Verge Issue 13

VERGE

ISSUE XIII

Courtney Smith on leading the nation’s style ..... Bill O’Herlihy on the state of terrestrial TV ..... Young-Adult film in the spotlight Route 94 talks changes since topping the UK charts ..... The inspiration for Young Wonder’s debut ..... The latest Batman and more

Editor’s Letter Diverged Games of Thrones Series 5 – Eoghan Game of Thrones is on its way back... What more need I say? If you already watch Game of Thrones, then that should already be enough to have you foaming at the mouth in anticipation. If you aren’t already watching GoT, then why on earth not?

Reviews of the series 5 première are in and, as per usual, it looks to be a winning opening episode, featuring plenty of the sex, violence, intrigue and excitement that has made it into the worldwide phenomenon it is today.

Music Festival Picks – Robbie

Livin’ Life on the Verge

As summer approaches, it’s stop mucking about and get to the serious stuff: Music festivals. The great news is that there are plenty of budget festivals knocking about for those without the cash to fund an overseas excursion. Body & Soul kicks off on June 19th, with a stellar line-up including Swede psych-rockers Goat (€139.50). Not enough electronica in Indiependence’s initial line-up? Then Life, an event dedicated to house and techno, begins on May 29th, with weekend camping priced at €139.

On the budget end of the spectrum, Vantastival and Knockanstockan boast some great Irish acts for the princely sums of €95 and €80 respectively.

Claire Fox

West Cork Literary Festival – Molly

Welcome to issue 13 and, indeed, the final issue of Verge for this academic year. And what a year it has been for the magazine and you, the readers!

Although it wasn’t an easy feat, we here at Verge worked tirelessly week after week to provide you with the very best of interviews, reviews and feature articles.

From Film & TV, Music, Gaming, Arts & Literature and Fashion, we grouped together to make this humble magazine bigger and better than before.

And you know what, I think we achieved our aims. Tommy Tiernan, Delorentos, PJ Gallagher, Walking on Cars, Kodaline, The Strypes and The Darkness, among many others, have all graced the pages of Verge, turning Volume three of our magazine into an unforgettable year!

Going back eight months, upon taking on the position of Verge Editor, I must admit I was quite daunted by the prospect of having to edit a magazine while being somehow expected to muster together respectable grades and maintain a social life. Yet the pieces of

the puzzle gradually fitted together, although my summer exam results will probably be the real judge of this. Just like Zayn Malik will never forget his time as one-fifth of One Direction, I will always look back at my time as Verge Editor with fond memories, sprinkled only mildly with stress.

With this issue featuring interviews with chart king Route 94 and broadcasting heavy weight Bill O’Herlihy, we here at Verge have chosen to bow out in a graceful fashion.

So before we say our goodbyes, I’d like to thank a group of people who have been by my side all year – the Verge team. Robbie, Nicole, Eoghan, Molly and Steve, and not forgetting our dear Editor-in-Chief Stephen Barry and all the Express team, have taught me so much and have become my friends.

And finally the Verge team would like to thank you, the readers, for supporting us and for the positive feedback you gave us throughout the year... It was beyond heart-warming!

Until we meet again…

Verge Editor: Claire Fox

Gaming Editor: Steve Barry

Film & TV: Eoghan Scott

Fashion Editor: Nicole Clinton

Music Editor: Robbie Byrne

Design: Kevin Hosford

Arts & Lit Editor: Molly Forsythe

For my very last recommendation of the year, I’m not going to wax lyrical about the work of someone else. Instead, I’m going to tell you (yes, you) to get writing! Too many of us lose touch with our creative sides as we get older, yet there’s no shame in indulging your imagination every once and a while. Start a journal, set up a blog, compose short stories, write reviews of your favourite books, albums, films… do whatever takes your fancy. Find your voice and develop it. In that regard, the West Cork Literary Festival in July is a treat for any budding writer!

Mr. Jump – Steve As has been the trend with gaming entries throughout the year, it’s important to leave you with a suitably infuriating and addictive mobile game to help you through study month. Mr. Jump is a brutally difficult speed-platformer developed by 1Button. And God is it frustrating, yet I just can’t stop playing it. Involving simple one-touch jump mechanics, it’s easy to get into and very, very difficult to get out of. It’s free on the App Store now, continuing my legacy of infuriating the readers of Verge with punishing mobile games.

Campus Style Name: Tara Griffin Course: BA International Favourite shops: Miss Selfridge, Topshop and Primetime.

Why did you decide to wear this outfit? To be honest, I just wear what I like!

Style Inspirations: Olivia Palermo and Foxes.

Image by: Marc Moylan

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Anchorman Claire Fox speaks with broadcasting legend Bill O’Herlihy as he reflects on his career, life after retirement and the challenges that RTÉ face.

While the panel may have been a source of entertainment for Irish viewers throughout the years (who can forget those infamous Après Match spoofs?), from the outset one of their major aims was to educate a country that had denied it’s passion for soccer for so long.

“We discovered a survey done on soccer at the time of the 1990 World Cup, that only 30% of people in Ireland understood the game. We had a job then to entertain them and create an understanding of the game. Eamon and John particularly did that and more laterally Liam Brady.”

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“I was 49 years on TV. The time had come. Nothing was going to happen this summer and so, I thought I might as well look at it in a practical way. I got a fantastic send off and I was absolutely humbled,” says former sports journalist and broadcaster, Bill O’Herlihy. While soccer fans worldwide were concerned about the Germany–Argentina World Cup final, it was an equally bittersweet day for Irish followers of sport, as they would see their broadcasting hero hang up his boots for the last time.

It was all a long way from where he started, as a native of Glasheen, situated only a short stroll away from UCC campus. O’Herlihy began his working life as a journalist with The Cork Examiner and became a sub-editor there at the age of 16. With a strong tradition of journalism in his family, O’Herlihy retains nothing but praise for the newspaper he learned his craft in.

In 1966 O’Herlihy made the transition from newspaper journalism to television and, although he may cringe at memories of his first television broadcast, he recognises that his entrance into the world of TV was during a period of huge transformation for the industry: “I was the luckiest guy in the world because I was involved in television at a time of huge change. The programme Newsbeat was the first show to broadcast stories from rural Ireland, very much like Nationwide. I was also

lucky to be in current affairs,” reflects the 76-year-old Corkonian, obviously still humbled by his lifetime’s success.

However O’Herlihy’s time at the helm of current affairs broadcasting was cut-short upon a government enquiry into the reporting of 7 Days, the show on which he worked. Reflecting on the fiasco, O’Herlihy realises that it did great damage to current affairs and investigative journalism in Ireland.

“There was huge damage done to current affairs broadcasting and it’s only in the last 10 years that it’s got back on its feet again. It was very passive for a long time.”

“RTÉ was in many ways set up to be an arm of government. Suddenly the government thought they were being treated very harshly by current affairs which was evaluating their performance and being quite critical. They looked at the reporting on that programme and it was found not to be authentic – which was bullshit.

“There was huge damage done to current affairs broadcasting and it’s only in the last 10 years that it’s got back on its feet again. It was very passive for a long time” O’Herlihy’s dalliance with current affairs would prove beneficial upon his entrance into the world of sport’s broadcasting. In a career which saw him anchor coverage for ten Olympic Games, nine World Cups and countless Champion Leagues, it’s ironic how one of his earliest colleagues commented on his unsuitability to the sport’s department. “Michael O’Hehir told me, ‘You’re welcome but I don’t want you.

Your image is all wrong for sport. You’re a real tough broadcaster; that’s not how we perform in sport,” laughs O’Herlihy.

Most celebrated for his work alongside the famed panel of soccer analysts, Eamon Dunphy, John Giles and Liam Brady, O’Herlihy looks back on his time chairing the controversial trio with great fondness, taking his inspiration from broadcasting stalwarts.

“My function was to make sure the guests look good. I took my advice from Michael Parkinson and Gay Byrne. They never overwhelmed their guests. I made sure I brought out the best in the lads. We all knew our jobs.

My knowledge of football was infinitely lower than their knowledge of football.”

Having touched on the 1990 World Cup, O’Herlihy remembers that time as being more expansive than a mere soccer tournament: “It was an extraordinary time in Ireland. We had a wonderful editor called Maurice Reidy and he made sure that all coverage of the World Cup wasn’t just about soccer, but was about Ireland. He made it a very inclusive broadcast.”

Like when he entered the field, O’Herlihy is aware that sports broadcasting is currently going through a period of change, as big players like Sky Sports threaten the very existence of terrestrial coverage. “I saw a story in one of the papers today that the Six Nations could go to pay-per-view. RTÉ can’t compete financially with BT or Sky Sports.

Having it on free-to-air TV is essential for the development of sport. One thing you might find – and I hope I’m wrong – is that Sky Sports dominate to such an extent that all you’ll get on terrestrial TV will be delayed transmissions.”

With numerous awards under his belt, exemplifying his stellar career in sports journalism, I ask Ireland’s most acclaimed and well-liked broadcaster, what are the necessary characteristics needed to succeed in the ever-changing field of sports broadcasting?

“The ideal thing to do would be to concentrate on a particular game and focus on becoming an expert on that sport. You have to start off local and make that path for yourself. Nobody is going to be picked from obscurity.”

So, while O’Herlihy believes he was “the luckiest man in the world,” it’s clear that a lot of this luck has to be self-made in an ever-developing industry.

Film Review: Insurgent Olivia Brown gives the run-down on a complex Young-Adult sequel. (the honest). The plot of the trilogy follows Tris, who is affiliated with all five categories and is thus known as a divergent.

“The film is full of casual references to complicated names and political structures which have the potential to confuse and obscure the plot.”

The Divergent Series: Insurgent, better known as Insurgent by the likes of you and I, is based on the Veronica Roth’s young adult novel of the same name. It picks up where Divergent left off – three days after to be exact.

Following the war on Abnegation, the selfless faction from which the leading lady hails, Tris (Shailene Woodley) finds herself on the run as she is targeted for her gifts as a Divergent by the malevolent Erudite leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet).

If it isn’t clear by now, a basic understanding of Roth’s dystopian world is recommended. The film is

full of casual references to complicated names and political structures which have the potential to confuse and obscure the plot.

To break it down, it’s set in a postapocalyptic, war-style Chicago, fenced in from the outside world by the elusive founders. To prevent another catastrophic war, it was decided that humanity would be divided into factions who would cultivate a particular trait.

All 16-year-olds choose which faction they want to join based on the results of a personality test. The five factions are Abnegation (the selfless), Erudite (the intelligent), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Candor

Tris, her boyfriend and mentor Four (Theo James), her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and ‘frenemy’ Peter have been laying low in the Amity territory, which is led by Earth-motherly Johanna (Octavia Spencer). Spencer and Winslet are complimented by Naomi Watts, playing Four’s mother who was thought to be dead. Together the trio add their names to the list of renowned actors who have held roles in similar young adult films, including Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore.

The film diverges – sorry, I couldn’t resist – a little from the original novel, though. The most striking difference is the presence of the box with the flashing

Film & Tv blue lights that Jeanine obsesses over.

This become the stimulus for the film, as a strong divergent is required to reveal the message from the founders which it holds.

Woodley puts on an epic performance as the modern day heroine. She is successful in making this unreal world seem quite the opposite. The strength of her performance is credited when it is realised that the camera rarely leaves her throughout the entirety of the film.

Although it didn’t reach its predecessor’s box office debut with $52.3 million, there are some significant improvements in Insurgent. Most notably, the special effects have experienced a transformation under the new director Robert Schwentke, especially during Tris’s many subconscious dreams.

Despite this, Insurgent fails to break out of the repetitive Young-Adult mould. It’s not exactly a bad film but, at the same time, it didn’t stand out as a particularly good one either. The plot seems to merge into one continuous, high tension action scene after another.

Although it seems promising, the Divergent series is still perceived as the less-than-talented little brother of The Hunger Games.

Holding out for a Hero Robbie Lawrence questions whether newer Young-Adult franchises will ever live up to their epic predecessors.

The Harry Potter series was, without a doubt, one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. With eight films, viewers watched Harry and friends grow up before our very eyes and, for a certain generation, grew up alongside them. Since the series has ended, however, studios have been clamoring to produce the next big Young-Adult cash-cow to take its place, with somewhat middling results…

lead and a surprisingly dark subject matter, although toned down enough to appeal to a young audience. Since the first film, its star, Jennifer Lawrence, has become Hollywood’s girl of the moment, in no small part due to her excellent performance as Katniss Everdeen.

when given the right material) cast and standard dystopian societytype storyline give it a forgettable feel, especially when compared to its successful competitors.

The Bad

Twilight

The Good

Divergent

The Hunger Games

It’s not that the Divergent series is so bad, really; it’s just that it manages to be so… ‘Meh’. In a long line of YA franchises, Divergent stands out as being quite banal when compared to the fantastical world of Hogwarts. It’s blandly attractive (yet quite talented

In terms of popularity, the Twilight franchise can without a doubt be considered a runaway success.

Arriving right on the heels of Harry Potter, Twilight became a massive phenomenon with ‘tweens’ everywhere.

The only problem with Twilight was that it was absolutely terrible – on every single level. Whereas the likes of Divergent has a talented cast (Shaileene

Far and away the most successful YA adaptation to come in the wake of Harry Potter, The Hunger Games benefits from having a strong female

The Ugly

Woodley, et al), hampered with lessthan-stellar material, there are just very little positive to say about Twilight. Its stars verge between being insufferably bland or just completely uninspiring, while the writing is cringe-worthy at best and often questionably creepy…

Imprinting, anybody?

So, despite the success of the Twilight franchise, four years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it’s clear that fans of the fantastical will have to wait some time until their needs for action, drama and comradeship are properly served again.

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The Emma Factor

Art & Lit

Claire Fox discusses the relevance of Jane Austen’s Emma upon the 200th anniversary of its publication.

Austen’s frivolous, yet kind-hearted Emma Woodhouse.

The novel Emma, which was published in 1815, is marking its 200th anniversary this year, with numerous literary events taking place all over the world this summer. While the steadfast Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice is deemed Austen’s most beloved character, something endearing and enchanting remains for those who choose to champion Emma.

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Emma: a name consistently hitting the top of Baby Name charts year after year, with red carpet celebrities Emma Watson and Emma Stone being the most famous examples. Still, the most celebrated name-bearer has to be Jane

In a letter to her brother prior to the publishing of Emma, Austen wrote that Emma was a character that “no one but myself will much like.” While it is true that Emma is the ultimate ‘daddy’s girl’, spoilt rotten with a weighty bank account, at the core of it all is a young woman just trying to make the right decisions and give her friends a helping hand. Emma is Austen’s ‘real girl’.

Unlike other heroines she may not say the wisest of things and her actions may be ill-judged, yet for most of us this is a daily struggle. We can’t all be passionate speech-makers and lusty lovers, but we can be good friends.

On screen both Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale have played the young matchmaker but the most cherished adaptation for modern audience’s has to be the 1996 film Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone.

Another slice of slander dealt towards Emma is her falling for Mr Knightley when she vowed throughout the novel that she would never marry. Like the majority of us, our mindset can change in a heartbeat and what we feel one day can be the total opposite the next. Just because Beyoncé got married, it doesn’t mean she can’t belt out her resounding song ‘Single Ladies’ over and over again. So if Beyoncé isn’t plagued with criticism, neither should Emma.

Although the film is loosely based on the 19th century novel, everything from its casting to its soundtrack capture the message that Emma tries to convey.

No Doubt’s ‘Just a Girl’, which rumbles from Silverstone’s radio in the film, highlights how Emma, like all young women, is doing her best to make the life as good as it can be.

Readers’ claims that Emma is one of Austen’s least loved characters are absolutely worthless when we consider the amount of adaptations that have been made of the novel over the decades.

So instead of dissing Emma as 19th century chick-lit drivel or swapping it for Jane Eyre, why not pick up a copy of the novel today? Or better still, travel to Austen’s native village of Chawton to uncover the magic behind a protagonist who, although not perfect, never claimed to be so.

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Genre Colm Furlong gives his take on the much disputed Young-Adult genre.

I’m often asked the question, ‘Why do you still read Young-Adult books when you’re no longer a young adult?’

I always respond with three words: ‘Why don’t you?’ The reasons for my continued consumption of YoungAdult literature, alongside everything else I read, are numerous. The first and most important of these is, quite simply, that I like Young-Adult literature. You can’t tell someone they can’t read something just because it’s technically aimed at a different audience.

Young-Adult literature brings many fantastic qualities to the table. Not least of these is interesting and diverse characters; often more diverse than the characters you can find elsewhere. Some of the greatest characters that have ever encountered have come from YoungAdult literature. One such example is Liesel Meminger, from Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. A sympathetic and fascinating character, Liesel undergoes considerable growth and development throughout the story.

This kind of character development is a staple of the genre. In fact, The Book Thief is the perfect example of why one should continue to read YoungAdult novels in more ways than just the excellent characters it delivers.

The Book Thief spent 230 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list – a true testament to the quality of this novel.

Like most YA fiction, this particular novel was successful in its delivery of an intriguing story by means of unique narrative techniques. In The Book Thief, we see Death take on the role of narrator, interspersing the plot with titbits of information only it knows.

Young-Adult literature is fun for little experiments in narration such as this.

Similarly to The Book Thief, Ransom Riggs’ Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children offers an experimental style of storytelling, combining prose and ‘found’ photographs.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that Young-

Adult literature should be read instead of all other literature. Rather, it should not be dismissed as irrelevant once you reach a certain age. If you like YA

fiction, you should read it alongside other literature. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Review: The Girl on the Train

Emele Polley reviews Paula Hawkins’ New York Times bestseller.

Art & Lit suffers as it gradually becomes apparent that Hawkins was limited by time and space.

The horrifically clichéd final act is saved only by a major plot twist. Rushed out in a stream-of-consciousness style, there is no elegance to the way it is

“The horrifically clichéd final act is saved only by a major plot twist.”

“There’s something comforting about the sight of strangers safe at home.”

Paula Hawkins’ debut novel The Girl on the Train offers the reader gritty and paralysingly close insights into alcoholism, childhood trauma and the basic selfishness that is human nature.

Whether giving into lustful desire or protecting others, this novel shows us how people give into their temptations.

Hawkins skillfully creates characters capable of eliciting both our empathy and repulsion. Rachel, the narrator, shows us the tough reality that is overcoming a lost love, while also

tackling her crippling alcoholism. Her drinking habits can be frustrating at times, and seem to slow down the pace of the novel, yet it is unclear whether these long and often tedious passages are deliberate or accidental.

The first half of this novel takes the story much more in its stride, as we are nursed upon the mystery and try desperately to sate our curiosity. Rachel boards the train everyday and becomes familiar with a couple who live near the train tracks. She obsessively watches them and imagines a life for them, until one day she witnesses an act that could potentially allow her access into their lives.

Summer in the City Molly Forsythe serves up the best of events that Munster has to offer for the summer ahead.

Are you planning on staying in Cork over the Summer? If so, the good news is that there will be plenty to keep you occupied over the coming months.

For starters, April will see the inaugural Cork Comic Expo at Mahon Point on Saturday the 25th. Organised by Cork’s own Will Sliney (artist of Spiderman 2099), the event will feature talks from other Irish successes in the comic book world such as Stephen Mooney (Batman, Half Past Danger), Nick Roche (Transformers) and Belfast artist PJ Holden (Judge Dredd), among many others.

A month later, budding writers would be well-advised to make the trip to Listowel for Writer’s Week from May 21st to 27th. The festival will include a range of workshops, competitions and talks, run by a variety of established writers. Headline speakers will include Graham Norton and star of The Good Wife Alan Cumming. Other must-sees include crime writer Dennis Lehane, Brooklyn author Colm Tóibín and Colin Barrett of Young Skins fame.

One event certainly not to be skipped is An Evening with David Sedaris at the Everyman Theatre on May 30th. The

The mystery is unpacked from the perspectives of Megan and Scott, the seemingly idyllic couple the protagonist observes. Rachel works parallel to them and, eventually, perpendicularly.

What is truly captivating about this story is not the mystery itself but the development of the characters and how Hawkins manages to almost condone their appalling behaviour by way of their troubled histories or environmental circumstances.

The Girl on the Train maintains a good balance of both the narrator’s personal struggles while also entertaining us with the antics of Megan and Scott.

However the second part of the novel

told ultimately leaving the reader unsatisfied.

Both the book’s cover and title are strongly reminiscent of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, yet Hawkins’ mystery fails to match the complexity or creativity of Flynn’s writing. Hawkins has certainly succeeded in authoring an easy and captivating thriller. However The Girl on the Train would have to go without a recommendation for readers who are looking for something more memorable or insightful. The Girl on the Train is nonetheless a thrilling and enthralling read – its lack of imagination thankfully compensated by cheap suspense.

American humorist has penned a series of hilarious reads such as Me Talk Pretty One Day and Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls and is a much-loved contributor to This American Life. It’s well worth checking out Sedaris’ hilarious short stories and essays which are available for free online.

From June 12th to 16th Cork will host The Mooche Lindy-Hop & Blues Dance Festival. One of the city’s bestkept secrets, The Mooche is a vibrant and stylish affair. The festival offers a vast range of classes, workshops and parties to beginners and aficionados alike.

Now an established part of the Cork Summer season, Live at the Marquee once again promises a stellar programme of music and comedy.

Outside of the music line-up, top of

the list of performers to see is stand-up Dara Ó Briain who will be making an appearance on July 3rd.

This list only mentions a fraction of the many, many events planned for the summer, making Corkonians a lucky bunch to have so much on our doorstep. It really would be a shame not to get the absolute most out of such a wide and varied palette of events.

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What to Expect: Arkham Knight

Gaming

Steve Barry speaks about the highly anticipated and latest instalment of the Batman, Arkam Series.

“The Batmobile itself has two modes, one for traversing the landscape and the other for combat, which will be important when you have to blow up various militarised vehicles.”

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Batman: Arkham Knight, set for release on June 23rd, is the third entry from developer Rocksteady in the Arkham series, and the fourth game in the franchise overall – but we try to avoid talking about 2013’s Batman: Arkham Origins.

Based on the immensely popular characters from DC Comics, Batman: Arkham Knight puts you back in the cape, cowl and armoured boots of the Dark Knight himself, to be the judge, jury and sometimes-it-looks-like

executioner on the streets of Gotham City. Boasting an expanded combat and gadget system, a playable area five times the size of the previous entry, Arkham City, and a large cast of allies and rogues voiced by the cream of the crop of voice talent in the industry, Arkham Knight is rightfully one of the most anticipated games of the year.

Set after the dramatic events of Arkham City, seeing the demise of Batman’s greatest foe, the title sees Gotham in a new state of peace, with crime having

declined and the denizens of the costumed-villain-spawning city never having felt safer. Of course, a week can never go by in Gotham without something cataclysmic occurring. The Scarecrow has planted fear toxin bombs across the city, forcing its evacuation, leaving the alleys and buildings to be populated by criminals. Oh, and he’s brought the rogues gallery together to kill you – There’s that as well.

The biggest addition to be found in Arkham Knight is the Batmobile.

While it has appeared here and there in the series, pinning Bane to a wall in Arkham Asylum specifically, never before have you been able to jump into the cockpit and drive what is essentially an anti-personnel tank, carving a warpath through the city and leaving a number of ‘stunned’ convicts in your wake. The Batmobile itself has two modes, one for traversing the landscape and the other for combat, which will be important when you have to blow up various militarised vehicles. This game is definitely going to prove that I should have never gotten my license.

The combat system has also been changed fairly substantially. While there have rarely been complaints about the combat in the Arkham series, as it is a truly visceral experience which makes you feel like you could be Batman, we will see improvements in the newest entry. You can now combine attacks on downed enemies to continue your streak, use fear takedowns to remove multiple unaware enemies from the fray and use gadgets while gliding.

Arkham Knight will be Rocksteady’s swan song, before they move on to new horizons. However, with what we know now, and what we’ve seen, in three months’ time, we truly become the Batman.

The New Nostalgia Brian Conmy opines on whether our generation of games will deserve a place in gaming nostalgia.

The very first game I remember playing was Tetris on the original Gameboy.

I love Tetris to this day, often playing a couple rounds online through Facebook. My first home console followed soon enough after, a PS1. I grew up with what now seem to me to be classics such as the Spyro and Crash Bandicoot games, some of the Final Fantasys and many more. I still love gaming today, having stayed in the Sony family for the most part. However I am not necessarily reflective of the general gamer, or so it seems at least.

What has struck me lately, as someone who consumes a lot of games-related podcasts is that the general content producer for major gaming publications is more often than not older than me

and, in that case, more likely to have grown up a Nintendo fan. After all, Nintendo is one of the oldest console game makers who are still producing games today, with competitors in the early days of console development, such as Sega and Atari, being shadows of their former selves. So for those in the media who discuss their nostalgic taste, we tend to see the same few games and consoles come up again and again. This is reflected a lot in the types of gamernerd paraphernalia that is readily available to purchase, which seem to be either Pokémon related, Zelda related or from a handful of newer, generally PC games, such as Portal.

I don’t mean to say this is necessarily a problem, after all I own a few t-shirts

from my favourite newer games, notably Bioshock and Okami. However it is a slight bummer to see and hear so much material related to these nostalgic properties and not the ones I, and so many other people my age, were attached to. As generations age out of gaming media and ours gains more prominence, I wonder if I will be able to just as easily walk into a random store and find a Crash Bandicoot t-shirt as a

Pokémon one.

Will I ever go back and play my childhood favourites again? Maybe not. I would like to at the very least be able to celebrate them in one way or another, to the extent older generations seemingly have. Anyone else remember how amazingly fun the skateboarding was in Spyro: Year of the Dragon?

The Verdict: Apotheon Jonathan Soltan evaluates a game which uses the fanatical world of Ancient Greek mythology as its backdrop.

Gaming

The first thing one notices about Apotheon is its incredibly distinctive art-style. Although gorgeous, it’s something that I thought would get annoying after a couple of hours: It did not. But the fantastic art is only the tip of the iceberg with this game. The story will be familiar to anyone who has played God of War but it only acts as the tool to bring you through some impressively diverse areas. For a game that deals in mostly black and orange, the developers have really managed to do a great job making areas feel different from one another with their own atmospheres.

The gameplay is similar to Guacamelee, in that you go into an area, complete it, go back to your hub-world and then go to the next area from there. The game always lets you know where you need to go and gives you plenty of free rein to find areas not marked on your map, truly rewarding exploration. Finding a key in one level that opens a room full of treasure in a different level leads to an immense feeling of personal satisfaction.

Another highly commendable aspect of the game is the variety of boss battles.

Apotheon is a game with many bosses but only a few play out the same way.

All the others have their own unique mechanics, which really makes the whole game far more enjoyable as basic combat is probably Apotheon’s weakest area. It’s not that it feels bad or anything, just a bit... weird. A bit clunky. Totally serviceable but not great. Although the combat may not feel great, the game does boast a vast variety of weapons and a few special weapons that have some fun affects.

While the game’s voice-acting might not be amazing (personally I find it impressive that it has any at all), there is some really fitting music throughout the game. The battle music may sound a tad generic but beautiful ambient music in the quieter sections of the game is very inviting.

I won’t spoil the ending of the game but it’s suffice to say that the final battle

feels suitably climactic and conclusive.

Overall Apotheon is a pretty great game that hooks you with a unique arts-style and then keeps you around with solid, satisfying gameplay.

If you enjoy 2D Metroidvania style games, I highly recommend it. Just try not to anger the Gods. They don’t have much of a sense of humour.

A Year (Almost) without Video Games Now coming to end of her year abroad, Aoife Gleeson reflects on how her Erasmus affected her favourite past-time.

I love games, a lot. So when I was gearing up to go on Erasmus, I knew that gaming would be something I’d miss (along with friends, family and all the other things that contribute to homesickness, of course). There was talk of bringing along a console but, given that none of us would have TVs, this plan never really got off the ground.

So, instead, I focused all my energy on meeting new people from all over the world, seeing Europe and partying hard. Not really a bad trade off, to tell the truth.

The travelling around part involves 9- to 12-hour bus journeys, which can be pretty dull but, luckily, I had my Vita with me. Not so luckily, it’s not an exaggeration that the Vita has an unfortunate lack of games. Persona 4: Golden, a fantastically long JRPG, is a godsend and I also keep Spyro and Crash Bandicoot installed; an easy go-to

if any of my Erasmus friends ask for a go.

“I still prefer Dragon Age or Middleearth: Shadow of Mordor over a self-serious, weirdly sexual French drama any day.”

In general, though, it’s not too difficult to go without gaming. I still prefer Dragon Age or Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor over a self-serious, weirdly sexual French drama any day, but the sheer amount of fun stuff to do every day on Erasmus and internationals

to hang out with more than makes up for it. If I was at home, it would be a whole different story. We still miss it sometimes, though. Following on from the ill-planned ‘bringing a PlayStation’ idea, came the ‘let’s buy an old TV and a SNES or a PS2’ idea, which also never happened. Whenever we go on excursions to the big value superstore, which has a demo PS4 to mess with, I have no qualms about pushing little French kids out of the way.

Back on topic, the people who have kitted out gaming laptops also make me very jealous. ‘No, I can’t play League of

Legends with you; my laptop can barely run Netflix without crashing, stop rubbing it in my face.’

To alleviate the pang of jealousy of new releases, anything I’ve wanted to play in the past year that I’ve missed get put in the mental ‘play when I’m home’ list, which is almost getting too long to handle. It’s ok though, Erasmus has been one of the greatest years of my life and I’m enjoying myself so much over here that I’m good with the wait.

Something I’ve learned from this year: I can live without games but, to be honest, I’d rather not.

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Album Review: For All My Sisters

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Ryan O’Neil reviews the latest album from Yorkshire siblings The Cribs.

For All My Sisters is unashamedly poppy; at times even danceable. Tracks like ‘Finally Free’, ‘Different Angle’ and ‘City Storms’ are laced with strong hooks and ooh-oohs – with the latter’s brooding bass-line particularly reminiscent of something from the band’s early work.

‘Burning for No-One’, a track revealed to fans prior to the record’s release, is led by a riff that could have been a creation by Nile Rodgers.

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Despite their continued success, The Cribs have gone through something of a transition period. The Wakefield trio have, however, been insistent that little has changed despite a major label move and a new record, For All My Sisters. The band’s sixth album has all the quirks that have seen The Cribs not only achieve cult status but also become the darlings of British guitar-rock over the past decade.

Refreshing honesty, lonely contemplation and visceral selfdisparagement have always been The Cribs raison-d’être. The band never shied away from offering personal insights into their own plight or commenting, if not quite pontificating, on the ravages of the ‘bovine public’ and the arrogance of the ‘hipster types’.

‘Mr Wrong’, one of the heavier tracks on the album, details guitarist Ryan Jarman’s breakup with former girlfriend and BRIT winner Kate Nash, while ‘Diamond Girl’ sees the brothers rebel:

“You’ll always be you and I’ll always be me/ we’ll never be as straight as they want us to be.”

“Refreshing honesty, lonely contemplation and visceral selfdisparagement have always been The Cribs raisond’être” ‘Simple Story’ delivers one of the most tender, if less gripping moments on the album, and later songs like ‘Spring on Broadway’, while showing changing influences in the band since their Stateside relocation, threaten to flog the

pop element a touch.

The sensational seven-minute closer ‘Pink Snow’ sees no holding back from the Jarmans, with Ryan declaring “to all my sisters/ I’ll try and be brave for you,” before the track launches into a farreaching crescendo of brain-melting reverb, distortion and thumping bass.

As much as the album’s charm lies in its poppier moments, ‘Pink Snow’ is a relief – jogging our memories back to songs such as 2009’s epic ‘City of Bugs’, a similar track that has become a staple of The Cribs’ chaotic live performances.

Aside from erring slightly too often on the pop side, For All My Sisters is a welcome addition to The Cribs’ output, more than matching their previous effort and surpassing the Marr-stamped Ignore The Ignorant. With songs that will go down a treat at the band’s live shows, it’s great to have The Cribs back.

Rating: B+

Album Review: Chapters Robbie Byrne feels a sense of déjà vu from Paradox’s fourth album.

At the turn of the millennium, Paradox were on the verge of achieving the impossible: breaking America. After signing a record deal with Hollywood indie-label Jetspeed Records, the Corkbased grunge outfit recorded their debut LP in a studio once graced by Alice In Chains and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

They performed on the Las Vegas strip and shot a video in the searing heat of the Nevada Desert, before jetting off to yet more fanfare in New York.

Then, for reasons unknown, the band split with the now defunct label on their return to Hollywood. Determined to keep the outfit alive, the trio took the DIY route – recording two albums amid the slightly less glamorous, but equally beautiful backdrop of West Cork.

Composed and performed almost entirely by frontman Pete Mac at Wavefield Studios, the band’s forth and latest offering, Chapters, sees little change to a now well-established grunge by numbers formula.

Wheezing into life with a haunting prologue all but torn from the goldenera of German Expressionism, Chapters

outlines an ambitious mantra from the outset. The second track, ‘As the World’ maintains this zeal, boasting a prowling bassline, immaculate production and a vocal performance that even His Grace, Layne Staley would be proud of.

‘Nothing Lasts’ plays host to some gentle acoustic strumming, before breaking out into a stadium-sized riff supported

by Mac’s arresting higher vocal range agonising over the refrain, “Here I am/ Here I stand/ Nothing Lasts.” It’s a trick that’s peppered throughout the LP, be it the equally forlorn ‘Free as a Bird’ or ‘Little Lives’ – a track ready to stake its claim as a long lost Steve Albini offcut from a certain recording session circa. 1993.

If Chapters ever straddles a tightrope between Alice In Chains’ brand of desolate heartbreak and Nirvana’s adrenaline soaked fury, it’s on ‘Burning Out.’ Opening with the flat pitch of a 4-track, before submerging into a ferocious riff, ‘Burning Out’ sees Paradox at their most arresting and – dare I say it – radio friendly.

Drawing from the heroes of grunge with such a heavy hand proves to be a double edged sword for Paradox.

In isolation, Chapters is a perfectly enjoyable exemplar of the format.

But elsewhere, little of Chapters gifts something new. Take the LP’s most lengthily recording, ‘In Disguise’ – a track constructed on a bland melody that borrows so much from Kurt Cobain’s back catalogue that all emotional sincerity evaporates. It’s a problem replicated through much of

the LP, even when approaching the sludgy end of the grunge spectrum on ‘S.A.D.’ There is a definite sense of déjà vu to Chapters but perhaps that is the point. A DIY homage to glory days of the Seattle Sound – and if that’s what Paradox intended, it’s mission accomplished.

Rating: C+

The Joys of Youth Robbie Byrne talks to Rachel Koeman of Young Wonder about inspirations, touring with Alt-J and their debut album.

Sometimes the mundane can be a powerful influence. While many assume that a dramatic Icelandic backdrop is all Björk needs to pen her next alt-pop gem, who could have guessed that the bulk of Biophilia was inspired by the humble urban waterfront. Oozing from the same ethereal wellspring as Björk, Young Wonder’s inspiration is equally surprising.

“Living in the Cork countryside is my biggest influence. It’s everything around me, it’s engrained inside me,” begins vocalist Rachel Koeman, suggesting that an organic catalyst is required to create their signature earthy textures amid sterile beats and samples.

Despite Young Wonder’s organic palette, the duo was brought together in the name of practicality: “Brendan [Canty], our manager from Feel Good Lost was working with some solo stuff Ian [Ring] had at the time and asked me to sing on one of his tracks,” says Koeman. “I was in college, but was looking to get back into music as I had sung in bands and choirs beforehand.

We met for the first time in the studio and laid down the bones of ‘Orange’ in a few days – the rest is history.”

The pitched vocals and zesty synths of ‘Orange’ provided the backbone for the duo’s debut eponymous EP – earning them a support slot with one of today’s indie heroes. “We are massive fans of Alt- J, so to support them in the 02 Shepherds Bush was an absolute dream.

I’m sure that we gained some fans from that gig but, honestly, the most special element was to be able to support a band we really love.”

Having supported Alt-J and ToroY-Moi, the outfit was approached by Japanese label Plancha to release their sophomore EP, Show Your Teeth. “Of course we said yes,” says Koeman. “They had previously released some stuff from bands we know and were super accommodating. Going to number four in Japan is a pretty cool thing!”

Held from the top spot by dancefloor behemoths Daft Punk and Disclosure, the Cork outfit’s success outlines a bright future for independent artists willing to unlock the internet’s potential. “Young Wonder started as an internet band, so it’s always been an integral part of what we do. There would be no Young Wonder if the internet didn’t exist.

“A lot of good new music only exists on the internet these days and I think you would find a lot of bands in the same position as us. It’s a powerful tool and should be looked at as a very important way of getting your music out there.”

But the webosphere is a demanding realm and, without some visual trickery, even the finest new music can fall on deaf ears. Luckily, Rachel and Ian can call upon their managers/ visual directors at Feel Good Lost for some optic inspiration. Having created Hozier’s acclaimed ‘Take Me To Church’ video, the Cork-based company worked with the duo to plot an utterly unique visual image.

“For us, it was always an effortless accompaniment; sight and sound match so well. Our music is quite visual so we always want to have that aspect incorporated into our live performances. We’ve always had a

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dreamlike aura and our live shows have a similar quality.”

about. I don’t think we will every stop playing in Cork.”

It’s a curse that traps almost every buzzband. Press provides praise. Labels go crazy. Band makes god-awful album with two months notice. But it’s been two years since Young Wonder’s last EP, and with all residual buzz long evaporated, Koeman feels they are now perfectly positioned to release a debut LP.

Young Wonder’s debut LP, Birth, is available on all formats this May.

“Living in the Cork countryside is my biggest influence. It’s everything around me, it’s engrained inside me.”

“I guess every band is different in terms of how long it takes them to write albums. I’ve seen a lot of hyped bands that are forced to write albums super quick and they are almost always disappointing. We wanted to take our time and create something we were truly proud of.”

It’s been two years since Birth’s lead single, ‘Intergalactic’, made its live debut – so has the album’s creation been a difficult one? “Not at all,” replies Koeman. “Ian creates a beat and sends it to me; I like to work on it alone for a while and send back some ideas.

Writing wise, we work the same as we’ve always worked.”

The singles to have emerged from Birth so far showcase the outfit at their most holistic and otherworldly. ‘Intergalactic’ plays host to some gorgeous reverberated guitar, echoing to Koeman’s trademark accentuated vocals, while ‘Enchanted’ flaunts a newfound deepening of their songwriting prowess. “You will hear songs which are thoughtful, unique and reflect the maturity we have gained in the last few years,” remarks Koeman.

“It’s an album that we want you to sit back and really sink your ears into.”

As international publications continue to praise Young Wonder’s unique sound, there’s an impending certainty that the duo will have to fly further afield to satisfy a growing fanbase. But, for now, it’s a thought that Koeman avoids, “It’s not something I dare think

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My Awesome Mix, Vol. XIII New Valley Wolves Drawing inspiration from the Gods of blues and riff rock, New Valley Wolves ooze a reverb-laden sonic sludge that somehow manages to flirt with mainstream sensibility.

With two singles already under their belt, the MTV tipped duo have just wrapped up the recording of the debut album, Refusal Is Our Weapon, which is slated for launch at The Workman’s Club, Dublin on April 24th.

1. Foxjaw – Hijack 2. Grinderman – Heathen Child 3. Kid Karate – Two Times 4. Death from Above 1979 – Crystal Ball 5. Death from Above 1979 – Train wreck 6. Royal Blood – Careless 7. Rival Sons – Keep on Swinging 8. Foxjaw – Sirens

Changing Routes Chart-topping House DJ Route 94 tells Robbie Byrne about his influences, changing music directions and future collaborations.

one morning in my room with just my boxer shorts on. I thought I’d play it out and see how it went but I had absolutely no notion that it would get picked up by radio, let alone go to number one. It was all a bit surreal.

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With the exception of attending more house parties than lectures and holding down a bartending part-timer for two weeks, I can’t say turning 20 was a vintage time of achievement.

Enter Rowan Jones, aka Route 94, who, at the age of 20, dethroned Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’ on his way to topping the UK charts – all before I got around to pulling my first pint.

Regarded as something of a child prodigy, there’s a sense of playful maturity to the London native that belies his age. “Everyone thinks that I must have gone crazy and got totally wrecked when ‘My Love’ charted. But I do that all the time, so I did something totally different and took my girlfriend out for a quiet meal.” It’s a move typical of the once anonymous artist who prefers to hide in the shadows – focusing public attention on the music, rather than the persona behind it.

Despite not coming from a musical background, Jones believes that his love for the art form came from his exposure to the roots of dance music as a kid. “I was always around music, my mum had it on in the house all the time. She would drive me to school and it was UK garage at full volume. The music in my house went from reggae to house, disco, drum and bass – everything. Even the

elders around me had good taste in music, so I guess I was lucky.”

“I had no idea that it would get this big. It was just a track I made one morning in my room with just my boxer shorts on.”

Unlike many teenagers who go through the classic ‘pick up guitar and start a band, phase, Jones’s initial foray into songwriting was through free music software: “It really began when I was shown Fruity Loops; it was literally all I did as a teenager. From there on I knew that I wanted to make music. I was lucky as my mum never told me to turn it down!”

From here, he produced a handful of electronic tracks for Skrillex’s OWSLA label, only to be endorsed by dubstep stalwarts Skream and Benga.

Carving a distinctive sound inside the uniform confines of house is lofty task, but one Route 94 has done with aplomb.

His debut EP, Fly 4 Life, drew upon a melting pot of influences – melding staccato synthesisers and stripped back production with soulful vocal cuts and Italo house piano chords.

Every release, from his debut single to the techno infused Misunderstood EP showcases a unique sonic palette, but one distinctive to its creator. So much so that Jones fails to pin his sound down to any specific influencers. “I just sit down and start making music. I never have a plan of what I want something to sound like. Even if I do, it always turns out completely different anyway.

“For me, it’s always about the drums and the bass. I’ve recently got into using a lot of outboard gear and that has changed the way I put tracks together. When I started, it was all on a computer and you could always go back and change stuff. Now, I find myself committing to a sound and bouncing it down, which is totally new for me.”

While many artists are happy to avoid discussing their biggest hits, the success of ‘My Love’ remains a pleasant surprise for Jones. “I had no idea that it would get this big. It was just a track I made

“In some ways I wanted the release after ‘My Love’ [Misunderstood EP] to show people what music I had made beforehand. It’s strange but if ‘My Love’ wasn’t a hit, the track would have fitted quite well on any of my EPs. I guess a track takes on a new face when it’s a number one.” Despite some lingering shock, Jones is only too aware that a hit had to be shadowed by an uncommerical release to stake some creative authority.

“I just sit down and start making music.

I never have a plan of what I want something to sound like.”

It’s over six months since Jones revealed that a Route 94 LP would drop spring 2015, and with that time upon us, I ask if a debut album is still in the works. “Yeah, I’m working on it at the moment. I didn’t realise how much I would be away DJing to be honest – that’s taking up a lot of time but I have a laptop with me on tour, so I’m constantly making ideas on the road then expanding them at home.”

Renowned for his collaborations with Jess Glynne, Skream and Secondcity to name but a few, Jones’s latest music partnership is taking a front seat for now: “I’m working on a project with Sonny Fodera, which I’m really happy with. I seem to be collaborating half the time nowadays. I find you learn so much so fast by working with other people – it’s great to see how other people approach things.”

Route 94 plays at the Savoy, Cork on April 17th and the Hangar, Dublin on April 25th.

Never Go Out of Style Claire Fox catches up with top Irish stylist, Courtney Smith.

“I’m a people watcher,” says Courtney Smith, international stylist hailing from the picturesque coastal town of Malahide. While her affection for people watching may suggest she is some kind of stalker, for Smith, the only thing worth stalking in life is style.

“Even at New York Fashion Week, I love sitting in café’s and seeing what people are wearing, discovering new trends and things like that. My style has always been quite bohemian so I love fringing and people like Nicole Richie, Kate Bosworth and the Olsen Twins.”

While Smith views these red-carpet celebrities as her style inspirations, the bubbly Dubliner is fast becoming a style icon in her own right. Having been a cult follower of fashion from a young age, Smith went on to study design after school and travelled to London to complete a postgraduate course in styling in the prestigious London College of Fashion.

“If you ask my parents, I was always really interested in fashion from a young age. I’d be cutting up patches of material and things like that,” laughs the fashionista. “I studied design in Ireland and then did a postgrad in London, which was a huge learning curve for me. Being away from friends and family makes it difficult to cope but I certainly enjoyed it.

“Back then there were much fewer styling courses in Ireland, so I had no choice but to go to London and study styling.”

At the age of 21, Smith began working as a professional stylist in London, tailoring high-profile clients from Leona Lewis to Amy Winehouse. Being thrown in at the deep-end at such a young age, Smith credits that early experience with teaching her the craft of styling. Having to deal with a range of personalities with different style tastes can be a challenge but working for a set brand makes this task easier: “I styled a lot of people in London and I was working for a brand which was quite funky, so the clients obviously liked the clothes. Amy Winehouse was with us for a bit but then left; I couriered a lot of items to her. I also styled Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud,” says Smith modestly.

Having completed successful campaigns for Newbridge Silverware, starring

Amy Huberman and, most recently, Roz Purcell, in the promotion of their eShe jewellery line, Smith declares that she is more at home with magazine shoots as they provide her with room to experiment.

“Ireland is a lot smaller than the UK and we are always a little bit behind on the trends, maybe just by a few months.”

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“I usually prefer styling for magazine editorials and photoshoots because there is more freedom. The type of clothes used in commercial shoots are much different to clothes used in magazine shoots,” says Smith, whose work regularly appears on the glossy pages of The Sunday Independent’s, Life Magazine. “Even the styles I create on TV3 for Xposé are a lot different to magazine shoots. Xposé is a commercial show watched by a commercial audience, so that has to be taken into account.”

Smith now spends the majority of her time working in Ireland, despite travelling to London on a regular basis to look after international clients. For Smith there is a clear difference in the British and Irish fashion industries, with the most major difference of all being size.

“Ireland is a lot smaller than the UK and we are always a little bit behind on the trends, maybe just by a few months.

We also don’t have as big a budget, so we encounter problems like that. There just aren’t as many fashion magazines to do big photoshoots and editorials for.”

Like many people working in the Irish fashion industry, Smith is acutely aware of how important it is to support Irish designers and home-grown magazines in order to allow the sector to flourish.

“I had a ticket for a really big show at New York Fashion Week but I chose to go to an Irish designer because they

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are Irish and we need to support that.

Even at London Fashion Week, Paul Costelloe has been there for many years and Simone Rocha is showcasing her stuff. John Rocha doesn’t have his show anymore but I always used to go to that.

“Many designers have made it in the UK and internationally which is great for them and the industry” Although Smith is now Ireland’s top stylist and highly acclaimed internationally, her success is the result of years of hard work. Upon her return to Ireland, Smith was offered positions in retail but she didn’t take them, knowing that styling was her true calling. “It was the start of the recession and my mum thought I was mad for not taking these jobs but I knew styling was what I wanted to do. I started writing for a blog which at the time was quite big [wow.ie]. They paid me and that tipped me over while I was waiting for more gigs to come.

“It took a long time but perseverance is the key. If it’s what you really want to do, it will happen, but not overnight.”

As my conversation with one of the world’s most vibrant fashion names comes to a close, I grab my chance to quiz Smith about her style tips for the summer season ahead. “White and tan seems to be a big trend actually, which isn’t great for those of us with pale skin because it means we’ll have to be putting on the fake tan. Fringing, pastels, lace… there really seems to be an LA summer vibe going on, which is great.”

Styles’ Statement Shirt Style

Fashion

Nicole Clinton describes how Harry Styles’ mastering of the statement shirt can inspire both sexes. other colours.

“His penchant for statement shirts provide us with a visual guide as to how to pull off bold, alternative prints with a reckless, cool flair.”

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gender-neutral style icon is a rare find. But despite his beginning as a preppy teen idol, the recent fashion manifestations of One Direction’s Harry Styles prove that he is capable of offering audacious style inspiration to both men and women. Most notably, his penchant for statement shirts provide us with a visual guide as to how to pull off bold, alternative prints with a reckless, cool flair.

With the beginning of the promotional appearances for the band’s latest album, Four, came the first instances of Styles’ new, more distinct style and the ‘shirt mania’ that characterised it. For the main press junket, he donned a coffee coloured shirt with a black, gothic, floral pattern .The Gucci creation, which looked a pale shade of burgundy in some lights, was loaned a splash of

careless panache by having the neck buttoned down to the mid-chest and the sleeves rolled up. Styles turned to this colour scheme again for the group’s Saturday Night Live appearance; on both occasions, the shirt is made the statement piece of the outfit by being paired with black, skinny jeans.

With these looks, Styles demonstrates how old-fashioned prints and dim, earth tones can be exceedingly modern and striking when they are styled in an effortless way and are made the focal point of the ensemble.

However Styles also illustrates a refreshed take on the more traditional monochrome shades and patterns. He arrived at the filming of Jimmy Kimmel Live in a black and white speckled, short-sleeved Saint Laurent shirt,

while he performed on the X-Factor in late 2014 in a loose, black longsleeves-rolled-up number with a white pinstripe. For members of both sexes who possess a more reserved taste, these style exhibitions exemplify how chic prints can revitalise a minimalist colour scheme and can allow you to seem funky and subtle simultaneously.

As we reach the most courageous examples of his statement shirts, we uncover the main proof that Harry Styles deserves his fashion credentials.

His ability to pull off ridiculous prints while still managing to maintain a sense of collected coolness is quite an accomplishment. An interview on America’s The Today Show gave us a design that is difficult to describe in words (although I will try nevertheless).

The bold, unique creation combined clashing check and abstract floral, geometric, square patterns in shades of lemon, brown, white and a variety of

The recording of Band Aid 30 saw Styles channel a less complicated, yet equally distinctive print in the form of a crisp white shirt covered in different coloured motorbikes. Finally, marking the boyband’s X-Factor final performance with Ronnie Wood in December 2014, Styles donned a black shirt imprinted with pale pink flamingos. By wearing these three Marc Jacobs short-sleeved visions buttoned down half-way and with the same signature black skinny jeans, Styles exemplifies how to extract the full potential of the statement shirt.

He verifies that extraordinary patterns need not appear fussy or excessive when they are used as the main feature of an outfit.

Therefore guys and girls alike can look to Harry Styles for instruction and inspiration when deciding to tackle a patterned shirt or blouse. With a surname like that, it would be a dreadful shame if he didn’t exude any ‘style’ skills!

Eau My God! Claire Fox questions whether perfume adverts personify the true scent of a woman.

In a crowded catalogue of advertisements, the key for any perfumery is to garner the audience’s attention as quickly as possible.

Companies must do their best to sell the brand and world that the perfume emulates. What better way to do this than to paint an illustrious image of wealth, fame and fortune to entice the viewer? This is most prominent in the advert for Paco Rabanne promoting their supposed ‘feminine fragrance’, Lady Million. The message this advert sends us is that all women need to feel womanly is money, stardom and male attention. Is this really the message that the perfume industry should be teaching women?

Take Marc Jacobs advertisement for his perfume ‘Oh Lola’ in 2009, starring the then 17-year-old Dakota Fanning. This advertisement, which pictured Fanning clad in a pink doll-like dress with a bottle of perfume situated between her upper thighs, sparked controversy for its alleged sexualisation of minors and was eventually banned. Whatever side of the debate you are on it is clear that the fashion industry needs to question how they would like their brand to be represented in the 21st century. The age old adage of ‘Sex Sells’ is just getting old.

advertisement starring Charlize Theron celebrates female strength, while Lancome’s 2012 ad for their scent ‘La Vie est belle’ shows Julia Roberts breaking the glass ceiling in a world where women are chained to their duties. Chanel are always winners when it comes to their adverts. Whether it’s Keira Knightley ruling the Parisian Streets for Coco Mademoiselle or the romantic love story of Audrey Tatou for Chanel No. 5, they get it right every time.

However many adverts are proving that the allure of style and grace never goes out of fashion. Dior’s 2014 ‘J’adore’

According to Christian Dior, “a woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.” If this is the

case, perfume adverts should represent modern women as independent and intelligent beings. While we all enjoy escaping into the Wonderland-like world which these adverts promote, even Alice smelled the roses in time to face up to reality. Maybe it’s time perfume manufacturers did the same.

Alexander McQueen Continues to take the Crown Marita Moloney pays homage to the fearless designer, marking the fifth anniversary of his death.

Fashion

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arch was the month of McQueen. The late designer’s birthday was dwarfed in comparison to London’s Victoria & Albert Museum opening its doors to the retrospective of Lee Alexander McQueen’s work. With 70,000 tickets already sold for Savage Beauty, it is obvious this exhibition transcends a selected sartorial audience and instead extends a general appeal to anyone who appreciates the genius that was McQueen.

This anticipated event is an aweinspiring repertoire of McQueen’s brilliance, guiding the attendee through a timeline of his career and tracing his inspirations and collections through a menagerie of spectacular pieces which can only be described as works of art. Visitors revel in the resplendent decadence of the garments, the perplexing workmanship of dresses made from razor-sharp clams or plywood, and the evolution of the man behind the clothes from taxi-driver’s son to the fashion world’s ‘infant terrible’.

However the V&A’s exhibition is also a reminder of the tormented prodigy that was McQueen and his attempt to push the limits of fashion, while in turn pushing his own personal limits as he grappled with the struggles of his new found prominence among the fashion

elite. The brooding, sinister aesthetic of some pieces mirror the mental anguish that he suffered in his descent into depression.

In the weeks leading up to Savage Beauty’s debut, a sensationalist account of the seedy underground of McQueen’s personal life was depicted in Dana Thomas’s Gods & Kings: The rise and fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. While prodigal son Galliano is presented with distaste by the disapproving author, it is the decadence, excess and perverseness of McQueen’s antics that garner infamy.

Which Came First – the Fashion or the Art? Aoife Stapleton examines the origins of bond that fashion and art hold.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, both artists and fashion designers have often been known to move in the same circles, feeding off each other’s influences. It could be claimed that fashion essentially needs art to survive as it is an art form in itself. Today on the runway, we are exposed to numerous collections which bear discernible artistic influence from artists of both past and present. Some incorporate collaborations with modern day artists, while others take obvious inspiration from the works of well-known classic or contemporary masters.

One of the most famous alignments of art and fashion is Yves Saint Laurent’s collection of dresses inspired by Dutch Avant-Garde artist Piet Mondrian.

The shift dresses, which were designed in 1965, adopted the iconic abstract grid patterns of Mondrian’s most famous paintings. Mondrian famously reduced his works to a five-colour palette of black, white, blue, yellow and red. The geometric shapes, simple asymmetry, thick lines and planes of block colour fitted suitably into the modern innovative style which was so prominent in 1960’s fashion.

In more recent years American label Rodarte adapted the designs of one of history’s most celebrated creatives: Vincent van Gogh. The label’s spring/ summer 2012 collection presented a preeminent collection replete with colours of blues and yellows, with painted flowers and delicate chiffon

Many reviewers have deemed the salacious descriptions of the designer’s drug binges and sexual depravity as unnecessary, biased by dislike and ignorant to the intrinsic creativity which he possessed.

Thankfully Gods & Kings doesn’t come close to overshadowing the artistry of McQueen’s work, nor does the melancholy of the man’s final years, which included the suicide of his muse, Isabella Blow, his mother’s death and his own suicide before her funeral.

The V&A’s exhibition is ultimately a celebration of the artistry, creativity and

inimitability of a profoundly talented man, the type of rare designer that shapes the future of fashion.

Indeed, Lauren Milligan of Vogue remarked on the display that it “reminds us once again of how much we have lost as well as gained.” So while Lee, the fashion revolutionary and maker of his own rules, may no longer be around to outrage and amaze, his aesthetic lives on through his eponymous label.

“When I’m dead and gone, people will know that the 21st century was started

by Alexander McQueen,” the designer once boasted, and this self-assurance has become reality. Long live McQueen.

materials. With printed sky motifs influenced by van Gogh’s Starry Night, flowers reminiscent of one of his most famous paintings Sunflowers and the swirls of the cleverly chosen chiffon materials, imitating his archetypal thick brush strokes, the collection really paid homage to van Gogh’s exemplary ability as a painter.

Some claim that the first partnership of art and fashion was the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali’s placement of a lobster on a white Elsa Schiaparelli dinner dress, back in the first half of the 20th century and it is evident that the amalgamation of the two is still prominent in today’s fashion-conscious world. However it does not only work in one, single direction, as throughout history we have seen fashion impact the works of many artists also.

For example, during the Renaissance period, many painters were inspired

by textiles and intricate details of clothing and a heavy influence was placed on achieving realistic, life-like and sophisticated depictions of the folds and textures of the dress of their rendered subjects. In a world where trends are constantly altering, it is required of the fashion designer to draw inspiration from a plethora of different sources. However it seems clear that the powerful marriage of fashion and art shows no sign of subsiding.

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