Little Red Riding Hood gets punk’d!
Chaplin Do clothes really make the man? Walk Like An Egyptian How to get Cleopatra’s look
Contents
Signature
7 Editor’s letter 9 Contributor’s page 10 Little Red Riding Hood get’s punk’d 16 Eminem –Blonde Vs Brunette 20 Chaplin do “Clothes Maketh the man?” 28 Poetry Corner 32 Walk Like an Egyptian, how to get Cleopatra’s look 36 Signature News
Editor’s Letter For Signature’s first edition you’d think we’d have some of the more obvious fashion icons featured but Signature isn’t about the obvious it’s about looking deeper into clothing, beauty, accessories, style and how they can represent who we are or hide who we are. Signature’s about discovering how certain styles have come to be, where they have come from and the meaning behind them. Every issue there will be four sections exploring contemporary, historical, pop culture and fairy tale fashion icons. We want to bring a collection of very different characters every month but with one connection they all have signatures styles. Our main feature “Clothes Maketh the Man?” on Charlie Chaplin (page 20). Instead of looking at the cover and seeing Charlie Chaplin, we’ve put the things that make him so recognisable – That is what Signature is all about, it’s about the clothes that make a person who they are or that make them so recognisable. The Little Red Riding Hood shoot which has punk, rock and roll, feministic take the classic tale (page 10). Get one of the most beautiful women in history’s look on our “Cleopatra Get the Look” (page 32) Discover how rapper Eminem’s trademark style represents different personalities and memories and we unravel his style history (page 16 ). I wanted to create a fashion magazine that not only explored the history of icons and their style but also put a new twist on their looks. Some people think fashion is one dimensional, I wanted to show depth and how important fashion is. It can represent who we are or hide who we are, it can show moods, represent and show the world other aspects of our life, like our music taste or our political beliefs. I wanted to create something that made the readers think and see all the details in fashion that they maybe thought were insignificant. “History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up”- Voltaire
Victoria Holland Victoria Holland
7
Contributors “Even before I can remember I have strived to create pioneering and eclectic ideas to build around aspects of my own personality traits and through the things that I love most; Fashion, music and modern culture.” Andre Robson -studio manager and assistant buyer at Signature.
She has passion for music, events, fashion and originality. She is always looking in vintage and charity shops for that one of a kind or forgotten item and making it her own.
Yasmine Flora Anaïs Perez- current affairs manager and styling assistant here at Signature.
She has passion for beauty and life. Simmone says that her biggest style influences are Louis Vuitton and Blake Lively. Simmone Gardiner is hair and make-up artist at Signature.
film and directing Rebecca make an exciting new edition to the signature team. “all my life I’ve had one dream: to achieve my many goals.” good advice from Homer Simpson Rebecca Innes is director of photography at signature. 9
From the Hood
T
he colour of Red Riding Hood’s hood has been given many interpretations from it symbolising the dawn, blood and sin to passion and sexuality. Hundreds of big name designers have used Red Riding Hood as inspiration and for many of their ad campaigns from Nina Ricci to Chanel.
Why is it that the only thing that has really stuck with this tale been the infamous red hood? What is the meaning behind this garment? Where did it come from and why is it so instantly recognizable? The earliest known written version of Little Red Riding Hood was known as Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (little red cap) by Charles Perrault in 1697 but it has its origins in 17th century French folklore, possibly why Chanel used Red Riding Hood in their Chanel No5. advert because of its roots in French history. Charles Perrault was the first known person to use the colour red for Riding Hood’s hood or cap, however the Brothers Grimm version is the most widely known today. “Little Red Riding Hood may have originated relatively late (in the middle ages) as a cautionary tale warning children about the dangers of the forest” (tatar 143) Now we know where it came from why was red chosen? Why not blue or yellow? There are so many different interpretations of this tale it’s hard to know where to begin, Red Riding Hood has been seen as a story of sexual maturity, where she braves
12
the “dark forest” of womanhood and her red cloak symbolizes the blood of the menstrual cycle. With the rise of feminism we’ve seen Red Riding Hood take on the big bad wolf and chop him down to size. Such as in the GHD straighteners campaign and Roald Dahl’s “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf ” where Red Riding hood shoots the wolf, proving girls aren’t as timid as they look! Little Red Riding Hood is an odd fairytale, with it having many different version existing, some with semi-happy endings where Red Riding Hood lives and grandma dies, some where the wolf prospers and some with a happy ending but one thing that remains is her red hood. Red Riding Hood has also been seen as a story about growing up, the innocence of a child trusting strangers (the wolf) and as she becomes older and realises the darkness in the world (the forest) she becomes a woman and looses that trusting innocence. By going through acts of the tale and when she is cut out of the wolf ’s belly she becomes a woman. But no matter what the meaning or multiple meanings the moral always seems to be don’t talk or trust strangers. The wolf has also come to symbolize a man, who could be a lover, sexual predator or a seducer. We can see this interpretation has had influence on many adaptations, in Evenences’ music video for “Call Me When You’re Sober”, Red Riding hood and the wolf symbolise a destructive relationship. A man (the wolf) luring her in, being a seducer pretending to love her but he is actually being sly and continuingly hurting her. The red of her hood could also mean she’s a target or the target
of the story just as a bull targets red. Which I admit is an obvious statement, red hood symbolising blood and the wolf wanted to kill Red Riding Hood but not a statement that should be over looked as sometimes the most obvious answer is the right one. Charles Perrault explained the ‘moral’ at the end of his version so that no doubt was left to his intended meaning: “From this story one learns that children, especially young lasses, pretty, courteous and well-bred, do very wrong to listen to strangers, And it is not an unheard thing if the Wolf is thereby provided with his dinner. I say Wolf, for all wolves are not of the same sort; there is one kind with an amenable disposition — neither noisy, nor hateful, nor angry, but tame, obliging and gentle, following the young maids in the streets, even into their homes. Alas! Who does not know that these gentle wolves are of all such creatures the most dangerous!” -But Perrault did not invent the tale so this is just his interpretation to his version and there have been many different interpretation but it is what you take away from a story that is important and the moral that you get from it, so no matter the analysis it’s what the tale teaches you that is important! Therefore I ask you to come to your own conclusion of Red Riding Hood’s hood and why the colour red has lasted hundreds of years and has become such a symbol and inspiration for designers, photographers, artists and writers.
Heather wears: Red H&M Hoodie £20, Fox tale £360 at Havetolove.com, White Converse Trainers £42, Topman Tooth Necklace £12.
Blonde Vs The age old question blonde or brunette?
When someone has had a signature look for so long it’s strange and slightly unnerving to see them go against that look. Since Eminem first exploded on to the scene his bleached blonde hair has come along as a big part of the Eminem package. But since the release of his album Relapse we’ve seen not only a different hair colour from Eminem but a different side to him too. With books about himself entitled “angry blonde” it’s a surprising change, but why the change? When Eminem made his 2009 return with his album Relapse the first song he released was “We Made You”, he wears hats and wigs all the way through the video and at the end he takes his wig off to reveal his hair is brown, he then throws his wig to the ground and looks at the camera, it seems a sort of a protest against his hair and it’s some big reveal at the end of the video. As if he is rebelling against the old Slim Shady and revealing the new Marshall Mathers. It’s no secret that Eminem has had a dramatic personal life. During his career we have seen him up in court for assault, divorced and remarried to the same women, being sued by his mother for 10million dollars, his best friend was killed and he’s been in and out of rehab. But in his new song Not Afraid he tells fans that there’ll be
“no more drama”, so does this hair change mean he’s getting away from his past and becoming a new man? Eminem said that his blonde hair reminded him of his drug using and he said he hated himself so much when he was on drugs. Now that Eminem’s clean, his hair is clean no pollution in his hair, none in his body, this could symbolise a new start and a new Eminem...the real Eminem the more serious side Marshall Mathers. We’ve always known Eminem has a split personality with slim shady being in control of the bouncer fun tracks and Marshall Mather in control of the serious softer tracks. Eminem said that his blonde hair was a mistake when he was high on ecstasy he messed up his hair and Dr Dre liked it and said “that’s your thing” so it stuck. To be honest when Eminem first came on the scene the bleached blonde was something a bit different, it gave Eminem an edge and made him stand out but now he’s proved himself as an artist and doesn’t really need anything but his lyrics, his voice and his emotion.
Brunette “
mystique when I speak, that you notice that’s sorta unique, cause you know it’s me, my poetry’s deep, and I’m still matic the way I flow to this beat, you can’t sit still, it’s like tryin to smoke crack There’s a certain
and
”
go to sleep
During the 90’s Eminem became a huge success selling more 3,000,000 copies of the Slim Shady LP and the bleached blonde hair craze began. Then in 2000 he even had hundreds of guys in his The Real Slim Shady video with their hair bleached blonde because in the song he talks about the whole bleached blonde Eminem wannabe trend
“And there’s a million of us just like me, who cuss like me; who just don’t give a fuck like me who dress like me; walk, talk and act like me might be and just the next best thing but not
quite me!”
There have been debates on Eminem.com on his hair change, one fan said “I think Eminem blond hair was a little bit crazy in his songs and in person/videos. But when he has brown hair Em’, is more calm mellow and more down to earth”. -This comment seems to embody the general consensus of the hair change and of the two sides of Eminem.
“I wasn’t thinking that the peroxide thing was going to be my thing; i was just being stupid on drugs,” Eminem It’s not just his white skin and bleached blond hair that set him apart in hip-hop. It’s the fact that unlike most rappers, he’s harshly self-deprecating; it’s his honesty and emotion that make him truly unique and inspiring. At first the beach blonde hair was something to make him stand out, a dying mishap maybe but it turned into a trademark, which turned into a trend and became a symbol for Eminem’s alter ego: Blonde -the rebellious trickster Slim Shady. Brunette -the serious remorseful Marshall Mathers a combination that might never have been so successful without the contrast of the bleached blonde. Who do you prefer? Who will survive? Who will be remembered? No matter what the answers to these questions one persona cannot live without the other and some of his success has to be because of the clash of his two personalities. Blonde hair is part of him, a part of his past it helps represent him but as he’s got older I guess he’s grown out of his hair.
17
“Clothes maketh the man?� If clothes make man, can the man ever live up to the clothes? Clothes make the man but it’s about what the clothes represent and if clothes represent the man then our dress and style is essentially who we are, even if we mean it not to be.
20
Charlie Chaplin was born on April 26th, 1889. When you think of Charlie Chaplin style icon isn’t exactly the first think that springs to mind, but his character “The Little Tramp”, with his over sized trousers held up with a rope and his signature bowler hat are unmistakeable. –But why? What has made his look so iconic and unique? A legendary story is Charlie Chaplin once entered himself in a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest and came 3rd, I don’t know why but this story sort of proves that it doesn’t matter what you look like it’s about the clothes you wear and clothes make the man. If Charlie Chaplin himself can be mistaken from and ranked 3rd in his own look-a-like contest then the clothes must have had a great influence. But who is The Little Tramp?
“A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.”-Charlie Chaplin In an interview Chaplin talks about the moment he created the tramp outfit:
“It all came about in an emergency. The cameraman said put on some funny make-up, and I hadn’t the slightest idea what to do. I went to the dress department and, on the way, I thought, well, I’ll have them make everything in contradiction - baggy trousers, tight coat, large head, small hat - raggedy but at the same time a gentleman. I
didn’t know how I was going to do the face, but it was going to be a sad, serious face. I wanted to hide that it was comic, so I found a little moustache. And that moustache was no concept of the characterisation - only saying that it was rather silly. It doesn’t hide my expression.” -This quote gives such insight, wearing things that give certain details about the character, how he wanted to make everything in contradiction because the little tramp himself is a contradiction because when you think of a tramp neat, tidy and gentlemanly aren’t usually the first things that spring to mind. If you look closely and notice in his films the way the little tramp, being homeless and fighting against great social injustices always tries to look smart and gets upset if he messes up his clothes or when he loses his hat. If his hat falls off into the dirt, he chases it and cleans it, it’s sweet and almost charming how important his clothes are to him. It could be because he is a tramp and doesn’t have a lot that he takes care of what he does have.
In his classic film ‘The Circus’ he even uses a lint brush on his jacket to make himself look respectable. It begs the question why a character with no home and no income should take such pride in his appearance? Maybe it was something to do in with the time Chaplin lived in or perhaps it is to do with his wanting to be a gentleman not only in the way he dressed but in his attitude to his appearance. Perhaps The Little Tramp thought that true gentlemen take pride in their appearance? In Chaplin’s classic modern times, (which was the inspiration for John Galliano’s spring/summer 2010 collection) he gives up his seat to the girl in the police van, even though it is a police van and she is a criminal he still gives his seat to her because she is a lady. It’s the way he uses his clothing to be gentlemanly which is the most interesting like when he takes his hat off to a women he keeps falling on in the van to apologise to her, he ‘takes his hat off to her’ if you will. When he falls over the first thing he does is find his hat, picks it up and brush it clean.
“no matter how rambunctious or exuberant he felt, always had these very tired, big feet. I had absurdly small feet, so I wanted these big shoes, and I knew they would give me a comic gait. I’m naturally very graceful, but trying to be graceful in big feet - that’s funny.”
His forte is humour does this mean his clothes have to represent humour, fun and that his clothing and accessories have to be sort of props that he can use at the drop of a hat in his films? His clothes ooze humour; his big shoes give that sort of clown-like feel to his attire. Chaplin asked wardrobe for two large pairs of old shoes for his ensemble because he hadthis vision that the tramp
23
His odd sized and misshapen clothing gives him that playful clown like look, trying to look smart but only finding wrong sized clothing and having big tired feet makes chaplin rather endearing and fun! Just looking at his clothes you can tell he is going to be a funny yet sweet character, putting his heart into trying to look his best but looking comical and sweet. What is the difference between Chaplin and someone else who wears the same item of clothing he does? Laurel and Hardy both wore bowler hats but what makes Chaplin different from them? It’s the combination of his clothing and accessories, the size of them and how they are worn, it’s what they represent that gives Chaplin his unmistakable look. Whatever the case The Tramp always pays attention to every detail of his clothing.
“I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the make-up made me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked onto the stage he was fully born.” –Charlie Chaplin Did you know? His corpse was stolen. Three months after Chaplin died on Christmas, 1977, his body was stolen in an effort to extort money from his family. Chaplin’s body was recovered 11 weeks later after the grave-robbers were captured. He is now buried under 6 feet of concrete to prevent further theft attempts. In 1925, he was the first actor to appear on the cover of Time magazine. Although Adolf Hitler despised Chaplin, it was rumored Hitler was aware of chaplin’s popularity, and grew the Chaplin moustache to endear himself to the people He composed about 500 melodies, including Smile. The Shoe that Charlie Chaplin famously ate in the legendary silent movie The Tramp was made of liquorice.
o P
y r et
r o C
r e n
Charlie Chaplin If I were a five year old orphan in 1930’s America I’d catch a bus to a black and white Hollywood set Sneak past a police officer with a whistle and a tall hat Stop at a lonely dead end street Rub some soot over my cheeks and forehead Mess up my hair Step in some mud And wait for Charlie Chaplin to arrive And when he did arrive With his hands in his pockets And his piercing smile He would stop to consider me Maybe scratch his head Wriggle his moustache And soon enough open up is big heart Take me under his wing Squeeze my little hand in his And walk me back to his home There we’d survive on the crusts of bread We’d steal from the circus or find on a table Through an opening in a window That is at least until the authorities came to take me away And to lock up Charlie Chaplin in a cage With a lion -Boyatthewindow www.about.com
28
Antony and Cleopatra By William Shakespeare Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me: now no more The juice of Egypt’s grape shall moist this lip: Yare, yare, good Iras; quick. Methinks I hear Antony call; I see him rouse himself To praise my noble act; I hear him mock The luck of Caesar, which the gods give men To excuse their after wrath: husband, I come: Now to that name my courage prove my title! I am fire and air; my other elements I give to baser life. So; have you done? Come then, and take the last warmth of my lips. Farewell, kind Charmian; Iras, long farewell. [Kisses them. IRAS falls and dies] Have I the aspic in my lips? Dost fall? If thou and nature can so gently part, The stroke of death is as a lover’s pinch, Which hurts, and is desired. Dost thou lie still? If thus thou vanishest, thou tell’st the world It is not worth leave-taking. -Cleopatra monologue Act V, sc. 2
Renegade See I’m a poet to some, a regular modern day Shakespeare Jesus Christ the King of these Latter Day Saints here To shatter the picture in which of that as they paint me as a monger of hate and Satan a scatterbrained atheist But that ain’t the case, see it’s a matter of taste We as a people decide if Shady’s as bad as they say he is Or is he the latter - a gateway to escape? Media scapegoat, who they can be mad at today See it’s easy as cake, simple as whistlin Dixie. -Eminem
Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf By Roald Dahl As soon as Wolf began to feel That he would like a decent meal, He went and knocked on Grandma’s door. When Grandma opened it, she saw The sharp white teeth, the horrid grin, And Wolfie said, “May I come in?” Poor Grandmamma was terrified, “He’s going to eat me up!” she cried. And she was absolutely right. He ate her up in one big bite. But Grandmamma was small and tough, And Wolfie wailed, “That’s not enough! I haven’t yet begun to feel That I have had a decent meal!” He ran around the kitchen yelping, “I’ve got to have a second helping!”
Ah well, no matter what you say, I’m going to eat you anyway.” The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers. She whips a pistol from her knickers. She aims it at the creature’s head, And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead. A few weeks later, in the wood, I came across Miss Riding Hood. But what a change! No cloak of red, No silly hood upon her head. She said, “Hello, and do please note My lovely furry wolfskin coat.”
Then added with a frightful leer, “I’m therefore going to wait right here Till Little Miss Red Riding Hood Comes home from walking in the wood.” He quickly put on Grandma’s clothes, (Of course he hadn’t eaten those). He dressed himself in coat and hat. He put on shoes, and after that, He even brushed and curled his hair, Then sat himself in Grandma’s chair. In came the little girl in red. She stopped. She stared. And then she said, “What great big ears you have, Grandma.” “All the better to hear you with,” the Wolf replied. “What great big eyes you have, Grandma.” said Little Red Riding Hood. “All the better to see you with,” the Wolf replied. He sat there watching her and smiled. He thought, I’m going to eat this child. Compared with her old Grandmamma, She’s going to taste like caviar. Then Little Red Riding Hood said, “ But Grandma, what a lovely great big furry coat you have on.” “That’s wrong!” cried Wolf. “Have you forgot To tell me what BIG TEETH I’ve got?
29
Walk like an Egyptian Cleopatra was a woman who really knew what she wanted and how to get it. Elizabeth Taylor played her in the timeless classic historic epic Cleopatra, which depicts the triumphs and tragedy of the Egyptian queen. Not to mention showing some fabulous costumes! Cleopatra seduced the great Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. It seems she used her beauty as diplomacy in aiding Egypt to become more favourable with Rome. While fashions of ancient Egypt maybe thousands of years old, it hasn’t stopped modern fashion taking inspiration from the ancient Egyptians. Fabric featuring hieroglyphic patterns, jewelled sandals, draped dresses and scarab jewellery are just a few of the modern twists on ancient Egyptian fashion. What she’s famous for: Bathing in asses’ milk Seducing both Caesar and Mark Antony Death by snake bite Being played by Elizabeth Taylor What she’s less famous for: Being Egypt’s last Pharaoh (Her death was the mark of the end of the Egyptian Monarchs) Marring her younger brother Ptolemy XIII when she was 11
32
Cleopatra’s look is simple but effective: Black and green eye shadow Lots of gold and turquoise Snake themed Items Head dress Dark hair, usually in a bob Jewels Sandals/strappy heels Caftan/drape dress Cat themed items Designers such as John Galliano (above), Ted Rossi and Alexander McQueen have been inspired by her look.
Get The Look Here’s Signature’s guide on how to get her look
Signature news
From the director of Twlight comes this dark supernatural interpretation of the classic tale “Red Riding Hood” its sets out to be one of the must-see films of 2010. With Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia, Mean Girls) playing Red Riding Hood along with an all star cast including, Gary Oldman Virginia Madsen and Billy Burke. This version is set in a Medieval village where Red Riding Hood, whose name is Valerie is torn between two men, the man she loves, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) and the man her parents have arranged for her to marry, Henry (Max Irons). Not the typical Red Riding Hood tale, the wolf is in fact a werewolf and when Valerie’s sister is killed the Village people call upon a werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to help them kill the beast. Solomon warns that the wolf could be anyone of them as the wolf takes human form by day. As the death toll rises with each moon, Valerie soon begins to suspect someone she loves could be the werewolf as she discovers that she has a unique connection to the wolf, one that draws them together, making her both suspect and bait. Out March 11th 2011, we can hardly wait! Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=PM8V3cHdSC4 and wet your appetite for one of the most anticipated films of 2010. 36
Eminem’s Recovery album was eagerly awaited and with after the success of Eminem’ first single “Not Afraid” we wondered what his album had in store and ewe weren’t disappointed! Rihanna and Eminem teaming up on Tracks like no1 single “Love The Way You Lie” which also had Dominic Monaghan (Lost) and Megan Fox (Transformers) in the video. His new single “No Love” sees Eminem and Lil Wayne teaming up again and sees Haddaway’s 1993 dance hit “What Is Love” in the beat.
When Taylor starred as Cleopatra in 1963 we thought any remake or any other Cleopatra would never match up but when we hear Hollywood producer Scott Rudin has bought the film rights to a new biography about Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff and with them both having Angelina Jolie in mind for the part our uncertainty about the remake has disappeared. A script for the film is already underway and “The movie is being developed for and with Jolie,” said a spokesman for Rudin. The Author Stacy Schiff say Jolie has “the perfect look,” for Cleopatra. As we start and get excited for costume possibilities Stacy Schiff also said Brad Pitt would make a perfect Marc Anthony –now we definitely can’t wait! We’re keeping our eyes peeled for this one! 37