vol. 1
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looking back at the future Seeking for inspiration, history references are a natural influence of people’s behaviour and creative choices. Why is the past so important to us? Is looking back a way to see the future?
tired youth
Tired, melancholic, stressed, depressed – why do young people suffer from chromatic tiredness? What is it that makes our lives difficult and is there anything that can be done?
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internazionale
The world is small, and it’s getting smaller. Citizens of the world, cosmopolitans, look at what is happening on a global stage and ask ‘what is happening and how is it going to affect us??’
sundaze
Fashion story inspired by the bitter-sweet feeling we wake up with on sunday morning. When we can rest, still aware of Monday waiting outside our bedroom door.
content In this issue, we explore various sides of nostalgia and how it affects our lives. In our essays we prove the importance of the past in our presence and future. Is looking back a way to see the future? Is nostalgia always positive? What does it have in common with internationalism? Enjoy flipping over the pages, we know you like it. With love, Citizens.
Obywatel
(citizen) is an international publication working with people from all over the world. Creating content, we focus on visual first, as we believe the imagery is the key to create a story. We see the beauty of casualness and normality. We are the citizens of the world - inspired by past and present. We no longer belong to the world of internet and thumb-tiredness. We want to be the
VOI of our generation, who doesn’t want to be known for memes and tumblr accounts. We want to define who we are. How can we do it? Art is our escape, not oblivion. We are so much more than what others say. Apparently every generation fades into shadow with time, well - not ours. We remember about the past - what our grandparents fought for and we celebrate their bravery. Obywatel is all about the truth and rawness of what we see. Reality is what it is, but how we see it that depends on us. It can be ugly, who says beauty is always pretty? We lead our silent revolution, changing the perception of the youth and internationalism. We are not only the future of the world - but its presence. We are the citizens.
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ICE C YOU PROBABLY OPENED
THIS MAGAZINE BECAUSE YOU LIKE THE PRINT AND
OUR COVER.
LOOKIN
NG BACK seeking for inspiration, history references are a natural influence of people’s behaviour and creative choices. why is past so important to us? is looking back a way to see a future?
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veryone is somehow inspired by the past. Filmmakers from all over the world seek for inspiration in old archives, new youth subcultures create their ethos based on their cultural ancestors, students read classic literature canons. Even futurists, while often fighting it, refer to history. Art loves going back to what’s been done. It continues what’s begun, it evolves from first human’s craft, it fights with the past, it comments the social background and reasons why something was created. Fashion is not an exception. It has always been inspired by what is often considered as a “better” past. With average of 8 collections a year, constant need and pressure for newness; designers’ references to past decades seem to be an ultimate archive of inspiration and ideas to adapt to their times.
LOOK AROUND Perfect example of a designer who seeks for future in the past is Miuccia Prada. “Past Forward”, Spring-Summer 2017 video, directed by David O. Russell, is a delightful nod to the past and possibilities on how it can be used to drive us forward. Also, MISBHV is a glowing example of a brand implicating hi story. SS19’s collection – completely inspired by what the duo of designers calls “The golden age of Polish culture”, so the 60s and 70s - is a perfect example of art of yesterday inspiring art of today. They cite two main references: Roman Polanski’s film ‘Knife in the Water’ and the rich heritage of Polish poster design, epitomized in the work of internationally acclaimed artist Rosław Szaybo, so all this “polish jazz”. Rosław Szaybo, so all this “polish jazz”.
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LOOK BACK ‘A major component of fashion is nostalgia, reacting to the styles of the past. But the role of the designer is to refresh and change that look for the present day’, says the designer Bill Blass. And it is nostalgia, or as it’s sometimes called – ‘now-stalgia’, that we feel when we look at old footage, pictures from the times that passed. Jessica Regan, assistant curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, noted: ‘Nostalgia in fashion is not a new phenomenon. We can sit far back in the history of fashion - back to the early 19th century, which was a period of rapid industrial change - and see nostalgia for a preindustrial past, based on romantic notions of chivalry. They incorporated elements from the 16th century’. The word ‘nostalgia’ is borrowed from two Greek roots, ‘nostos’ and ‘algos’, which mean to “return to one’s native land” and ‘pain or grief ’, and its initial meaning referred to a disease similar to ex-
treme homesickness. Then, in late 20th century, its meaning changed to ‘a sentimental longing for the past’, according to Constantine Sedikides. Scientifically speaking, we distinguish three types of nostalgia: personal, involving a personally remembered past; historical, involving a time before the person was born; and ‘collective nostalgia’, which focuses a shared longing through a past of culture, generation, or being a nation. A key aspect to understand nostalgia is the concept of an ‘idealized’ past, ‘seen through rose-colored glasses’, as Darrel Muehling explains. According to Barbara Stern’s study, nostalgia doesn’t necessarily show the accurate history, but it celebrates the specific happy aspects of the past we wish were continued, while forgetting the negatives, creating a belief that the past was more superior to the present. It is natural we reminisce about times we think were easier and more inspiring.
LOOK AHEAD Youth of today is seeking for inspiration everywhere. They leave their homelands looking for a place for themselves. They are often inspired by their role models from the past, who maybe didn’t have this chance, or choice. Looking at the inventions of the past (cars, airplanes), we wouldn’t be able to travel today if history didn’t happen. We are people destined for the future, but with a big advantage of historical appreciation and nostalgia. words: nikola furman
photograpy: diana firlÄ…g creative direction: nikola furman models: hannah & james
YOUTH I R E D
tired, melancholic, craving sleep, stressed, depressed – why do young people suffer from chromatic tiredness? what is it that makes our lives difficult and is there anything that can be done?
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n this fast-paced world of rapid changes of trends and constant need for something new, people tend to feel nostalgic to times that have passed, even those they haven’t lived in. While internet gave us the power to see the world without going places, to meet new people, didn’t it also take it away from us? Surrounded by overwhelming technology, we approach the era of thumb-tiredness and anti-scrolling. Why are we always tired in times when, apparently, we don’t have to do as much anymore? Our grandparents seemed to work harder everyday, but somehow, we feel less energetic than they’ve ever did. What is the cause of this occurrence? In Great Britain, in last few years, demand on energy drinks has increased by 155%. Irregular lifestyle, stress and even artifi-
cial lighting (especially blue brightness emitted by computer and smartphone screens) are causes of our body clock being messed. According to Julia Newton’s psychology studies, our chronic tiredness and pessimism are results of today’s typical lifestyle – always in a hurry, always under pressure of a deadline, being late or to pay bills – and that is not a long-run way. Millennials is the generation who cannot get jobs even if they go to university. Working 12 hours a day to be able to rent a room. At lot of them work six days a week, often more than one job, just to satisfy increasing demands (a place to sleep and something to eat). And when they finally graduate - they graduate with a loan to pay back.
Youth has never been that fragile. This might be a result of pressure that young people feel from very early days, but also surrounding them pervasive technology. Youth has never been that fragile. Addictive use and overwhelming influence of smart phones and social media, but also unrealistically high expectations during school with pressure to perform at unreasonably high levels of success might be results of this occurrence. Additionally, according to professor Thomas G. Plante, the medicalization of everything with quick diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and attention deficit by doctors (so trusted institutions) while offering pharmaceutical interventions rather than evidence based best practices make matters much worse. Just take a deep breath. Stop for a minute. Think about what you want. Find some time for yourself. People of today need to go back to times when everything was easier, less stressful and more tangible. So, in different
words: nikola furman photograpy: diana firląg creative direction: nikola furman models: anne & zahra
words, nostalgia that we feel more and more often, is our need to go back in time, as we get tired of the fast-paced world of internet, social media and ever-changing technology surrounding us. Do you remember the times when texting a group chat was not enough and people actually met, or when sending a meme once a week was not a form of communication? We long to easier times, when people had time to meet, talk, have hobbies - involving surfing, not surfing the net. In times of young people’s lives being strictly fixed by society, it gets harder to stop for a moment and reflect. It is seen especially among young people, who tend not to be stress-resistant. In times of young people’s lives being strictly fixed by society (school – university – a proper job), it gets harder to stop for a moment and reflect. To reflect on what they’ve learnt and how they want to use it in their future lives. Life today feels like travelling on a train. Only if
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the train slows down, we are able to see clearly where we travelled from, where we are and where we go. A fact or a myth? 1. On working days, we have to get up early, so it’s a good practice to compensate sleep during weekends and stay in bed longer. A myth. In reality, the effect of this practice is what scientists call a ‘weekend jetlag’: being sleepy, tiredness and mood drop. Try your best to stay in a good sleeping rhythm throughout the week, and weekend. 2. We have less and less contact with natural sunlight, which can lead to mood drop and lassitude. A fact. Our ancestors have spent more time outdoors, and their stress level was much lower, as they were deriving vitamin D. 3. None of the prescription-free medications lead to chromatic tiredness. A myth. A dose of active ingredient in a medication should not be over the prescribed one, as an overdose can lead to side effects. Surprisingly, tiredness and mood swings are among them.
INTER INTER NAZIO NAZIO
NALE NALE
MAY THE BRIDGES WE BURN LIGHT OUR WAY. world is small, and it’s getting smaller. in times of fear before brexit becoming reality, world is once again threatened by being even more divided. in these times, we need young people to air their critical opinions and shout what they really think. citizens of the world look at what is happening and ask “why?” ones who see themselves as cosmopolitans ask themselves what is going on really.
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nternationalism is the very antithesis of nationalism. In politics, it is based upon the view that world peace may be advanced when nations put aside their rivalries. Cosmopolitans emphasis on social bonds among people, not countries.
RETNI
Nations should work together to find common ground and build a safer and more stable world,. It also recognizes that a nation on its own is unable to mean something on worldwide arena. The term cosmopolitanism is derived from the Greek cosmopolis, ‘cosmo’ - a natural order in the universe reflected in human society, and ‘polis’ – a city-state. It’s a political-moral philosophy that posits people as citizens of the world rather than of a particular nation. That way, cosmopolitanism represents a spirited challenge to more traditional views that focus on age-old attachments of people to a place, customs, and culture. Cosmopolitan emphasis Young Slavs of today are on social bonds among people, probably the first generation not countries. who doesn’t suffer from Soviet inferiority complex anymore. POST-SOVIET Young people treat cosmo- The effect the former Soviet politanism as their silent rev- Union has had on modern creolution, even when they don’t ativity and the impact of this realize it. It can be seen in the cultural explosion on the rest tendency of Eastern-Euro- of the world is very apparent.
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Russia is a perfect example of how massively Eastern-European streetwear influenced global fashion world. Gosha Rubchinskiy, popularizing post-Soviet aesthetic around the world, is a designer fully inspired by his local streets, motherland’s history and people surrounding him. ‘Young people are the only one to understand the present time.’ G. Rubchinskiy
Gosha represents the prolific post-1991 generation, who, by looking back at what happened in close past, carves out their own future. ‘Young people are the only one to understand the present time’, says Gosha. ‘They absorb and reflect everything that is happening in music, politics, culture.’ His aesthetic truly delves into Soviet culture archives, giving youth from around the world the exoticism of Cyrillic graphics and nostalgic sportswear collaborations. For Russian youth, Gosha Rubchinskiy has become a culture, and for them - it’s a completely new culture. A model who had to reject taking part in Gosha’s look book shoot explained that he needs to finish his military service, but he will be there next year. These stories inspire Gosha to create modern collections. His art is also a nod to 1990s’
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pean people studying abroad, in West Europe (especially in UK). Countries of former Eastern Bloc. Poverty, hunger, communism, greyness, lack of creativity – that’s what quite a lot of people falsely picture when hear the phrase. However, Eastern Europe is a birthplace of a global post-Soviet aesthetic trend. Today’s youth of former USSR countries (like Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine) revolutionize how they’re seen. Young Slavs (most of mentioned countries are Slavic) of today are probably the first generation who doesn’t suffer from Soviet inferiority complex anymore, as they are the very first generation to have grown up after the fall of the Soviet Union. Hence, they find it easier to get inspired by looking inwards to the Eastern Bloc past, that was hurting their older relatives, rather than the Western world.Young Slavs, after the USSR fall, could travel and create freely, in contrary to their parents.
rave culture, but also to youth’s typical meeting spot around a backyard carpet hanger. The aesthetic is not perfect, it’s often raw, unfinished and not post-produced. Pictures are often blurred, cause the reality is important. It redefined the ideals of beauty, and suddenly ‘ugly’ became ‘pretty’ and ‘desired’. The world’s eyes started to turn back at Eastern Europe and its creativity inspired by past. Artists like Gosha Rubchinskiy created attractive spaces in there, spaces world wanted to observe and follow. The world’s eyes started to turn back at Eastern Europe and its creativity inspired by past. Globalization of the trend, that soon became aesthetic itself, started with likes of Vetements (Demna Gvasalia was born is Soviet Georgia), popularizing Soviet fashion spirit on the global stage. In fact, the term was very much popularized by West media. Post-communist youth culture has grabbed the attention of big names in fashion, from Comme des Garçons,
to Balenciaga and Burberry. Suddenly, people around the world wanted to dress and act like Eastern-Europeans. The trend of post-Soviet aesthetic and culture became an expression of internationalism. Cultures became hungry for different cultures even more, reaching out for everything there is. It wasn’t just undeveloped East imitating glamorous West. They became even for a moment.
logue photographs on worldknown streets, breath the air of the other end of the world, to meet creative people and create something beautiful, or ugly, just something. Young people born and raised in Eastern-European countries and the fast pace of a trend globalization constantly prove that internationalism is a big thing, an important thing. The trend of of post-Soviet aesthetic and culture became an expression of internationalism.
Post-communist youth culture has grabbed the attention of big names in fashion: Comme des Garçons, Balenciaga, Burb- Being young in times of Brexit and waves of nationalism comerry. ing across is not easy. SomeKedr Livanskiy is a musician times it is easier to just have from Moscow, whose UK visa fun and not care about what form was rejected, even though is happening in the world. her friend’s form wasn’t. The But young generation today only thing that differed them has access to information fastwas gender. Internationalism er than it’s even been, chance fights with these issues too, to be different and free, not as we need the world to un- knowing the burden of comderstand young Slavic wom- munism and socialism. That is en don’t go abroad to find a why it’s so important to use it husband. They want to travel right, leading the way not only the world to find a place for for them, but also future genthemselves, to play concerts erations. abroad, to take original ana-
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words: nikola furman
photograpy: diana firlÄ…g creative direction: nikola furman models: truli & haz
sun daze fun daze
fashion story inspired by the bitter-sweet feeling we wake up with on sunday morning. when we all just take well-deserved rest, still aware of monday waiting outside our bedroom door.
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photograpy: diana firlÄ…g creative direction: nikola furman model: nina
TEA CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nikola Furman
MUA: Eleanor Hurst Nikola Furman
PHOTO:
ASSISTANT:
Jessica Furman
GRAPHIC DESIGN:
Nikola Furman
Diana FirlÄ…g
MODELS: Anne Baardman Hannah Pachuta Nina Bloomgarden Truli Smith Zahra El-Khazragi Harrison Cole Boyce James Biss
NATIONS england, germany, INVOLVED: iraq, israel, netherlands, poland, wales
AM WE MADE THIS MAG WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS. WE
WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION.
vol. 1