From Who Knows

ont to Take a flick through. Fr en start back. Bottom to top. Ev your from the middle and work way out. . Read each Read it, or just view it tle. Even word slowly. Only the ti . it will be a every other sentence .. bit of a riddle. and are a We love self-expression erful world nd wo e th to e id gu t) gh (sli of second-hand fashion.

An interview with an escapee of the fast, and joiner of th e slow. A tribute to an endearin g relationship with band tees.

A picturesque view on iconic st yles of the past - they always retu rn to the present.

Get to the end. Never finish. Savour for years and years. Pass it on for all to see.

pher, loves a r g o t o h p , from the Ellen Dixon y a w a . . . s mage authentic i le work in b i d e r c n i r he er time”. t f a studio. See e m i T " el” and iece is a p "Rebel, Reb d n a h d n o te sec t it for a h Her favouri g u o b e h s er... thread jump ly had to l a u t n e v e t friend bu k. take it bac

Quirk, beauty an all be witness d comedy can ed in I illustr ndia’s ations. yoursel See it f in "A fo Strange r r I Kno Paloma I w”. n Disgui se is ev thrifter ery ’s perfec t guide.

Hannah’s pre-love d favour changes ite ALL THE T I ME, but a pa isley ni neties dress sh e discov ered in Oxfam ha s become the go-t item rec o ently.

Editor and writer, Robyn was raised in charity shops... sort-of. Never one to follow the trend-led lifestyle, she can spend many a happy hour traipsing the local charity shops. A thick-knit, Granddad, jumper is a favourite which keeps her warm and cosy in a freezing flat.

Story

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Illustration

Robyn Wynn

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India Smith

She enters the cafĂŠ like a wandering storybook. Each article she wears holds a unique past, the previous lives stitched into its hems and seams. It is regular, us meeting here. She orders her daily venti black coffee - no milk, no sugar, just a sprinkle of cinnamon. At first, she seems like a different person, a unique outfit every day with only a simple yet peculiar coffee order to identify her.

Although many garments have made many appearances, each time they feature with a new ensemble. What was her choice behind this morning’s outfit? She could have chosen to be a rock ‘n’ roll hillbilly, or flamboyant secretary of state. One Monday morning she slogged in like the gloomy weather, black from head-to-toe, then on Tuesday she bounced through resembling a 1980’s rendition of Cirque du Soleil. Today, the first of November, I sense an aristocratic biddy. The morning has brought with it a sharp chill. A breeze dances through to the back of the room to hit my bare arms, goose-pimples hit and I find myself yearning for her chunky knit sweater.

The shoulders droop close to her wrists and a wide neck slouches to reveal a wink of collar. There’s a

little snag on her elbow, seemingly meagre but a reason for those around her to judge. It is an imperfection, a sign that this jumper is now ‘broke’.

Is that how she came-by it?

One man’s trashis her treasure.

The sunlight peeks through the tables and chairs, and stops at her pleated skirt.

The cracked metallic glaze looks like the noise of an old TV. The once idyllic gold skirt has lost its fresh look, the surface is no longer a smooth satin sheen but, like the sound of this pencil scribbling nonsense across the paper, coarse and scratchy. Still, it sparkles in the light.

Does she see these imperfections?

When I look down, I don’t see stains, holes or anything at fault. I also don’t see anything remarkable. No milk or sugar lady doesn’t constrain herself to what’s in or what’s out of trend, nor does she disregard an item for their flaws.

Whereas today, I gave a dirty look to a top with a loose thread, and the drink in front of me was chosen for being number one in “What Drink Is Hot And What Is Not”- the fact beverages are viewed as an ‘in-thing’ I realise is questionable.

We don’t speak or exchange pleasantries, but no milk or sugar lady challenges my anxieties more than anyone else.

I will now leave this café with the incentive to treasure the wilted garments in my wardrobe, to dress to express myself and to not question who my ‘self’ is. Let’s hope this time I speak truth.

I pack up to leave, with my motive for the future in mind.

She hands the barista a single coin for her coffee, whilst I finish off my four ninety-five, lukewarm, 1-shot, matcha, soya, latte – with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Styling

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Photography Modelling Location

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Robyn Wynn

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Ellen Dixon

Merran Tanith

The Dog & Parrot

Story

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Robyn Wynn

I have a David Bowie t-shirt, baby pink and XL. It is beautiful and before you ask no, it doesn’t have an exciting story to tell. In fact, everything I have learnt about this tee scratches at my nape – Produced by Rock Off, The David Bowie Archive, legal jargon, Made in the UK, Do Not Bleach. Not much to go on.

As a fan of a lengthy story I would love to discover more about my beloved top – a secret gig, an unexpected meet or a young girl hearing Major Tom’s adventures for the first time. I wish for more and question my sincerity to wear Bowie’s name for fashion. I wish for more, as my heart sinks a little to see Topshop swap from Zepplin to Joy Division to the Beach Boys each week.

Band tees are stitched with the emotional dedication of fans, they connect through poetry, basslines and melodies.

It hurts to see ignorant celebrities flaunt the legends of music for a mere trend. Even though I revel in the thought, I highly doubt Kanye walks in on his wife, zoned-out, singing along to Gilmour’s sultry voice,“We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year” (although I do imagine the West household to resemble the feeling of a fish bowl). Yet, she strolls Hollywood Boulevard with baby West on her hip and Pink Floyd on her magnificent chest. These clothes should not be replicated in mass for a few drab months, to be quickly ceased when fashion says, ‘over’.

Despite its origins, my Bowie t-shirt is secondhand. Bought by a devote fan on a Glastonbury thrift stall it was lovingly given to another devotee, me, for my 21st birthday. It is rich in sentiment, and even though I do wear it as an expression of fashion, when the merchandise trend dwindles (for another time), I will still wear it.

Clothes should hold more than just yarn, they should be a story, an expression of oneself. My band tees are full of memories, and they might not be from famous musicians or events, but to be honest, I think that just makes them even better.

A few more of my beloved merchandise tees: Dad’s Wishbone Ash T-Shirt, 1988.

He swayed in a crowd of fellow perm-haired ‘progs’ at their Nouveau Calls tour. My Mum, however, was at home with a booming baby bump, aka my brother. He became a father for the first time one month later.

The Unknown - Discords.

Wait. What? You’ve never heard of the Discords*! They are only the ‘hottest’ male a capella band based at Michigan State University... get some taste man. * I proudly own a bright pink tee with “Discords Love Me” stamped across the chest – with true dedication to the fans, the band wore “Discords Love You” on stage.

Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Festival from 2008 – 2016, so far.

Each year this collect group of 60 plus rockstars host Britain’s friendliest festival and each year I succumb to their waggish illustrations and dad-like puns.

Styling

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Robyn Wynn

Modelling

: Ellen Dixon : Ellie Trent

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Bowler Vintage

Photography

Location

Thank you to Bowler Vintage, Yesterday Society for the beautiful vintage clothes.

8

years ago Lisa Barrington set herself the challenge to stop buying new and follow the second-hand lifestyle, to only discover It wasn’t a challenge at all.

Sheepishly, Lisa Barrington shows me her recent birthday present, a pair of smooth suede knee high boots. Looking down, I sense she is reluctant to tell me about them, but her rosy lips chatter at speed anyway to justify why it was a necessary purchase, “I’ve worn them every day this week and the four different outfits I’ve worn with them, I’ve not worn for something like two years”. We have all done it, made our case of why we must have ‘it’, but for Lisa this is different – these boots are new.

In the last decade Lisa has become a heroine of the thrift world. As she learnt more and more about the harsh truths of fast fashion she could no longer reason buying from these high street stores. Over a bottle of wine, she and a friend made a promise, and published it to the world, “to go one year without buying a single item of new clothing”.

They documented the journey online, but after a year Lisa found she couldn’t stop, “once you have the knowledge, it’s hard now to shop on the high street”, she continued to share her love for second-hand fashion on a solo site, Dolly in the Street and this has laid way to Lisa’s new life.

As we greet in person my pre-assumption of her strengthens - vigour comes to mind. The trainee nurse, blogger, mother and designer, believes secondhand fashion is the key to her positive attitude.

“Fashion should not be something to make you feel inadequate but something that helps you express how you feel; that can be anyone you would like it to be.”

We meet in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, a district flourishing with vintage, independent and, well-stocked, charity boutiques. Days spent rummaging their hangrails has built Lisa’s personal look and self-esteem. Her enjoyment to shop secondhand taps into a love of dress-up she relates back to her childhood.

Taking quick sips between thoughts, she remembers bright taffeta fabrics and loud prints, not unlike her ‘Raspberry Beret’ milkshake. “[They] were really kind of garish, just super feminine”. She wore her Grandmother’s 80’s party dresses to play the part of strong debonair women seen on TV, like Goldie Hawn and Melanie Griffith. This fascination of freedom to style, she feels can only be achieved through the second-hand market, “you think, well they are only £5, the money is going to charity, I think it’s worth experimenting with them”.

From those taffeta cocktail dress days, she stays drawn to vivid fashions, with charity shops offering an open-ended selection of styles, Lisa has an unrestricted platform to explore and dress up as the confident characters inside, from 70’s hippies to baker boys, they are all snippets of her true self.

3 o’clock, she’s off again, to pick up her son from school. Not quite ready to go back east, I take on some advice Lisa left with me and walk along Manchester’s streets. “Wander the potential of the unknown, you could discover anything… you might discover nothing.”