestigious institution have served as a huge inspiration for this publication. This is reflected in our own practise and we are proud to graduate from Middlesex University this year.

We have been created from the collaborative and creative notion that encompasses each and every student, tutor and creative discipline at Middlesex. Encouraged to engage with the art and design world in the city that we call home, but also within our own walls, and push the boundaries of what really is possible. We celebrate the work of a variety of disciplines – everything from fine art and fashion and illustration to interior design. Simply we want to share with you the most exciting and thought provoking work being created in our corner of London.

I hope you enjoy it.

Editor

Exploring the boundaries between fine art and science, searching for the beauty that can be found under a microscope.

Grace Stokes Fine Art

In a generation where everything is digital and everyone uses technology it is nice to see a return to traditional artistic practises. Here Sasha Moxon delicately draws and hand cutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illustrations portraying a world of foliage, fauna and forgotten treasures.

Sasha Moxon Illustration

Fashion Design and Textiles emerging talent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the class of 2014.

Creative Direction Sophie Bailey Photography Lee Kirby Styling Sarah Winton Make-up and Grooming Tabitha Ellis Styling Assistant Rowena Kinghorn

Womenswear Laura Athey Menswear Rhiannon Wakefield

Tom Lincoln

Laura Athey (This Page) Eleanor Gall (Opposite)

Sandra Tschanz

Jon Winter

Laura Athey (Opposite) Rhiannon Wakefield (This Page)

Eleanor Gall (This Page) Victoria Lawrence (Opposite)

Yasmin Lane

Laura Athey (This Page) Rhiannon Wakefield (Opposite)

An essential aspect of any art school education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the internship is scrutinised and critically dissected by Fashion Design student Courtney Evans. Take a further look as to whether it is necessary to intern in the hope of becoming more employable and the discrimination and media attention behind this free labour.

Written by Courteney Evans Fashion Design

It has become a well known fact that fashion houses, both big and small, have become increasingly dependent on the free labour of interns. “HMRC has written to over 100 fashion labels warning them to make sure they are paying interns that are treated as employees the national minimum wage,” states Richard Tyler from the Guardian.

These girls would be working from 8am to 1am in the run-up to fashion week and some would start crying and getting hysterical because they were being expected to do a job which they’d never done before.” This clearly shows that the expectations put upon these young students are entirely irrational and unrealistic. The problem may not be with the industry as a whole, but the issue may lie with certain individuals who work within these houses who set unachievable goals. Students are completely unaware as to what is required of them. This could be considered a fault of the education system, an issue that I will look into in more depth later on in the essay.

Houses such as Alexander McQueen have come under severe scrutiny after advertising for full-time unpaid internships. Students were discovered to be working for up to 11 months for the house with only meal vouchers in return. Ironically the Telegraph pointed out that one of the pieces featuring in McQueen’s latest collection cost £8,930, which is nearly the equivalent a fashion student pays for a year’s university fee. In an article written by Jamie Elliot, he quotes a further student who interned at Alexander McQueen, talking about his extensive work hours and his involvement within the studio. “Most days I worked from 8.40am in the morning until at least 2am. We

Looking at more extreme cases, Elliot talks to other interns from a different company on how they were subjected to dangerous chemicals in order to artificially rust metal. “At first we used this chemical in a normal room with no special ventilation, but after a week, when everyone had been getting nose bleeds, they told us to work outside on the balcony...”.

“Internships should be about giving people an insight into the sector they are interested in working in, but they should not flip over into working for free.” worked seven days a week and some of the interns got really tired because of the long hours,” 25-year-old Rufus Cassidy told The Guardian.

“It was never demanded that I worked really long hours, however I often felt ‘guilt tripped’ into staying really late all the time. We had to start at 9am every day and the earliest I ever left was 10pm. Technically we could leave at any time, but I didn’t feel like it was really possible: If I said I was planning to leave earlier the response would often be ‘oh, have you got something really important to do?’ or ‘ okay, we will have lots to do tomorrow if you can’t finish it tonight’ or ‘okay, I’ll just do the work on my own’. I often stayed until midnight. In the lead up to the show I stayed until 2am and on one occasion worked until 5am, briefly slept on the sofa until 8am and then continued to work (on this occasion the designer slept through the night).”

This raises another issue of the sheer workload and exhausting hours interns are forced to undergo. When asked whether the length of hours worked were ever unreasonable, a student said, “Absolutely, working for two days and nights not going home was ridiculous.” Designers have also been known to verbally abuse interns through busy times running up to fashion week. Even staff members at several houses have spoken out about the increasing pressure and expectations put on young interns. Elliott quote’s students saying that, “The designer was constantly shouting at students as young as 19, saying, ‘You’re fucking useless, you don’t know what you’re doing’, whenever they didn’t do something properly.

This suggests an increased amount of emotional stress in the form of peer pressure put on interns, and as I have stated previously, the fault lies with the individual in charge rather than being a generic fault within the industry.

Being given mundane tasks to do for weeks on end is another bad aspect in the life on an intern. Learning nothing about the profession, interns are often stuck in a tiny room carrying out the menial task of tidying and organizing fabric samples to pass the time. One of the students taking part in the survey discussed their long hours and unchallenging tasks. “She would also try and get us to work as long as we could but we were meant to usually work 8.30-6/7 usually. Sewing beads for that long everyday makes you have headaches so it wasn’t as enjoyable really.” Another intern told me they felt that, “all the jobs no one else wanted to do were left for the interns!”

Due to the numbers of willing students that are eager to work for these prestigious companies, houses no longer need to ‘waste money’ on employing permanent staff. Although, this isn’t always the case. The article by Elliott goes on to state that, “In the pattern making department there were 10 interns and only five paid staff. In embroidery there was just one designer and 10 interns.” With new laws being introduced that graduates now have to receive a wage, companies are turning to the 100’s of eager undergraduate students for labour instead. “Why would a company fork out £15,000 to £20,000 a year for an entry-level fashion designer, when they have an endless supply of people willing to do it for free.”

Whilst carrying out our internships last year, a large number of my peers at the time felt that they were mistreated and overworked. I felt however that the results showed a conflict between feeling mistreated and their excitement and enthusiasm over their involvement. Surprisingly, a number of them reported back via the survey that they had had very successful internships. They talked about how much they had learnt and how they realized that the way in which they had been treated was completely normal. The fashion industry has managed to convince interns that there is nothing wrong with the way they are treated. However, looking from an outsider’s perspective, it must be astonishing that these students accept entirely the fact that this is what the industry consists of. This is an unwritten rule they have to follow in order to succeed and progress. Interns have become oppressed by the industry without realizing it and are being forced into this ‘internship initiation period’ before anyone even considers them for employment. Interns are stuck in this purgatory of free labour between having left education and trying to successfully find employment. This may be the fault of employers or of the society within which they sit.

“The fashion industry thrives on the amount society consumes, how quickly products can be produced and how much profit can be gained” Discrimination Looking at internships it is clear that only students from affluent backgrounds can afford to work for so many months at a time without payment. Thus, in this day and age, is the fashion industry still discriminating against the poorer classes? It is understood that this type of class snobbery is particularly prevalent amongst the Haute Couture houses. ‘Haute Couture is snobbish and elitist… They only value wealth and what kind of background you come from. All the trainee designers are these rich kids and that kind of attitude also feeds into the whole system’, a graduate student explains to Wilson. For a student who is from a more modest background, having to work for free for several months on top of the huge educational fees will undoubtedly prove to be too much of a financial strain.

There are two competing ideologies when looking into the fashion industry and the treatment of interns. The left wing focuses more on the rights of individuals and groups within the industry. It looks at the laws of employment and any social factors that can effect the entitlements of the individual. The Right Wing is based on supporting an industry that focuses on profit above all other factors, and this is usually seen as a capitalist perspective, including even liberal approaches.

Some could argue that for a brand to ask people to work for free is in one way completely disregarding the amount of time and effort that has been put in by the intern to learn all the necessary skills at University. If people are not treated as though they are at least somewhat knowledgeable in their chosen profession, then some would argue that their time been wasted at University. In particular, it raises the question of whether the universities approach to the course enables the student to gain sufficient skills. It raises questions about industry link between the university and industry. And it raises the issue of value for money in relation to the course. This is especially the case now that fees have increased.

Authors of the ‘The Neoliberalization of Nature’, Heynen and Robbins explain that, ‘Today, neoliberal capitalism drives the politics, economics and culture of the world system, providing the context and direction for how humans affect and interact with non-human nature and with one another.’ Due to the capitalist world in which we live and the focus on a consumerist society, this results in the individual’s needs being neglected. The fashion industry thrives on the amount society consumes, how quickly products can be produced and how much profit can be turned over anually.

Even if the student studies, graduates with exceptional marks, some would argue that if they are competing within an industry that consists of exclusivity, connections and snobbery, they stand a limited chance of gaining a job or even an internship.

A Change In Britain Angela McRobbie, author of ‘British Fashion Design: Rag Trade or Image Industry’ states, “The United Kingdom graduates were astonished at how class and status-conscious their European counterparts were.” There is no guarantee that even though there is a larger market for interns in Europe, that graduates will be employed after several months or years. It is well known that even if individuals manage to obtain a job, more often than not the position is only temporary. This again proves the instability of the fashion industry. There are many students and graduate students that are seeking jobs outside the UK, which raises the question as to why this might be? McRobbie argues that more internships and opportunities are needed in the UK. Speaking about factors in the British market, she notes:

‘These problems are further compounded by the dominance in British fashion of a handful of high street retailing chains or ‘multiples’ who exert enormous control over consumer habits… This restricts the scope of independent fashion design sales and makes it more difficult for designers to survive when they can be so easily and quickly undercut in costs by the big retailers such as Topshop.’ Graduates are renounced by these companies for having little understanding when it comes to the financial cost to create their designs. This suggests that the education system has failed to

“There is more than a touch of irony in this rejection of European Haute Couture and American fashion since it was their ‘Britishness’ which got them the jobs in the first place, and it was the British fashion industry which failed to provide similar opportunities.” McRobbie explains that, ‘money is invested in training innovative and talented young designers who leave college only to find few United Kingdom companies are interested in hiring them.’ Because of the lack of jobs within the UK, graduates extend their search to places abroad such as Tokyo, New York and Milan. Ironically all the money that is spent on teaching these new designers benefits the foreign companies and leaves little to nothing to feed back into the British economy. It is not just the fact that there are hardly any jobs, which make if difficult for graduates to get into the industry, but the few jobs that are available are within companies that have no interest in hiring artschool taught designers.

provide the proper training and skills for these students to fully understand the business side of the fashion industry. So it is understandable as to why these companies are reluctant to hire a designer fresh out of education. They are more prone to hire designers that propose simple designs that can be mass-produced and can be easily supplied to the public. It again suggests that this industry is based around a society where quick production, mass consumption and especially money are the only things considered meaningful. Another factor which McRobbie discusses is, ‘a frequently repeated claim that British consumers spend less on fashion than their European or American counterparts. They also want cheaper clothes even if it means lower quality goods.’ Thus confirming the difficulty for designers to gain employment.

Some may argue that the problem stems from a government with old-fashioned views of art-based degrees, which itself may reflect the views of society. Fashion, alongside many other ‘non academic’ degrees, struggles to be recognized as a ‘serious’ career This may be because of either a poor theoretical underpinning of many degree programmes. It may be an issue of gender. McRobbie also argues that,’ The relative absence of theory in fashion design education has weakened its position in the academy and this, together with it being seen as feminine and therefore subordinate, means fashion academics still find themselves located further down the institutional hierarchy.’ In addition, lack of government support in the form of funding may be a factor. However, even when money is provided there are other contributing factors which affect students and graduates.

“The IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research) estimated in 2010 that there were around 100,000 unpaid internships in the UK. These interns are mostly doing real work that would otherwise need to be done by a paid member of staff. If the law was enforced, companies would be forced to employ their unpaid interns, rather than exploit them, decreasing youth unemployment.”

One argument put forward is that British design students are seen as too creative and upmarket for the British companies and their cliental. McRobbie argues

On a more positive note, there is some evidence that the industry is willing to lend a helping hand to students. Recently Sir Phillip Green, the owner of Arcadia, has announced that students can apply for a 2-week internship. Not so coincidently this news comes shortly after Green was under investigation by the HMRC for not paying his interns. “There was one girl who made a complaint,” he says. “This girl has spoilt it for thousands of people. We had 300 or 400 kids interning, now it’s about 30.” Nevertheless, it does show that businesses are reconsidering their relationships with students. The Evening Standard spoke to Michael Grove, The Secretary of State for Education about his views on the new scheme, which will help students learn about how to achieve jobs within retail. “They already know all about brands... but what 16- and 17-year-olds won’t necessarily have is experience of the world of work. The more that businesses get involved with schools, the better, because businesses sometimes complain that students don’t have what they require to succeed in work.”

Fashion Industry and is the middle ground between education and the industry itself. ‘The Colleges Council was founded by the British Fashion Council in 1993. It creates an interface between education and industry, providing opportunities for students including events, bursaries and competitions.’ This is a tried and tested way in which students can receive help and try to further their career without running the risk of working for free for months, after which nothing prevails. Laws Behind Internships The legalities surrounding internships are different in each country in which the intern is employed. In the United Kingdom, if an intern’s work within the company is seen as vital, then they are entitled to the National Minimum Wage. If the individual is working several days a week for a continuous amount of time, then the issue is not whether they are called “an intern,” but whether the work they are doing is the same as those who are employed. If there is no difference then there is no reason why they are not entitled to the same wage or at least ‘a’ wage. Companies have no excuse with regards to money, since the UK Fashion industry is currently thriving (aka thieving, from the amount of free labour that exists within the industry,) with McQueen allegedly grossing 16.5 billion euros in 2009 and ever increasing after his death. “In the first quarter of 2010, the Gucci Group sales were up by 5.3%...”

The British Fashion Council act as a stepping-stone for aspiring students who need a bit of support when trying to get a name for themselves when entering the industry. It acts as the voice of the

Positive side to Interning Although there is a lot of negativity and judgment associated with the fashion industry, often people tend to ignore the many benefits. There is no doubt that there are many cases of mistreated interns, worked into the ground and underpaid, but many students have very successful internships and finish singing their praises. Students mention exposure to industry techniques, skills and experience, the ability to make contacts and networks, an opportunity to explore whether the career is really for them, and even possible job offers as good outcomes of internships. Fashion blogger Tran Hung talks about the benefits of interning, ‘You can learn a lot of skills from the seamstresses, and it may open a lot of doors, (interns want to extend their contacts,) and you get to contribute to the production of luxury ideas before they end up on Kate Middleton or on the racks at Topshop or H&M. It’s a dream that every fashion student wants to live out.’ More and more students are coming to terms with the fact that interning plays a critical part in climbing the career ladder. Over 50% of the students who took part in the survey felt that they gained an in-depth insight into how a fashion house is run, the amount of work that is involved and what it takes to be a successful business. During my own last three-month internship, I was lucky enough to work between nearly all of the key areas in the design house. From pattern cutting and design to production

and shipping. Having the chance to work across all of these areas has allowed me to truly see how a high-end fashion label is run today and potentially how it would be if I were to start up my own label. I also questioned young professionals in order to get an understanding of what it is like for those who have managed to work their way up. One of the individuals has their own brand and talked about the importance of interning; “I think it’s a great opportunity for students to learn how a company works, the structure and organization of a studio in which they can then learn to operate in their own work… it’s a way of networking and meeting new and interesting people”.

“In 2010 that there were around 100,000 unpaid internships in the UK” Students and Graduates demand fair treatment Students and graduates have begun to fight back against unjust big companies that are exploiting their interns. Some individuals have even taken it upon themselves to publically sue their previous employers. Diana Wang, 28, sued Harpers Bazaar for weeks of unpaid wages. ’Wang who interned in the fashion department at Bazaar from December 2010 to December 2011, says Hearst violated federal and state wage and hour laws by not paying her even though she often worked there full time.’ There is an enormous obligation for students and young fashion designers to have meaningful relationships with the world of work, and exposure to all of the experience that brings, as people have told me above. It will continue to be necessary for universities such as Middlesex to grow and nurture those relationships, because part of the value of degree programme lies in the experience and connection that such courses can broker and support. However, universities are in a position to lobby government to ensure that the skills, which students gain, are supported by safe exposure to employment. Government, in their turn owe it to students, on behalf of an education for which students are paying, and as part of their duty to quality assure education, to ensure that no citizen is exploited. Author of ‘Intern Nation’ Ross Perlin states that “I think we may be at the very early stages of a significant backlash against an internship phenomenon that has gone off the rails.” If the poor publicity continues, more students may look to other industries, or to paid apprenticeships. The key point, however, is that this could be prevented if only the fashion industry were to modernize its working practices. It could make a start in a number of ways, from at least ensuring that internships were crafted to develop their future workforce in the skills which industry requires, and not simply used as an opportunity for cheap and illegal labour. There is room for improvement regarding wages, hours and general treatment of interns. Failure to do so may help profit margins, but it will also lead to campaigns such as Intern Aware,

OWS Arts and Labour Intern Rights Group, to rise up to further embarrass the industry. This in turn will damage reputation and profit”. Alongside this, further support is required from the government to ensure that the law is robust in this area, and that it is upheld. Finally, it is an alliance between industry, government (via the law) and education that will really make a difference to how internships are run.

In February 2014 the south of England was hit with the worst floods seen since 1980’s. The Thames estuary was badly hit with flood waters reaching record highs and thousands of homes evacuated. Abi Hack returned home to document the floods and displays the devastation in a special publication ‘Below Thames’.

Abi Hack Graphic Design

Inspired by “trendy” Dads and older men that still have style, take a look at the older generation that haven’t lost their confidence or individuality.

Ciara Stenson Fashion Communication & Styling

Jordan Gray found the most unusually named local pubs and illustrated their names for a lino print mini series. These witty prints are beautifully drawn, expressing the character of the pub they belong to.

Jordan Gray Illustration

Exploring the unnecessary waste of energy in the city of London throughout the night. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is this mentality really worth the cost?â&#x20AC;?

Jonathon Pool Photography

It is important to understand the space an architect is designing for. Nataliya Shkarupa explores tWWhe un-predictability of a market space and creates a flexible and interesting environment that connects the shoppers with the stalls.

Nataliya Shkarupa Interior Design

“Fashion should be fun and playful”, and here Alex Sawyer experiments with the work of British designer Ashish Gupta creating promotional material for a digital audience. Visit her website www.a-sawyer.com

Alex Sawyer Fashion Communication and Styling

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the first issue of Expose Magazine:

Editor Sophie Bailey Graphic Design Calum Houldsworth Adam McCarthey

Abi Hack BA (Hons) Graphic Design (2014)

Laura Athey BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014)

Abbie Douglas BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Styling (2014

Nataliya Shkarupa BA (Hons) Interior Design (2014)

Alex Sawyer BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Styling (2014) Ciara Stenson BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Styling (2014) Courteney Evans BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014) Eleanor Gall BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014) Grace Stokes BA (Hons) Fine Art (2014) Jonathon Pool BA (Hons) Photography (2014)

Front Cover Tom Lincoln Back Cover Alex Sawyer

Jon Winter BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014) Jordan Gray BA (Hons) Illustration (2014)

Rhiannon Wakefield BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014) Rowena Kinghorn BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Styling (2016) Sandra Tschanz BA (Hons) Fashion Design Sarah Winton BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Styling (2016) Sasha Moxon BA (Hons) Illustration (2014) Tom Lincoln BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014) Victoria Lawrence BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014) Yasmin Lane BA (Hons) Fashion Design (2014)

Models Aida at Milk Managment Sam at Established Models Isabelle at Profile Models Management

External Contributors Editorial Photography by Lee Kirby www.leekirbyphotography.com Make-up Artist Tabitha Ellis

ABC Imaging www.abcimaginguk.com Shepherds & Falkiners Fine Papers www.store.falkiners.com/store/ The Studio Photo Gallery www.studiophotogallery.com

Expose