UNFILTERED MAGAZINE

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JcÃaiZgZY egd_ZXi bVcV\Zgh Kim Blake Julia Robson

FRONT COVER PHOTO BY DAVID OTOKPA, MODEL: METHMI

JcÃaiZgZY ZY^idgh Alyssa Schleger Nikol Fandi

8dcig^Wjidgh • Alexandra Schoettel • Ardelène Nguimbi • Athena Demos • Bluebelle Tushia • Charley Bristow • Christina Renaldo • Karine Hawawini • Lisa Telle • Maud Arrou-Vignod • Methmi Prematillaka • Michele Ishola • Nadia Khalil • Nicole Soheilifar • Nikol Toleva • Nilsu Cumbus • Ravisara Monga • Yu-Chun Lin • Sarah Joseph • Tania Pears • Yashaswi Amatya

‘Pearls of Wisdom’

PHOTO BY DAVID OTOKPA, MODEL: NIKOL

LZaXdbZ id i]Z Ãghi ^hhjZ d[ JcÃaiZgZY, an all-inclusive, in-depth publication that showcases real fashion, real issues and real people in a unique and unedited way. This magazine showcases work created in the Fashion Journalism and PR module by second year BA Fashion Marketing studies at Regent’s University London. The idea being every student from a unique background finds their way of storytelling their perspective. Fashion reflects the rapidly changing world. Unfiltered captures it. Unfiltered represents twelve weeks of Friday workshops, consisting of discussing issues and news in the fashion industry, brainstorming, attending London Fashion Week, and doing a fashion shoot with professional photographer, David Otokpa. All content was generated by the class and constitutes part of a fashion journalism assignment. Creating a magazine as a marketing tool, also contributed to the PR assignment to outline a complete PR plan for the magazine launch and ongoing promotion. From exploring the return of the brooch, the SS18 international catwalks – where drones made an appearance carrying handbags down the runway -

articles include interviews with social media-savvy millennials; seasonless fashion; the London music scene; recognition of Black culture through film and issues triggered by the #MeToo campaign. We are proud of our Regent’s University fashion community and hope this magazine gives a glimpse of what we are doing and how we are learning…and thinking. It underlines the breadth of talent, diversity, style and intellect within the Regent’s fashion marketing and design department. Thank you to our tutors, Gill Stark, Mark Eley, and Dennis Maloney. Thank you to Kim Blake and Julia Robson for encouraging us through the journey and supporting us in anchoring our concepts and ideas. Thanks also to all who contributed: photographer, David Otokpa; graphic designer, Dale Walker; make-up artist, Jasmin Coles; hair stylists from Daniel Galvin, Shannon and Remy and Dave, security at Garbutt Place. Alyssa and Nikol Editors

Unfiltered is a non-profit university publication created by students for students as an educational and learning intervention. It is not to be distributed. ĢƇěőäŅäà

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THE NEXT ANNA WINTOUR?

genuinely happy -and have been since I was probably 6- to go to the bookstore to buy a magazine.

WÁŅĆĢä DÁūÁūĆĢĆ ĆĢőäŅŪĆäūʼn űĢőĂĆÁ UŅĆäúä͡ ĩūĢäŅ ÁĢà ùĩŖĢàäŅ ĩù ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ͡ ÁŅő ÁĢà ěĆùäʼnőűěä ġÁúÁŹĆĢä͡ U#''#͡ ūĂĩ ūÁĢőʼn őĩ ŖĢŪäĆě ÁĢ ŖĢàĆʼnÚĩŪäŅäà ʼnĆàä őĩ őĂä ŅÁÙ ūĩŅěà so much and meet so many interesting people. Although it seems insane, Instagram is also an incredible tool of inspiration: the whole world is on it. But I think at the end of the day it mostly comes down to staying curious about everything all the time. I’m extremely observant and will find beauty in something someone would call trash.

Karine Hawawini: Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to work in fashion? Cynthia Jreige: I was born and raised in Luxembourg from an Italian-Belgian mother and a Lebanese father. I did a Bachelor in fashion design at Istituto Marangoni in Paris during which time I interned with La-couture. com and Le Nouvel Observateur. After I completed my BA, I did an 8-month internship in NYC at the Hugo Boss runway studio with Jason Wu, Then I flew back to Paris to work with blogger, Une Libanaise à Paris. K.H.: Did the founder’s education and cultural preferences influence the direction of the magazine? C.J.: I believe so. I have been traveling to Lebanon every summer since I was a baby and always felt very attached to the Lebanese culture and my Arabic heritage. Being from a very mixed background, I kind of focused on one of my origins and I guess the Middle-East just became engraved in me. K.H.: How did the creation of Jdeed come around? C.J.: In 2015, I travelled to London where I started a Master’s in fashion journalism at London College of Fashion. I founded JDEED aged 22. It was my final MA project. K.H.: What is different from other current fashion/art magazine? C.J.: In the Arab world or in general? I’d say that what is truly different is that we are 100% focused on emerging designers, some are still in school about to graduate. It’s a genuine exchange

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K.H.: The magazine seems to be working hand in hand with fashion and art, does art have an important part in Jdeed? C.J.: Its place is as important as is the Fashion’s. I don’t believe in pure fashion and trends, or dictate what someone should wear and how. To me, art has a more “free” feeling attached to it and to me they both compliment each other. Fashion is anyway art in itself. between us and the people we interview – For most of them JDEED is their first magazine feature. We also have a very specific vision for our shoots. That said I believe that the main difference is the fact that our whole team is composed of young Arabs – down to the clothes we shoot. I have no interest in shooting, let’s say, Chanel, unless tomorrow a young Arab takes over the brand. K.H.: Is there a category in Jdeed that cannot be found in usual fashion magazines? C.J.: Well I guess it’s not a category per say but the fact that we divide the magazine by cities/countries and that it mixes fashion, art and design. K.H.: Each image from your fashion editorials are beautiful as an art piece, do you take into consideration current art trends and just the art world in general

when creating these editorials? C.J.: First of all, thanks a lot. And no, really not actually. We don’t even always shoot the latest collections from the designers but just the pieces we like. Our themes are very broad as I can be inspired by anything. For example, the Sergei Parajanov shoot in our second issue came to me after I visited the namesake museum of this famous Georgian/Armenian movie director in Yerevan. Globally I try to create universes that are different from what has been seen before, especially in the MiddleEast. We’re not afraid to work with models that are extremely different with bold features, do crazy make-ups, mix prints… I like to disturb people, although I don’t specifically intend to shock. I don’t think this is the kind of magazine that needs to do that. K.H.: What is the main source of inspiration for Jdeed? C.J.: Probably my travels: I see

K.H.: Do you think the cultural beauty of the Middle East is being overshadowed by current political events? C.J.: I think that oppositely, it shines bright despite the region’s geopolitics. It is obvious that for the rest of the world, the Middle-East sounds more like war and hummus than underground fashion. But the main actors on these artistic scenes believe in it so much that it eclipses the turbulent political context. K.H.: What do you think of the digitalisation of magazines? C.J.: Can I hate it? Well not to be as radical, I think it is great that we can access to any kind of editorial content anywhere, anytime, but to me a magazine is a beautiful object that deserves to remain in printed format. I don’t think that a shoot for example is worth looking at digitally. It might be just me but the feel of paper is something that can’t be replaced. I’m

K.H.: Would you consider creating a digital version of your magazine? C.J.: We do have one, despite the fact that I’m not specifically a fan of the whole idea but it’s 2018 and there are some things and some demands you can’t ignore. Same goes for Instagram. K.H.: Are you targeting only Middle Eastern readers? C.J.: No, we have a lot of “Western” readers who have a passion for the Arab World without being Arab themselves or people who are just curious. I don’t like the idea of being communitarian. I find interest in many things, specifically Georgian fashion at the moment although I’m really not Georgian. K.H.: Do you wish to sell the magazine worldwide eventually? C.J.: We’re currently sold in Lebanon, Bahrain, Dubai, Amman, Berlin, London, Paris and Stockholm and am really proud to have gone this far in so little time.

K.H.: Give me 4 places in the Middle East you would recommend someone who’s never been there (city, restaurant, shop, gallery etc.…) C.J.: I’d say that Petra in Jordan is a must-see, it’s literally breathtaking. Beirut as a whole is such a vibrant city that is a real mix of cultures – I’m probably biased but between the art, the food, the party. I’ve never heard a visitor who said they didn’t like their stay in the Lebanese capital. Another incredible place is Jabal Akhdar in Oman, three hours drive away from Mascate. There’s a hotel called Alila that is one of the most beautiful I’ve been to in my life. The scenery is just breath-taking and Omanis are truly exquisite people. Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the Louvre in Abu Dhabi are also definitely worth a visit. If I can add one, I think that Al Serkal in Dubai is a good way to witness what’s actually going on on the contemporary art scenes of the Arab world, in an urban setting, far from the beaches and the malls that gave Dubai its cliché reputation. • Interview by Karine Hawawini Discover Jdeed Magzine on www. jdeedmagazine.com Follow Jdeed Magazine on Instagram: @jdeed_magazine Al Saqi Bookshop, Notting Hill: www.alsaqibookshop.com ĢƇěőäŅäà

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SOCIAL MEDIA MILLENNIALS HĢ ÁĢ ĆĢőäŅŪĆäū ūĆőĂ ĢƇěőäŅäà͡ ZäÙÁĢäʼnäͿ łÁĢĆʼnĂ ʼnĩÚĆÁě ġäàĆÁ ʼnőÁŅ͡ ÁŅġäĢ ÁÁà͡ àäʼnÚŅĆÙäʼn ĂäŅʼnäěù Áʼn ΋ùŅää ʼnłĆŅĆőͿúĆŅěĆä úĆŅě͠Ό ěŖäÙäěěä ŖʼnĂĆÁ͡ ʼnłäĢő ÁĢ äĢőäŅőÁĆĢĆĢú ÁùőäŅĢĩĩĢ úäőőĆĢú őĩ ėĢĩū őĂĆʼn ʼnőűěĆʼnĂ űĩŖĢú `ĆěěäĢĢĆÁě ūĆőĂ ĂäŅ ĆĢùäÚőĆĩŖʼn äĢäŅúű͠ ÁŅġäĢ äŰłěÁĆĢʼn őĂä ĆĢʼn ÁĢà ĩŖőʼn ĩù Ăĩū ʼnĩÚĆÁě ġäàĆÁ ÁƄäÚőʼn ĂäŅͤ ÁĢà őĂä łäĩłěä ÁŅĩŖĢà ĂäŅ͠

Where did you grow up and where are you living now? I grew up in Marbella and I now live in central London with my mother and one of my four sisters. How did you get into social media at such a young age? I remember the day I was introduced to Instagram. I was sitting in the car with one of my elder sisters. I was around the age of ten. I created my Instagram account at the very young age of eleven because all of my friends were starting to get it too. I wasn’t always an active user on Instagram. I used to post the occasional picture of my dog every couple of months! However, when I reached the age of thirteen, Instagram became a huge trend across millennials of my age. That’s when the ‘cringey’ group

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selfies of my friends and I kicked in as well as the failed Tumblr-esc style of posing. Around this time there were very few ‘instafamous’ people. I followed all of them. My best friend and I began to get obsessed with their style, aesthetic and lifestyle; heavily influencing the way we wanted our Instagram to look. So we made changes to our Instagram pages as soon as we could - this meant using filters, creating colour schemes and trying to gain a social media following and liking. Do you plan your Instagram accordingly? I must admit; Instagram feed used to mean a great deal to me. I used to post specific quotes or random pictures just so that I would have an overall colour scheme when presented to an

audience. However, I found that this was somewhat lame, as I was posting content that people didn’t really care about or want to see. I also grew sick of this and most importantly it wasn’t me. I didn’t want to post these kinds of pictures anymore. So today, I post what goes on in my life, things that interest me and basically just anything I want. I don’t care about what looks best on my feed. Do you get recognised in the street? To be honest, when you see that number of followers at the top of your Instagram page you don’t think of how many people that actually is. It’s just a number! So really, I never expect to be recognised. To be honest, I don’t think I’m even close to being famous as there are so many people out there doing the same thing as me and doing it better. But, I must admit I have been recognised roughly half a dozen times. Three times in Marbella, Spain, and a couple times in London. Usually by complete strangers who told me about how they had come across my page. In all honesty, I think the most part of people who recognise me from my Instagram are people whom I share mutual friends with. There’s been several cases in which I’m out and about and someone comes up to me, to ask if I’m Carmen Raad. This conversation usually follows with how they came across my Instagram - making links through our mutual friends, telling me they saw me tagged in someone’s picture or that they found my Instagram as their friends follow me. I think that’s pretty cool though? The way social media can connect people from all across the world.

Do you feel the pressure of being a role model? I wouldn’t call it pressure to be a role model because I don’t think of my Instagram like that. I just like posting pictures of my different outfits and what goes on in my life. Most of my followers are around my age or older. However, I don’t like posting pictures where someone can be seen drinking or smoking, because personally I don’t like to share that point of view of my life as I think it’s something a bit more private. And also because all of my mums friends follow me! Do you feel the pressure of social media? Some days more than others. I think there’s a general pressure of what we should look like, or dress like, or even act like everywhere in the society of today. Social media in this age drives a lot of jealousy amongst friends and even strangers. This is because there’s always going to be someone better than you - or

at least someone that appears to be better than you. By this, I mean someone’s always going to have the latest Gucci bag or the latest Givenchy shoes that maybe you don’t have. Another huge influence that social media has on people today is plastic surgery; so many people my age look up to these completely dolled up celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Chantelle Jeffries, etc. These women promote a false image of women and therefore leave the public eye feeling like they need to meet this standard of beauty, causing many to be left feeling self-conscious. Do you see yourself as a brand image in the future? I think the biggest benefit of having this platform is the connections you make. Thanks to my Instagram I’ve been presented with so many opportunities to get myself out there as well

as to collaborate with brands. I have collaborated with many well-known brands that send me their products on the condition that I post an honest review of what I think or just simply to post a picture wearing their clothes or accessories. These brands include; Casetify, Triangl swimwear, Brakinis, The Kript and Masaki Perfumes Paris. Another benefit of my Instagram is that I am presented with the opportunity to model for brands. I have previously modelled for Blu molly (a coat company) and I have an upcoming shoot for Jude Benhalim jewellery. These are opportunities that wouldn’t have come my way if I hadn’t had my social media platform. Do you look at social media as a future profession for you when you finish school? My initial response is no. I don’t want to be in the eye of the public for the rest of my life. At the moment I just post for fun, but when this fun runs out I want to be able to stop. Yes, I must admit it’s so cool to have this platform to post what I want, but I find there’s too much pressure and competition on social media that one day I’m going to get bored. At university I would like to study fashion or graphic design and I feel like this background that I have using Instagram and keeping up with brands and styles will help me to succeed and thrive towards what I want pursue in life. • Head over to her instagram @ CarmenRaad to check out her upcoming jewellery campaign for Benhalim. ĢƇěőäŅäà

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HISTORIC FRENCH-LUXURY MEETS THE STREET-STYLE MODERN ERA äĢ űäÁŅʼn Áúĩ͡ őĂä ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ūĩŅěà àĆà Ģĩő ėĢĩū ūĂÁő Á ġäŅúä ÙäőūääĢ ʼnőŅääőͿʼnőűěä ÁĢà ěŖŰŖŅű ūĩŖěà ěĩĩė ěĆėä͠ Ƌä ĆàäÁ ġĆúĂő ĂÁŪä ÙääĢ ÚĩĢʼnĆàäŅäà ΋őÁʼnőäěäʼnʼnΌ͠ gĢä ĩù őĂä ̟̞​̞ ġĩʼnő ĆĢƈŖäĢőĆÁě łäĩłěä ĩù ̠̞̟̦ ͳ H`'ʹ Ćʼn ¨ĆŅúĆě ÙěĩĂ͡ ūĂĩ ĂÁʼn ʼnĂĩūĢ őĂä ūĩŅěà őĂÁő ʼnŖÚĂ ÚĩěěÁÙĩŅÁőĆĩĢʼn ÚÁĢ äŰĆʼnő ĆĢ ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ͠

At the end of March, 2018, Louis Vuitton announced, the 38 year-old, Ghanaian-American fashion designer born and raised in Chicago- Virgil Aboh , as their new menswear artistic director. A lot of opinions were thrown around the media, speculating over the decision –

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people from the industry- Mert Alas (photographer), Kendall Jenner (model), Petra Collins (photographer), Takashi Murakami (artist), supported the decision, but some Generation Z consumers said: “It will ruin Louis Vuitton’s reputation. Virgil is someone who will pass like a trend, LV is forever.” (Martina,21, Fashion Styling at Instituto Marangoni London). One thing is for sure, LVMH, the French luxury conglomerate valued at 42.64 billion euros (2017) is taking its biggest gamble. The question will be whether Louis Vuitton will become everyone’s source of inspiration? Edward Enninful- British Vogue’s editor said: “His appointment is a step in the right direction for diversity, as well as a particularly exciting creative moment for the industry.” Virgil Aboh isn’t a design graduate. He set out to be an engineer, which was his dad’s biggest dream. His venture in fashion begun in 2006, when he and his friend Kanye West worked with Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi. Since then, Virgil’s creativity awakened & in 2013 Pyrex Vision was established. A brand which he soon sold because he “didn’t want a failing business on his CV”. Although the brand was selling hot off the “internet” shelves, he decided to move his base to Italy and launch Off-White. Off-White saw the start of luxury street-wear, with their designs intoducing athleisure looks as everyday outfits. Having his headquarters in Milan, Italy, Virgil’s products are easily recognised on the streets. The quality of the garments is very high, for example a shirt is sold for around $600, and the iconic “industrial belt” for $250. Virgil used his influential connections with celebrities such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Drake and Justin Bieber, who started wearing his clothes & popularised them through their social media. Sales of the brand have gone through the roof, increasing by 230% each

“OFF-WHITE IS DEFINING THE GREY AREA BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE” year (reported by Selfridges). In December 2017, the magazine System had Virgil as a cover story, with the almost simple tagline question “What is Virgil Aboh ?”. Some said, “He is a man with no limits”, others - Rihanna, wrote on her Instagram: “GOAT”, which means “greatest of all times”, claiming he is a true inspiration, a representation of hard work payed off with success. The fashion industry has evolved so much in the past decade. It has developed around the leading generations, political and economic problems. And now is targeting the Millennials and Generation Z more than ever. Their main desire is to explore, learn and feel. By 2025, it’s projected that both generations will account for 45% of the global personal luxury market (Bain & Co,2017). This is why they are targeted. Unlike the previous generations Millennials are more engaged with self-expression: “Consuming products and brands is not just a way to say who you are but a way to define who you are”. Millennials are typically taken

over by experiences over things, which pressures the brands into creating a story, a shopping experience whether it is online or instore. In a world so technologically advanced like ours, the industry is clustered with products, but the customer continues to look for something extraordinary. This is where the parent group of Louis Vuitton, LVMH, has for sure hit in the centre with a creative like Virgil. He has shown the world that it is no longer enough for a brand to rely on its heritage in order to gain success. Brands need to expand, push barriers and surprise their customers, especially if they are not traditionalists and want to lead the trends. Having done more than 10 collaborations with: Nike, Champion, Heron Preston, Timberland, Jimmy Choo & soon to be released x IKEA, Virgil is not afraid to push people’s expectations and realities forward. His appointment at Louis Vuitton is a phenomenon, talked about by many. Platforms, such as Instagram were flooded with

Off-White fans, who cheered the decision from a fashion “critique” point of view. But there were those who were not happy with the change LV undertook. Some, like previously mentioned styling student, stated that the heritage the brand has built will be destroyed, due to the fact classic is “forever”, street look is a “trend”. Although their opinion also, matters, as in today’s society the public is the only judge, one of the quickest ever selling collaborations was the Louis Vuitton x Supreme one, which was also the highest price re-sold product line. It’s almost as if Kim Jones was preparing the audience for the upcoming turn of events. Embracing the youth culture is key to the luxury market. The Supreme collaboration gave the Parisian fashion house a new fresher look, a “highlight in its recovery” with more than 23% profit increase by the middle of 2017, leaving it with a contemporary- not so traditional, successful background. Virgil Aboh’s response towards the safety of the brand image ≥ ĢƇěőäŅäà

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≤ was: “I find the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations and will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times”. He is a man of many interests: of visuals, design, art, interiors and history, his use of language is also modern and free “Aboh uses the same academic phrasing to discuss memes as he does postmodernism.” . The modern irony Virgil has, is used in OffWhite’s product designs as well. Bags, shoes and garments are covered in words in quotation marks, meaning they aren’t what they seem to be. What is interesting about Virgil Aboh as a designer and a businessman, is his work ways. He has mentioned in previous interviews, he is a team-worker. He gets inspired by music, history and his surroundings, and he also learns from other artists, designers and creatives. He mentions that he is not a “Me, me, me!” kind-of person, and has never enjoyed ones of that sort. He is a “mixer”. Mix of garments, trends, looks, colours, themes, silhouettes and fabrics. The modern contemporary look, it’s no surprise his Off-White designs go from “luxurious” tracksuits to “street-style” tulle-bow gowns. His collaborations are also not specified. They range from fashion houses to mass-market interior sellers, like IKEA. Virgil likes socialising, through Instagram as it brings everyone closer together as a community. It makes the users feel familiar to their followers. He has not mentioned only once, that he likes the group environment, and his social media “gang”, which allows him to share his journey, making it look almost “easy”. His inspiration comes from the people he surrounds himself with, and the ones he collaborates with - his “crew”. Influencers like Bella Hadid (model), Luka Sabbat (model/actor) , Hailey Baldwin (model) and Jourdan Dunn (model)

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are a couple of people from the circle of celebrities, who inspire Virgil and are proud ambassadors of Off-White. Who might be his “squad” in Louis Vuitton? Having a rough idea of Virgil’s previous collaborative choices, we will try to have some guesses of his future work in the Parisian brand. Being an artistic director of menswear, he is going to change the designs of the garments and accessories, in a way which will target the interest of the younger audience. His goal will be to attract the Gen-Z’s, valued at $44 billion (2016), into buying those new French-luxury items. If Virgil decides to create a collaboration between LV and a brand, they have to be compatible in designs, or cater to the desired audience. Our first guess would be a merge between Off-White and Louis Vuitton coming our way. This would be a total success of both brand’s businesses. The Off-White customer, who is similar to the Supreme one, will buy into the luxury brand collaboration because it will become a trend before its release date. In November,2017 the Nike x Off-White collaboration was released, where 10 of the most iconic Nike sneakers were re-done and “re-touched” by Off-White. They are still releasing models until today, but every shoe is pre-sold months in advance, in order for the customers to secure their purchase. Consumers wearing the sneakers, who previously were not going to buy into Nike as a brand, are currently wearing the “hype”. Therefore, anything which is made as an exclusive Off-White garment, or collaboration sells out, straight away. Other collaboration ideas LV might go into are with

Chrome Hearts or Palm Angels. Chrome Hearts is an exclusive jewellery brand, which has done collaborations with Off-White in the past, but would also be interesting if done with a luxury prestige like Louis Vuitton. Their target customer is the same, & Chrome Hearts is famous through the Generation Zs. Palm Angels on the other hand is an emerging street-wear brand. Its concept is similar to the one of Off-White but it’s look is more relaxed and athleisure. Its consumer is similar because of the high-price point, who will automatically buy into Louis Vuitton as well. The modern feel of a collective

work is a must for Virgil Aboh . Louis Vuitton’s recent collaborations with Jeff Koons and Supreme were a success, but the appointment of Virgil might bring the brand to even higher rates. It is stated that Louis Vuitton is the first to undergo such a drastic change of creativity from its competitor luxury brands. Alessandro Michele’s Gucci innovation is the only artistic directory change we can compare this to. But Gucci is still kept in its original aesthetic boundaries. Whether Louis Vuitton would actually undergo a drastic image change, we will see in June’s Paris Fashion Week, until then we can only create assumptions. •

Some of the hottest topics over the past year have been about how society is changing with inclusivity, diversity and body positivity being discussed everywhere. There’s not a better brand than Gypsy Sport who are starting the world-wide revolution of unity through individuality. Some may think they went overboard. I say speak for yourself! Rio Uribe’s Fall AW18 collection was anticipated by many, especially the inner New York circle. Here, Rio Uribe, states when speaking to US Vogue, “I usually work with a colourful palette, but New York was the inspiration this season and that called for black and white.” I mean you just can’t go wrong with a classic colour scheme, can you? The energy in the room contributed to the colour palate of the rainbow flag, which portrays what the Gypsy Sport shows are about! Always one for showcasing talent, again this had the unique tribe in check from old friend British Trans activist Munroe Bergdorf to new rising star,10-year-old Drag kid. Yes! Uribe is exploring new changes in society and new people who are seen as a comfort zone to others who may be trying to express themselves and get recognition. Before people jump to judging a book by its cover - which we all say we don’t do however it is such a norm we can’t help it – let’s meet this rising star. His name is Desmond Napoles, more commonly known as Desmond. And he is amazing. I mean he is quite amazing. A 10-year-old strutting his sass down the catwalk with pride. When I was 10 I use to hide when the teacher asked me to write something on the whiteboard. Desmond is a LGBTQIA activist and loves Diana Ross (Who doesn’t?) He rocked an oversized blazer with Elizabethan flourish’s, with a white lace neck brace. His hair was slicked across his forehead. Desmond’s makeup completed the look from being contoured to peachy cheeks, highlighting his defined jaw structure a cheek

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DRAG KID COULD THIS BE TRUE? #Ćà űĩŖ ĔŖʼnő ʼnÁű # < WH#ͧ Hʼn őĂĆʼn őŅŖäͧ gĂ űäʼn͡ Ćő Ćʼnͥ <űłʼnű łĩŅő͡ őĂä ÙŅÁĢà őĂÁő ÚĂÁġłĆĩĢʼn àĆŪäŅʼnĆőű ĆĢ Ćőʼn ġĩàäě ěĆĢäͿŖł͡ úĩő aäū ¯ĩŅė ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ūääė ÚĂÁőőĆĢú őĂĆʼn ©̟̦ ʼnäÁʼnĩĢ͡ ĂÁŅěäű ŅĆʼnőĩū͡ ŅäŪäÁěʼn ūĂű͠ bones something a woman would die for. Many other models resembled this fearless look with models in metal bras and leather pants, boots and tops you name it, and it was leather! The models really did empower their identity by looking fierce in thick, hard fabrics with power and confidence. Desmond was born in New York during pride week (what a coincidence?) He says he came out the closet as soon as he was born. He’s already a successful businessman, being the first person to establish a drag house specifically for youth, called The Haus of Amazing (his sass is honestly too much). He has also appeared alongside RuPaul’s drag race contestant Jinkx Monsoon in his music video. If you haven’t already seen it go and watch RuPauls drag race on Netflix. I’ve watched all the series even if it did mean at school I was writing 3000-word essays one hour before they were due in (but it was worth it!) The fabulous Desmond really is pursuing his career from a young age and is a role model to many. As he stated on Instagram his biggest achievement was walking at NYFW as he captioned a photo from the Gypsy Sport show “I am dying! Literally dying right now”

his first show however I’m sure it won’t be his last. Uribe’s confident and unique tribe made a gloomy day in New York look sunny. The way each individual carried themselves with pride and happiness as they rocked the catwalk due to the freedom Uribe gives to its models. By being the first designer to use the sassiest drag kid I’ve ever laid eyes on Desmond be part of his show, could this mark a change in the fashion industry? Or, is there still too much controversy around this subject, a topic which has been seen on UK chat shows such as loose women are children as young as 10 too young to make decisions like this? ‘I’ve never seen anything quite like it’, said Patrick Bristow, age 86, from London, when I asked him about the matter - something which he admitted he would never have seen when he was younger. It’s true not everyone is going to agree with this new change and many will be shocked, however the sooner people learn to accept change and understand this change can be positive, the sooner social problems from homophobic comments will stop. At the end of the day if it’s not affecting them, why should people get so worked up about it? Besides, Desmond is the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. You keep doing you desmond! • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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WHAT CONSPIRACY THEORY?

Brooches clockwise: pearl, £38, L.K. Bennett; dragonfly, £135, and kingfisher, £16, both John Lewis; blue wing butterfly, £45, Eternal Collection.

UÁÚėĆä WäĢĢäàű͡ `ÁŅĆěűĢ `ĩĢŅĩä͡ ÁěĆäĢ ěÁĢàĆĢúʼn ÁĢà őĂä ÚĩʼnġĆÚ ʼnłÁÚä ŅÁÚäͥ `ÁŖà ŅŅĩŖͿ¨ĆúĢĩà äŰłěÁĆĢʼn ūĂű őĂä `ĩʼnÚĂĆĢĩ ©̟̦ ʼnĂĩū ŅäġĆĢàäà Ŗʼn ūĂű ĆŰőĆäʼn ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ Ćʼn ʼnĩ ĩàà űäő ÙŅĆěěĆÁĢő͠

Jeremy Scott, Moschino’s creative director, decided to mix a memorable political with an emotional moment for the Autumn/Winter 2018 collection. He sent the world back to the 1960’s with his retro-tech, jet-set show inspired by Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. Undeniably, the wife of the former 35th President of the United States became a fashion icon during the three years (19611963) she reigned as America’s First Lady. However, the inspiration goes deeper than that. The fortytwo-year-old designer attempted to re-fashion Jackie Kennedy’s pink tweed skirt suit and pillbox hat, the same she wore on November 22, 1963, the day her husband was shot down next to her in Dallas, Texas, on an Asian model painted blue. Alien models Scott was inspired by one particular conspiracy theory that claims Marilyn Monroe

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THE BROOCH IS BACK! ©ä Áěě ÚÁĢ ŅäġäġÙäŅ Á őĆġä ūĂäĢ ĩŖŅ úŅÁĢàġĩőĂäŅ Ŗʼnäà őĩ ūäÁŅ ÙŅĩĩÚĂäʼn ĆĢ Áěě àĆƄäŅäĢő ėĆĢàʼn ĩù ʼnőűěäʼn͠ ©ÁʼnĢΎő őĂäŅä ÁěūÁűʼn ĩĢä ʼnłäÚĆÁěěű ūĩŅĢ Áő ĂŅĆʼnőġÁʼnͧ Ģà ÁĢĩőĂäŅ ùĩŅ äŪäŅűàÁű͠​͠​͠ łäŅĂÁłʼn Á ěĆőőěä ġĩŅä ʼnŖÙőěä͠ ěäŰÁĢàŅÁ ÚĂĩäőőäě ūäěÚĩġäʼn ÙÁÚė őĂä ÙĆú ŅäőŖŅĢ ĩù ÙŅĩĩÚĂäʼnͥ Erdem is one of many designers who has helped bring back the brooch for Spring/Summer 2018. Inspired by the Queen herself, his catwalk show featured circular brooches which secured cardigans layered over models’ shoulders. Brooches actually did not start out as a fashion item. Back in the day, made of thorns and flints, they were used to secure pieces of clothing together so they didn’t fall apart. Starting out as a utility piece they then became a fashion statement. Not only Erdem has decided to follow the path of the old brooches. Alexander McQueen’s knits were overflowing with jewelled brooches in all kinds of shapes, from flowers to animals and even bizarre objects like chairs. Brooches have become the ‘it’ accessory, hoiking up the percentage of sales for important online shopping giants like Neta-Porter, renown for stocking up on trending fashion accessories. The big return of brooches is even more interesting because their popularity comes at a time when futuristic and street trends are so strong, with upcoming designers

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like Virgil Abloh founder of OFF-White and newly appointed creative design director at Louis Vuitton. The Alexander McQueen brand, although luxury, is also seen as quirky. Perhaps their return comes because the fashion industry is taking such a futuristic route reflecting all the new technology and we crave feeling nostalgic and wanting to bring something old back? We are not quite able to let go of special pieces so we try to refresh modernity with beautiful momentos to add to our contemporary clothing pieces. Net-a-Porter currently have over forty different styles of brooches. Also brands like Gucci, YSL, and Dior carry the quintessential old-fashioned IT piece, which has made such a boom this spring. Not only luxury designers have spotted the potential of bringing back the brooch either. High street retailers, like Topshop, have brought in the fashion accessory, although with a very limited range of three pieces which have a price tag of £10. John Lewis rival Net-aPorter’s hoard of different styles

at affordable prices between £18 and £135. If you are looking to buy a brooch for yourself or a friend, here are some of our most affordable picks, all of which have a very trendy side to them. New fashion statements include little diamond encrusted animals like bugs or birds. Or if you like a logo, designers have stuck mainly to marketing their own brand, like YSL or Chanel which carries the famous names. Everyone should a own a brooch. Whether it’s a modern, newly purchased piece or an heirloom from your grandmother. It may have more value in price, it certainly will emotionally. It seems that brooches always find a way back into trending fashion. Let’s hope this time it’s not as fast as they also make their exit! •

Moschino Autumn Winter 18

was actually killed because she wanted to come forward and reveal to the world the existence of aliens after having been told about it by John Fitzgerald Kennedy. In true Jeremy Scott style, after mixing up these two inspirations he eccentrically came up with one main theme: What if Jackie Kennedy was an alien? To emphasize this conspiracy alieninspired theme, the skin of Scott’s models came in shades of green, pink, yellow and orange reminding

us of founder of the Italian house, Franco Moschino’s originality. Quirky and colourful Two words could sum up how models walked out from a space station-inspired tunnel. The collection was mainly composed of skirt-suit sets with neon colours such as emerald or orange, the latter worn by Kaia Gerber. Above-the-knee coat dresses were also key elements of the collection with eye-catching colours such as fuchsia, baby blue, yellow or orange like the puffy eco-fur one that Gigi Hadid wore. The coat dress was also composed of slick patent leather trims and an imposing belt was cinched at her waist completing the futuristic 1960’s look. Leather, wool, cotton, jersey and brocade were also fabrics used to create the reinvented Jackie Kennedy signature style. Long sleeved tops and long flaired trousers with yellow and orange or baby pink and dark pink with white bold vertical stripes, could also be seen on the catwalk, which added a revisited contemporary look. Moschino’s quirky identity and iconic style was also reminded through a few outfits he created in collaboration with pop artist Ben Frost, using candy packaging designs like ‘crazy fruit’ on some dress coats or bags. Moreover, many zippers could be seen on both the skirt-suits and dress coats. Don’t forget the accessories Moschino accessories – from mobile phones to earrings – have become collectable each season and remain one of the reasons for the on-going success of the Italian superbrand. This season’s futuristic 1960’s jet setting look was emphasised by green, purple and neon blue evening gloves with vibrant and big pearl necklaces and peace and love earrings. Quirky sixties sunglasses were worn by

the models adding extravagancy and inventiveness to the overall look. Pillbox hats placed on bobbed hairstyle matched the clothes perfectly, varying vivacious and patterned colours with shiny black ones reflecting glamour and refinement. How could we also forget the iconic patent leather Mary Jane pumps modernised by Jeremy Scott matching every single look or on the contrary adding a bit of eccentricity by bringing out opposite colours. When it comes to bags, the show presented various styles, ranging from clutches, beauty case bags, handbags and envelopes, with overall a small size and quirky shapes such as square or round. Out of this world! The finale presented fifteen unexpectedly sophisticated dresses, half metallic mesh and crystal-embellishments and the other half sequins and tulle. Some floor-sweeping or knee-length, these had either a soft diaphanous feel, or a metallic rock’ n ’roll vibe in a mix of pastel, dark and shiny colours. These acted as a reminder of the astonishingly sensual qualities of Marilyn Monroe, from her drop-dead glamour to often misunderstood attitude. Did Jeremy Scott do enough to prove to the world that American fashion style could be as influential as its politics? The comeback of skirt-suits and dress coats definitely evidenced how fashion likes to re-cycle trends. Re-worked with the wit and elegance of this maverick 21st century designer, it is no wonder this glamorous and sophisticated collection, immersed with quirky little hints of Moschino’s style and identity, proved once again Scott keeps his superleague position in the international fashion industry. • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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GLOSSY EYES AND SHINY BLACK CHERRY LIPS A ROCKY ROAD TO SUCCESS Ć‹ä Ĺ…ÄŠĂ Ă Ĺ‘ÄŠ Ä›äŰà Ģà äĹ… `ڂŖääĢΎʼn à Ģà UÄŠÄ‚Ģ <à ěěĆà ĢĊΎʼn ʼnŖÚÚäʼnʼn ōà ʼn à ĢŹĹ‘ĂĆĢú ÙŖő à Ģ äà ʼnŹ ĊĢäͥ ōŅĆőäʼn Ä›äŰà Ģà Ņà ‡ÚĂĊäĹ‘Ĺ‘äÄ›Í ÄŠĹ‘Ä‚ Ă Ĺ…ä ĂšĊĢʼnĆà äĹ…äà Ĺ‘ĹŤÄŠ ÄŠĂš Ĺ‘Ä‚ä ĥĊʼnő ÄŠĹ–Ĺ‘Ĺ…à úäĊŖʼn à Ģà ĆĢʼnłĆŅĆĢú à äʼnĆúĢäŅʼn ÄŠĂš Ĺ‘Ä‚ä Ě ĚžĹ‘Ä‚ ĂšäĢĹ‘Ĺ–Ĺ…ĹąÍ ÄŠĹ‘Ä‚ Ăà à őĊŖúĂ ʼnőà Ņőʼn Ĺ‘ÄŠ Ĺ‘Ä‚äĆŅ Úà ŅääŅʼn Íż `ڂŖääĢ ōà ʼn ĢĊĹ‘ à ÚÚäĹ‚Ĺ‘äà à ʼn à Ģ ĆĢĹ‘äĹ…Ģ Ă Ĺ‘ `à ĆʼnĊĢ `à ŅúĆäěà ͥ à Ģà <à ěěĆà ĢĊ Ä‚Ă Ă Ĺ‘ÄŠ ĹŤÄŠĹ…Ä— Ă Ĺ‘ Â?ĊłʼnĂĊł à ʼn à ʼnà ěäʼn à ʼnʼnĆʼnőà ĢĹ‘ Ă™äÚĊĹ…ä ĂĆőőĆĢú Ĺ‘Ä‚ä ÙĆú Ĺ‘Ä†ÄĄĂ¤Í ÄŠĹ‘Ä‚ Ä‚Ă Ă ĹŤÄ‚Ă Ĺ‘ Ćʼn Ă™äěĆäŪäà Ĺ‘ÄŠ Ă™ä Ĺ‘Ä‚ä ěŖÚė ÄŠĂš Ĺ‘Ä‚äĆŅ ěĆŪäĹ‰Í Í Í ÄŠÄ˘Ă¤ ĥäĹ‘ à őŅà úĆÚ äĢà Ä†Ä˘ĂşÍ There will always be comparisons made between Galliano and McQueen. Both were labelled “difficultâ€? with “too much attitudeâ€?, and lived exaggerated designer lifestyles. Galliano was very successful with his designs but enjoyed London club life a little too much, ending up bankrupt by the 1990’s having already had two

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financial supporters in his life. After finding out his own label was not making enough money for him to survive, he decided to move to Paris to find new financial backing through his wide customer base in the city of love. After many failures through money problems, Galliano was appointed designer at Givenchy in 1995 by Bernard Arnault (with help from Anna Wintour). He left Givenchy in 1996 moving onto Christian Dior, leaving a vacancy at Givenchy for Alexander McQueen to move into. Both designers suffered from emotional and creative crises. Galliano never doubted his work but behind the scenes at the Dior atelier his alcohol abuse and stress allegedly led to him making anti-semitic remarks. This led to a termination of his business relationship with the French atelier in 2011. In 2010 we sadly lost a creative mind in the fashion industry. Alexander McQueen, also suffering from alcoholic addictions took his own life. John Galliano has been given a second chance after becoming sober to work for Maison Margiela as creative director.

THE FACTS 1. John Galliano was working at Topshop whilst he was studying at university. 2. Alexander McQueen was a synchronised swimmer. 3. Galliano became famous overnight with his Les Incroyables graduation collection in 1984. 4. McQueen was interviewed for an intership at Maison Margiela but was not accepted. 5. McQueen managed to loose a full collection whilst hiding them behind a dumpster were refuse collectors mistook them for rubbish. 6. Galliano believed in being fashionably late. Although everything was set up already, he started his first ready to wear show in 1995 for Givenchy fashionably late. 7. McQueen had at first refused to work for Givenchy, before finally agreeing to the contract. 8. McQueen tried to compete with Galliano many times, but not the other way around. •

à őōà ěė à Ģà Ă™äà Ĺ–Ĺ‘Ĺą Ĺ‘Ĺ…äĢà ʼn ÚĊĹ… ‡łŅĆĢú ‡ŖĥĥäĹ… Ě ĚžĚ&#x;ĚŚ Úà ŖúĂő Ĺ‘Ä‚ä Ě&#x;̧̼̞ʼn Ċà ÚĂäěěà ͿĥääőʼnͿÂ?ōĆěĆúĂő ĹŞÄ†Ă™Ă¤Í Â€Ă Ĺ…Ĺ‘ <ÄŠĹ‘Ä‚Í­ Ĺ‚Ă Ĺ…Ĺ‘ ĂşÄ›ÄŠĹ‰Ĺ‰Í ÂŻÄŠĹ– ĥĆúĂő ōà ĢĹ‘ Ĺ‘ÄŠ <ĊĊúěä Î? ĆÙà Ύ ƇŅʼnőͧ Beauty trends are nothing if not flexible. The latest is all about glossy red eyes and dark black cherry lips. Or should that be glossy lips and dark shiny black cherry eyes? In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Barbara Hulanicki, founder of Biba, pioneered the kind of make-up that made her Kensington emporium a destination for fashion-crazy teenagers. Glossy eyes and lips today look a bit less clown-like. Firstly you need an even, dewy finish foundation. Carry the colour into the inner eye with a soft, red eye crayon. This will make the colour of your eyes pop, in a good way. Do a bit of a Cara on the eyebrows. Spritz product onto your hair to flatten any frizz and create a wetlook shimmer. Then you are good to go.

PHOTO BY DAVID OTOKPA, MODEL: NIKOL

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Julia Robson I was dragged here once by my two elder sisters. I’d have been no more than seven or eight. My first fashion memory is looking up at the black glossy pots and lipsticks that covered the huge, 1930s Art Deco hexagonal make-up counter. My chin couldn’t quite reach the counter. I was still far too young to wear any make-up myself but I can remember smearing glossy lipstick onto my eye lids and dipping stubby little fingers into black eyeshadow the consistency of treacle (in those days it smelled like grease paint) and rubbing it onto my lips!

Kim Blake I used to go to the Big Biba store in Kensington High Street after school. It was a magical place and even though I could not afford anything just being there meant that you felt part of something special. I had a Biba Paintbox for Christmas one year and I was the envy of all my friends. It was so precious that I never used anything in it. I still have it in a memory box in the attic. •

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IS ‘SEASONLESS’ THE NEW FASHION PARADIGM?

Clockwise from top left: Riccardo Tisci Hedi Slimane Kim Jones Kris Van Assche Phoebe Philo

©ĂÁőäŪäŅ ĂÁʼn ĂÁłłäĢäà őĩ łŅĆĢúͭ ŖġġäŅ ÁĢà ŖőŖġĢͭ©ĆĢőäŅ ÚĩěěäÚőĆĩĢʼnͧ aĆěʼnŖ ŖġÙŖʼn ĆĢŪäʼnőĆúÁőäʼn͠ Michael Brune, director of one of the oldest US eco-organizations, Sierra Club, founded in 1892, once said, “Paradigm shifts are not always obvious when you are in the middle of one.” Exploring a few modern fashion facts - like how the Gucci aesthetic isn’t going anywhere… or why climate-friendly cruise/resortwear makes up over two thirds of the annual budget of most of department store buyers - makes us question if we are undergoing a business model shift in fashion: from seasonal to seasonless? Fashion journalist, Steve Dool, writing for the website, Fashionista in 2018, certainly thinks so. He believes ‘seasonal Inspiration’, the themes you used to find on catwalks, is becoming obsolete. Contemporary brands, like New York-based, Indie-label, AYR (All Year Round) he believes, prefer to release their products without restricting them to the traditional fashion calendar. Many like AYR and Burberry with their buy now wear now, have adopted seasonless as their business model. ‘We make seasonless essentials designed for everyday life’, AYR proclaim on their website. And their reasoning is simple: you don’t change your closet every year so why invest in an entirely new wardrobe? The design philosophy of seasonless products can even be described as “less is more” consumption. Lifetime pieces such as Monty coats, LBD’s (little black dresses), and pencil skirts fit perfectly into seasonless collections. Whilst fast fashion labels prefer to offer products that preserve

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IT’S A FASHION TORNADO! Aquascutum’s Autumn Winter 18 could easily pass as Spring Summer.

their popularity for a short period of time, brands who adopt the seasonless model, focus on the desires and needs of customers instead of fleeting fashion trends. In this way, customers can get more benefits from their fashion investment. This doesn’t mean seasonless pieces don’t take inspiration from trends like those in the traditional seasonal fashion. Maggie Winter, co-founder, and CEO of AYR, told Forbes magazine in 2016, the reason behind creating the brand in 2014, was “to create a foundation of well-designed, highquality pieces a woman could wear over and over again, season after season, all year round.” The impact of the seasonless model on the fashion and textile industry is a hotly debated issue. Short term, the marketing power of seasonless brands may be tricky but long-term they tick boxes for acknowledging environmental trends which are creating new demands for longer lasting clothes and accessories. A report aired during London Fashion Week last Autumn, revealed demands towards seasonless clothes are increasing. It claimed 37% of women would like retailers to offer more season-

ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ĆĢàŖʼnőŅű őĩŅĢÁàĩ Ćʼn ĂŖŅőěĆĢú őĂŅĩŖúĂ ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ěäÁŪĆĢú ÚĂÁĩʼn ĆĢ ĆőΎʼn ūÁėä͠ äÙäÚÚÁ ZĆĢ äŰłěĩŅäʼn ÚĂÁĢúäʼn őĩ ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢΎʼn ʼnŖłäŅ ěäÁúŖä͠ less clothes. European fashion customers meanwhile prefer to buy either inexpensive fast fashion or premium products as an investment piece, squeezing out the middle market. Other drivers of the trend blurring summer with winter include economic and climate issues, travel, environmental awareness and colder summers/warmer winters. Social media has also increased the bond between customers and brands, the latter tending to offer designs based on the needs and desires of customers. A report in Retail Week on the phenomena claimed that 98% of retailers were aware customers have adopted the idea of seasonless fashion ranges to some extent or greater. Also, 80% of retailers claimed revenues have increased due to the effects of seasonless designs. What better reason than economics to welcome a new paradigm? Tony King, CEO and Creative Director at King & Partners, has told Fashionista, “What we used to see, is [that] something inspired a dress or a collection or a fabric and would be taken through as a theme for the season…I feel like we’ve definitely lost that now.” •

Brace yourself for a fashion tornado! The sensational news that Hedi Slimane would replace Phoebe Philo at the helm of Celine arrived in the first month of 2018. Since Philo confirmed she would be leaving her design post after ten years, according to the US fashion industry oracle, WWD (Women’s Wear Daily), Celine will be launching a men’s collection which would make sense, Slimane having previously held the post of menswear designer at Dior. Hedi Slimane will be responsible for the brand’s new men’s main line and womenswear collections, at the same time and will also be in charge of the first haute couture range, fragrance line and be image director of the French brand. He will officially take over on February 1st. The first collection will subsequently debut at Paris Fashion Week later this year. After Celine, the fashion tornado blows on into Dior. This brand has just announced that Kim Jones, has officially become the new creative director of Dior Homme from April 1st and will release his first collection in Paris Menswear Fashion Week in June this year. Kim Jones graduated from Central Saint Martins and won the coveted

Menswear Designer of the Year award twice in 2006 and 2009 at the British Fashion Awards held by the official body of British fashion, the British Fashion Council. Jones worked at Louis Vuitton for seven years. It is speculated that he will join Dior in order to be a rival to Slimane’s debut men’s collection for Céline. Kris Van Assche, former head of Dior menswear for 11 years now goes to French men’s atelier, Berluti. Van Assche was formerly assistant to Slimane at Yves Saint Laurent and Dior Homme. Their aesthetic standards are quite close, so Dior Homme will be Céline’s rival, which is why they hope Kim Jones will change Dior Homme and bring a new concept. Luxury Brands Catering To The Younger Consumer? After Louis Vuitton’s former men’s creative director, Kim Jones, becomes Dior’s new creative director for Dior Homme. At the same time, everyone was wondering who would succeed Kim Jones and become the new LV menswear creative director? The answer was finally revealed, Louis Vuitton announced that it has appointed, streetwear kind, Virgil Abloh as the menswear creative director. His eagerly

awaited first menswear collection will be launch in June of this year in Paris menswear fashion week. This surely will catch people’s attention? How will the street style design-meets-luxury brand work? Or maybe LV has already foreshadowed the fact early last year when Louis Vuitton collaborated with cult streetwear brand, Supreme, which caused people to queue around the block to purchase items. Virgil Abloh will surely bring a new look for Louis Vuitton backed up by sales and talking point. This news can also be compared to another luxury brand that wanted to be closer to the younger consumer group: Burberry who announced their designer, Christopher Bailey, had stepped down as creative director. Blowing in to take the helm of the British atelier on 31st of March in 2018 is Italian designer, Riccardo Tisci. Rumour had it that Burberry were interested is Phoebe Philo however, at the last minute they changed their minds and selected the former Givenchy creative director? According to a recent interview with a Burberry sales associate, “Burberry has brought back the brand vantage check pattern design on clothing and accessories in the past few seasons.” This has seen collaborations with Chinese celebrities such as Kris Wu, showing that the brand is starting to younger consumers. Styles like the SS18 rainbow check sold out in many stores in China within a week. Most being purchased by Millennials. The sales associate goes on, “there are still many consumers asking whether or not are there will be more of certain items.” Attracting a younger clientele is thought to be the reason for Tisci’s arrival. He brought a new and different look to Givenchy, giving an edgy and contemporary look and delivering cult pieces like the Star t-shirt and Bambi-print shopping bags. These contributed to Tisci reversing the fortunes and popularity of Givenchy. Where the tornado blows next is anyone’s guess? With financial markets continuing to fluctuate, this fashion storm is not likely to blow over just yet. • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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During Milan fashion week, notions concerning a posthuman future assimilated into, some might say, the dodgiest Gucci show yet. Creating a set resembling a surgical operating theatre complete with clinical table and lights, the Italian luxury fashion brand sent models down the catwalk wearing different types of headwear. Many of these were extravagant head pieces including hijabs and turbans. Models were also seen cradling prosthetic replicas of their own heads making it by far the most bizarre show of the season. The replicated heads were dissonantly precise, sharing the exact same expressions and even the hairstyles of the models carrying them. And the strangeness didn’t end there. Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, also sent models down the catwalk cradling baby dragons and snakes. One model had a third eye in the centre of her forehead. Aside from being different and super bizarre, this luxury fashion brand was heavily criticized for its blatant cultural misappropriation. Many people on social media pointed out that turbans are an important part of the Sikh religion and should not have been used as fashion accessories during the catwalk. The first issue was brought to light by actor and model Avan Jogia, who drew attention to the controversy as he blasted the Italian luxury brand publicity on Twitter. Avan Jogia’s tweet quickly gained traction on the platform, with users responding by branding the Italian luxury fashion label ‘offensive’ and ‘irresponsible’. It comes after, a Sikh man had his turban ripped from his head in a racist attack while he was queuing outside parliament in London in the same month. Nevertheless, Pardeep Bahra, A London-based photographer had a totally different approach to this cultural misappropriation. He put his opinions on his Instagram story: “Saw the Gucci campaign. Honestly this might be an unpopular opinion but I think

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more to having avant-garde just on the catwalk with clothes, another avant-garde talking point from the show turbans-aside, was the baby dragons and different versions of the models own replicated heads. We asked Viaan Kapoor his point of view and whether the Gucci show has had an impact on the Sikh Community in Thailand. Ravisara Monga: How do you feel regarding the arising issue relating to the Sikh turbans from the Gucci show? Viaan Kapoor: I don’t feel as affected as some of the Sikh individuals in the society. One reason for it includes not being too interested in fashion compared to others. Being a part of this generation everyone has their own opinions on matters relating to our religion and mine happens to be very casual.

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WILL GUCCI HANDBAGS FIND A RIVAL IN THE ‘URBAN TURBAN’? OR IS THIS JUST ANOTHER PUBLICITY STUNT? äʼnĆàäʼn łŅĩʼnőĂäőĆÚ ĂŖġÁĢ ĂäÁàʼn ÁĢà Á ÙÁÙű àŅÁúĩĢ Áʼn ÁÚÚäʼnʼnĩŅĆäʼn͡ ĩĢ őĂä <ŖÚÚĆ ©̟̦ ÚÁőūÁěė Ćő ūÁʼn őŖŅÙÁĢʼn őĂÁő ÚÁŖʼnäà őĂä ÚŖěőŖŅÁě ÁłłŅĩłŅĆÁőĆĩĢ àäÙÁőä őĩ Úĩġä őĩ Á ĂäÁà͠ ÁŪĆʼnÁŅÁ `ĩĢúÁ ŅäłĩŅőʼn͠ what they did wasn’t a big deal at all… I’ll tell you why, centuries before Sikhs wore the turban, Muslims, Hindus, Africans and so many other race and faiths wore turbans. A turban isn’t exclusive to Sikhs. Don’t tell me that’s a “Sikh” turban on the Gucci models either because what constitutes a “Sikh turban”? Does it need a particular shape, size, layer? It looks like a British/Kenyan style “Sikh turban” and when you think about it, that style is just a reminder of the British empire colonizing our people. When the Sikhs fought in

the world war for the British army, the British told the Sikh men that they wanted their turban folded, ironed and evenly pleated. That’s how the “Kenyan/England” style came about.” Traditionally in Sikhism, a turban is worn by both men and women, as a symbol of piety, honor and spirituality. Almost all of a person’s hair is typically concealed within the headgear, to maintain dastaar cleanliness, however, models’ hair could be seen tumbling out of the turbans at the Gucci show. There’s

R.M: Would you say your point of view is similar to either Avan or Pardeep? If so, how? V.K: I would definitely agree with Pradeep. He lives in a country away from where the religion started, and so do I. We both connect to our religion differently. But why I agree to him more than Avan is because other religions also have and still do wear turbans, hence it doesn’t just belong to Sikhism. R.M: What is your definition of an ideal Sikh Turban? V.K: My ideal definition of a Sikh turban should be just to keep your head covered at all times, it doesn’t matter how many layers you have or how straight or pointy it is or if it tied in a Dastar-style (the Daster is a Sikh turban). The material doesn’t matter. The main purpose for Sikh’s to tie a turban is just to cover their heads and pay respect, everyone is welcome to wear a turban especially during wedding ceremonies. When a Sikh wedding is around the corner and friends and family from around the world come together, they usually tie the turban when they enter the temple, whether they are from England or elsewhere. So what make a big scene if Gucci allowed the models to wear a

turban which looked similar to the Sikhism turban. It might not be that exact turban itself as well. R.M: Being a Sikh, do you feel affected with this news in any way? V.K: I do but only to some extent. I feel affected because of how people take the wrong meaning out of what happens and start bringing the religion in between their arguments. Being a part of the religion, everyone would get affected a bit by the way the religion is being mentioned as talk of the town on the news. But arguments do happen and as of now as far as I am concerned of this situation Gucci has not yet responded to the choice of using these exact turbans during their runway show. R.M: If this were to happen again how would you react? V.K: Once will always be

considered a mistake, after once it is on purpose. If knowing that everyone is attacking the Italian house and they still repeat the same mistake they are purposely doing it and triggering the acts. Knowing that the society would be mad and still doing this just for publicity wouldn’t really be a good thing for the house as it will be bad for the name. After the interview, Viaan gave a few thoughts regarding to why people are only mentioning bad things about this topic, why aren’t people taking it in the way where Gucci allowed people to wear the turbans and Sikhs should be proud just like how Sikhs are proud and happy when their friends wear their turbans during the wedding festivals. Is this really what people should be looking at in such a way and make it sound so bad? The show had more to display than just the turban on the models. But surprisingly that is what captured everyone’s attention the most and that was the only issue which was taken into deep consideration with those from the religion. Why were walking on the catwalk with a baby dragon appropriate? It could have easily caused troubled to children who were a part of the show. Even with the fact that the outfit and the accessories both head wears and the stuff toys held in their arms did not match their background set. Although it was said that the set was done in a specific way to show reconstruction and deconstruction through the surgical way. To conclude the controversies between the religious topic and Gucci using the turban in their catwalk, after interviewing Viaan, it is said that every individual’s have their own opinion to such matters. There is no right or wrong for what the Gucci show has done on the catwalk because everyone thinks differently. Many different religions have the same cultural approach to covering their heads whether or not it is with a turban of just a hijab, what should matter the most is the way the individual takes in their cultural beliefs. • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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THE FUTURE TRULY IS FEMALE Ƌä ͬ`ä ĩĩ ÚÁġłÁĆúĢ Ćʼn ĂäŅä őĩ ʼnőÁű͡ ūĩġäĢ ÁŅä Ģĩő ÙÁÚėĆĢú àĩūĢ ÁĢà ÚĂääŅěäÁàäŅʼn ūĩĢΎő ÁÚÚäłő ġäĢΎʼn ʼnäŰŖÁě ĩłĆĢĆĩĢʼn͠ aĆÚĩěä ĩĂäĆěĆùÁŅ ŅäłĩŅőʼn͠

A topic that has raised a lot of attention world-wide lately is the #metoo campaign. Women around the world have come forward to share their stories of being sexually harassed. The hashtag “#metoo” has been used with the aim to show the extent of sexual assault and harassment towards women. This was shared over a million times in only 48 hours on Twitter alone. Two women who spoke out about their own experiences with sexual assaults in the #metoo campaign were Aly Raisman and Simone

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Biles, the gold medal winning U.S Olympian gymnasts. Most people do not hear about the dark parts of sports, but it is happening. Lawrence G. Nassar, former American gymnastics doctor, was sentenced to a lifetime in prison for harassing girls as young as 6 years old, mostly under the guise of medical treatment. In many sexual assault cases, men have thrown the blame on women’s clothing, such as showing too much cleavage or wearing a skirt that is “too short”. They argue that the way women sometimes dress means they are asking for it. A sport that has been dealing with a lot of criticism for their athletic wear is Cheerleading, many people relate the sport to high school movies where girls

are dressed in revealing uniforms in aim to attract the opposite gender, but how true is the image? Ida-Maria Lehto, owner of You Better Work, is one of the most well-known individuals within the sport in Sweden. She started her brand, You Better Work, in form of a website in 2009 where she posted information about the sport as well as images she photographed at competitions, it quickly became popular amongst Swedish cheerleaders and as of today, You Better Work has 672 Twitter followers, 2000 likes on Facebook and over 8 thousand followers on Instagram and is ever-growing. I decided to interview her to get a more indepth view of the sport and their uniforms.

N.S: The case of Lawrence G. Nassar, former American gymnastics doctor who has harassed several athletes have raised a lot of discussion, does it relate to Cheerleading in any way? I.M: Yes, sadly enough it does. Unfortunately, there are perpetrators who are out to take advantage of other people in all sports. A lot of cheerleading clubs have begun working preventively in aim for sexual harassments and assaults to be prevented. Among other things, requesting excerpts from the police register from all coaches and parents who are travelling on trips and competitions, athletes are also not allowed to be alone with coaches. N.S: For people who are not familiar with the sport, what would you like to tell them? I.M: Cheerleading is the most fun sport in the world! It is also the ultimate team sport where everyone in the team has to count on each other 100%. It creates a special bond when you trust someone to throw you in the air and catch you. It also is a very inclusive sport where people who may not fit into sports context have a place to be themselves. For example, when it comes to people with different sexual orientation as well as people with diagnoses and disabilities that often are included in the usual teams. It is also a very inclusive sport where people who may not fit into sports contexts may have

has millions of athletes around the world, yet only a minority of people know it exists or what it actually is. It is hard to change the image of the sport, due to its perception, despite competitive cheerleading often seen in media. N.S: Considering the many people who have a wrong image of the sport, are you trying to right it? I.M: You need to constantly tell people what cheerleading actually is every time you meet a new person because most people are not aware that competitive cheerleading exists. It’s also a focus that magazines and other media often want in interviews. N.S: Do you think the sport will ever change its athletic wear because of what people say of it? I.M: Yes, more and more teams have switched into wearing leggings instead of skirts. In Sweden, the Swedish Cheerleading Association has asked all cheerleading clubs to think about the fact that girls wear much less clothing than guys in the sport, and if that is something we want to support in our sport. However, I think it will take a long time before a big change happens. Many girls who are in the sport like the uniforms we wear – and actually, we should not have to change to other clothing only because other people think we should. We should be able to wear what we want and still be respected. N.S: Not everyone agrees that

sports. Everything from riding to cheerleading. N.S: Is there a reason, such as functionality, behind the design of Cheerleading uniforms? I.M: Yes, it’s easier to practise our sport with tight clothing. It can often times also be easier to get a good grip of your flyer if she is wearing a cropped top. All forms of cheerleading involve showing off yourself in one way or another. We also put on a show, and just like theatre, artists and so on, its more expressed with clothes designed for that purpose. “We also put on a show, and just like theatre, artists and so on, its more expressed with clothes designed for that purpose.” N.S: How often do teams change their uniforms? I.M: It’s very varied, some teams have new uniforms every year while others have the same for a decade. Most common is to change uniforms every other or every three years. N.S: Are there trends in the sport? I.M: There are lots of trends within the sport and it switches from year to year. What’s in right now is to wear flounce skirts, braids as a hairdo, deconstructed straps and a lot of bling on the uniforms. N.S: In what way can you relate fashion into cheerleading? I.M: As I mentioned, there are lots of trends within cheerleading fashion, just like there is in “normal” fashion. Both with uniforms, practise wear and hairstyles. •

“We should be able to wear what we want and still be respected.” a place and be themselves. For example, when it comes to people with different sexual orientations as well as people with diagnoses and disabilities that are often included in the usual teams. N.S: Do you think people have the right image of Cheerleading? I.M: Most people do not have the right image of Cheerleading. Media and pop culture have under many, many years only portrayed cheerleaders in short skirts, revealing tops and pompoms who cheer at football games. That is also cheerleading – but it’s not the only type of cheerleading that exists. Competitive cheerleading

Cheerleading is an actual sport, is there an actual reason behind it? I.M: The biggest reason behind people not viewing it as a real sport is because they aren’t aware about competitive cheerleading or how serious it actually is. I think there are very few people who have attended a cheerleading practice who would say it’s not a sport. Then, there’s also people who have the image that a sport needs to have something related to a ball. Sports who mainly have male athletes are always taken more seriously, while sports performed by girls mainly most often are considered as not real ĢƇěőäŅäà

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THE NEW FASHION REVOLUTION HġŅÁĢ ġäà͡ ùĩŖĢàäŅ ÁĢà 'g ĩù Ƌä ŖʼnĆĢäʼnʼn ĩù ;ÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ūäÙʼnĆőä ĂÁʼn ʼnÁĆà͢ ΋©ä ÁŅä ĆĢ Á őĆġä ĩù úŅäÁő àĆʼnŅŖłőĆĩĢ͡ ÙŖő őĂÁő Áěʼnĩ ġäÁĢʼn őĂÁő ūä ÁŅä ĆĢ Á őĆġä ĩù úŅäÁő ĆĢĢĩŪÁőĆĩĢ͠Ό ŅàäěäĢä aúŖĆġÙĆ aàÁġÙÁ Áʼnėʼn űĩŖĢú ÚŅäÁőĆŪäʼn őĩ ĢÁġä ūĂĩ őĂäű őĂĆĢė ÁŅä őĂä Ģäū łěÁűäŅʼn ʼnĂÁėĆĢú Ŗł őĂä ĆĢàŖʼnőŅű ÁĢà ěäÁàĆĢú őĂä ŅäŪĩěő͠ “The suburbs (translated in French as ‘banlieue’) thing, I don’t want to get into it! “ declared Michel Lacoste, (son of René Lacoste), a few years ago about people’s infatuation with eponymous brands emerging from the street. Today, this rejection of street culture seems to have been cast aside. Lacoste has recently created a lot of hype by associating not once but twice with the world’s number one streetwear brand: Supreme. It’s a great time of collaboration besides everybody knows that fashion has always been inspired by subculture. We think of hippie, punk culture or grunge. But in recent years, the fashion industry has turned to other factors influencing its current evolution, ones that are causing great upheaval. The time has come to change diktats. We have already felt it before but this time is different. Between the expansion of digital technologies and the Internet, the change in consumer patterns, the arrival of millennials and of course, Virgil Abloh at LVMH. And finally the ongoing changes in

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the perception of beauty. This is a time of total revolution. Designers like Virgil Abloh and Samuel Ross, models like Paloma Elsesser and influencers such as Leo Mandella are all names which hint at the future of fashion. These people bring a change that allows fashion to develop, to become international. They are the image of what is happening now and reflect the reality; it is no longer a question of a classic and elitist fashion. This is fast becoming obsolete. The democratization of streetwear and the rise of these new creative will allow this industry to open up and become more accessible in terms of social class and race. One of the reasons for change we can blame on brands meanwhile continuing to target Millennials, young consumers who are crazy for incredible fashion. With Instagram, they can follow their fashion icons and have them be the latest trends and the pieces they will buy to be able to look like them. Instagram has even recently introduced a new option that allows you to sell /

buy directly on the app. This is the reason why today, brands will appeal to influencers like Leo to communicate around their products and reach their consumers. If you want to find out about new players in the fashion industry, it’s always a good start is to ask young creatives to tell us who they might have in mind. New players like Virgil Abloh dominated interviews. It’s impossible to talk about new players in the industry without mentioning his name. He is the man of the moment. After winning the urban luxury brand from the Fashion British Awards, being named creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear he was recently named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world. What a journey! And actually he is not the only one making big moves…

Igor Nkodia, 27 – journalist Dull magazine. “For me, the new players in the industry can draw a parallel with music. At the time, to become a famous singer you had to go through some channels: the label, the radio, the TV, the old formula. It was the same for fashion. For fashion designers, for example, you had to go to school to do your classes in a big house and climb the ladder to the position of artistic or creative director or until the creation of your own brand. Today this old model has jumped. Internet has accelerated everything! Take the example of Virgil Abloh, between Pyrex Vision, Off-White and Louis Vuitton it may have been five years? Six years? It was unthinkable at the time. In the age of digital and internet, everyone becomes self-taught! People like Luka Sabbat or Bloody Osiris become stylists because they are stylish on Instagram, no need to pay for an overpriced school. And it’s the same for other role position in the creative industry; people have a network and play it. Influence is a new profession, which justifies the presence of these new players in the fashion industry.” Moriba Koné, 31 – creative director Applecore. “If I had to name it: Virgil Abloh. In six years he has managed to establish himself as a predominant figure of fashion without having a fashion background strictly speaking. He is black, born of the streetwear culture. It is a renewal, even an earthquake. Places + Faces, the lifestyle has become a no-fault pattern. They do photography, video, magazine, music, party, merchandising clothes, everything works! Youths in Balaclava, they are young people who bring their ultra-natural and organic vibes from an Asian country (Singapore) and are validated by an institution like Dover Street Market. This shows that the industry is totally globalized, like McDonalds. It’s a big change, the change that we were waiting for!” Paloma Duran, 25 – press officer Céline. “I think about label such as AVOC or A-COLD-WALL. Also mostly

the Danish fashion, Copenhagen Fashion Week and the rising of their brands. There also big change in models industry, we can see a new generation of models like Paloma Elsesser, they are changing the rules.” Pierre Falempin, 23 – social media manager Faith Connexion. “Nowadays, I think these people are the people who make big moves in the industry. They’ve started without any pretention to get in the industry because they’ve always been push down because of the fashion’s elitism but at least they get notoriety through their new vision and now they are start to become the most important. We can talk about brand like the French brand Pigalle, they start with sportswear products and today the craze is such that they are an integral part of fashion culture. It can also be brands like Places + Faces for example, which even today do not claim as being fashion brands, but they federate the whole industry because they bring something new by sharing a lifestyle. We could see the lookbook of the first “official” collection of the label on Vogue.com a week ago. These brands bring some new things especially by their operation; they have no seasonality, sell their products in the form of pop up store and make events around the world. “ He continues, “This is the new scheme that luxury brands are trying to follow because they saw that it worked. They are seeking to create exclusivity everywhere in special events to create a movement. When luxury brands began to take an interest in brands such as Off White; which was more streetwear oriented at its beginnings, these decided not to leave aside their street culture but to make a mixture of the two, it is what thus to help the rise and the democratization of this mode. I think that therefore create a virtuous circle which suggests creative people that they can also develop their ideas easily now than before, there were few houses that were renamed, who competed with each other, and there was a lot of pats before being able to be named artistic director.”

SIX NAMES LEADING THE FASHION REVOLUTION Shayne Oliver We are coming to an era where streetwear is mainstream and on a very large scale. It has become pop, like Drake and Rihanna and the big structures use it to reach, and capture the younger generation: the millennials. In 2017, streetwear designer, Shayne Oliver became designer in residence at Helmut Lang using the power of merchandise to revive the brand. Samuel Ross The twenty-six year old London based designer was formerly Virgil Abloh’s assistant for two years before launching his own label: A COLD WALL in 2016. Ross is currently running for the LVMH prize 2018. His vision of clothes is something between streetwear influence and utilitarian wardrobe; they pass a message through the clothes. Supreme Nominated by the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award for the 2017 designer of the year, this was the very first time that a sportswear brand was nominated. We are far from the time where people categories this brand as only for skate culture, brands such as Supreme have been democratized and now the new consumers who pulled them up are lining up in front of the stores to hope to get a piece from the collection. Heron Preston Artist, designer, D.J, creative director, Preston has worked alongside Abloah and now sells his streetwear in luxury retail stores like Barneys in NYC. The former global digital producer for Nike, trained at Parsons, the prestigious New York School of design, according to his website, he finds joy in the unexpected. His most recent collaboration was with the NYC Department of Sanitation on a series of zero waste themed clothes and accessories. Paloma Elsesser New types of model agencies preferring young talent with attitude and atypical beauty like Anti-agency are impacting on main stream casting directors. Models are becoming different. All of this is new for fashion too! It did not exist before. Previously codes were dictated, it was all about ‘perfect’ beauty. Plus size, Elsesser is typical of this year’s model and is in demand not only because of her looks but also her lifestyle. She is a women who represents the younger generation. •

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WHY HAS FASHION BECOME SO…UGLY? ŖÚėäő ĂÁőʼn͡ ÙŖġͿÙÁúʼn ÁĢà ĆŅėäĢʼnőĩÚėʼn͠ ĩġäĂĩū͡ úěĩÙÁěěűͿŅäÚĩúĢĆʼnÁÙěä ΍ŖúěűΎ łĆäÚäʼn ĩù ùĩĩőūäÁŅ ÁĢà ÁÚÚäʼnʼnĩŅĆäʼn ĂÁŪä ÙääĢ ŅäͿäĢŪĆʼnĆĩĢäà őĩ ÙäÚĩġä ÚŖěő ġŖʼnőͿĂÁŪäʼn ĩù őĂä ʼnäÁʼnĩĢ͠ ĆÚėäà Ŗł ÁĢà ŅäͿūĩŅėäà͡ őĂäű ÁŅä ʼnĩěà Áő äŰőĩŅőĆĩĢÁőä łŅĆÚäʼn Ùű ĂĆúĂ ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ěÁÙäěʼn͠ ƋäűΎŅä ʼnäěěĆĢú ūäěě͡ ÁĢà Ģĩū äŪäŅűĩĢä Ćʼn ūäÁŅĆĢú őĂäġͤÙŖő ūĂű Áʼnėʼn `ĆÚĂäěä HʼnĂĩěÁͧ The concept of ‘ugly fashion’ isn’t necessarily revolutionary. One of the whole premises of fashion is the ability to take something unsightly and convert it into the desirable. However, in recent months, this craze has ascended to its apex. The more unattractive, the greater the social status. Well, your social-media status. But that’s all that matters in today’s world, right? Writer, Christine Flammia, told Esquire, “In a time of fashion where it’s cool to be uncool, the bucket hat might very well compete with the dad shoe for the top spot.” For a hat that doesn’t have the reputation of looking good on most people, the bucket hat seems to be having a long moment when it comes to ugly fashion comebacks. Where is the appeal in a fisherman’s hat that was alright

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back in the 90s? The list of people who have successfully managed to make this headpiece look like stylish is exceptionally dire. The bum-bag: an exceedingly unsightly item of functional use, typically affiliated with tourists, who think having their valuables clipped close to their netherregions is a viable way to keep them safe. Having seemingly undergone a ‘luxe re-brand’ into the name belt-bag, this accessory has made probably the biggest comeback of all, with Gucci’s re-make of it currently holding a significant percentage of Neta-Porter’s bag sales, after they completely sold out of them on their site in just two days. The attraction of the bum-bag to consumers is somewhat logical, it doesn’t require the user to hold it (making it pretty comfortable),

it carries a practical number of valuable belongings, and it isn’t overly susceptible to pick-pockets. With the addition of a designer logo on the front – what more could a millennial consumer want? Grace Cook told Business of Fashion in 2017, “Footwear is often the gateway drug for ugly fashion.” The Birkenstock sandal have forged an entire business on the appeal of ugly comfort. An interpretation by Céline certainly helped, with Birkenstock following this with new aesthetic changes to the shoe, such as soles lined with shearling and new furry uppers (an appeal created in part by the Fenty x Puma’s fur sliders). The orthopaedic comfort of the shoe has given the brand longevity and allowed their revenues to increase year-on-year, despite just how aesthetically awful they are for the fashion-conscious amongst us. In this millennial-led market; ease, comfort and functionality sell. I mean, as long as it’s designer. Balenciaga’s triple-soled trainers sold out in minutes when they originally were released. However, they are ugly. They resemble your dad’s old track shoes…except worse. There’s no two-ways about it, they aren’t visually-appealing to the majority of people, and the ones that do find them appealing, do so because obviously they just know ‘fashion’. Sure, they provide support and they’re easy to walk in, but then again, that would be expected in a shoe that has a platform sole that resembles an arched cloud. For designer brands, ironically taking these items and being able to transfer them to the point where they’re hysterically in-demand, with the high-street coming up with their own versions, gives them a large sense of power. In a time where social media is everything, this is notably important. Being ‘Instagramworthy’ is the core aspect of cool in this age and all brands are fighting

for this recognition. Attention on these online platforms can sometimes be the whole reasoning behind a brand re-envisioning a piece that their followers would have never seen coming. Balenciaga especially, are a brand that have a thing for reinventing the frightful and making it covetable to their cult-following. A greater example can’t be found than their re-interpretation of Crocs. And of course, they added a platform. A 10cm one at that. To add to the novelty of them, they come in colours such as neon pink and yellow, and they cover them in cartoon pins - a play on the original ones that Crocs introduced for their children’s shoes. Social media’s reaction to this was excessive. Making something that is a talking-point on social media has proved to be a far more effective marketing strategy these days than a traditional advertising campaign. The unattractiveness of these Balenciaga Crocs even attracted the attention of the BBC UK, causing a lot of nationwide attention, positive and certainly negative. Either way - it equated to sales. I guess in this day and age, the combination of practicality and high-fashionrepulsive has dollar signs written all over it. As Christopher Kane once wisely put it, “The power of ugly combined with function can’t be undermined.” Accessories and shoes are not the only affected areas though. Even menswear, the section of the market that has been exponentially on the rise in recent years, has taken a hit. A trend of grandpa-chic has hit a lot of brands, with designers seeming to go for things that in plain sight – don’t fit? For some reason, the hiking boot has come along and made an appearance to menswear ‘fashion’. Oversized anoraks, boiler-suits and worker-inspired jackets seem to be a thing for the coming Autumn/Winter season, as well as huge knits as seen at the Prada

show. Very left-in-an-attic-boxfor-ten-years chic. Apparently. It can probably be argued as a general concept that men aren’t as concerned with the aesthetics of their clothing, but not only is this not necessarily true – especially seen in the rise of high fashion brands employing new creative designers to their menswear lines – but it is no excuse to make men’s clothing downright ugly. Our male counterparts have seen an increase in bulky, clumpy clothing into their fashion lines. Clumpy clothing has never been visually-appealing, and it doesn’t have very many benefits - besides perhaps functionality, something that I wouldn’t argue for a hiking store, but I will happily oppose at Calvin Klein. Ill-fitting clothes are on an upward growth spiral, with some of the outfit combinations that are being seen in wide-spread fashion journals and all over social media are what I would describe as borderline heinous.

A suit is to be smart and sharp - not distorted and languish. To be honest, I think we can all look towards Demna Gvasalia for this rise in off menswear if we want really someone to blame. Like a lot of things going on in the fashion industry right now; an obsession with logos, a high influx of luxury streetwear, etc. Demna’s probably the main man behind the trend of making ugly, normal. Or better yet, chic. As Miuccia Prada once said, “Ugly is attractive, ugly is exciting.

Maybe because it is newer”. The theory has been given that this intense focus on the unsightly is a direct reaction to the false and insipid perfection that is regularly portrayed on social media and widely used throughout advertising. When something is ugly, it is not meant to be perfect, and in today’s world, that holds quite the allure. We as a generation are bored of the artifice that surrounds us and actively pursue challenging it, with fashion being the implicit medium of choice to show it. Looking to the past, there was a time when skinny jeans were not appealing to the masses and flip-flops were as ugly-yet-functional as Crocs. When considering this, it poses the question: Are these things ugly or are we just not used to them? If my eye adjusts to the sight of the bum-bag sorry, beltbag, will it become less ugly? Or is my taste just becoming worse? Consumers in general do tend to adapt to and accommodate trends, even if it does take some time for it to trickle down into the mainstream – but then I ask, do you like what you’re wearing because of how it looks? Or, do you like what you’re wearing because you’re aware that is ‘fashionable’? Beautiful can sometimes be boring. When it comes to fashion especially; yes, this can certainly be true. But does this mean we have to fall in love with ugly? I just don’t think so. But, it can’t be denied that this trend of ‘ugly fashion’ has spurred on the discourse of originality and vision within the industry, exacerbated thoroughly by the use of social media. There is no argument that with the way the market has changed, it’s clear the ingenuity behind making fashion’s deliberately awkward and ugly into the covetable and desirable, is a stroke of creative genius. But who knows, maybe a piece will be written in the future about the time that people somehow thought Crocs were ugly. • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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WHY IS FUR FLYING OUT OF FASHION? `äőĂġĆ ŅäġÁőĆěěÁėÁ ÚĂÁŅőʼn őĂä ěÁőäʼnő àäŪäěĩłġäĢőʼn ĆĢ ĩĢä ĩù őĂä Ăĩőőäʼnő àäÙÁőäʼn ĆĢ ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ͠

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When Gucci announced that the brand would be going fur free as of Spring 2018, it signified a pivotal change in attitudes to a material that was long considered to be symbolic of luxury fashion. Joining a list of labels doing the same (Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani, Furla, Selfridges and e-tailer Neta-porter), it was a bold decision since the brand was no stranger to statement making fur from dyed fur trims and embroidered mink coats in the A/W 15/16 show to the star product, the coveted kangaroo furlined loafers which have become a staple for the brand. Wearing fur has always been a status symbol and a way to show off your wealth. Fendi’s haute fourrure shows are a celebration of fur craftsmanship from ultraexpensive sable coats valued at

$1 million, to fur applique and lace, making this brands’ history one of the strongest associates with fur in luxury fashion. Fendi has also been credited with making fur much more accessible and fashionable with products such as fur charms and keyrings and bringing fashionable fur into the mainstream. Between 2008 and 2013 exported fur in the world had gone up from $2 billion to more than $4 billion according to the UN and the World Trade Organisation. Figures show the attitudes are not the same and more people have accepted fur now whereas just twenty years ago it was seen as distasteful, especially during the 1980’s and 1990’s when it was deemed very unfashionable. In a 2015 New York Times article by Alex Williams, it was noticed that ‘over two decades later, 73 per cent of this year’s 436 shows in New York,

Paris, Milan and London featured fur, according to Saga Furs, the Finnish auction house.’ According to a feature by Kate Abnett in Business Of Fashion, in 2015, the fur industry is a growing global industry with a ‘market worth more than $40 billion a year and employing over one million people’. Some millennials list sustainability as one of the most important factors when deciding to invest in fur. This could be put down to fashion icons and influencers like Rihanna, Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian, who have all been pictured wearing fur. Supermodels of the 1990’s who said, ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ then went on to wear fur on runways. Rap culture has also embraced the use of fur with icons like A$AP Rocky wearing head-to-toe fur jackets and even designing his own capsule collection of luxury furs. This has a lot to do with the fact that fur is associated with a lifestyle that is exclusive and luxurious. Leading fur companies have also been known to supply fur and fund new designers in top fashion design schools like Central Saint Martins in an effort to convert young designers into using fur early and therefore be loyal fur users in the future. The ‘fur-free’ tag can be deceptive in some ways because it does not mean that there will be no type of fur used, but that the fur comes from animals that are bred specifically for their pelts. The fur free-alliance, which Gucci joined after the announcement, is a group of over 40 animal protection organisations with a goal of working together to stop the fur trade. By the organisation’s definition, animal fur is “any animal skin, or part thereof, with hair or fur fibers attached thereto, either in its raw or processed state or the pelt of any animal killed for the animal’s fur”. Mink, rabbit, karakul lamb, raccoon dog, coyote and fox are all types of fur considered unacceptable. However some types acceptable include fur lamb, alpaca and goat. The famous Gucci slippers are made using lamb fur. So, what is the reasoning behind Gucci’s 180 degree in the attitude to fur? According to Marco Bizarri,

chief executive of the brand, ‘it’s not modern’. Fifty-five per cent of Gucci’s sales are to people under thirty-five which is a significant group of millennials and their attitudes must also be reflected in the brand values. Bizarri added that “Gucci is excited to take this next step and hopes it will help inspire innovation and raise awareness, changing the luxury fashion industry for the better”. It is part of the brands strategy and value of embracing more social responsibility appealing to consumers who are far more conscious of environmental and ethical factors than before and therefore, are far more aware of the implications of what they buy, eat and wear as a whole. It is a huge step forward in fashions’ acceptance of social and ethical responsibility due to the influence and status of the luxury Italian label. Stella McCartney is a label that from the beginning adopted faux fur and faux leathers, made to such a standard, it’s hard to tell the difference. An increased demand for faux fur has pushed the development of textiles to mimic real fur and as a result, faux fur is no longer considered to be a cheap throwaway replica of the real thing. More brands are putting a bigger focus on sustainability and ethics as people are becoming aware of the implications the fashion industry has in the world. Brands like Reformation have been incredibly successful in creating a market that is completely focussed on fashion forward, ethical, sustainable clothing that also appeals to millennials. Doc Martin known for its iconic leather shoes recently came out with a vegan range which has been just as popular. When I asked a group of friends aged between twenty to twentyfive what they thought of fur, the opinions were just as polarising. One perspective being, ‘if people wear leather and eat meat then why is fur a problem?’ Or ‘it looks luxurious and is part of some cultures’. To which another replied, ‘I think it’s wrong and unnecessary when there are so many other

options, why do animals have to die just for fashion?’ It soon became clear that this is not just a black and white issue of ethics but there are many more aspects including culture, tradition and status involved. After Gucci’s announcement, other fashion labels like Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo followed. Tom Ford, careful not to label, has cut down the use of fur in his collections with the F/W 18 collection having no fur at all. Faux fur was featured prominently on the Givenchy runway this season. Versace was the other big surprise following Gucci’s announcement to forego fur, signifying a shift in the industry. Donatella commented on the issue as “fur? I am out of that.” Clarifying afterwards that it doesn’t seem right to kill animals for fashion. It is not just fashion brands, magazines like Elle and British Vogue have made it a point not to feature fur. More publications are phasing fur out too. The fur debate has been around for a long time in fashion and now more than ever brands are looking at the consumers attitudes and current culture, to see where to best position themselves. Fashion has always been a reflection of the times and the role that the big fashion brands, like Gucci and Versace, play by publically changing attitudes is bringing awareness to issues that need change, forcing the industry to take notice and follow. •

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DRONES STEAL THE SHOW AT D&G! ʼn ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ÚŅääłʼn äŪäŅ ĢäÁŅäŅ őĩ Ùä ÙäĆĢú őÁėäĢ ĩŪäŅ Ùű ŅĩÙĩőʼn͡ ĂÁŅěäű ŅĆʼnőĩū͡ ŅäŪĆäūʼn őĂä ġĩʼnő őäÚĂĢĩěĩúĆÚÁěěűͿÚĂÁŅúäà ʼnĂĩū ĩù őĂä ©̟̦ ʼnäÁʼnĩĢ͠ ©Áʼn Ćő HĢʼnőÁúŅÁġőÁʼnőĆÚͧ ©Áʼn Ćő ÁĆġäà Áő `ĆěěäĢĢĆÁěʼnͧ ¯ĩŖ ÙäőÚĂÁͥ Forget humans they are so last season! Think drones carrying handbags down the catwalk now that would be something special wouldn’t it? Well Dolce &Gabbana have done exactly that in their Fall Winter 18/19 collection. How’s that for showcasing new technology in a contemporary way. For many of us fashion is a drug we can’t do without. For others it is a religion. As Dolce & Gabbana Fall winter 2018/19 collection illustrates we are proud to call ourselves sinners. Which showcased real life D&G wearers and influencers on the runway but the focus was really on the drones carrying handbags crazy right? Next it will be spaceships! The show began with drones carrying some of D&G’s classic bags, Quilted leather over the shoulder style handbags with gold embellishment and chains. Gold is defiantly D&G’s signature

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colour! The drone display lasted 3 minutes! YES 3 whole minutes! Imagine if one of the controllers lost control of one of the drones and took half the audience out. Now that would be funny. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana revisited the brands heritage and transported their audience to the old Italy. D&G really did push the boat out this year by having a church built in their own offices in Milan. Yes, they were that extra! The design incorporated facades of the ancient cathedrals in the south of Italy where they are from. The first look to the show had a square neckline top over a white shirt with lace details and the text ‘Fashion Sinners’ on it, simply stating the obvious of how we all portrayed ourselves when watching the show with proudness to call ourselves such a thing. Accessories were defiantly key within this show from cross pendants to fish

net socks with kitten heels, this collection was defiantly for your Sunday best at church. D&G attend to the tastes of kids today through this religious taste. This is supported by The Metropolitan museum of art stepping into this religious fray. The exhibition will show us over 150 designer garments (Including D&G) that have been inspired by the Catholic style. As Andrew Bolton tells the New York Times, “focus is on a shared hypothesis about what we call the Catholic imagination and the way it has engaged artists and designers and shaped their approach to creativity”. This shows how dominant religion is within the fashion industry as its seen as a theory, a way to appeal to the younger generation who are more aware of what is happening around them. There was a point when this shows, with oversized Virgin Mary detailed sweatshirts, and slogans relating to religion. Which spoke to many coverts of the nation. Myself being a catholic I remember when it was fashionable to wear the wooden bracelets which had photos of God and the Virgin Mary on. Religion is something which can be celebrated through fashion and even many who don’t believe, still like the thought behind the style and message of garments. As for Millennial-friendly D&G again, accessories where key in order to show the brands challenging personality. From teddy bear handbags to full on Cinderella tiaras, I mean you’ve got to be pretty daring to wear one of them, right? As for the bling, D&G are big lovers of the motto Go hard or Go home. Nearly every garment had bling. Even the Sunday best outfits with the sequined cherub dress had a statement necklace. In terms of tastefulness, the thought was there however the scenery and drones are really what sold the show. •

MILLENIALS TAKE OVER THE WORLD OF LUXURY `ĆěěäĢĢĆÁěʼn ĂÁŪä ÙääĢ őÁėĆĢú ĩŪäŅ őĂä ūĩŅěà ĩù ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ ÁĢà ÁŅä őĂä ùŖőŖŅä ĩù ěŖŰŖŅű ÙŅÁĢàʼn͠ Born between the early eighties to the early 2000s, millennials are a “free-thinking, individualistic generation that’s over 80 million strong.” Streetwear and high-street brands have mainly been targeting this sector of the market for a long period of time, so why should the Luxury brands be any different? According to the White Paper, Millennials will have the potential to become the largest spending

generation in history by 2035. Luxury is no longer exclusively expensive bags, shoes and jewellery. Millennials have changed the definition of the term “Luxury”. Luxury is now an experience, a porsche-on-demand is now available to you through the travel app “Gett”. As Millennials favour experiences to possessions, brands are blurring the lines between the two. Shopping for luxury products is an experience, however as technology is

advancing, digital platforms are expanding and creating new communicative and interactive experiences by the minute. “They need to make people crave and have a desire for them.” Millennials are usually loyal towards a brand if they find that the brand is catering to their needs and providing unforgettable experiences. Brands need to make them fall in love. Whether it is with their product or their brand values, if a brand makes even an ordinary person fall in love with it, when that person grows up or has the money to spend they are most likely to buy from that brand. They need to make people crave and have a desire for them. If a Millennial born in the early 2000s loyalty lies with a certain brand, for example Chanel, then they may first purchase a fragrance from Chanel then as they grow older they will go on to purchase shoes then a bag and maybe even clothes. The relationship a consumer has with a brand gets stronger with each buy and experience. Influential Millennials such as Kylie Jenner and Bella Hadid are ruling the world of pop culture and creating a big wave in fashion. The younger spectrum of Millennials idolises these women and look up to their fashion choices, which in turn draws them into the world of luxury products. With their quirky and “ugly” fashion, Balenciaga has stolen the attention and hearts of the young generation. They have shown that Luxury fashion doesn’t necessarily have to look luxurious, that luxury can be relaxed. Millennials tend to prefer fashion that is more comfortable rather than it being flashy. Luxury brands are catering

to those needs by having a wider sneaker and leisure line. Collaborations have been a big part of luxury brands attracting younger consumers, highly successful examples were the collaborations between Louis Vuitton x Supreme, Vetements x Champion and Off-White and Nike. The way to seize the attention of Millennials will be to have the most creative and original substance. They need to be free and willing to take risks when it comes to designs and digital content to appeal to independent thinkers in new and innovative ways. They need to be contributing to the Millennials mindsets. Millennials are the future; therefore, luxury brands must try to welcome these consumers, and satisfy their requirements. Saint Laurent is a Luxury brand that makes 65% of their revenue from Millennials, now Louis Vuitton, Gucci and other luxury brands have moved in that direction. Gucci, once the world’s hottest brand, has been replaced by Balenciaga, which is a brand that is primarily targeting and appealing to Millenials. •

Bella Hadid

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aĆėĩě ;ÁĢàĆ őÁěėʼn ÁÙĩŖő ěĆùä͡ ěĆĢúäŅĆä ÁĢà ZĩŖÙĩŖőĆĢʼn őĩ őĂä ūĩġäĢ ūĂĩ ʼnĆő ūĆőĂ ÚěĆäĢőʼn ĆĢ őĂä ʼnĂÁàĩūʼn ĩù Á `ÁűùÁĆŅ ÚěŖÙ

MY BODY IS FOR RENT

Light shimmers through champagne glasses. Shadows of women moving be-jewelled hands up and down their date’s chests dance on the wall. Jazz music plays and a hint of faint laughter fills the room with fizzy romanticism. This is a standard Mayfair cocktail lounge, where you expect young lovers to meet, to share whispers for the first time. Not all dates are the same. Not all Juliets are the same. Some of them are escorts. Haven’t we all had that feeling, at least once in a lifetime, of what it is like to get ready for a date? These escorts not only have to make themselves pretty enough to make men listen to their words, they have to get money out of them. A group of three women stands up. As we sip some Martini wondering who in there is actually working, and who is just simply sharing anecdotes about life. Attractive men in their thirties are left at the bar. Waiting, none of them talks to the other, but all of them turn around with the spark of desire in their eyes looking at their “ dates” walking towards me. “This must be them,” I say to myself, when these goddesses walk towards me with their luxurious hair and heels, that seem to assertively make a sound despite the thudding music of the cocktail lounge. As they smile at me I notice they all have pearly white teeth. Meet Ana, Natalie, and Lena (if those are their real names…) We break the tension with a few cocktails, easing the mood and agree to talk separately, so the others can go back to entice their “dates”. Ana is wearing a red satin dress, as we explore her outfit we notice her nipples piercing through the delicate fabric. She is a slim, busty woman with ebony hair and red soft lips. Her makeup is kept minimal as her natural facial features don’t fail to stun any observer in the cocktail lounge. Her long curated fingers make some small movements on the table as she smiles at the men in the bar and with a quick look checks to see if her date is still here.

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Sipping slowly on our cocktails, I say “ So, can you explain a little bit what all of ‘this’ is?” Those soft red lips open, and her voice goes deep into narration: “Well… I have a very typical story,” says Ana. “I am 27, born and raised in Lincolnshire. My dad was a dentist and I have got two little brothers.I moved to the capital to study. In my second year at uni, I had enough of skipping meals to afford a new outfit or anything I wanted….I decided to become a webcam model. I signed up on adultwork.com where an agency accepted me, it’s all very similar to a normal model agency, you get inserted into a Whatsapp group, with hundreds of different cam girls, where you share advice and problems. I still am in that group and now they are a second family to me. Anyway, webcam modelling was groundbreaking for me. I charged 2 pounds a minute to talk with men and if I felt like it show my body. I remember after my first week of work going out into the high street and buying all that I wanted. I felt so free, liberated” I interrupt her narration asking her, “how did this webcam thing work, what did you use to wear to make users more interested in you?” “At first I dressed up in gym clothes and at night changed with lingerie and a robe or proper dresses, I think of them as virtual dates. Well, it’s quite personal as a thing, as soon as a user enters your room he is charged on the time he spends there. Every cam girl is in complete control of what happens.I personally had and have many men that just simply want a chat with an attractive woman, or weirdly they just want me to watch tv or follow me around the house….but the most important thing is REGULARS. After a show, some of them keep

coming back and back and you start this kinda relationship with them, that’s how I got into escorting and how most of the girls get into it. The first meet I was offered 300 pounds just to have a coffee with this guy I have been talking with for months.” How did you feel prepared for your “meet”? “SO SO NERVOUS. At the time I had no idea on what to wear, I had to make myself worthy of 300 pounds for a 30 minutes coffee and not look like I was ready for a night out in the middle of the day. I opted for some black jeans and a yellow shirt, my hair down and wavy as I remembered that he told me he liked me like that. I guess that escorting has changed the way I feel about fashion, and myself. When I try on a dress I analyze it and see if it really enhances my sexual features as my bum and boobs. It’s like my body is an expensive art piece that I need to sell.Usually, I have sex if I feel like it with a client after his 3rd date with me.I earn 5k a month without any issues.” “So you are describing this with a very positive attitude, are there any downsides? “Well, my family started asking what I do for a living. Initially, I lied, but as all lies do they just fell on my feet. It has been three years since I had a proper conversation with my dad, whenever I am with him I feel like he can’t look at me in the eyes. The same problem with my kid, I am a single mum and in the nursery, I would feel judged by the other Range Rover driving mummies. I don’t want this to be something the other kids can pick on my child, but at the same time, there is no other way I can provide for her without this job. Everyone has to make sacrifices for their lives, and this is mine” “If you could be anything else in

life, what would you be” “I would want to be one of those mums I see at the nursery, married to a guy who is there, waiting for my daughter at home without constantly being in front of my laptop in lingerie” “Would you ever allow your daughter to do this” “Never, I am her mom, I am making all these sacrifices in order for her to be able to rock this world, to be a better version of who I am. I would not want my daughter to spend her time with anyone who doesn’t love her.I know it’s a bit hypocritical to say since it’s what I do, but by me being in the field, I would never let that happen” I thank her and observe her curves as she walks towards the bar, tapping Natalie’s shoulder to grab her attention and make her walk towards me. Natalie has chocolate hair, her figure is slim and tall, she is wearing a black vinyl-like dress paired up with some black Louboutin. Before we even say anything she starts talking. She is the ruler of this conversation. “Well before I say anything I have to say that I am a bit different from Ana and Lena, they are normal escorts, I am a Dominatrix. We share the same platform for webcamming and bookings, but they have “dates” I have slaves. I always had this bossy attitude, and loved the idea of dominating men, one of my flatmates used to be a Dominatrix, so I transformed my fantasies into reality thanks to her. My slaves do anything for me, they are usually men that are in positions of power in real life. See that man over there…. is a lawyer. Some of them want to be blackmailed and used in any possible way by me. I am in charge of their wallets. Me and this guy just came back from a shopping trip and

I will use my strap-on on him later.” A bit overwhelmed with all of this I ask “So I see that your fashion sense is peculiar” “Well I am a standard looking girl, I don’t have any strong features in my body, my clothes have to connote domination, power and bossiness. They are like the cover of a book my slaves want to read.” “Did you ever had any bad experiences?” “Well, some of these guys are creeps. One of them somehow found out who I was in real life and started messaging and blackmailing me. It was a bit scary, I dominate men but I am not a Kung-fu fighter.I reported him to the police and they took care of it. From a meeting, I once met this guy and I sensed something was wrong with him, there was a look in his eyes, can’t explain it, there was some weirdness in them. I walked out, no questions asked, gave him his money back. That’s why you always tend to meet in somewhere public or hotels, where help is available always. In any hotel room if you push 1 on the phone it will call the reception. You gotta learn how to protect yourself.” “Well wow, do you not feel that with this job you are putting yourself in constant danger? How long do you plan to do it?” “Yes and no. I am in danger, maybe a little bit more than any other girl. But as girls we dress up, we go to clubs, we walk alone in the streets, there is always danger around the corner. That’s why when I do meet I am in a protected place in public. Bad things happen to people all the time. I am still 32, I plan to do this until I have wrinkles on my face and my hair is all white, by that time with this money I will be in a retirement home spending the rest of my days listening to music.” Without saying anything else she walks away towards her slave, approaches him from behind and we see her red nails pushing into his neck, his eyes immediately look down, he is powerless, and loves it. Lena is sitting with her date, the cascade of long blond hair is

reflected the crystal chandelier above her. She is wearing a blue bodycon dress, her skin is flawlessly tanned, her beauty remarkable as your first breath of ocean air. I wave at her, and she politely smiles and delicately walks towards me. As I reconfirm that her identity will remain anonymous she feels reassured and smiles again at me. “Nobody knows I do this, by day I work in advertising and I am relatively new to the whole scene, this is just my 3rd real life meet. I went to a killing kittens party (sex parties for the elite) and played with a bunch of girls there that are doing this as their full-time occupation, it intrigued me and I am saving to buy a new car….. the money is what got me in. So far it has been fun and too good to be true. Webcamming changed the way I view myself, seeing how badly a man desires and compliments me has made me see myself in a whole new light. I bought so much lingerie and I feel so sexy in it, I take pictures of myself in it, I love myself and I am empowered.” “So what is for you the main downside of this job?” “I consider myself a romantic, sex is amazing with anyone, but without love, it’s an empty experience. I am scared that a partner would be put off by this job, and I would be left waiting tables and slaving my ass to earn a quarter of what I make. Another thing that I don’t like is that 90% of men that want us escorts are married, I would never want my husband to do anything like this. Just think that only in the UK, and only on Adult work, 300k men log in daily. They are at work, or wherever, having virtual sex or real sex with other women. Makes me sick but… it pays all my bills.” With a smile on my face, I walk out of the bar, leaving them to their dates, slaves or clients or however you want to call them. These women are strong, bold and beautiful, and if anything this has helped them find and love themselves. Everyone has their life path, and this is theirs, in lingerie and black Louboutins. •

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THE BLACK PANTHER EFFECT `ĆÚĂäěä HʼnĂĩěÁ äŰłěÁĆĢʼn ūĂű őĂä ěÁőäʼnő `ÁŅŪäě ġĩŪĆä ĂÁʼn ÙääĢ ʼnĩ úŅĩŖĢàͿÙŅäÁėĆĢú ùĩŅ ÙěÁÚė ÚŖěőŖŅä͠ The eighteenth instalment to the Marvel movie saga, Black Panther, is a story based strongly on the ideology of “Afrofuturism”, a title given to the technique of telling science-fiction fantasy using the foundations of African cultures and the realities of black experiences. A historic box office success (so far it has made $1 billion), the film received excellent reviews and has sparked widespread discussions in both traditional media platforms and on social media outlets. Conversations progressed from talking about the film superficially (yes, the graphics were amazing), to talking about the wider meaning of the film: the specific references it makes, what Wakanda represents, and what this means for black culture going forward. An all-star cast make up the residents of Wakanda, a fictional country based in East Africa, who are surrounded by never-ending rich grasslands and pastures, high-tech buildings glistening in the African sun, and busy streets of inhabitants going about their daily routines. Hovercrafts float over vibrant savannahs whilst Ryan Coogler’s cast stand strong in their traditional tribal pieces, all with a Marvel-typical sci-fi twist. The film itself touches on a number of issues. An initial one being that it shows us, the viewers, a side of Africa that is not regularly represented in modern media. In Americanised media in particular, Africa is portrayed as backwards and unsophisticated, which hasn’t left much room for other perceptions. This is obviously not the case, but it is rarely recognised as such. This plays into the storyline, seen when a Western character doesn’t believe that it is possible for the technologically advanced aspects of Wakanda to exist, because of course – it’s in Africa. The exceedingly advanced futurism

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placed in the middle of the East side of the continent is particularly revitalising. Traditional society is also played out alongside politically driven scenes of African-Americans, as well as visual commentary on the conservation of natural black beauty in a heavily-westernised world. Black audiences especially are enamoured with the ability to present all of this whilst simultaneously delivering a box office record-defying hit, that is enjoyed and appreciated by viewers of all backgrounds - something we have never seen before. The storyline is not the only thing that impacted audiences, visually, the stylist team went after a very distinct aesthetic. One of the hair stylists of the film, Camille Friend, tells the New York Times that it was “a totally Afrocentric, natural hair movie” due to the fact that “we’re in a moment when people are feeling empowered about being black, the hair helps communicate that”. This reinforces the concept that Black Panther is more than just a movie it’s of huge cultural importance. Alongside hair, comes costume. Throughout the film, dynamic colours are used for tribal outfits,

a way of permeating honour, pride and significance into every aspect of every scene. Black Panther’s head costumer designer Ruth Carter shared with the National Public Radio that the costumes were derivative from references taken from Kenya, South Africa and Nambia – and alike to the country of Wakanda in itself, needed to elicit people and surroundings that had “never been colonized, one that looked toward the future but was based on a real past.” They focused on the tribal diversity that in the real world, has significance when referring to the diversity amongst the black community. Although a visual spectacle, the dialogue that has been opened up since the release of this movie has been next-level. From older members of the black community feeling validated, to non-black/African people gaining understanding of topics such as tribes, to young black kids arguing over which superhero they ‘get to be’ in make-believe games. The impact Black Panther has had on a large amount of people will go down in history not just as a superhero film more a cultural phenomenon. • #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe

Meghan Markle; the soon to be royal is an American Actress and Humanitarian. The 36-year-old was born in Los Angeles and gained fame from starring in the hit series Suits. Fashion wise for several years she ran an online style and lifestyle blog where she shared hundreds of photos and gained an interest in the fashion business. In January, the American beauty deactivated all of her social media accounts and is now residing in Kensington Palace and pursuing humanitarian work. Despite, being absent from social media as soon as her engagement was announced, this has helped her to become one of the most influential women in the world currently. Meghan has had not only an inspirational effect on fans and people worldwide due to her work as an actress, which was heightened the moment she announced her engagement to Prince Harry. Not only this but she is also benefitting less well known

more niche designers by helping them create sales and make a name for themselves. Strathberry; which was previously known as Strathberry of Scotland was founded in 2011 by Guye and Leeanne Hundleby. Their garments are made by Spanish artisans and they have a limited amount of each item. It is a relatively new company, who aren’t very strong with PR and don’t have a large presence on social media. Back in 2015, they were seriously struggling and inevitably had to launch a campaign to fund their brand. This is not the first time, as the last time Meghan wore a Strathberry bag it sold out in 11 minutes! The purple tri- colour large tote bag was priced at £495, which caused their website traffic to go up by over 5000 percent. It has been renamed the Meghan Bag. If you’re keen to get your hands on one of Meghan’s bags the 4th batch has now gone into production and 7n 6i]ZcV 9Zbdh

THE ‘MEGHAN EFFECT’ DäŅ ΍ őŅÁőĂÙŖŅűΎ ÙÁú ʼnäěěʼn ĩŖő ĆĢ ġĆĢŖőäʼn ÁùőäŅ ĂäŅ ƇŅʼnő łŖÙěĆÚ ÁłłäÁŅÁĢÚä ūĆőĂ ŅĆĢÚä DÁŅŅű͠ őĂäĢÁ #äġĩʼn ÚĩĢʼnĆàäŅʼn ÚÁŅäùŖěěű ūĂÁő `äúĂÁĢ ūäÁŅʼnͤÙäÚÁŖʼnä ūä ġÁű Ùä ūäÁŅĆĢú Ćő ĢäŰő͠

will be available next month. There have already been 400 pre-orders, and one has sold on Ebay for four times the original price reinforcing the Meghan Effect! Strathberry have also started an auction on their official site, where the money will go to the Terrence Higgins Trust; the charity Meghan and Harry were visiting when she was photographed carrying the bag. Meghan is following nicely in the footsteps of Kate Middleton, in regards to becoming a influencer in the fashion world. Everything Kate and her children are seen in flies off the shelves. The Duchess of Cambridge is one of the UK’s most influential style icons who could generate millions for the lucky fashion company she is spotted in something. It is clear that, Megan is one of the biggest style icons in the world and she’s only engaged to Prince Harry! It is inevitable that soon as she becomes Duchess of Sussex her popularity will rise worldwide and even when her and her and harry have children she will most likely cause a revolution in the kidswear departments at stores as its inevitable whatever she puts them in will sell out. We cannot wait for their wedding, it is due to take place at Windsor Castle on 19th May 2018, it is going to be a small event. It recently made news that the prime minister and presidents from around the world would not be invited and Meghan’s father is also not invited! Strathberry are rumoured to be designing some accessory for the wedding either pre or post ceremony. It is undeniable that Meghan’s wedding dress will be stunning and without a doubt the hot topic worldwide, it is rumoured she may wear something by either Elie Saab or Delphine Manivet. Sketches by an Israeli designer named Inbal Dror showed a high lace neck colour piece with long train written beside maybe she is following in Princess Diana’s 25ft train footsteps?! Well, whatever it is it will be without a doubt preordered by brides worldwide! That is the Meghan Effect! • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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MGMT BRINGS THE DARK AGES ROCKING BACK TO LONDON gĢ ;äÙŅŖÁŅű ̤őĂ͡ őĂä ÙŅĆúĂőͿäűäà űĩŖőĂùŖě ÚŅĩūà úÁőĂäŅäà Áő őĂä 'ěäÚőŅĆÚ ĆĢ ŅĆŰőĩĢ łŅäłÁŅäà ùĩŅ Á ġĆĢàͿÙěĩūĆĢú ĔĩŖŅĢäű͠ ěűʼnʼnÁ ÚĂěäúäŅ͡ ŅäŪäÁěʼn ūĂÁő ĂÁłłäĢäà ĢäŰő͠

Disease. Insanity. Plague. Uncertainty. These are dreary depictions of Britain’s Dark Ages in 500 AD but also now. Initiators of an urgent message, MGMT, arrived in London ready to prove their pop synthy sound is an exceptionally relevant musical force to be reckoned with. Opening the show with the single from their new album released later in the week, Little Dark Age, set the transmission of high hertz vampiric tunes to electrically transmit from

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the feet upwards through the spine. Swedish singer, Molly Nilsson, set the stage rocking with a bold yellow bob and bright maroon velvet top to beam a 1980’s ambience into the atmosphere. Melodically belting out, “Wounds Itch When They Heal”, over static karaoke beats backing her voice, attendees were given the feeling they had stepped into the seemingly simpler times of their parents. Although were the times really any simpler? Mobile phones the size of a brick and ejecting tangled and destroyed cassettes might sound dreamy but sure they were in search of simpler times themselves. Nilsson’s undeniable confidence shook the crowd into a trance-like dance to anticipate the mix of eerie and ecstatic tunes by the quintet who sold out the venue, bearing guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, and a synth. The band itself has evolved from college boys playing bedroom jams to radio-hit sensationalists and now bask in the sound that feels truest to them: a mashup of psychedelic Beatles nostalgia and psychedelic synth pop-meetsdeep-voiced Eighties ballads. Their

history puts into perspective their current new noise has on young generations. An album released February 2018, captures the sound of now. “When You Die;” melodizes irony and humour with a very real concept; DEATH. It’s on the minds of the young. Why? There must be something more than this moneydriven selfish world. What’s beyond Earth? Will we all meet again when we die? Originating in Connecticut, they shortened their name to MGMT after realising another band was calling themselves, The Management. They made the voyage to London via America after a long and restless wait by fans; headed by Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser sharing vocals and guitar, Will Berman, Simon O’Connor, and James Richardson on drums, bass, and keyboard respectively. The song, “When You’re Small” is a shrinking perspective to understand we are so tiny. A comfort to the times. Questioning if this world is all just an illusion. Fan, Sophia, age 18 claims, “I bought my ticket the second they went on sale. They sold out minutes later. [MGMT] hasn’t been

to London in some time. I think fans are extremely eager for this gig.” The anticipation was truly felt, as many fans sacrificed a priceless cost of up to double the face value of a ticket. Returning with a new supernatural set of synths and frequencies, they portray to Europe the embodiment of a Dark Age stemming from the nation facing a dark age- a tumultuous time amidst an elected disaster to head The United States of America. During a calm intermission before MGMT began playing, attendees tiptoed back to friend groups, struggling to balance teetering drinks splashing on those stood firmly in their spots anticipating the God-like voice of VanWyngarden.

THE SHOW WENT ON THROUGH INS AND OUTS OF SHERBETFILLED SMOKY SKIES

MGMT leaves the interpretation open and free to mould to the individual’s own experience. Amidst Brexit in the UK, somehow the dots connect. As a global planet, we are wading through a thick little dark age together. The group’s inspiration for the song comes from a dark unearthly evening drive through the forest, the in-and-outs of the scratchy radio reporting on an election that would change the world. The American youth has been forever changed by the current state of unstable foundations. The show went on through ins and outs of sherbet-filled smoky skies, a beautiful contrast to the clear outcry of Andrew VanWyngarden’s voice. He took the young crowd back to brighter carefree teenage days. Electric feelings and times of pretending, the hits brought us to the present to remind of how far we have come. VanWyngarden orchestrated the group, the embodiment of a psychic crystal paradigm physically understood through the shine of his deep purple velvet sleeves, a mystical ringleader holding the key to a unique perspective. Where has our society come from and

where we are going? Displaying his fashionable flare, other-worldly is an understatement when cast under his energetic presence. Closing with the ballad-like outcry of “The Youth,” - an instilled hope amongst the young generations who filled the Brixton venue – you could feel the power left hanging in the air. “The youth is starting to change. Are you starting to change? And in spite of the weather we could learn to make it together.” The gig led to another rollout of tickets for an appearance at Somerset House on July 9th of this year. Proof, if it were needed, of MGMT’s evergrowing British fan base. • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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FRIDA FASHION

PHOTO BY DAVID OTOKPA, MODEL: METHMI

Hù űĩŖ úĩ őĩ Ģĩ ĩőĂäŅ ʼnĂĩū ĆĢ ZĩĢàĩĢ ĆĢ ̠̞̟̦ ġÁėä ʼnŖŅä űĩŖ ŪĆʼnĆő őĂä ¨Ϟ Ύʼn ěĩĢú ÁĢőĆÚͿ ĆłÁőäà ;ŅĆàÁ WÁĂěĩ `ÁėĆĢú DäŅ äěù ł͡ ĩłäĢĆĢú UŖĢä ̟̤͠

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This includes personal artefacts locked away in a big old trunk for fifty years and discovered only recently. Many of the embroidered dresses, accessories and even makeup have never been displayed outside Mexico, where Kahlo, who still remains on fashion icon lists fifty years after her death – lived and worked all her life.. The mono-browed, mustached yet strangely beautiful maker and creator is renowned as much for her stunningly colourful style and wearing big flowers in her hair, as her self-portrait paintings. Following an accident Kahlo suffered a tragic deteriotion of her physical health throughout her life and yet struggled on determined to produce work that was both complex, curious and colourful. She was mentally an incredibly strong and determined women. A Marxist bohemian who disdained conventional life and fought for women’s rights especially the right to think, love and be independent; especially in fashion style. We predict all designers will be flocking to the show and we expect ripples of the Kahlo-effect to impact on trends six months hence.

Get yourself prepared for the show by first watching the brilliant movie, Frida, (2002) starring Salma Hayek Pinault, as the artist, married to another artist, Diego Rivera (played by Alfred Molina). This is on Amazon or Netflix. During the filming of the movie, art mimicked real life. Hayek, a Mexican herself, made it her life mission to produce the film which was financially backed by Harvey Weinstein (boo, hiss). In an interview with The New York Times she was one of the first of the MeToo movement to speak out about her ordeal on and off set. As well as fighting off sexual advances from Weinstein, who once threatened to break her knee caps if she didn’t submit to his sexual advances, he bullied and threatened her. With a result at one point, having

been blacklisted by Weinstein’s cronies, she almost had a nervous breakdown. Finding strength, just like Kahlo did with her various lifelong set backs, she has fought back. And then some. We love her. And if you go to the show, perhaps wear some flowers in your hair. Respect. • Gallery 38. £15. Concessions apply. www.vam.ac.uk/ exhibitions/

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DAD DESIGNER TRAINERS ©ÁĢő őĩ ėĢĩū ūĂÁő őĂä ěÁőäʼnő ùÁʼnĂĆĩĢ őŅäĢà Ćʼnͧ UŖʼnő őÁėä Á ěĩĩė ĆĢ űĩŖŅ àÁàΎʼn ʼnĂĩä ÚĩěěäÚőĆĩĢ ÁĢà űĩŖ ġĆúĂő ʼnőŖġÙěä ÁÚŅĩʼnʼn Ćő͠ aÁàĆÁ WĂÁěĆě őÁěėʼn Ŗʼn őĂŅĩŖúĂ őĂä ŖĢěĆėäěĆäʼnő ÁÚÚäʼnʼnĩŅű űäő͠ ͳ¯ĩŖ ġĆúĂő ūÁĢő őĩ ĆĢŪäʼnő ĆĢ ʼnĩġä ;äÙŅäŹäͧʹ You know what I’m talking about. Almost every dad and/or uncle has a pair. It’s likely you and your siblings made fun of them quite a bit growing up. Chunky, worn, ugly and probably the last thing that you’d think of as fashionable, dad trainers are officially one of the hottest trends of 2018. Although they may look suitable for a hike in the Scottish Highlands, you’re far more likely to find them among the crowds of an edgy east London event. They’re definitely more for the millennial generation and anyone older who attempts the look could run the risk of actually looking like an unfashionable parent – which pretty much defeats the irony of it. Balenciaga’s Triple S trainers are among the most popular of its kind with releases selling out instantly. The name means triple sole - which derives from the fact that the trainers have 3 soles layered on top of each other. The triple S’ distinctive design first made an appearance Balenciaga’s Fal17 catwalk show and they

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have been dropping different colourways since. However, Balenciaga isn’t the only one who has caught onto the trend, with high fashion designers such as Vetements, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Yeezy all producing trainers of a similar nature this season. Strangely enough, high fashion brands were not the first to influence the trend. Streetwear enthusiasts have been wearing brands such as New Balance, Asics and AirMax 90’s since around 2013, all of which fit the description of a dad trainer (and for a quarter of the price, too). However, you’ll notice that the streetwear enthusiasts of today are gradually moving towards a more designer trainer territory. It’s a tricky look to execute well which is why I think so many people are hesitant towards the new style. The extortionate price tag included with the majority of the high fashion options is certainly off putting when you consider what you’re actually

paying for: a pair of spongey, outdated trainers which look aged. If you’re going to try and pull of the trend, why not go authentically ‘dad’ and purchase a pair from Sports Direct or Sketchers? You might have laughed at the sketchers suggestion but celebrity influencer and model Ian Connor was seen sporting a pair on Instagram last year. I’m personally a fan of the trend and will possibly embrace it myself, however as it certainly seems to be a hate it or love it thing, I thought I’d ring up a few friends to get their opinions on the ever-popular trend. Below you can see four of my friend’s responses when asked about their thoughts on the trend and whether it’s something they’d wear themselves.: Richard, 32, Illustrator and streetwear enthusiast from London: “I don’t really get it - is a dad really gonna wear a pair of £700 Balenciaga trainers. Erm, I don’t think so. I don’t really consider those luxury branded trainers as dad trainers. Vintage new balance and trainers like that are a better representation of a dad trainer.” Selen, 22, interior design student from Birmingham: “I understand what people are trying to do but sometimes they get it so wrong. And also it’s very dependent on the rest of your clothing. Personally I can’t be rocking that”. Milicia, 26, marketing assistant from London “I find them ugly but I’d wear them. I

just don’t get it sometimes. People pair them with evening outfits that you should wear heels with“. Alex, 23, culinary arts student from Birmingham: “What are dad trainers? Like chunky ones? I’ve never been a fan of chunky trainers.” Overall, the most reoccurring opinion seems to be that the way you style the trainers is the key to looking good in them – and that it’s a trend that is easy to get very wrong. However, if you are feeling like you want to give it a go, here’s a few tips that might help push you in the right direction: As dad trainers are an extension of streetwear (particularly sportswear), the safest option would be to pair them with clothes of the same nature. This will give your look a strong, sporty feel. If you’re not into streetwear and are into things of a more feminine style, simply swap the strappy sandals you’d usually wear with your floaty skirts and dresses for the dad trainers and voila – you’ve officially given your classic day dress look a new edge. Of course, like most trainers, those of the dad family look great with your casual weekend attire such as jeans and a trench, adding a fashion forward aesthetic to a basic outfit. Probably the riskiest of the options, but my personal favourite: Dad trainers with workwear. They look surprisingly stylish teamed with a suit or pencil skirt – plus the comfortability factor means your feet stay snug all day long – what’s not to love?

While it is still at the height of fashion, whether or not the trend is here for the long run is hard to say. Fashion is a hard industry to predict. High street brands such as Topshop have already begun to mimic designs so it’s likely that it will lose its sense of exclusivity along with its appeal soon enough. For the meantime, if you want to embrace the trend, it seems to make more sense buying into the brands that pioneered that style of trainer (e.g. New Balance, Sketchers or Asics). Not only is it more authentic, but the price will barely make a dent in your bank balance compared to the more luxury versions on offer. To back that point further, I’ve removed the logos of a selection of ‘dad trainers’ from a number of brands. I challenge you to decide which ones are high fashion and which ones you’d find lurking in your dad’s dusty cupboard… •

A

B

C

D

A: Left: Karrimoor £25.00 from Sports Direct. Right: Balenciaga £635.00 B: Left: Yeezy £170.00. Right: New Balance £70.00. C: Left: Vetements x Reebok £895.00 Right: Sketchers £60.00 D: Left: Clarks £75.00 Right: Louis Vuitton £780 ĢƇěőäŅäà

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ZÁàĆäʼn͡ ūä ėĢĩū űĩŖ àĩĢΎő ěĆėä őÁěėĆĢú ÁÙĩŖő ΍őĂÁőΎ őĆġä ĩù őĂä ġĩĢőĂ ÙŖő Ćőʼn őĆġä őĩ ʼnőÁŅő͠ ZĆʼnÁ äěěä͡ ÙäěĆäŪäʼn Ćő Ćʼn őĆġä ūä ʼnőÁŅőäà őĩ őÁěė ÁÙĩŖő äŪäŅűőĂĆĢú ùŅĩġ łäŅĆĩà łĩŪäŅőű őĩ ÁġłÁŰ ÚĩĢʼnłĆŅÁÚĆäʼn ÁĢà äŪäŅűőĂĆĢú ĆĢ ÙäőūääĢ͠

THE BLOODY TRUTH: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ‘P’ WORD

Periods. Half the population gets them but no one wants to talk about them. You can’t stop it from coming yet you’re forced to pay taxes and outrageous prices on feminine hygiene products that come along with it. Think about what it would feel like to get your “time of the month” with no money to afford those feminine hygiene products, or without a toilet? Would you talk about it then? British Vogue's 2018 article written by Adwoa Aboah talks about how girls are not attending class because they’re menstruating and can’t afford to buy hygiene products. An article in Vogue means period poverty is finally being brought up in mainstream conversations and is gaining the awareness it deserves. The question is how do we solve it and can it be solved? Do we make feminine hygiene products free (if not free I think most would still agree they shouldn’t be taxed). Or, is there another solution? Deciding to take matters of research into my own hands I asked 89 people via Instagram survey, “Should feminine hygiene products be free due to period poverty?” 77 out of 89 said yes (86.5%) and 12 out of 89 said no (13.5%). Julia Chesser, 20, from the US said, “I don’t think feminine hygiene products should be free, there are costs that are implemented in making the product and the manufacturer has to make a profit. Someone will have to pay for it. The best lesson I learned in history class was on capitalism, which can be summed up in the phrase, ‘There is no such thing as free lunch.’ However, I will say that I think the price of the products is ridiculously high.”

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Nicollette Sylvia, 20, also from the US said, “I think it would be nice if they were free, but who would pay for them? Our government? And if they were free, the people work in the places that make them would most likely lose their jobs. I do think they should be a lot cheaper.” Sarah Holtzer, 20, from Germany, said, - “I think it wouldn’t be fair for both genders because then Q-Tips and toilet paper would also need to be free. That would then lead to an increase in taxes.” So, profit for the manufacturer, the employees who work for the manufacturer (i.e. the jobs created via the cost) and equality between genders (i.e. does that mean all hygiene products should be free?) are all factors that play into saying no, tampons should cost something. And all for good reason, I suppose. I then spoke to

New Zealander, Maree Raffles, 54, who is experienced on the topic of period poverty through voluntarily work and believes feminine hygiene products should be free. She explains, “I belong to a sewing group called Days for Girls. It’s a worldwide association that makes period kits for girls in need. We meet at my office on a Sunday afternoon once a month. We make the kits and one of our group members personally delivers them to girls in need. The kits last at least 5 years and teach them about periods. This way girls don’t miss school and they can get a job along with lots of other social benefits.” Some schools don’t teach about periods and this results in psychological issues leading to girls skipping school when they’re menstruating. Period poverty is a global issue. Therefore, personally delivering the kits is hard, but very important to Days for Girls. It creates a personal connection with the girls in need, giving them reassurance and answering any questions they may have about periods or the products they receive. Raffles continues, “In 2016, we took 30kg of kits to England. Some took the kits to their village in Uganda. We have women in our group that work at the zoo and they take kits to Sumarta and Borneo when they visit tigers and lions. Period poverty is an issue in New Zealand as well so this month’s kits are going to the far North.” So, what are in these kits that last so long? Menstrual cups (also known as moon cups and diva cups). You may not know what a moon cup is so by Google definition, “A menstrual cup is a feminine hygiene product used during menstruation. Its purpose

‘The answer isn’t completely clear, whether or not feminine hygiene products should be free is arguable’ is to prevent menstrual fluid from leaking onto clothes.” It does the same thing as a tampon only lasts from 10 years to indefinitely (with proper care) instead of the average life of a tampon - which is supposed to be 8 hours - but usually has to be changed after about 3. The menstrual cups also provide a whopping 12 hours of protection. I don’t know about you, but I have to double up. No shame here, I use both a pad and a tampon which lasts about 3 hours max. Now take environment into consideration - think about sustainability and landfill. Women use some 17,000 disposable tampons over the course of their menstruating life. That’s 17,000 tampons and pads per woman that go into landfill. Whereas a menstrual cup lasts about 10 years, a woman using these may put 5 into the landfill during her menstruating life. In Guardian’s sustainable business article

Menstruation activist Rosie Sheba said, “Messaging and lack of disclosure of information from major feminine hygiene product brands is holding women back from purchasing reusable options.” The major concern to those in poverty is price. A moon cup can be bought between $15-$40. This will last you 10 years and counting. The average price of a pack of tampons is $7 (don’t forget the tax). This will last you 1, pushing 2 months. If you have a heavier period (like me) the pack lasts you 1 month - and don’t forget you may have to buy pads too. So, over years of buying tampons and pads women spend thousands. Which is an amount a lot of women don’t have to spare. Despite the cost difference, Tampax alone has made $288.7 million dollars in 2016 – they’re the leading brand in tampons while second on the list, Private Label, made about half of that at $110.3 million dollars. The same year the entire menstrual cup market only made $34.8 million dollars. So, now I’m sure you are wondering - why didn’t we know about these moon cups before? According to my thorough research, Tampax may be sitting on a conspiracy. A ‘ re tampons little white lies?’ Moon cups have been available since the 1930s and society is just now getting to know them as an emerging way of feminine hygiene. According to the conspiracy, Tampax was trying to suppress them as an idea to capitalise society. One effect to take into consideration is that girls are unlikely to get information about menstrual cups in school. “The paper feminine hygiene industry has done a very good job of convincing women

that their period is something [which] should be out of sight and out of mind, something they shouldn’t talk about,” Zivku said. Sophie Zivku, communications and education director for Diva Cup, said, “Think about the advertisements we see – it’s all about silent wrappers, discrete and smaller products that are easier to hide or dispose of, and concealing the fact you have your period. Without opportunities for positive period talk, women and girls may not have the opportunity to learn about or even ask about other, more sustainable and cheaper options.” The majority of U.S. elementary schools conduct a puberty education program that has a curriculum created and distributed by a mainstream tampon or pad company and includes free product samples and instructions so tampons and pads become what we internalize as normal. Another is - for some reason, maybe Tampax marketing and suppression of the menstrual cup? (See 1930s ads following) - women are grossed out about touching a menstrual cup, nervous about changing it and the list goes on and on. The strategy started in the 1930s and is still affecting us today. The answer isn’t completely clear, whether or not feminine hygiene products should be free is arguable. As far as tampons and pads vs menstrual cups we should educate with all the information and let ladies make their own choice. The biggest impact we can make is getting involved in and joining volunteer groups like Days for Girls and many other organisations alike that educate and help those in period poverty. • ĢƇěőäŅäà

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INSTAGRAM: I’LL MAKE A FOOD CRITIC OUT OF YOU

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A flash goes off while you’re eating dinner. You turn around and see a woman taking a picture of her food. It’s become a common experience. With the digital age upon us, almost everyone has taken to social media platforms to share their thoughts, opinions and their food. This flurry of online activities has prompted confusion as to where to look when searching for a reliable opinion as everyone shares their unfiltered thoughts. Instagram in particular has become the go to place for the social media worthy as it’s an easy to use platform with mostly pictures. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Even new words have been produced from these pictures like ‘food porn’ or ‘foodie’. These dictionary-worthy words just goes to show the proliferation of these platforms and how much people both use it to share and to receive. Research has shown that people are influenced by these Instagram. According to Forbes magazine, “data from influencer marketing platform MuseFind, shows that 92% of consumers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement.” And according to psychologist, Blake Te’Neil Lloyd, who studies adolescent identity and the media influence on identity, “mass media is often the primary source of information about situations and places that the audience may have limited knowledge of.” This has resulted n “the media itself impart[ing] a certain level of validity by reporting this information,

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mass communications have the power to shape impressions and conceptions of normal behaviour in given situations<” says Lloyd. It is worthy to note that this research did not include food influencers. So just how much are restaurants affected by this eave of self-proclaimed food critics and influencers exactly? Savvas Demos, owner of the Japanese restaurants, Kurobuta, explains how much notice he takes of social media. “I am very influenced by the trend and blogs themselves. It’s essentially the free marketing and branding of

your restaurant. Social media is huge; people are marketing your product. There’s a lot of competition. It can do you good or bad. This is why the presentation of your food has become such an important factor. We sit and have a meeting with the chefs when a new dish is going to be put onto the menu and present it in a way that would photograph the best.” Social media has expanded so much more than the mere connecting between people, close or far apart. It is now a vehicle and avenue for businesses. But is this really a good thing? Has social media reduced quality to be related merely through the way something looks? Are food bloggers/instagrams/foodies truly helping businesses or are they superficially making the appearance of food more important than what really matters, the taste and quality of food.

On that matter, are they deterring themselves from enjoying the meal and focusing too much on the picture itself? Has social media detracted from the overall experience of life, particularly that of the dining experience? I know that I am guilty of it. I take a snapchat of my food on such a consistent bases that my friends have brought up my habits on dates and even go as far as telling me that my pictures should be illegal. It has gotten to the point that people start to question me when I don’t take pictures. This realization of this particular aspect of myself hit me the hardest just the other day. You see just recently, I was getting dinner with a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while. Our food came and I began to eat. As I was eating, she paused and looked at me and asked me if I was okay. Confused, I told her I was great. I was eating a good meal with a good friend. She laughed. She was worried because I hadn’t taken a picture of my food before eating it. Had I really become so involved in making sure people had seen the amazing food I was eating that I had forgotten when to just enjoy the moment? Did I not take that picture with my friend because I was just enjoying my time with her? Did all my friends consider me the annoying food porn snapchatter? Had I become one of those people I once mocked, who constructed a one-dimensional online presence solely about food, or fashion, or beauty. And more importantly, when? I have dozens of friends who have a separate Instagram

dedicated to food or specialised interests like landscape photography. I did not think I was like them. If I liked a picture, I would post it. Simple. When did I become that person who takes a snapchat of every meal? And why? Why do we feel this need to share with multitudes online? According to Lloyd, People “use this information [from social media platforms] as a tool for understanding of self and others.” Social media has not only become an integral part of culture and society it can shape identity or even become part of it? We use social media as a way to inform people of our status and identity, whether it be conscious or not. If we post a picture of our food and it looks gourmet and expensive, we are showing off our cultured and refined taste. When you post food that looks good even on the go, you are communicating that you are

always on the move and life is so busy you don’t even have time for a sit-down meal. If there’s a picture of a latte and scone, it shows you are sophisticated, open-minded and ready to talk politics and life. Are we concealing hidden insecurities or is it just about perception? By posting a food picture that looks beautiful, fun and aesthetically interesting, we are subtly conveying our lives mirror this. If we look like we are having the times of our lives, as if living practically in a movie, others will think this is what we do and become envious. It’s a power move. Look at me. I am doing this. I am eating that. Don’t you wish you were me? Regardless of the fact you may not be very interesting at all. Or, is it a desire to fundamentally communicate? We share because we want people to see we are doing something with our lives. We want to seek recognition and a response. OMG THAT LOOKS AMAZING! Sometimes it is a comment, an emoji or just ‘a like’. Isn’t this what life is about. Trying to project our better selves to the world. Wanting to please more than show off. More, ‘Look mum I’m eating my peas’! Than pretending to be a serious food critic. •

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BACK COVER PHOTO BY DAVID OTOKPA, MODEL: METHMI

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