the Look. issue I 17/18
World
WITHOUT
LABELS
STREET
STYLE
Style Spotlight Seoul South Korea
IN DCU
THE beauty of DRAG culture
Exclusive interview with
Doireann Garrihy
CONTENT Letter from the editors 4 Look Photoshoot Competition 5 Retro revival 7 The world of Doireann 9 Photoshoot 2017 12 Style Spotlight: Seoul, South Korea 26 The beauty of drag culture 29 Streetstyle in DCU 32 Fashion with a conscience 36 The future of fashion journalism 39 A world without labels 41 The social supermodel 44 Credits 47
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lood, sweat and tears went into the creation of issue one of the magazine this year. As editors, it was incredible to see so many talented DCU students submit such creative and unique ideas.
letter from the editors
Inside this issue, we have an exclusive interview with Snapchat superstar Doireann Garrihy. Winner of ‘personality of the year’ at the Irish Tatler Women of the Year Awards, it was an honour to speak to someone as driven and hardworking as Doireann.
Our photoshoot was shot in the beautiful IdleWild bar on Dublin’s Fade Street. Mixing vibrant colours with sleek fabrics produced an editorial that is both luxurious and relaxed. Each article in the magazine was carefully curated by our team of contributors from various courses in DCU. Our layout teamed worked endlessly to produce the look of a high-end magazine, and we would’ve been lost without them. When we came into DCU in first year, the Look was something we aspired to be apart of. We’re delighted to share our work with you and we hope you love it as much as we do. Rachel and Tess x
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THE LOOK: PHOTOSHOOT COMPETITION
Winner of 2017 Photoshoot Competition... Orlaith Fogarty and Mitchell Goudie Jumper: Oasis, Skirt: Siopaella
The Look photo shoot competition is always a success. Without fail each year, students with completely different styles produce unique and individual looks in hopes of making it into The Look. Each team had 10 minutes to pull together a look with various pieces from Siopaella, Oasis and Coast. After that they had only 10 minutes to get the perfect shot. The talent this year was extraordinary and thank you so much to everyone who entered. 5
2017 Photoshoot Competition First Runner Up
2017 Photoshoot Competition Second Runner Up
PHOTOSHOOT COMPETITION RUNNER UPS 6
Retro Revival By Amy Murphy
There’s nothing quite like the eclectic style of the ‘90s era. There was the plaid preppy looks inspired by Clueless, the Britpop streetstyle of trackie bottoms, parkas, and mountains of Fred Perry, to the grungy looks of delicate slip dresses paired with chunky Doc Martens. The versatility of the ‘90s may be the biggest reason for its revival now. It has a pick and mix quality about it that fits into anyone’s wardrobe. While there is some nineties trends that are definitely best left in the past, it’s safe to say that the return of the ‘90s is a trend that isn’t going anywhere fast. Fashion, just like history, definitely repeats itself, and thanks to vintage shops such as Nine Crows and Tola Vintage, the best 90’s looks have never been so accessible. After years of the ‘hip-hugger low rise’ and circulation-stopping skinny jeans, denim has revisited the ‘90s and the Mom Jean is now bigger than ever. The comfortable pants sit perfectly at the waist and flares out slightly at the hips giving you the perfect hourglass silhouette. There is a tonne of variations available in stores now, from seriously distressed to colorful and embroidered. This trend works so well because it can be worn with anything. Pair it with a leather jacket to toughen up your look or tuck in a blouse for a prettier feel. The 90s (and Sporty Spice) took tracksuit bottoms out of the gym and onto the streets. Now, athleisure is everywhere. This chic trend merges business smart and sportswear into one. Many brands have caught onto the trend too, such as Puma with their Fenty by Rihanna collection including the ultimate 90s throwback of ‘popper’ track pants. It’s obvious why this trend has worked – it’s stylish while remaining comfortable and can be worn just about anywhere. 90s style and the iconic slip dress go hand in hand. An essential for Kate Moss back 5
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in the day, the slip dress is the ultimate cool-girl dress. It’s ultra-fashionable and ultra-versatile. It can be worn on its own or layered over t-shirts or chunky knits. Short or long, plain or patterned, paired with heels or converse, this throwback dress will have you looking like an off duty model whatever the occasion. It’s not just clothes that have gotten a 90s revival but accessories too. Forget about the oversized sunglasses that cover half your face, nineties eyewear was all about one style and one style only – the round frame. This style has hit the fashion scene hard. Whether it’s a sleek pair of metal-framed prescription glasses or tinted lens sunglasses, round-framed glasses are the easiest way to add a touch of 90s to your look. No 90s look was complete without a choker. This essential trend is back with a vengeance and can be seen on the catwalk and the high street and everywhere in between. The choker trend is so wearable and works well with nearly every neckline. It’s the perfect way to add that final flourish to your outfit. From leather to velvet, pearl or lace, your options are practically unlimited. More than twenty years later, 90s trends are as popular as ever. Take inspiration from the it-girls of the time such as Kate Moss, Courtney Love and Winona Ryder and recreate their looks in an updated way. Whatever way you decide to wear the trend, one thing is for certain – 90s fashion is back with a bang and more stylish than ever.
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The world of Doireann 9
Rachel Farrell chats to Snapchat star Doireann Garrihy about bloggers, awards and avoiding black-tie dresses. Radio presenter, Snapchat celebrity and award winnernot many can hold all three titles, but Doireann Garrihy can. Rising to prominence after posting impressions of celebrated bloggers on her Snapchat, Doireann has become a force to be reckoned with in the past year. After graduating from Trinity with a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies, Doireann fell into radio after acting didn’t work out. “Looking back now, I don’t think I had the confidence to be in the industry. There is a lot of rejection and although I thought I had a thick enough skin for it, I really didn’t,” Doireann said. “You could have done a perfectly good audition but be too tall, too brunette, too old looking or whatever and I just said ‘I need a Plan B’”.
Guilfoyle. Meanwhile, her impressions and videos on Snapchat made her a household name among young adults. Her comic imitations of blogger turned businesswoman Suzanne Jackson and Cocoa Brown’s Marissa Carter come across as light-hearted and fun, but behind it all she has major praise for Irish bloggers. “I think the Irish blogging industry is growing and expanding so rapidly for a reason. People are rarely off their phones these days, so blogging content is being consumed more than ever before,” Doireann said. The topic of blogger are being paid is a controversial one and Doireann believes they should make the most of opportunities. In fact, the 25-year-old herself recently started accepting paid promotions on her social media.
‘Plan B’ was a diploma in radio and a year as a broadcaster for AA Roadwatch. This experience landed Doireann a job at “One evening my Dad sat SPIN1038 as co-presenter me down and said ‘I hear of the Zoo Crew with Marty brands want to collaborate 10
with you for a few bob, and I hear you’re saying no. Are you alright in the head?’” she explained. “I told him I didn’t want to be a sell out and he basically said ‘Doireann, you do not have to be. Team up with the right brands that fit with what you’re up to and what you genuinely care about. No one can fault you for that. Make hay.’ So that’s the advice I’ve stuck to.” In October the Castleknock native won ‘Personality of the Year’ at the Irish Tatler Women of the Year Awards, something she described as “mind-blowing”. It’s hard to believe her first ever award nomination was only at the beginning of 2017 at the Gossies. It was that night that Doireann started to believe she must be doing something right. “If someone had told me this time last year that I would be winning awards for what I do, there’s not a hope I would have believed them. I’m happiest when I’m busy, so I’ve been happier than ever over the past few months,” she said. Labelled ‘Most Stylish Online Influencer’ by VIP Magazine, Doireann admits that fashion has
“I think it’s so important to feel comfortable, regardless of what’s on trend at any given time”
always been important in a family of all girls. “I think it’s so important to feel comfortable, regardless of what’s on trend at any given time. For example I really don’t like wearing full length dresses so even if an event is black tie, I’ll find an alternative like a cocktail dress or a tailored suit. Some of her goals for 2018 include continuing her comedy sketches on Snapchat and be nominated for an IMRO Radio Award. “Martin and I weren’t on the Zoo Crew long enough this year to be eligible to enter, so that’s something we are both hoping to achieve,” she said. While a bright future lies ahead for the driven presenter, Doireann also wants to focus on herself. “There’s no better feeling than feeling good mentally, and I don’t take it for granted. I’m a strong believer in working hard, playing hard,” she said, “Roll on a year of just that.”
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idle wild
Nathan wears; trousers- Rebirth of Cool, poloneck-Penneys, jacket-Nine Crows Lily wears; skirt and jacket- River Island
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Lily wears; skirt- H&M, jumper-H&M, scarf-Penneys
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Nathan wears; jumper- Rebirth of Cool, trousers- Rebirth of Cool, kimono- H&M
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Lily wears; kimonoH&M, jacket- H&M
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Nathan wears; hat- Penneys, jacket- Penneys 19
Lily wears; jumper- Penneys, skirt- River Island 20
Nathan wears; jumperPenneys, Jacket- H&M
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Lily wears; jumper- Penneys, trousers- River Island
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Nathan wears; jumper- Nine Crows, trousers- Rebirth of Cool Lily wears; tshirt- H&M, cardigan- Penneys, trousers- H&M 24
Nathan wears; jumper- Penneys, jacket- Penneys
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Style Spotlight:
Seoul, South Korea By Tess O’Connor
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Once heavily governed by laws and institutionalized cultural barriers, South Korea’s Seoul is now home to a generation embracing their newfound self expression and creativity through their style. With its abundance of talented upcoming designers and electric street style, Seoul is arguably the style capital of Asia. While it may not have as many well known designers as Tokyo or the wealth of China, its style obsessed inventive youths are dominating the fashion scene and captivating the Western world while doing it. While Seoul is not apart of the major veteran Fashion Week cities such as Milan, Paris, London and New York, since its emergence in 2015 Seoul has rediscovered what Fashion Week once was. In recent years, fashion week and all the antics that come with it in the traditional fashion capitals, have become some what uninspiring and false. The excitement of seeing who was wearing what, is tarnished by the fact that they were given it for free or paid to wear it. The creativity and the liberation that pounded the streets of those cities for that one week a season has now just become an amalgamated uniform of sponsored outfits, until Seoul brought its authenticity back. Although previously deemed inaccessible, thanks to changing societal norms, the creativity and self expression in South Korea is vibrant. With statement t-shirts, hyper sexualized everyday wear and androgynous ways of dressing, the streets of Seoul resemble something of a mild Cosplay convention. Seoul’s fashion scene is characterized more so by its affordable street wear inspired by K-pop culture as opposed to high fashion. The emergence of Korean brands such as Supercomma B, Mun and D-Antidote have continued to dominate the domestic market and have now caught the attention of international editors and buyers who now attend the bi-annual shows. Speaking to hypebeast.com on why Seoul has caught so much international attention, Jung Kuho the Executive Director of Seoul fashion week said; 27
“Most fashion crowds these days are very young and are looking for the ‘street scene’ and almost all Korean designers are working in street-focused fashion. Rock and roll music, hip-hop, entertainment and streetwear are all very big reference points in Korea right now.” Supercomma B is best known for its common usage of slogans and political statements. In its SS18 show titled “Current Mood”, each model was sent out portraying a different persona, with vibrant flashy prints and plaid being a common theme. Munn has been one of Seoul Fashion Week’s strongest contenders for the past couple of seasons. The collection led by Hyun-min Han involved outdoor wear using unexpected fabrics and textures, playing around with silk and rayon. Experimenting outside his comfort zone, this was unlike his usual collections which embody the well-tailored, structured suit trend common in Korea. D-Antidote is one of the most symbolic Korean brands who embody the typical sportswear apparel adored by locals. With huge ties to the K-Pop cultural, they gained massive international attention when they collaborated with 90s streetwear brand Fila. Seoul continues to steadily incline on the fashion agenda. These designers are not only pushing boundaries such as gender norms but they are breaking them. Seoul takes a lot of its inspiration from the Western world through the likes of Instagram (Seoul has the fastest internet connection in the world) yet it makes it its own. Smaller labels such as Ader Error grew from Instagram alone. Seoul have been able to hit a demographic that was once only able to dream. Designers have a reasonable price point that allows for young people to look cool, feel cool and do so without sacrificing this months rent. 28
the beauty of drag culture by Gabija Gataveckaite
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I
nside the dressing room of Trianon in Paris, drag superstar Katya shows the camera crew around. “We have the girls over here- there’s Michelle, Sharon and Courtney,” she announces. “Okay, here we go,” Katya sits down at her chair and begins ‘painting’the drag term for a male performer putting on makeup and ‘painting on’ a woman. Cameras circle around her as she covers and blends her way to drag perfection, as Katya is being filmed for the Glam.com Youtube channel. Just 45 minutes ago, Brian sat down in front of a mirror and glued down his brows, contoured the cheeks, baked the undereye, secured larger-than-life eyelashes down and threw a wig on. Out comes Katya- a blond, smokey eyed and red lipped drag queen, with a curvy body in a sparkly red dress, ready for her number in front of a sea of adoring French fans. However, watching a drag queen paint is no surprise- contouring and baking is not news to any beauty enthusiast. Contouring first reared its head in the mass media after Mario Dedivanovic contoured Kim Kardashian about seven years ago. Colour correcting- most makeup lovers may use it to block out any hyperpigmentation that foundation doesn’t cover, but drag queens have been using it long before us to hide six o’clock shadows. Contouring is a genius trick originally used to feminize the face by tricking light and dark. Overdrawing the lips is a trick used by drag performers for decades- so why has it only come back in style now? “Each time I paint my face I learn something new,” says Alexis McQueen. Based in Dublin, she has been doing drag for four years and spends her Tuesday nights performing in the gay bar The George. “I watched hundreds of makeup tutorials on Youtube and that’s where I learned to paint my face.” With the rise of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and specifically subcultures, drag culture isn’t a hidden underground secret anymore. Traditionally, drag queens are nightlife performers- entertainers at gay clubs, that twist gender constructs.
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Social media and Instagram see makeup like never before- with the notion of more is more, brighter colours, bold shapes- ombre brows, strong contour, plump lips. “Ever since RuPaul’s Drag Race has become more mainstream everybody started using drag makeup techniques that have been used by drag queens for years. All it took was a couple of celebrity drag race fans to use our techniques, which then brought it further,” Alexis explains. Of course, looking pretty on Instagram isn’t the only reason why drag has so heavily influenced the beauty industry. Drag culture has risen very sharply in the past several years as an art form that was unknown to many. It is a performance art and carries a ritual- of painting, tucking, putting on a wig and getting dressed. The LBGTQ+ community now sees more activism than ever before. Mass media is now much more accepting to not only the gay community, but to creative people- makeup artists, performers, fashion designers. Drag culture elevates these aspects in a single art form. It brilliantly incorporates fashion, beauty, performance, gender and sexuality. “I think it’s amazing what ‘biological’ women are doing now with makeup, but it’s not all just down to drag- brands are evolving too,” Alexis adds. And evolving they most definitely are. Marc Jacobs and MarcoMarco have worked with drag queens like Milk and Laganja Estranga to blur the lines between drag and fashion. Wigs are now no mystery to influencers like Nikita Dragun, Gigi Gorgeous and Chrisspy. Drag is very undeniably now a massive part of the beauty industry and it’s not going anywhere. As our world evolves, so does the way we wear makeup. Without drag queens, all we have left is some foundation, blush and an eye pencil. In the words of Katya, “And now every drag queen contours, not just ones that are rich and date Kanye West.” 31
STREET STYLE IN DCU by elsa anderling and helen o’neill
From clean lines and colour blocking to grungey vintage, the street style of DCU is diverse and original.
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The location of each photo was set out to represent and contrast with the individual style of the people.
Daihyun Ko (Kei). Language Service. Describe your style in one word: ‘Vintage’
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Modebayo Awomewe. Joint Honours. Describe your style in one word: ‘Crazy’
Street fashion is fashion that is considered to have emerged not from studios, but from the grassroots streetwear. Street fashion is generally associated with youth culture, and is most often seen in major urban centers. Most major youth subcultures have had an associated street fashion.
Stefan Stroe, Mint-marketing innovation technology. Describe your style in one word: ‘Adaptable’
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Inspiration for choice of clothing varies from vintage stores to practical college wear.
Ayane Ezaki, From Japan studying English. Describe your style in one word: ‘Modern’
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by Rachael Martin 36
people on the effects of fast fashion, emphasising that animals are the real ones to pay the hefty price for the luxurious fur coat. “Consumers know there is no such thing as ‘humane fur’” said the organisations spokesperson. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched many campaigns including ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ which was endorsed by celebrities including Khloe Kardashian and P!nk.
he modern era of millennial fashion has brought us innovation, creativity and unique style. Every fashion era should and has embodied as much. However, it seems as though the ‘modern’ fashion era is beginning to emerge with a difference, establishing itself as not just ‘fashion’, but fashion with a conscience.
With the constant rise of campaigns such as these, we have seen a dramatic shift towards the production of ethical fashion. Fashion designers such as Stella McCartney, who launched her fur-free, leather-free business in 2001 was one of the first to take this ethical approach.
Brands are becoming increasingly more ethical. The work of campaigners standing up for animal rights in the fashion industry over the past decade alone has paved the way for change, and arguably caused ‘real fur’ to become less fashionable. Brands such as Gucci have announced that it will go fur-free by 2018 as “the material is no longer modern”.
“The information is out there, and that’s what feels exciting.”
Leading fashion houses Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Yves Saint Lauren have been scrutinized in the past not just for their use of fur in their fashion lines, but the manner in which the animals were treated during this line of production. Such designers have previously defended their use of fur, claiming that they would not condone the mistreatment of animals in their fur production, as they have regulations and ‘fur guidelines’ to ensure the process is humane.
However, it was not always met with support. Speaking to ‘Vogue’ she said “In the beginning, I was kind of ridiculed. I know people thought I was nuts—how can you go into the fashion industry and not use leather?” However, despite the lack of support she received, she can see that change is happening and people are recognizing it. “The information is out there, and that’s what feels exciting.
Campaigns such as ‘endfashioncruelty.org’ have been working tirelessly over the past few years to educate 37
The reality of the impact this industry has on the environment is something people can really see”. International designers are not the only ones who have made the fashion conscious decision to produce ethical clothing products. Sustainable fashion designer ‘Sophie Rieu uses organic fair-trade cotton, Irish linen and silk in her clothes.
explained the significance fast fashion is having on the environment.
“Buy less, choose well, make it last”
“Ethical fashion offers a much needed alternative and
“The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter to the environment after the oil industry, and the problem with
raises awareness of the social and ecological harm fashion causes” Sophie stated.
fast fashion is that people now think that clothing is disposable” he said.
“It tells the story behind the clothes we wear, a story we had forgotten as we were so busy buying without knowing,” she continued. ‘Fresh cuts’ is a homegrown Dublin fashion brand that has also taken on this new ethical approach. Stephen from ‘Fresh cuts’
“These garments then end up in landfill, the suppliers need to make them for cheaper than they sell them obviously, so this leads to forced and unfair working conditions
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along with chemicals being used to grow the materials which in turn damages the environment”. Fashion often involves keeping up with the latest and boldest trends that hit the runway come fashion week, and in a world where fast fashion is so accessible it can be difficult not to literally ‘buy into’ it. But making conscious choices and thinking about where our clothes really come from can make a difference. Instead of buying into fast
fashion ‘fads’ invest in stylish, staple pieces. As Vivienne Westwood once said “buy less, choose well, make it last”.
The future of fashion journalism By Amy Rohu
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There is nothing quite like sitting down with a cup of hot tea and a brand new magazine. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures but it could soon be a thing of the past with the way the print industry is changing. Fashion magazines in particular have seen a huge digital shift with more and more content moving online. So what does this mean for magazines? Condé Nast are at the centre of all the major changes occurring at the moment. As elite publisher of Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, the company has recently announced huge changes to some of its other popular titles. Teen Vogue, which is over a decade old, recently announced it will cease all print publications and instead produce all content online. Condé Nast said in a statement that this is “not the end for Teen Vogue” and they will consider printing special editions of the magazine in the future, as well as continuing to host Teen Vogue events. It promises that the little sister of Vogue magazine is only adhering to its demographics demands. With over 6 million likes on Facebook, a popular Instagram account, Snapchat and their own website, there is no doubt that the magazine has a huge online following. In the last decade social media has taken over, particularly with young people, so it is no surprise that a teen magazine has suffered the effects of this. We no longer need to read a magazine for celebrity gossip or fashion news-it’s all available the second it happens in the palm of our hand. The detrimental side of the closing of the print magazine is the reported loss of up to 80 jobs. In a time where the economy is picking up, it’s a shame to see. This isn’t the only teen magazine to cease publication. Cosmo Girl is long gone and closer to home here in Ireland, KISS magazine is nothing but a nostalgic memory. These magazines served as a great purpose for young girls as a form of both entertainment and advice and most of us will have fond memories buying them. It isn’t just teen magazines that are disappearing, Condé Nast also announced that the UK edition of Glamour magazine will now go ‘digital-first’ and only publish twice a year instead of monthly. They have described it as a new ‘mobile first, social first’ format and their new beauty focused website will launch in early 2018. This edition of the magazine has been published since 2001, and this announcement will undoubtedly result in more unemployed journalists. While Condé Nast publish such a huge number of our favourite magazines, all of these changes could make us worry for the future of the rest of them. The rise in blogging could also be a contributing factor to the decline in magazine sales, because we’re more than likely to watch a Pennys Haul on YouTube from someone like Aisling at ‘DramaticMac’ than to spend money on a magazine to read about Pennys latest clothes. All we can do at the moment is wait and see, a lot of people feel that fashion journalism and journalism in general is heading for a huge online shift, however some people argue that the nostalgia and joy of holding a publication in your hands will never fully go away, so your favourite magazine is safe, for now at least.
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a world without by Ashleigh Nolan
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labels
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n September, department store John Lewis announced that they would remove the ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ labels from their children’s clothing and instead opt for gender neutral labelling. The move received a tidal wave of mixed reactions online. However, the brand isn’t the only one moving towards a less restrictive shopping experience. Mothercare has also announced a collaboration with Myleene Klass containing gender neutral clothing and US Store Target has also abolished gender labels on its kids clothing. For some, the move to abolish gender restrictive clothing labels seems trivial. There appears to be a sentiment among some people online that the world has gotten drunk on political correctness. But while the rebellion against gender stereotypes has gained massive
momentum of late, it isn’t a new concept to the fashion industry. In the 1920s Coco Chanel, inspired by menswear, created trousers and button-down suits for women. John Lennon wore high heels in the 60s, as did David Bowie in the 70s. John Paul Gaultier has been defying gender norms since he launched in 1976. It has been a slow grind for those pushing for a more gender fluid world, but now it seems retailers are buying into the idea. Fashion at its core is about self-expression. Designer Rachel Zoe once said that “style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” Whether you acknowledge it or not, your clothing choices say a lot about you. This is why western society spends billions every year on their appearance. So why can’t that little boy wear a dress if he wants to?
“M chi ost wh ldren pare be atev tha nts So , to er t t the tell fle , let aim hey y ca their ct n f tha their or th want be t.” clo e thi sta to ng rs. re-
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What is perhaps most interesting about the gender-neutral kids’ collections that have found residence on the high street, is not the removal of labels but the gender stereotypes that can be suppressing. As well as the binning of gender specific labels, John Lewis has created several designs which subtly defy gender roles. One example is a dress littered with pictures of dinosaurs.
for the stars. So, let their clothing reflect that. Just as Chanel created the trousers and button-down suit for women entering the post-war male dominated work place, we can empower children in the same fun and creative way.
At the same time, those children whose interests lie within gender stereotypes are not to be forgotten about. It all boils down to showing children that they are wonderIn 2016, the Central Statistics Office re- fully complicated and that there is clothing ported that just 25% of those working in that will reflect that. areas of science, technology, engineering and maths were women. If we start by enWhether you believe fashion has the couraging the youngest members of our power to impact the ambitions of today’s society to discard stereotypes and norms youth or not, allowing a little girl to feel with their clothing, perhaps it can pave the proud of her love of dresses and dinosaurs way for something bigger. After all, these must be celebrated. Allowing a little boy are the ones who have been least impact- to spin around so his skirt catches the wind ed by society’s infatuation with gender and he can watch the dinosaurs all blur roles. into one big rainbow of colour must be celebrated. Allowing children to be happy Most parents tell their children that they and comfortable in their clothes must be can be whatever they want to be, to aim celebrated.
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the social supermodel by Niamh Dunne
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T
he modelling industry has undergone a drastic evolution over the past twenty years. The industry consisted of what most of us saw on America’s Next Top Model: Go-Sees, runway, photoshoots and beauty campaigns. This has been the norm of the fashion industry for decades but lately that has all changed. With the birth of social media, comes a new form of supermodel. The criteria of the term ‘supermodel’ doesn’t have the same meaning as it used to. It no longer means just being the best in the business, but it also means dominating the world of social media. When we think of the biggest supermodels of the 21st century, our mind immediately jumps to models such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Jourdan Dunn. But what do all of these models have in common except their stellar good looks? A strong social media presence. Kendall Jenner has approximately 84.2 million followers on Instagram, Gigi Hadid has 36.2 million and Jourdan Dunn has 2.2 million followers.
Speaking to MTV news, Vivien Models manager Catherine McGill comments on how a number of brands will only consider models whose following is above 10,000. Gigi Hadid also comments on the importance of social media when she was in a meeting with one of her clients and they brought up one of her Instagram posts at a meeting. This seems to be a recurring trend in the modelling industry all round the world. Speaking to Irish model and TV presenter, January Winters, she talks about how social media has become an important part of her career. Winters currently has a following of over 9,500 and is signed to Morgan The Agency, one of Ireland’s top modelling agencies. Winters, much like Hadid, said, “I’ve been booked for jobs straight from my Instagram.” Social media has become a new outlet in which clients can screen models before they book them for a job. Winters also comments on how most bookings are coming off Instagram rather than a traditional portfolio.
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The reality star turned model Kendall Jenner has also bagged high fashion campaigns, such as Estée Lauder, as a result of her social media following. Estée Lauder’s global brand president Jane Hertzmark Hudis attributed Jenner’s social media as one of the reasons for hiring her. Hudis said, “Kendall is the ultimate Instagirl, and we are excited to leverage her image, voice, energy and extraordinary social media power to introduce Estée Lauder to millions of young women around the world.” While social media has propelled the career of many models, the drawbacks cannot go unsaid. Firstly, models expose far more of their lives than they ever did before. Whether it’s pictures of them on holidays, out with their significant other or even just relaxing at home with their pets. “There’s such a falseness to it all too,” said Winters. “It probably always looks like I’m having the best time- I usually am, but I’m not going to post about being bored or if I’m having a cry”. Winters also said it worries her that people know where she is all the time. Social media has created an era of a completely different supermodel. Models are not just expected to work long hours on a photoshoot or strut down a runway. They are now constantly updating their social media in order to stay engaged with the public. January Winters says that a model can sustain a long career with little to no social media. She comments on how there are models who don’t have a huge following yet are signed to five of the top agencies in the world. So while social media may be a factor in the lives of models today, the hard work, determination and natural talent cannot be overlooked. 46
CREDITS Editors
Editors
Photoshoot
Tess O’Connor
Stylists Jessica Weldon Emma Collins
Rachel Farrell Tess O’Connor Rachel Farrell
Sub Editor
Sub Editor Helen O’Neill
Photographer
Helen O’Neill
Production Editors Production Editors
David Gannon
Models
Jakub Majko Jakub Majko Fionnuala Walsh Walsh Fionnuala Elsa McEvoy Elsa McEvoy Kyle Ewald Kyle Ewald
Lily Geroine Finlay Nathan Mindomba
Makeup
Layout Assistant Street Style
Lauren Reville Byrne
Orfhlaith Carragher Elsa Anderling Helen O’Neill
With special thanks IdleWild bar, Campus print and Neogen, River Island, Penneys, H&M, Rebirth of Cool, Nine Crows, Siopaella, Oasis, Warehouse, Doireann Garrihy, Soraya James and the rest of DCU style society and of course, to all of our brilliant writers and contributors. 47
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DCU STYLE