Sunday Girl MAGAZINE
WHAT SUNDAYS MEAN TO
GABRIELLE APLIN ALSO FEATURING
£6.00
- JESSIE PINK - ANNE MARIE SCHWARZENBACH- FRANCOIS HARDY-BETH DOUGLASS-EMILY WILDING DAVIDSON - MAUD WAGNER - LISE MEITNER - GABI COX - JOHNNY CASH - JUNE CARTER - SCOTT LLOYD - THE BOWES MUSEUM - JESSE FLAMAND
FASHION MAGAZINE FOR INTELLECTUAL GIRLS No 1// AUTUMN/WINTER 2015
This Sunda y G i r l B e l o n g s To
Volume 1
S u n d ay G i r l Intellectual Talk and Fashion for Girls Who Don’t Follow The Crowd
EDITOR | ABIGAIL DENNISON Welcome to your new favourite publication. We are a magazine set apart from other fashion magazines. We want you to feel powerful, valued, positive and uplifted after reading Sunday Girl. Our content is there to inspire you - to make you want to listen to a new album, write a song, put down your phone, find a pen pal or even open a business.Every person we have featured is selftaught and self motivated. Our models are first and foremost, young, vibrant, educated, young girls and we do not believe in altering their appearance with technology. For the cover of each issue we will present a muse. She will always be an aspirational, hardworking girl, who we look up to. An ‘Ultimate Sunday Girl’. We hope you enjoy reading as much as we have enjoyed creating. We look forward to presenting our next issue in Spring/ Summer 2016
For submissions and general enquiries: hello.sundaygirlmag@outlook.com Find us at www.sundaygirlmagazine.com Huge thanks to Sylvia Dennison, Aaron Allinson, Merrie Ashton and Hannah Jackson at The Bowes Museum, Mike Brown, Lauri-Beth Egerton, Eyv Hardwick, Raquel at Bryan Morel PR, Phoebe at Warner Music, Tyne Tees Models, Jessie Pink, Beth Douglass, Kirsty Marr, Katie Clarke, Sophie Hobbs, Lorna Slessor, Scott Lloyd, Jessica Flamand, Victoria Heward, Gabi Cox, Jessica Roberts, Ellie Biddle, Juliana Scheidecker and the girls from Copenhagen, The Geordie Chapter Motorcycle Group, Lordstone’s Cafe, Emma at Psyche, Grace at Vintageous Rags, Warren Harrison and last but not least, James Anderson and Robert De Niet. REPRODUCTION OF SUNDAY GIRL MAGAZINE IN WHOLE OR PART IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE EDITOR
Contents 6 36 64
Tous Les Garcons
Because dressing like a boy just got cooler
Badass Women in History
The Bowes Museum: Yves Saint Laurent
It’s cool to respect your elders
We take a look at this beautiful exhibition of YSL
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66
16
Into The Wild
Presenting our ultimate Sunday Girl
Take a Harley and see the world
Gabrielle Aplin
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The Art of Being a Nice girl Sugar and Spice and all things nice...
32
Mean Girls and Mean Girls Sunday Girl explores chick flicks and our behaviour
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Sister Suffragette We take a look back at the women who fought to vote
54
The Craft of Writing a Song We meet singer songwriter, Scott Lloyd
68
New Artist : Jessie Flamand We interviewed new girl on the music scene, Jessie Flamand
76
The Anti Typer
Per-suede Me
Are we approaching a neo-luddite decade?
A fashion story in suede
TOU S LES
7 // Sunday Girl
FASHION
16 // Sunday Girl
MUSE
Our Muse and Cover Girl
Gabrielle Aplin “I love Sundays! I think Sunday is a perfect day to take it easy and prep for the week ahead. I have also gotten really into cooking recently so that's always a nice thing to do on Sunday. But generally I just do relaxed things- hang out with friends, listen to music or if the weather is nice take my dog Zippo for a walk in the park.� Gabrielle Aplin
Photo Credit | Warner Music
Why Gabrielle is a Sunday Girl She’s the girl who has the world hanging on her every word. Her pure vocals, English rose image and her girl-next-door, nonchalant attitude to fame, Gabrielle Aplin is our ultimate Sunday Girl. Capturing the hearts of her early fans with her YouTube videos and the rest of the nation with her chart topping cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s The Power of Love, Wiltshire born Gabby recently toured with Ed Sheeran, whilst juggling a second album. With English Rain encompassing such a beautiful range of songs, the next has been widely anticipated. Announced with her first single, title track ‘Light Up the Dark’ and a captivating yet overwhelming video, we knew our girl had done it again. If the first song was to go by, the album would be her best yet. The Sunday Girl team were lucky enough to grab sought-after tickets to see Gabby’s first London show at a venue plucked straight from a 1920’s black and white film, Wilton’s Music Hall. We were treated to a few songs from English Rain which were welcomed by the crowd like old friends, as well as her new songs. “This is probably more exciting for me than it is you,” she laughed, and how wrong she was. The whole crowd were mezmerised from start to finish. A night to remember for her fans lucky enough to get there, but also for Gabrielle who is certainly here to stay.
love your flaws and live for your mistakes
Gabrielle Aplin Performing at Wilton’s Music Hall. Photo Credit | Warner Music
The Art of Being A Nice Girl
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ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BE NICE NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES
21 // Sunday Girl
FEATURE
As self-proclaimed ‘nice girls’ here at Sunday Girl, we are so done with sass. The drastically underwhelming fad that brought slogan tees telling us where to sit has finally climaxed. We’re suffocated by deceiving politicians, celebrity feuds, bitch films and twitter trolls demonstrating narcissism, rudeness and aggression. It has got to the point where this is not only tolerated in society, but also reinforced, encouraged and rewarded. More air time, more hype, more views and more retweets. What is it that differentiates a good-hearted individual? Does it mean to hold integrity, morality, politeness, caution, kindness and compassion? Or simply to hold on to the door for longer than five seconds for the person behind you? Decency and kindness has been overlooked for a decade in favour of bitchiness and confrontation; since when did we make it a profanity to be called ‘nice’. The etiquette to being a nice girl today is totally different from the times when we were expected to sigh and say little. A nice girl speaks her mind and sticks up for her friends. She’s the girl laughing the loudest at the joke where you get the punch line wrong and the first one to hold your hair back after one too many. Be the girl who everyone feels good around. Whilst lunching with gal-pals it’s totally ok to smile with chocolate brownie in your teeth and exclaiming, “I do not need dental work”. Girl, you’re a laugh a minute and you’re quoting Bridesmaids.
Hold integrity Be honest and clear with others and keep your promises. People trust your judgement and have more respect when you stick to your guns. Know when to admit when you’re wrong, apologise and forgive. A grudge never did anyone any good.
Be interested not just interesting. Ancient philosopher, Plato’s famous words were “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about”. Taking care to not be self-focussed is vital. Making other’s conversation feel valued show’s friendliness and compassion.
Be kind to yourself Taking care of number one is the most important thing. Eating right, not abusing your body, exercising your mind by reading thought provoking literature and learning new and interesting things creates a happier you and also a nicer person to be around.
Be positive A positive attitude is a refreshing and uplifting attribute. Try to see the good in every part of your day and every opportunity that arises. An optimist always chooses the best path, as every path is promising.
Work hard and be nice to people Be known for your hard working nature and treating people with kindness and respect. Not only will it make being around you a pleasure but it may also motivate others to work just as hard.
Give up gossip Being involved in an enticing yet unkind conversation about somebody else, as the saying goes, says more about yourself than the person of topic. A ‘no bitching’ policy surprisingly makes time for more substantial conversation and allows yourself to be the girl that brings out the best in other people.
Girls on Bikes In Cope n hage n Words and Photography by Abigail Dennison
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FASHION
Approaching Nyhavn riding a powder blue crème cafe bicycle sporting an old wicker basket with a bell. The bicycle scene around the Danish city gives London or Paris a run for their money with the bike to car ratio higher than any other cosmopolitan district. Being the first city to strive for a CO2 neutral city by 2017 must have something to do with the constant ticking and ringing hum around the streets.
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The city is like a safe haven; we strolled past hundreds of un-padlocked bikes outside the stations and cafes, which is so refreshing and inspiring coming from a place where you’re on constant guard of your possessions. Each and every road is partnered with a bike lane running alongside; minimising cycling accidents and maximising the trend.
Some state the bicycle scene around the city is linked to the freedom of the Danish people, not just a cool and convenient way to dash around. In the early 1900s the bike was deemed as the people’s ticket out of the inner city’s hue into the clean air of the outer less occupied districts of Denmark. The bicycle has been linked with the movement of freedom ever since.
Beautiful Danish people pepper the streets all clad in co-ordinated norm-core attire. A palette of black, white, navy and grey with a rare pop of colour is famously the standard uniform - a uniform which allows any tourist to be mistaken for a native Scandinavian; surely a compliment that is oh so easy to achieve.
‘Mean Girls’
& Mean Girls
33 // Sunday Girl
FEATURE
“Evil takes a human form in Regina George. Don’t be fooled because she may seem like your typical selfish, back-stabbing slut faced ho-bag, but in reality, she’s so much more than that.” Janice, in Mean Girls.
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t Sunday Girl we’re all about sophistication and girl power; however we know girls love a good ‘bitch’ movie with girlfriends where we can inhale pizza until we’re in a self inflicted food coma, right? As well as gaining a few pounds what else do we take from these chick flicks? With girls all over the globe able to recite the script to well known chick flicks, such as Mean Girls and Heathers; surely there’s a question to be asked whether there is a link between these media representations we are greeted with in the movies and girls’ behaviour today. We all know chick flick quotes are recognised worldwide. For example, the phrase, “you can’t sit with us”, has escalated from a bitchy comment from a movie, to a worldwide slogan for hierarchy and self-worth. With the phrase printed on t-shirts, worn by idolized celebrities, printed in magazines and associated with super models like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell – this softens the real meaning and makes it ‘cool’ to be a bitch. Society is constantly telling the younger and more malleable audience this mantra, ultimately stemmed from the media. A movie ‘Mean Girl’ is traditionally attractive and popular, making them aspirational and alluring to the viewer, consequently making the audience want to identify with the character. Psychologists Behm-Morawitz and Mastro state, “Social cognitive theory would suggest that the more the consumers identify with the movies and characters, the more likely they are to adopt the gendered attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours portrayed in these movies”. The popularity of the films and the lavish lifestyles lived by the characters make these imagined people aspirational; so it makes it seem to be ok to be a bitch if it get’s you all
these friends and a big reputation. Are enough teens replicating the Plastics for this to become a bonafide subculture? In 10 years time, will we remember the early 21st century as the reign of the Mean Girls? Personally, I believe we are in the midst of this reign but we do not know it. Since when was it every girls disposition to called a ‘diva’ and known as ‘sassy’, as opposed being called ‘nice’ and ‘sweet’? In 2005 Jason Zinoman published a review in the New York Times. He was reviewing a play called “The Shape of a Girl” a script inspired by the real-life story of a 14 year old girl murdered by two high school peers. He states that the play “adds to the growing consensus in popular culture that “sugar-andspice and everything nice” might have been overstating the case.”
“You were nothing before you met me. You were playing Barbies with Betty Finn. You were a Bluebird. You were a Brownie. You were a Girl Scout Cookie.” Heather Chandler, Heathers More recently, not-so-innocent teen chick flicks are box office hits amongst the target demographic with evidence by writer Claudia Puig stating that fairy tales and soft chick flicks don’t fare so well in cinemas, with tougher meangirl movies selling out. Claudia says in her USA Today article, "Today's teen girls want to see movies that speak to them more on their level, rather than giving them a sanitized view of teen life. The paradigm is shifting toward going after the teen audience in a more realistic way with edgier portrayals, things that today's teens can relate to.” With many other researchers, writers and journalists reinterpreting what
makes our teen girls socially aggressive, the most common theme throughout is learning the behaviour through imitation and exposure. Rosalin Wiseman, author of parents self help book, "Queenbees and Wannabes," believes mean girl behavior is occurring at younger ages. Stating it is down to going through puberty earlier and earlier and also girls imitating what they’re watching in films. Wiseman tells us, "Mainstream media is portraying girls at younger ages who are mimicking the worst of obnoxious, stereotypical girl behaviour ... rolling eyes, moving the hips around, being catty… so what girls are getting is that by 8 or 9, this is sort of a 'normal' way to act." A study by Nicole Martins from The Media School in Indiana has shown that the more young girls watch television programs displaying socially aggressive girls, the more likely they are to copy that behaviour with their peep group at school and in the classroom. She found that 92% of 150 popular children’s television shows contained various forms of aggression and most likely by the popular and good-looking female characters. Martin’s said, "with girls, the more they watched, the more likely they were to perpetuate these behaviours so there's something about the nature of this type of behaviour that girls feel comfortable perpetuating". With outside factors also fuelling this debate, such as music, social media, celebrity culture it may also depend on the individual’s home environment and peer’s personalities. All of these different factor’s can affect a young person’s behaviour when regularly exposed to it. We may never be 100% certain that chick flicks are solely, permanently changing young girls behaviours; however we do know that it is a contributing factor.
YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US
She lived dangerously., drank too much and never went to sleep before dawn.
An n e m a r i e S c hw a r z e n b a c h Born in 1908, courageous and enigmatic Swiss journalist Annemarie Schwarzenbach was a fascinating character epitomising androgynous glamour. An aspiring army general, pianist and dancer, she graduated from Zurich University as a Doctorate of History then proceeded to publish her first greatly acclaimed novel at the age of 23. She headed to Berlin, who were noticeably taken by her androgynous glamour; it was there that she began her addiction to morphine which proceeded to plague her in every aspect of her life. Despite all, her restless nature took her global where she wrote over 300 articles and took more than 5,000 photographs of her travels across America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Annemarie’s relationships were anything but romantic. She exhausted her partners with her drugs and demanding nature, which put strain on every relationship; she married a French diplomat named Claude Clarac, who was also
bisexual. However, following suit, her marriage ended after just five short months. Then her tragic love affair with US author Carson McCullers resulted in her failed suicide attempt. Her life was unimaginable and her death was an awful twist of fate. At the, unbeknown, end of her life at just 34 years old, she attempted a “hands free” stunt whilst riding her bicycle and fell off, hitting her head. Annemarie died nine weeks later. In 2008 an exhibition of her life was held in the Strauhof Museum in Zurich displaying photography from greats including Marianne Breslauer who shot some of the most striking images of the writer. Annemarie’s pageboy haircut, androgynous style and her boyish figure often led to confusion, Breslauer stated that she “couldn’t decide whether she was a woman or a man”.
Tous les garçons et les filles de mon âge
Fr a n c o i s e H a r dy Parisian chart topper, model and Alexa Chung’s style icon, Francoise was the girl of the moment in the early 1960s. Mick Jagger described her as his ‘ideal woman’ and Bob Dylan dedicated a love poem to her; she was the epitome of cool girl-next-door. As a child, her family situation was complex, her abusive grandmother beat her down daily, ‘ugly’ and ‘worst creature on earth’ were the regular taunts she endured; her self confidence hit rock bottom and she vowed she would become a nun. After spotting an advertisement for young singers in the local paper, she proceeded to audition for Vogue record label in 1961, who released her first single, ‘oh, oh Cheri’. Her most famous song, ‘Tous Les Garcons et Les Filles’ was released not long after, which became a European hit and sold over two million copies, breaking expectations. Hardy moved to the UK in the mid 60s, rubbing shoulders with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger, who were all taken
by her shy personality, her beauty and vulnerability. Especially Jagger - however Francoise has since stated “I think I was too clean for him. I didn’t know anything about drugs and wouldn’t have been tempted by them.” She graced the covers of Elle and Paris Match and worked with designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabbanne. Now considered a style icon and poster girl for coolness and innocence; she makes it all the more chic to be the nice girl.
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FEATURE
I N T O
T H E
Wi l d
PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING BY ABIGAIL DENNISON MODEL - BETH DOUGLASS HAIR BY SYLVIA AT CHINTZ HAIR SALON A L L C LOT H I N G - B A R B O U R AT P S Y C H E . C O. U K WITH THANKS TO THE GEORDIE CHAPTER MOTORCYCLE GROUP
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FASHION
Sister
Suffragette With upcoming Hollywood film, starring Meryl Streep, set to portray the struggle for women’s right to vote, Sunday Girl asks how much do we already know?
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eventeen Cherry Tree Lane is where our first lesson in feminism took place. Mary Poppins’ character, Mrs Banks proudly displays her ‘Women For Votes’ sash over her lilac dress and petty coat, teaching in a Disney-fied sing song, “Political equality and equal rights with men Take heart for Mrs. Pankhurst has been clapped in irons again, No more the meek and mild subservience we We’re fighting for our rights militantly”. As young doe-eyed children perhaps we only see Chef’s funny dancing and hear a catchy tune we can mimic in the playground, but the message is a legendary tale. The suffragette campaigners we’re led by Emmeline Pankhurst in the early 1900’s and fought for equal rights for both men and women, including the right to vote. The suffragettes’ measures were confrontational and rebellious causing many to be
injured, killed or jailed in protest. Emily Wilding Davidson is now deemed as one of the feminist icons of the time. On the 4th June 1913, Emily allegedly ‘threw’ herself under the king’s horse on Epsom Derby Day proceeding to die from her injuries four days later. There has been much speculation as to whether Emily intended to kill herself on that fateful day; some experts say she was merely trying to pin a ribbon wielding the suffragettes’ colours onto the king’s horse. Accident or intended suicide, her extreme actions are iconic and uses the suffragettes’ motto ‘Deeds not Word’ very literally. Before her death, Emily carried out lots of protests putting herself in danger; she distracted the prison guards from force feeding the other women by throwing herself down a set of iron stairs and prior to this hid in the House of Commons on the night of the National Census in order to give her official residence that day as Parliament. Now over 100 years later, filmmakers have begun production for a new Hollywood
movie titled Suffragette. The star-studded cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Carey Mulligan (who is to play the lead) and Meryl Streep, who is the role of Emmeline Pankhurst. As we all know a massive campaign came to light in 2014 with Emma Watson’s iconic speech championing HeforShe, and more recently at the Oscar’s, Best Supporting Actress winner, Patricia Arquette, in her acceptance speech shouted out for equal pay and rights for women. In the words of Mrs Banks, “our daughters’ daughters will adore us, and they’ll sing in grateful chorus, well done, Sister Suffragette” and we do, over 100 years later and we are still fighting what our great great grandmothers started.
Words by Abigail Dennison
“Our daughter’s daughters will adore us, and they’ll sing in grateful chorus, ‘well done,’”
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FEATURE
The illustrated woman who exchanged dates for tattoo lessons
M a u d Wa g n e r Maud Wagner travelled with circuses and sideshows in 1904 where she exchanged dates with a man described as “the most artistically marked up man in America� for lessons in the craft. Even before women fought to vote, Wagner was utilising her skills to become a ground-breaking stepping stone for women and became the first female tattoo artist. To be skilled in what was considered a masculine occupation, she paved the way for many females to follow in her footsteps, although very few know her name or who she is.
Influencial female scientist who discovered Nuclear Fission
Lis e M e itn er The only woman in the group of scientists who discovered nuclear fission, an achievement for which her male college Otto Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize. Lise Meitner’s case is seen as the most infamous example of women’s scientific achievements overlooked by the Nobel committee. Meitner is now considered as one of the most influential and honoured female scientists in history. In 1945 she was elected as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Scientists then later became a member of both the English and American Academy of Scientists. Meitner received 21 scientific honours for her work and went on to establish the ‘Lise Meitner’ prize with The European Physical Society for excellence in Nuclear Science. More recently, in July 2014, a statue was unveiled in the garden of the Humboldt University of Berlin.
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FEATURE
D E C I D E
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C O M M I T
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S U C C E E D
G i r l B o s s In 2014, 21-year-old Gabi Cox launched her business, Chroma Stationary. Making and selling stylish and affordable embossed notebooks, Gabi saw a gap in the market and her business has since took off and is now loved and used by brands such as Vodaphone’s London Fashion Week, Tatler, The Telegraph Fashion Online and Tanya Burr. Gabi tells Sunday Girl her journey so far...
So Gabi, can you tell us a little bit about your background? I spent the first few years of my life in Spain before moving to Berkshire where I have lived for 18 years. After finishing my ALevels I completed an Art Foundation Diploma at UCA Farnham where I finished with a Distinction. I then went on to complete a degree in Fashion Promotion & Imaging at UCA Epsom. Whilst completing my degree I gained work experience at places such as Glamour Magazine, Easy Living magazine and British Vogue. Where did Chroma first arise? During my final year I set up Chroma as part of my final major project - after graduating I decided to continue to grow the business. In October I successfully completed a Kickstarter project, raising £4,500 to afford initial stock for Chroma. What was your drive for the business and your edge on the rest of the market? Chroma began through my obsession with colour and study of colour psychology. I was fascinated with why people like certain colours and not others, and how they trigger memories, feelings and emotions. My research evolved from colour research and illustrating colour memories to greetings cards and finally notebooks. I’ve always been obsessed with stationery and notebooks and wasn’t satisfied with what was available. I wanted to be able to emboss and customise notebooks without the large price tag.
Chroma was a culmination of all of these factors! Congratulations on the huge names you have recently collaborated with! How did that feel? It is amazing to collaborate with big names. Working with large PR firms during Fashion Week and being included in gift guides by the likes of The Telegraph Fashion Online & Tatler is huge. Working with and supplying bloggers (such a Tanya Burr, Sprinkle of Glitter & Lily Pebbles) with notebooks has been instrumental in raising the profile of Chroma. Its all really exciting! So, whats next for Chroma? Next I am bringing in new Chroma products. I want to expand the range of notebooks to include smaller and larger sizes as well as diaries and further stationery & lifestyle items. Chroma has grown so fast, was opening your own business your aspiration? Coming straight out of Uni I couldn’t decide what to do, I had thoughts about going in to teaching and started looking at assistant marketing roles. I also found it really hard to just let go of Chroma, after months of hard work, so with people still buying the Chroma products I decided to continue with Chroma part time. Things have grown quite quickly and has meant I can focus on it full time! It is crazy to think that just a year ago Chroma was just an idea and a couple of sketchbooks. I really love working for myself and seeing the company grow, it is sometimes overwhelming to
be doing it all on my own but it is so varied and rewarding!
So You Want to Start a Business? Gabi gives Sunday Girl her 3 top tips for entrepreneurial success 1. Make contacts and always be nice - I have found that people I worked with during my internships or whilst at University have been incredibly helpful and supportive whilst growing Chroma. Always work hard, be nice and leave roles on a good note, as you never know when you might work with each other again in the future. 2. Work / Life Balance - This is something I am still juggling with now. When setting up a business you throw every hour of your day in to it. However, it is important to find balance in your life so you always come back to working with a fresh mind and things don’t get on top of you. 3. Baby steps - It easy to run away with yourself and want to launch every idea and make everything the best it can be right from the start, especially if you’re a perfectionist. However, to ensure the business grows steadily it is important not to rush everything all at once. Making small baby steps & improvements pushes you forward - you can always go back and tweak things, make changes & learn from customer feedback.
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INTERVIEW
r e p y T i t n A e Th
The Er a of the Neo- Lu ddite In a year where technology and social media are on the decline, Sunday Girl discusses the prospects of a ‘Neo-Luddite’ future
There’s no doubt about it, we’re in a time where most of the population have a smart device shackled to their fingertips 24/7. The rapid evolution of technology over the past 15 years is certainly overwhelming; most recently there have been prototypes of actual droids, which are designed to deliver our parcels and we’re looking at permanent holiday’s to Mars. What’s the climax? Do we just keep on evolving until there’s no more evolving left? In late 2014, there were reports that 2015 would be the year we grew tired of tech. Where we would finally put down our kindles and pick up a book. As though someone would finally say, “okay, we’re all tired of this now.” It’s fair to say, that didn’t exactly happen; however figures show there has been declines in social media hits and app downloads. It is now being seen as a ‘social stepping stone’ to announce you no longer use Facebook or finally deleted angry birds. These predictions of a
tech-shunning nation were made by Hotwire, a communications agency based in London. In it’s sixth annual Digital Trend Report, last year they stated, “While there are many early adopters out there scrambling around to get their hands on the latest smartwatch or iPhone, there are a group of much cooler kids working out way to kill tech altogether... Welcome to the era of the neo-Luddite. They’re here to make you switch off”. The term ‘Neo-Luddite’ is a modern day word used to describe people who are considered to be ‘anti-technology’. These people generally have a dislike towards modern science and tech or have a hard time understanding/ using it. With this growing anti-tech trend many viral videos have came to light, all with the same message; technology makes us narcissistic. And at Sunday Girl, we agree. Whilst we’re measuring our
self worth through how many ‘likes’ we get on our selfies, taken with our IPhones, we’re ignoring the people who are by our side in real life. A team of developers have begun to create a ‘NoPhone’. This is simply an oblong shaped piece of plastic, firstly created as a joke, designed to take the place of our handsets. It ‘weans’ us off gently. However is this another unnecessary money-making fad, cashing in on the news? We think so. So what will the reports show for the coming year? Will the rise of the Neo-Luddites continue or will Apple launch a new gizmo we just have to have?
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FEATURE
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ayering textures and knits is a key trend for Autumn/Winter. Snuggly cardigans, fisherman’s knit jumpers and woollen coats are perfect pieces for layering over crisp shirts and boyfriend t-shirts. Keep to minimal delicate jewellery to emulate a laid back, ‘norm-core’ feel. Wind in hair, optional.
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FASHION
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dvocated by Alice Temperly’s A/W 15 collection, shimmer and shine is here for another year. We welcomed a 90’s metallic tribute in 2014, now this year we’re wearing it totally different. Think jewelled tones and roaring 20’s furs, loose silhouettes and wide leg trousers, opulent jacquard prints and sequins for days. Channel Farrah Fawcett meets Daisy Buchanan. For a more everyday vibe, teaming metallics with knitwear totally works.
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scar De La Renta showed us how to wear 3D florals on the New York Fashion Week runway back in February. Soft silk and toile was used in the collection in order to keep in with De La Renta’s style. At Sunday Girl, we say layering and monochrome adds another dimension to the 3D trend elevating the look to a new level.
The Romance of
Letter Writing
Over the centuries, love letters from the greats have paved expectations of what real love should feel like. Although we can’t all be Shakespeare, a hand written note expresses much more affection than any gift. With hand written messages on the decline in favour of typed letters, emails and texting, we hope to re-ignite the passion for putting pen to paper. As self confessed romantics we wanted to explore the most touching hand written letters in history that have stood the test of time, still tugging on heart strings today.
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n a Valentine’s Day poll earlier this year, Johnny Cash’s love letter to his wife, June Carter-Cash, was voted the greatest love letter of all time. Written for June’s birthday in 1994, Cash’s note reads, “you’re the object of my desire, the #1 earthly reason for my existence”. His penmanship describes his wife as “the greatest woman I ever met” and the singer’s handwriting and crossed out errors makes his message all the more personal. Signing of with “happy birthday princess. John”, a simple but heart-renching note which is made even more poignant with reports that he died of a broken heart four months after June’s death in 2003. At number 2 on the list, a letter from Winston Churchill to his wife, Clementine - to which he refers to as ‘Clemmie’. Churchill’s heart felt letter beat the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Keats and Hemmingway; all who are known for their eloquence with words. The former Prime minister pen’s, “In your letter from Madras you wrote some words very dear to me, about my having enriched your life. I cannot tell you what pleasure
this gave me, because I always feel so overwhelmingly in your debt, if there can be accounts in love.... What it has been to me to live all these years in your heart and companionship no phrases can convey.” After only a few meetings, Winston was besotted with his future wife and proceeded to ask her mother for consent to propose to her. Despite the stresses of Churchill’s life and work, his relationship with Clemmie was affectionate and refreshing. She has been highly credited as the ‘real force behind’ him and became adored by many for her work, receiving gifts from Stalin and Charles De Gaulle. Amongst the many famous names on the list, Richard Burtons letter to his love Elizabeth Taylor is number 6. He writes, “My blind eyes are desperately waiting for the sight of you. You don’t realize of course, EB, how fascinatingly beautiful you have always been, and how strangely you have acquired an added and special and dangerous loveliness.” Having famously fell in love on the set of Cleopatra, the first on screen kiss proved he was completed caught up in her Liz Taylor frenzy; the kiss was repeated many
times to capture the winning take however the pair’s kiss lasted longer and longer throughout each one, with the director Mankiewicz finally intervening, asking, “do you mind if I say cut?”. They still did not stop. Burton lived for poetry, alcohol and Shakespeare, which was well known. However his passion for writing love letters stayed hidden from the public. A box of 40 love letters and notes from Burton stayed their secret for decades. A series of famous love letters, which did not make the cut however, are Frida Kahlo’s penmanship to her secret lover, José Bartoli. The Mexican painter wrote, in 1946, “Last night I felt as if many wings caressed me all over, as if your finger tips had mouths that kissed my skin.” The love letters often contained drawings and pressed flowers, which were kept by Bartoli until his death in 1995. These love letters and the stories that accompany them are the simplest yet most effective message of affection. A doodle, an ink stain here and there and a signature at the end speaks volumes for centuries and always will. Keep penmanship alive and write.
IMAGES COURTESY OF THE BOWES MUSEUM
65 // Sunday Girl
REVIEW
The Bowes Museum
Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal One of the gems of the North East is The Bowes Museum. First crreated over 100 years ago by John and Josephine Bowes, together they built up the greatest private collection of European decorative arts in the North of England. Today the museum is internationally renowned for its exhibtion programme and holds the first exhibition in the UK to showcase the life and work of Yves Saint Laurent in partnership with the Fondation Pierre Berge. Opened on July 17th 2015, the exhibtion called Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal, highlights the defining elements of his fantastic talent, vision and tells us of the signicance he had in shaping fashion, the way we dress and understand womenswear today. We are taken through themes of arts, transparency, decades throughout the 20th century and also women’s emancipation. The exhibtion showcases Yves Saint Laurent’s original designs and sketches, atelier specification sheets, collection boards, arrays of shoes, hats and accessories, archive footage of runway shows, interviews with the designer himself, behind the scenes filming of his studios where his creations came to life, plus more beautiful and interesting pieces that shaped his journey and career as a designer. This astounding exhibition is open until 25th October so be sure not to miss this once in a lifetime experience. The Head of Fashion Curation at The Bowes Museum tells us, “We are honoured to host the first exhibition in the UK of Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most influential fashion designers of all time. We are also thrilled to work, alongside the Fondation Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent, on an innovative display that introduces a dialogue between the designer’s body of work and The Bowes Museum’s collection. This certainly is a great moment in the history of The Bowes Museum, as well as for fashion display in the UK.”
The Craft of Writing a Song with Scott Lloyd
A poet, a storyteller, a listener and an impassioned wise man Named as one of the finest songwriters in Manchester, Scott Lloyd’s raw yet powerful lyrics communicate a venturesome wise soul who has lived a hard life, at only 26 years young. Scott’s impressive writing talent, his folky, stripped back voice and the strings of his Martin guitar, creates music resembling that of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. His honest sound has carried him through 3 EPs with him now working on the 4th and a much anticipated gig at Glastonbury festival in 2015. Although the singer has always held a flair for song-writing his latest EP, Give Me Something, is undoubtedly his finest to date. His vulnerable stories throughout the songs strike the minds of all ages. Title track ‘Give Me Something’ eloquently conveys the hurt of hard working people who are on life’s treadmill, making it personal to each individual’s struggles. Whilst upbeat ‘What Have I Gotta Do’ instantly kicks in with a foot tapping beat, a 70s riff and relatable, catchy lyrics such as “What have I gotta do to make you see that I’m alive, oh what have I gotta do to make you mine”. For his next work, Scott is evolving his sound. As a prolific solo, acoustic artist, he has always been a one-man band and is widely credited for that. However for his upcoming sound he now has a band behind him, “although the lyrics are still raw, with the band, the songs sound as though they were wrote for this arrangement”, he tells us. As an unsigned artist, Scott carries on touring around the UK, now with his band in tow. Playing every week, Scott’s intimate performances create an atmosphere reminiscent to Bob Dylan’s early gigs. As an amazing asset to the folk, acoustic music scene, be sure to see one of his early shows as Scott Lloyd is set to be big news in the next few years.
67 // Sunday Girl
FEATURE
D E C I D E
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C O M M I T
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S U C C E E D
INTRODUCING
JESSE FLAMAND
69 // Sunday Girl
INTERVIEW
Jessica Flamand is an eighteen-year-old up and coming musician from the United States. After putting out her first EP “The Lost Years” this past year, she is now currently working on a debut full-length record to be released in 2015. An intelligent and down to earth girl, we hugely take inspiration from her maturity, work ethic and her 60s vibe. Sunday Girl scores a chat Jessie before she hits the big time!
Hi Jesse, we’re loving your music and look over here in the UK! Where are you based ATM? I’m currently living at my home in Connecticut and working on a move to New York City. I love to travel, so its been a bit difficult to commit to needing to be in one place due to rent and such. All part of becoming an adult I suppose! Your song writing is beautiful; you have such a nostalgic sound. How did you first get into music? Music was always around me as a child, I took guitar lessons for a few years starting when I was 9 but did not develop a real love for it until around 15. I am a writer before I am a musician. Music and writing have been two very big parts of my life but it is only in the past few years that the two have merged. And your musical inspirations? I was lucky enough to have access to many genres as a child allowing me to form my own musical identity. From classical music, to the folk greats of the 60s, Jeff Buckley, The Smiths, a wide range of artists have had their influence on me. As for
current musicians that people could draw a connection to, Laura Marling and Angel Olsen are two I greatly admire. You’re very grounded and your tastes are really classic. Can you tell us your favourite read or author and a memorable quote you are motivated by? Picking a favourite book is incredibly difficult for me. I am an avid reader and when I don’t have a guitar in hand a book is likely in its place. Just like choosing which record to listen to, it depends on the day you ask. The pieces that I return to again and again are Emerson and Montaigne’s essays, and the poems of T.S. Eliot and Rilke. I greatly enjoy philosophy and the history of science; formative authors on those subjects would be far too numerous to list. And as for a quote I’ve always liked Oscar Wilde’s, “Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” In an age of endless digital information we are allowing too much of the value of true experience to be lost. What is your songwriting process like? Are your songs personal to you? I am incredibly lyric driven.
Throughout the day I jot down little lines that may or may not turn into something. I also pull songs out of poems and stories I’ve written, once I have a real feel for the idea behind the song I will then go to the guitar. The reading I do certainly influences how I write songs, stories and sentences I like tend to find their way into them. However, they are all extremely personal I cannot write about something I don’t have a deep connection to. The length of time it takes me to write them varies. Sometimes it all comes out at once, those are my favorite times, while others take months of patching together to feel finished. As for the creation of the song itself that remains a mystery to me. I don’t dig at it too hard, it’s a beautiful mystery. Do you have any advice for budding singers who want to eventually release an EP? The only thing I would say is that you alone know your level of love for the craft, it will take you as far as the amount you put into it. Thank you so much for the chat Jessie, we’ll be watching out for your next EP!
Photography and Words by Abigail Dennison Model, Sophie Rose Hobbs | Hair by Sylvia and Aaron at Chintz | Clothes by Vintageous Rags
A Velvet Voice with a Poisoned Mind T H E
S T O R Y
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K A R E N
71 // Sunday Girl
FEATURE & FASHION
C A R P E N T E R
The white bread persona, the tragically un-hip dancing, a brother-sister act and the impossible chocolate tone; Karen Carpenter was the image of wholesome good girl. But this only went skin deep. Underneath the sugar coating she was tormented by anorexia nervosa from the age of 17 up until her death at the age of 32. In a year which would have been Karen’s 65th birthday, Sunday Girl explores her story.
The Carpenters are considered one of the biggest musical duos of all time. Scoring 17 top 20 hits, the ‘Close to You’, brother-sister band trilled light, sprightly melodies and tight harmonies. They sold over 100 million records, including well known songs such as “Rainy Day and Mondays”, “Goodbye to Love”, “Close to you” and “Little Boy Blue”. Karen’s effortless vocal’s made the hits instantly recognisable and she is known as one of the most well known female voices in the music industry of the decade. The sweet, wholesome family we saw on stage proved to be worlds apart from their real life. Feeling desperately pushed out of her family, Karen struggled throughout her career with incredibly low self-esteem; and after a critic made a throw away comment regarding her weight Karen developed anorexia, of which she never was to recover. With a complicated family situation and feeling as
though her mother favoured her sibling, Karen began to take charge of the thing she knew she could control – her weight. After starting slowly and gently, following her high school graduation Karen started an innocent diet, dropping around 2 stone. In 1973, The Carpenters performed a concert at Lake Tahoe. After seeing the pictures of the performance, Karen vowed she was going to “do something about it”. She lost another 20lbs through healthy diet and exercise, however could not break her routine of meticulous calorie counting after the compliments of her new found image came swarming in. With even her brother Richard telling her, “you look great”, to which she replied, “well, I’m just going to get down to around 105(lbs)”, “A hundred and five? You look great now”, he told her. This was the first time Richard became concerned about his sister. After months of pushing
her food around her plate and sharing the remnants to others, Karen’s weight plummeted to 6 stone 6lbs. Comments were made by her agent Stephen Bash, who was horrified to see her bones. Her fans often gasped at her gaunt appearance when she approached the stage and thought she must have a terrible disease such as cancer. In the 1980’s anorexia nervosa was not fully understood, therefore people simply told Karen to “eat”. However she yearned for help through her starvation and exhaustion. Bash discussed her disease with Karen, unlike any members of her family who were known to have said, “we can take care of ourselves. We don’t need to have someone to help. This is a family matter”. However with Karen’s illness came an influx of attention from her usually nonchalant family and reports say that as Karen had never had attention from her mother before, she liked it – which
therefore conditioned her to “over diet” continuously. It was her way of feeling her mothers love. Karen vastly deteriorated and was barely able to perform as the Carpenters. She would lie down in between shows, suffering with exhaustion until eventually her doctor would not allow her to go through the upcoming Europe tour; which was expected to have been the highest grossing tour in Britain, with around 150,000 fans set to attend. The tickets sold out for the tour within hours and had to be almost immediately refunded. Over the next couple of years, Karen’s weight stayed very low and in 1983, she is known to have began abusing Ipecac, which is used for self-induced sickness, creating painful cramps and the effects slowly start to dissolve the heart. 60 days after her first use, Karen accidently killed herself.
Irridress-sense
Irridescence and petroleum metallics add another dimension to a classic wardrobe. Rusty, olive tones and oily textures are vital to refresh your favourite LBD or that black suit your friends suspect you sleep in. Polychromatic accessories and silvered bags to style up or bolder, lustrous garments to emulate the runway.
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73 // Sunday Girl
FASHION
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CITY HOPPING WITH AIR BnB
Dreaming of chic weekends in an enviable penthouse over looking Paris? Or maybe even Berlin, Copenhagen or Barcelona for that matter? Hotels for weekend stays can sometimes cash in at anything up to £500; and that’s just for a low budget room with a roadside view! Well, look no further than Airbnb who provides stylish pads and apartments for girls like us, with limited budget. The catch? Staying in someone else’s bed (with them NOT there obviously!) Airbnb is simply a room/ flat letting website where people from all over the world can list their space to be rented out to tourists short term. Started in 2007 by Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky whom were both struggling to pay their rent. Part of the dot com boom of self employment, once a start up, Airbnb lets anyone with a spare room cash in. The company is now valued at 8 billion pounds, has over 800,000 listings featuring boats, castles, penthouses, even tree houses and now takes a booking every two seconds. Both renters and hosts have to create a profile to establish their identity in order to go ahead and then are encouraged to leave reviews on each other to help the next booking. How easy is it to book? Super easy. Only a few weeks ago I decided to head over to Copenhagen for some culture, style inspiration and Danish meatballs. On a budget stretching no more than £200 we knew we’d end up staying in a hotel that’s a lil’ bit dodgy! We then read an article explaining what Airbnb was all about and decided to check it out. We were amazed with the amount of countries that were covered and not to mention the prices! After scrolling through a couple of amazing Scandi apartments, we came across a winner and at £59 per night (between 2) we emailed our host Ali and arranged our stay almost instantly. Bagging £25 flights we were ready to jet off to hang with the Danish! Upon arrival at the apartment, which was located in the business district of the city, we were greeted by our host and then left to explore. The flat was clean and stylish and very Scandi with a few Parisian touches in the decor; we had a home cinema in the bedroom, Apple TV (with Netflix), a balcony and a fully functioning kitchen, which turned out lots cheaper than eating out for every meal. It was safe to say we’d hit a home run on our first Airbnb experience. Staying in somebodies space is such an intimate thing, their books on the shelves, their clothes in the wardrobe and their jam in the fridge; you would think it would be hard to feel at home there. However it is so much more authentic and we felt like locals. I’d sure take Ali’s place over a Holiday Inn any day.
75 // Sunday Girl
REVIEW
PER-SUEDE ME
Photography and Styling by Abigail Dennison Clothes by Mango | Model - Katie Clarke
77 // Sunday Girl
FASHION
Photography and Food Styling by Abigail Dennison
, s d o o f r e p Su ling Dar
Words by Lorna Slessor and Abigail Dennison
B
eetroot is undeniably one of the most fashionable vegetables of the season, with its glowing pink hue shining as brightly as the bloggers and celebrity chefs who sing about its health benefits. Perfect in salads, whizzed into a smoothie or baked into a cake, beetroot is also arguably the most versatile of vegetables. Typically known for releasing energy and curing hangovers, the pink food is equally a surprise aphrodisiac, with high levels of boron and nitric oxide boosting libido. After all, the belief that a man and woman eating from the same beetroot will cause them to fall in love must have some degree of truth to it! February 2015’s Fashion week saw this deep jewelled colour coming through in many different collections such as Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood and Vanessa Bruno; tulle skirts, heavy knits and jackets paired with palettes of navy, bottle green and a hint of mustard. Whether you wear it or eat it; it’s a big year for the beet.
It’s All About That Jewel Coloured Root
Ke e p I n To u c h www.sundaygirlmagazine.com @sundaygirlmagazine facebook.com/sundaygirlmagazine
VOLUME ONE