Hanah Oulton
Drawings: Holly Lamb
What’s Inside Issue 22 Abbie May
Vick Hope Fashion Week M.O Girl Group
Harris Reed
Vivienne Westwood
Stina Persson
Trends
Gucci and the Geek
Beauty
I.AM.GIA
After a long hot summer, the Autumn Winter season is welcomed like a lost friend, but little does she know, we’re ramping things up to the Next Level. Next Level for us means the people we come across who embrace their own “Daring to be Different” and carve out new pathways. The individuals and teams who are not content to rest on their laurels, but challenge themselves to go one step further and continually shake things up. This was evident in the AW18 runway shows as fashion designers from Virgil Abloh to Matty Bovan defined entirely new silhouettes, and blurred the boundaries of gender-specific fashion. Issue 22 is packed with game-changers, and we can’t wait for you to meet them. I’ll open with the beautiful and multi-talented Vick Hope: Capital breakfast DJ and new hopeful for Strictly Come Dancing. Vick graced our studio with one of the most high energy fashion shoots we have had to date. She effortlessly captured every look with poise and grace truly bringing the clothing to life. Where she finds time for speaking multiple languages, writing, producing, editing and presenting is a mystery. The makeup for this shoot was created by the amazing Abbie May who also features within Issue 22. We caught up with the
chief makeup artist of Africa Fashion Week and a rising star to talk about her life, inspirations and her incredible achievements. Speaking of incredible achievements, Bianca Whyte has gone from chief designer at the Kardashian Kollection to heading up her own successful label. She took time to talk fashion, and setting yourself apart from the competition. We have articles and interviews with the likes of Alana Pallister, founder of the fashion label I.AM.GIA who wants to take away the ‘Insta-famous’ facade that so many women aspire to; Kara Marni, the richly ta-len-ted Soul singer/songwriter who is breaking new ground and embracing the female empowerment from fellow artists; Stina Persson, the international fashion illustrator who shares insights to the thinking behind 8 selected works of art; and Dilara Findikoglu heading up 5 fashion designers who ‘Break on through to the other side’. Speaking of the other side, we capture some iconic moments from the career of the Queen of Punk as she embarks on a fresh collaboration with Burberry, none other than Dame Vivienne Westwood. We are continually inspired by this fashion maverick’s gritty determination as she continues to ignite the fire into future generations of avant-garde designers, as well as charter into new territories herself.
We can’t talk about ‘game-changers’ without highlighting some of the talent that is behind our features right now. Hannah Oulton stylishly draws out the ‘Feel Good Factor’ in Hip&Runway, and emphasises moving fashion forward with bold integrity; Brooke Kelsall serves up stylish trend boards with striking graphics and clever headlines, whilst Alice Walker delivers the witty and insightful write-ups to complete the Autumn/Winter 18 trend presentations; Holly Lamb is the creative direction force behind, amongst others, the Kara Marni feature; Kat Kennedy’s sassy words invite the calling for us to ‘Break on through to the other side’ whilst embracing our ‘Gucci and the Geek’; and Lauren Geddes provides the thorough research behind the wardrobes that make our photoshoots. And finally, no issue is complete without a cover story. Heading up our ‘Next Level’ extravaganza is the one and only M.O setting the scene for what’s to come. This sensational girl band is taking the music world by storm after working with the likes of Stormzy, Jess Glyne, playing at Glastonbury, and receiving a MOBO nomination. We are certainly getting no ‘bad vibes’. We stole some of their time after our photoshoot to chat to Nadine, Annie and Chanal about their unprecedented success, and we simply cannot wait for more new music to drop from these girls soon. So without giving too much more away, it’s time for you to be Voired!! Enjoy xx
Words: Hannah Oulton
Whether you power-up with prints, master your femininity with silks or armour up with layers, AW’18 is a time for moving forward with bold integrity.
For me, summer’s had its final fling and I’m beyond ready for the trending passions of Autumn-Winter ‘18. I’m a September baby so, naturally, autumn is my feel-good wardrobe. Lucky for me, this season is all about the feel-goodfactor. Give me those autumnal shades and insta-worthy must-haves: I’m ready for the seasonal shift. The world is in shift and it’s no wonder the fashion industry is voicing this change the only way we know how: the runway, the streets and social media. From #MeToo and #TimesUp to political wake-up and shake-ups, there’s never been a better time for women (and men) to voice their opinions and beliefs; expressing their true selves through style. Whilst the buzzword on the runway was ‘protection’, there was no doubt that this season continues the shift to female empowerment and progression. Representation We saw more diversity than ever on the catwalks with models from all backgrounds, colour and maturity. Representation of the real woman was transformed from screen to scene (that’s catwalk screen to Insta scene), with a real sense of wearing the trends this season not only for protection from the inevitable weather but also the inevitable challenges of society. Whether you power-up with prints, master your femininity with silks or armour up with layers, AW’18 is a time for moving forward with bold integrity.
Animal Prints For those of you who are fashion-savvy season hunters, you’ll already notice one of the major trends of AW’18 hitting our high street and luxe brands already. Animal print is everywhere and I am ob-sessed. The runway had us living for head-to-toe prints in leopard, zebra, tiger, snake…the lust-list goes on. From Dolce and Gabbana’s flirty, femininity to Max Mara’s power structures, there’s something for everyone with this trend. Want to make a statement? Follow Balenciaga and Tom Ford with bold, brilliant prints, daring to be different. For those wanting a subtle nod to their animal instincts, keep it casual and chic like Victoria Beckham. Go for a printed trench draped over laid-back basics or team your favourite denim with a sexy shirt. As for me, if I don’t remind you of Shania circa ’98, well, that don’t impress-a-me much…
Prints Prints are the power-thing of the season for AW’18, the aforementioned animal prints, perfectly pretty florals and intrepid urban art and pop art; it’s a print, on print, on print thang. Silk is the choice of fabric for the subtle take on this trend. Marine Serre brought us handkerchief hemmed skirts, layered with knotted silk tops in a mix of grandmaesque floral prints. Gucci mixed their delicate prints with bold, modern accessories: florescent beanie or statement shoe, a marriage of old and new. Moschino paid homage to Lichtenstein’s comic-strip prints (my absolute fave), making it brave and bright. Clash your prints to really grab the eye, or pick one statement piece to refine your tribute to the trend. Either way, it’s a must for this season so start raiding your gran’s closet for a head-start! Picking up the silk thread, this pulls together the transition from summer to autumn. Keeping textures light and fluid means we can lengthen our sleeves and hemlines without feeling the loss of summer love. Jacquemus offered short, sexy dresses with relaxed gathers, perfect with boots for day or heels for night; simple and classic with a hint of AW’18 seasoning.
GIVENCHY AW18
MOSCHINO
MARINE SERRE ROKSANDA
GUCCI
Silks The pyjama trend is still alive and kicking (I scream with delight), so whether you go full set like Bottega Veneta or opt for a robe/smoking jacket style cover-up as a nod to new season, you’ll be dreaming up a winning look for the PJ game. And when all those dainty fabrics become a little too chilly, what then I hear you holler? Never fear, layering is here. Layering When I say layering, the catwalk brought us the absolute extreme. Think Joey, Friends, all of Chandler’s wardrobe, lunging…with me? Yep, too much, but memo cordially received. Let’s tone it down a little. Whether you opt to layer with coats on jackets like Maison Margiela, leathers on jackets on jumpers like Givenchy or the classic scarf-over-coat combo like Roksanda; layering can never go wrong. Mix in some darling accessories and wear your armour like the boss-woman you are. Brown The shade of AW’18 starts with brown and every shade of brown the seventies brought us. The seventies is my absolute favourite for fashion and the age of shifting times, so I am lapping up those caramel hues. The usual culprits include Fendi (drool) with their cult-provoking logos, Chloe (who else?) bringing all that seventies sass with prints and oh-so-sexy suiting and Rochas with those honeycomb leathers and camel-toned overcoats. Fifty shades of tan sounds like our kind of heart-racer right now.
Accessories No trend round-up is complete without those gorgeous accessories to pop the proverbial cherry on top of that new-season cake. Boots may not be ground-breaking for AutumnWinter but cowboy boots may make you stop and wonder? Armani, Isabel Marant and Fendi gave us some beauties to dream on whilst we dig-out our Stetson. Statement earrings also continued the shifting trend – all eyes on us thank you very much. We have a lot to say and these Tom Ford earrings make us look pretty whilst we do so. Grab yourself a clutch, big or small, Chanel or Valentino, hug it to your body and you are good to fashionably go. The season of Autumn-Winter ’18 really is shifting our thoughts to the bold and the beautiful. Through the season we become intrepid risk-takers, proving our style shouts more about ourselves than our voice sometimes dares to. We joke about living our best lives but maybe fashion is a way to allow us to do that. Whether it be standing up for our rights as a woman, coming out in support of our sexuality or fighting for a political belief that will better the world, our aesthetic brings our best self to the viewing platform. The shift is coming and baby are we ready for it. H.O
Burberry AW18/19: London Fashion Week
Fashion’s New Silhouettes Forward by Holly Lamb, Images by Catwalking.com
The dust has settled, and we’ve woken up to a new reality. It’s truly out with the old and in with the new for 2018. And after all, nobody cares about the little black dress when Balenciaga platform crocs are the new fashion must. From Virgil Abloh to Matty Bovan, ‘unconventional’ designers are breaking the rules, ripping up their cloth and asking themselves how they can redefine the boundaries of conventional dress. Bold colours, avant-garde silhouettes and prominent prints set the tone for AW18 and what’s not to like? This is the shape of things to come. We’re ready for the next level. Are you?
Matty Bovan AW18/19: London Fashion Week
Tommynow Vivienne Westwood
Haider Ackermann
Marc Jacobs
ASAI
Annakiki
Gucci
Vivienne Westwood
Mother of Pearl
Erdem
Gucci
Marques’Almeida Marni
Calvin Klein
Coach
Anna Sui
Oscar de la Renta
Anrealage
Off-White
Thom Browne
Lanvin
Miu Miu
Marques’Almeida
Molly Goddard
Richard Malone AW18/19: London Fashion Week
Moschino
Ryan Lo
Moschino Gabriela Hearst
Prada
Versace
Emilio Pucci
Balenciaga
Matty Bovan
Versace Roksanda
Central Saint Martins MA
Roland Mouret AW18/19: London Fashion Week
Saint Laurent
Comme des Garรงons
Marta Jakubowski
Off-White
Chanel
Dior AW18/19: Paris Fashion Week
AW18 Intros by Alice Walker, Montages by Brooke Kelsall.
PRADA
FENDI
LOUIS VUITTON
FENDI
VERSACE
PHILLIP PLEIN
FENDI
ARMANI
PHILLIP PLEIN
FENDI
MARC JACOBS
HALPERN
MARC JACOBS
HALPERN
TOM FORD
ALEXANDER McQUEEN
EMILIO DE LA MORENA
TOM FORD
VICTORIA BECKHAM
TOM FORD
ASHLEY WILLIAMS
TOM FORD
TOM FORD
DOLCE & GABBANA
ASHLEY WILLIAMS
VERSACE
RICHARD QUINN
ETRO
RICHARD QUINN
MICHAEL KORS
RICHARD QUINN
ASHISH
BURBERRY
ASHISH
ASHISH
BURBERRY
ASHISH
PREEN
GUCCI
MAISON MARGIELA
VALENTINO
VERSACE
CALVIN KLEIN
BALENCIAGA
MARINE SERRE
VERSACE
RICHARD QUINN
MARINE SERRE
RICHARD QUINN
CÉLINE
MARINE SERRE
MOLLY GODDARD
ELIE SAAB
MOLLY GODDARD
ROKSANDA
OFF-WHITE
HUISHAN ZHANG
MOLLY GODDARD
JASPER CONRAN
PREEN
ROKSANDA
ANGEL CHEN
MULBERRY
ROCHAS
DELPOZO
Intro: Holly Lamb You’d think speaking six languages and gaining a degree from Cambridge University would be the main achievement of this intellectual lightning rod. Well think again. Add to the CV writing, producing, editing and presenting, and these are just a few of the many talents possessed by the glorious powerhouse that is Vick Hope. The Capital DJ come Chanel 4 music presenter is now trying her hand at dancing as she hits the television screen this September on none other than Strictly Come Dancing. And there’s no stopping this Geordie girl on her quest to reach the next level. Vick took time out of her hectic schedule to shoot the Autumn/ Winter looks with us for this issue. It’s the time of the woman and Vick, your time is certainly now!
Starring: Vick Hope Concept & Styling: Jyoti Matoo Photography & Art Direction: Luke Walwyn Makeup: Abbie May using Urban Decay Hair: Kymberley Holmes @TINT Assistant Stylist: Alice Walker Creative Assistants: Brooke Kelsall, Holly Lamb Assistant Photographer: Harsimran Sahota Produced by Studio Voir
Prada Red Puffer Jacket: £1,390 Gucci Skinny Flare Trousers: £599 Prada Cross Body Bag: £2,400 All available at Flannels Leopard print bodysuit: PrettyLittleThing £12 Earrings: Topshop Shades: Vintzshop Optical
Blue Coat: Whyte Studio Tommy Hilfiger Crop Top: £25 Gucci Wide Leg trousers: £799 Both available at Flannels Earrings: Topshop Yellow Fringe Bag: Stylist’s own Yellow heels: Ego £29.99 Shades: Vintzshop Optical
Black Fur Jacket: Whyte Studio Black Jumpsuit: PrettyLittle Thing Earrings: Topshop Yellow heels: Ego £29.99 Shades: Vintzshop Optical
Biker Jacket: Whyte Studio Versus Versace Skirt: ÂŁ289 Available at Flannels Earrings: Topshop
Orange Fur Jacket: Whyte Studio Topshop Green Top: £22 Prada Black Bandeau: £510 Prada Black Nylon Shorts: £510 Prada Green Bag: £1,750 All available at Flannels Earrings: Topshop Yellow heels: Ego £29.99 Shades: Vintzshop Optical
Transparent Co-ord: Whyte Studio Versus Versace Bodysuit £232 Available at Flannels Yellow heels: Ego £29.99 Shades: Vintzshop Optical
“I hope we inspire other people to go for their dreams.� Starring: Nadine, Chanal and Annie Concept & Styling: Jyoti Matoo Photography & Art Direction: Luke Walwyn Makeup: Loren Owen, Makeup London Academy Hair: Kymberley Holmes @TINT Assistant Stylists: Alice Walker; Dominic Cartledge Assistant Photographer: Lauren Geddes Sunglasses supplied by: @vintz_shop Car supplied by: Lookers LDN Produced by Studio Voir
Cover Story
Intro: Holly Lamb | Research: Alice Walker | Interview: Jyoti Matoo
We’re definitely not getting any ‘bad vibes’ from girl group M.O. Inspired by Destiny’s Child and TLC; Annie, Chanal, and Nadine are the girls you’ve always wanted to live next door. After being nominated for a MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2014 and supporting Stormzy, Jess Glynne, playing Wireless and Glastonbury, the girls’ careers have gone from strength to strength. Be sure to check out their new music as M.O are undoubtedly set to take the world by storm. This sassy trio certainly bring the FLAMES to our Autumn/Winter 18 cover, and we’re totally smitten. Jyoti Matoo our Editor-in-Chief caught up with them post-shoot to talk goals, the music industry, and guilty pleasures.
JM: You’ve said you want to take it back to the ‘90s with your music, who are your biggest ‘90s music inspiration? Annie: TLC, Eternal, All saints, Destiny’s Child. Chanal: Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. You’ve had some great collaborations recently, who would be your dream collab? Annie: Drake. Lined up we have loads of new music coming out, including our latest collaboration with Crazy Cousinz. We have our headline show in October which we can’t waitttt for. Can’t wait to perform some new music for the mob! Chanal: I’d love to work with Raye, Mabel and Stefflon Don as they’re signed to Universal like us, so it’d be sickk! Nadine: I’d like to work with Stefflon Don, I think she’s killing it as a female from the UK, she’s done so well. You’ve always been so supportive of female empowerment which we are all for at Voir. What advice would you give to girls trying to pursue a music career? Chanal: If you want something, go for it. No one can tell you that you can’t achieve something if you really want it. Nadine: My advice for a girl trying to go into a music career is try to know yourself as much as you can. If you keep your goal and your vision in mind you can’t really go wrong. You’ve got to stay true to yourself. You girls are always so stylish, how would you summarise your personal fashion styles? Chanal: We take inspiration from a lot of people and brands - Off-White, urban Balenciaga, Palm Angels are some high-end brands that are really ahead at the moment. Also, we really love to support emerging brands like Dirty South, Dimension X and Bene Culture. Nadine: We’re all pretty similar in the way that we dress. We like baggy boy clothes. In video we go a bit extra in things that you might not usually see. In our last video, ‘Feelings’, we had latex trousers and Burberry crop tops on with a clear strap and it’s just something a bit different.
Congrats on ‘Bad Vibes’, it has done so well! And you’ve said before it was an almost “we’re back” summer single so what have you got lined up next for us? What can we expect? Nadine: We’ve got more and more singles that we’re all excited about. Hopefully we’ve got some big shows. We’re going to keep pushing forward and keep putting out music that we love; being creative; and it should be a good year. It has been a good year but hopefully next year will be bigger and better. Chanal: We’ve just been featured on some crazy new singles which we love, but we’ve also got our own new music coming real soon too. We can’t wait for everyone to hear it. Talking about bad vibes…how do you stay positive when you’re dealing with knock-backs or the challenging industry in general? Chanal: My friends and family are always so supportive, so whenever I’m not feeling my best I’ll speak to them. Also, Annie and Nadine! We’re like sisters and support each other. Nadine: I think I’m quite good at dealing with knock-backs, I just think to myself I’m going to get where I want to be anyway. There’s plenty of other ways you can get to where you want to be. You’d be silly to think you could just go though life plain sailing. And finally what’s your ultimate goal? Where do you want to be, say in 5 years time? Annie: To be playing headline sold out arenas with the crowd singing all our songs back to us! The dream! Chanal: I’d love to be doing arena tours and meeting fans all over the world. Nadine: I want everyone to just feel amazing from our music and feel like we’ve helped them. I think especially from a girl group it would be super empowering to see three girls doing so well. I hope we inspire other people to go for their dreams and hopefully our music really hits home with people and makes them feel better.
Nadine wears Leopard Print Co-ord: PrettyLittleThing Faux Fur Bomber Jacket: Flannels Heeled Boots: PrettyLittleThing available at Selfridges Shades: @vintz_shop
Favourite clothing brands? I like PrettyLittleThing, Fashionnova, Missguided and I.AM.GIA What’s a bad habit you have? Over thinking, which can work well with creativity but not so much in general. When did you find your passion for music? I’ve had a passion for music from a very young age. I came out singing! Favourite social media app? Instagram
“If you keep your goal and your vision in mind you can’t really go wrong. You’ve got to stay true to yourself.”
Annie wears Animal clash Catsuit: Jaded London Faux Fur Jacket: Missguided Trainers: Puma Shades: @vintz_shop
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Check my phone and drink a pint of water with Berocca! Favourite beauty/skincare product you can’t live without? A really pure cream from Holland and Barret called Skin Food! I have really sensitive skin and suffer with eczema so I have to be really careful what I use. This stuff’s amazing! What were you like in school? Naughty! Guilty pleasure? McDonald’s (whose isn’t?)
“To be playing headline sold out arenas with the crowd singing all our songs back to us! The dream!”
Chanal wears Leopard Print Trousers: PrettyLittleThing Leopard Print Bralet: PrettyLittleThing Faux Fur Scarf: ASOS Shades: @vintz_shop
I love cartoons and I love weird stuff. My favourite TV show is by far “Rick n Morty!”
Favourite place to eat in London? Ghion cafe - it’s an Ethiopian restaurant/cafe in Fulham. Ethiopian food has a big place in my heart (stomach lol). Any hobbies? I don’t really have hobbies. I hate the word hobby. I’m a singer, and always have been singing and wrote music since I was a kid, but I never once called it a hobby. I gave up on hobbies when I was a kid I only have time for passion now. Who are your style icons/inspiration? Slick Woods, Trippie Redd, Jahleel Weaver who styles Rihanna, Erykah Badu, Virgil Abloh and there’s also this Instagram account called @styledbyholly which I get inspiration from, but mostly my own mind inspires a lot of my style. Not just fashion style but my life style. From the way I walk and talk to the way I think etc.
“If you want something, go for it. No one can tell you that you can’t achieve something if you really want it.”
Researched & Written by Kat Kennedy
When we think of Gucci, we think of a classic name in fashion that’s continually delivering new and exciting collections and ideas. But how did they get there? How exactly did this brand evolve into the unconventional yet luxurious label we know today? We take a trip down Gucci Avenue from classic silhouettes to severed heads, and discover they really have it all. In the beginning there was Tom..well, the beginning of the 90’s. From 1994 to 2004 Tom Ford gave us 10 years of sultry and seduction as Gucci’s creative director. But after he left we slowly saw a lustre dull over the Gucci gloss. It wasn’t until 2011 when Frida Giannini gave us revamped 70’s vibes in orange and cyan that we saw some promise return to the brand. 2015 however was the year of the shift: the shift into the new and next level of Gucci, when Alessandro Michele was appointed as creative director. It was a fast trajectory onwards and upwards, the rise of Gucci back onto the fashion radar had begun, and Michele was designing for celebrities left right and centre. Brie Larson and Jared Leto for the Oscars? Cate Blanchett for the Independent Spirit Awards? Florence Welch for the Grammy’s? Michele dressed them up in the latest Gucci, and boy did they find themselves on all the best dressed lists. The Autumn/Winter 2015 Menswear collection revealed a completely different aesthetic from Giannini, and at that point, the new dawn had arisen for the direction of Gucci. Androgynous looking models graced the runway, and it was clear from the collection that this luxury brand would be moving in a more nonconformist direction, romantic yet contemporary. “When Gucci started, it was another age. If you bought a Gucci bag, you belonged to the jet set. The jet set doesn’t exist any more. I’m trying to speak to the world, to everyone” Alessandro Michele.
Since that pivotal menswear collection, the Gucci universe had expanded and would go on to cater to a new fashionista hungry for something different. “My Gucci universe is inclusive. It fragments to recreate in a contemporary way” professes Michele. Contemporary here can mean any point of reference from Ancient Rome to Tudor England, Renaissance Italy to 70s London, dinosaurs to 80s Harlem to Botticelli, translating into collections of intrigue, mystery, enchantment, blurred gender boundaries, the esoteric and an element of a world of Narnia. Glittery fabrics, mismatching prints, huge 70’s sunglasses, Michele is writing new chapters. From 2015 to the present we’ve been served up fresh looks: Gucci created a signature style with the use of ruffles and luxurious embroidery, these characteristics will now be forever associated with the brand along with vibrant colour combinations, incorporating bright pinks and emerald green. 2016 saw celebrity after celebrity gracing red carpets all over the world adorned in the latest Alessandro Michele creations, further widening the label’s luxury appeal. Journalists across all continents were writing new headlines as the brand dismembered its once beloved Glamazon allure in favour of its new-found quirky aesthetic. Call it nerdy, kitsch, vintage, antique, dowdy, this ensemble is reassuringly Geek Chic, and dedicated followers cannot get enough. Autumn/Winter 2018 gave us a fashion alchemy of reimagined check through to elements of fantasy; triangular shades and glittery frocks alongside bejewelled headdresses and embroidered coats; and we love it. Bold prints paired with dazzling colours, wonderfully adorned with sequins and jewels graced the runway, and still that wasn’t all. A baby dragon, a chameleon took us further into a world of fantasy, and beside the shimmering fabrics of Gucci’s new aesthetic this collection pushed the boundaries of everything we’ve ever seen from the fashion powerhouse. It’s safe to say we’re continually left in awe at what Gucci is bringing to the table. As the collections continue to fly off the shelves and in some cases cause heads to turn, a few at least, are carrying theirs.
She’s fierce, fiery and fearless, the most reckless woman in fashion who hasn’t been afraid to let her voice be heard. The creative legend that is Vivienne Westwood has sparked momentous turning points in revolutionising the fashion industry, and she continues to ignite the fire into generations to follow in her footsteps. We continue to be inspired by this designer’s gritty determination and her empowering boundary-pushing mentality that embodies everything we stand for at Voir. With recent news outbreaks of the collaboration between Vivienne Westwood and Burberry, we take a look back and celebrate her most daring to be different moments in history.
1974- Started From The Bottom Now We’re Here Would you believe former primary school teacher with no professional fashion design background propelled punk into the fashion mainstream. Westwood renamed her shop in London to “Sex” and with the help of her then-boyfriend and business partner Malcom Mclaren, she began dressing the infamous punk group, the Sex Pistols. Her designs subverted establishment norms and launched an artistic movement in the process.
1981- Walk The Plank Punk was so last season and way too mainstream for Viv so she knew she had to create a fresh rebellious style for her first catwalk show. Her Pirate collection sparked the new romantic look that took over 80s sub cultures whilst saying a huge no thanks to the pretentious Hollywood dynasty persona that was unescapable in this decade.
1989 - Mocking Margret April Fools! Westwood impersonates Margret Thatcher on the cover of Tatler Magazine for their April Fools edition sending shock waves into not only the fashion industry but the political world. She used her platform to do what others were too scared to do and her daring moment resulted in the magazine’s editor, Emma Soames, being sacked.
1990s - One Is Amused Who else would go commando to receive an OBE from the Queen? You guessed it, our queen of punk decided to celebrate her royal achievements in 1992 with a twirl and was papped in the process outside Buckingham Palace. To the nation’s surprise, the Queen found it quite amusing and promoted her to DBE in 2006!
2012- Eco -Warrior Westwood In true Westwood spirit, she skipped the dress rehearsal of the 2012 Paralympics closing ceremony to maximise the impact of her climate revolution campaign. With support from her army of environmentalists, the heroic designer held a giant black and white “CLIMATE REVOLUTION� banner, broadcasting her protest to 7.7 million people.
By Holly Lamb In celebration of their 20th birthday, fashion brand Maje took a very different approach to their new campaign. Based around an American school yearbook, the campaign acts as a snapshot in time. This truly captures the vintage, yet contemporary style of dress introduced for AW18/19. By choosing unique models they truly epitomise the diversity that the brand stands for. We’re dreaming of tomorrow and we’ll definitely be seeing Maje in our sleep.
BEAUTY Intros by Anna Hutchence, Montages by Luke Walwyn The nights might be getting colder but your makeup palette is just getting warmerfrom 90’s blue shadow to autumn glow. The A/W 2018 catwalk proved this is the season for the girl on the go, who is daring to be different. Think minimalist makeup with a neon lid or a power lip and you’re more than ready to meet the world.
That youthful flush you get when you’ve just fallen in love was the look at Emilia Wickstead for the ‘Love Story’ collection. A simple gloss over the lid to match your lips will light up your face, enabling you to release your inner Jenny Cavalieri and create your own love story.
Choose a bold neon shade to paint over your lids, to light your way through the dark winter. Lucia Peroni applied this quick but thick sweep of eyeshadow to the models at Salvatore Ferragamo using MAC’s Chromatin gels along with Chromacake pigments to achieve the strong opaque result.
Thought the pastel blue shadow was left in the late 90’s? Well this Autumn choose an icy blue lid with a minimal mascara to create this striking look,…lets just hope the pencil brows don’t follow.
Pat McGrath applied a pastel shadow in a range of delicate colours at Marni, to accentuate the models’ eyelids.
Extended winged eyes could be just the autumn look you’re after to unleash your inner siren. Pat McGrath created this graphic, bejewelled look at Prada on a handful of the models to add drama to a high-powered collection.
Whether you’re feeling a bold lip or a dark eye to power up, pick one and run with it as delivered by Tom Pecheux at Max Mara.
Hold on to your freckles as they will be one of your beauty staples over the winter season. Alternatively, create your own. The soft dewy base [as seen backstage at Missoni AW18] was created using MAC’s Face & Body Mixing Medium with Strobe Cream Goldlite. To create the freckles experiment using lip liners and eye brow pencils, and finish off the look with a youthful flush to the cheeks with The Mineralise Blush in Flirting with Danger.
Artworks by Stina Persson
International fashion and beauty illustrator Stina Persson presents eight works of art, and talks about the ideas behind each piece. Instagram @stina_persson_illustration
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This image was originally created for Materialist Magazine, a biannual art and fashion publication interpreting the FW15 collection. This image was for Preen. Preen mixes soft and hard, masculine and feminine and even if using a soft watercolor I used a very graphic pose. The colors are reddish warm, but the mood blue.
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This is all about the style. She is soft and demure yet graphic and edgy. Here again it is about giving the softened edge. The hard shapes of graphic stripes contrasting the softer watercolor portrait..
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this image I used ink “andForacrylic, transparent
coloured acrylic sheets. As always I want the illustration to feel like a woman I would like to know, not just a generic fashion sketch. I want her to be intriguing and have personality.
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This was an image created for Angola Fashion Week. It was lovely to dig deep into a different world than our western, sometimes narrow fashion world.
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in a series of ink portraits “I One created as a personal project.
This was my favourite. I love to combine thin lines that I draw with a simple bamboo pen, with thick shapes painted with a fat brush dipped in Indian ink.
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This was a fun project for Psychologies magazine about Gestalt therapy, using Rorschach inkblots but not too overtly.
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This was created for a dance wear company. I was thrilled as I absolutely love to draw dancers. I love the movement and the muscles and the elegance. If I could make a living I could draw dancers only….
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When I created this the forever continuing debate about the veil was falling high in France. I am not a muslim and I feel this should be a debate in the muslim world. I am tired of debating what women should and shouldn’t wear. Dressing too moderately or too sexy. We could never talk about mens’ clothing like that, and neither should we about women. I’d much rather talk about what women say rather than how, and what women do rather than how they look.
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Up Close: Kara Marni Intro: Holly Lamb, Interview: Jyoti Matoo, Photos: Hanna Hillier
With a rich, soul driven sound Kara Marni is a treat for the ears and after having already been on tour with the likes of Ray BLK and Rita Ora we are certain she is on the cusp of glory. Her unrivalled talent for both singing and songwriting sets her a cut above the rest and we are totally in love with everything about her. Taking time out from recording her new album we spoke to Kara about her influences and how she’s positioned herself in such a cut-throat industry at just 21 years old. Jyoti: When did you first fall in love with music? Kara: My dad played such a great role. He has such a huge vinyl collection and played such great music around the house since before I can even remember, and I guess I picked up on the songs he played. My Grandma even says I could sing before I could even speak. It’s always just been in me. How did you get into song writing? Tell us a little bit about your journey English was always my favourite subject at school and I was always really into poetry. I guess it was quite a natural progression especially as I started to get older and actually have things that I wanted to write about. I remember at school I wrote a poem that I really liked, and I started singing melodies to it and from that, I really began to experiment with it and it was all quite natural. What’s your favourite genre of music growing up and how do you feel it has influenced you? I love Soul, R&B and people like Lauren Hill, Erykah Badu and Amy Winehouse. Amy was really writing about things I could relate to and understand. Has there been any bumps in the road on your journey so far and how have you overcome them? It’s amazing for me to be entering the industry at a time where women are really empowered and building each other up. My first ever tour Ray BLK really supported me and I’ve really been able to benefit from this empowerment and I hope this feeling only grows and other younger artist feel this support and an arm around them.
“It’s amazing for me to be entering the industry at a time where women are really empowered and building each other up.”
“You definitely need to love what you do, work hard and most importantly not feel pressured, stand by what you believe in!�
Speaking on tour how did you end up working with Rita Ora? Someone played her my music through my management and she really liked it and asked me to be a part of it and I was beyond excited. She really supports women and she was completely amazing on tour. Your lyrics are really thoughtprovoking, what is the message you want to get across in your music? When I write I write about life, love and experiences and I hope people can relate to it and connect to my honesty. I hope anyone, young boys, and girls can really feel it. You seem so down to earth and so grounded, what kept you down to earth through all of this? Anyone that knows me knows I’m extremely family orientated, especially my mum. If there was even a whisper of me being too big for my boots she would tell me! I think you should just keep good people around you. I’ve got so much that I want to achieve I just want to keep my head down, keep working and really stay true to myself. What’s your favourite season that you love to dress for?
Autumn actually I love the colour burgundy it’s my favourite. I love cropped jumpers and oversized scarves. You can do so much more with it. We’ve noticed you’ve got a really quirky street style. Do you have any brands or icons that inspire your look? I love… sort of the 80s. I also love Bella Hadid and how she incorporates… be comfortable in what you wear because you can carry it with such confidence. What are your hopes and dreams you wish to achieve within the next few years? I definitely want to put out an album. I want to continue to grow as a songwriter, as a vocalist, as a person and I guess just to continue to inspire and be inspired. And finally, any advice you would give to aspiring artists? You definitely need to love what you do, work hard and most importantly not feel pressured, stand by what you believe in! Kara’s new single ‘Move’ is out now, and you can catch her at her London headline show at Hoxton Bar and Grill on November 14th.
Words: Brooke Kelsall
It Goes Down In The DM Whilst floating around in a sensory deprivation tank in early May 2017, founder Alana Pallister dreamed up the idea for the brand I.AM.GIA based on her vision of the modern day IT girl. Pitching her idea to her sister and business partner, Stevie Cox, her sister replied, ‘you’re batshit crazy and I love it. Let’s do this’, and within four short weeks, the brand was booming. Here are five good reasons why this brand needs to be on your shopping list right now.
Powerful and Badass “I wanted to take away this ‘Insta-famous’ facade that so many young women aspire to be. I wanted Gia to come out and tear apart those stereotypes. There is no rule book to wearing Gia. She is an advocate for going against the grain and being true to yourself.” Pallister sums up the I.AM.GIA girl in two words; powerful and badass. When wearing garments from the brand, girls are made to feel empowered and what girl doesn’t want to feel like an independent badass?
Who wears it? It goes down in the DM After four short weeks of the first release of I.AM.GIA, none other than Bella Hadid’s stylist, Elizabeth Sucler, DM’d Pallister on Instagram eager for her to get a clothes package to Bella in time for Paris Fashion Week. Within the next week, I.AM.GIA’s Keidis top and Combain pants were plastered in magazines worldwide and the DM’s came rolling in from celebrity stylists everywhere. This momentum amassed a large celebrity following including; Jordyn Woods, Emily Ratajkowski, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Madison Bear, Dua Lipa, SZA, Sofia Richie and the list goes on...
Consistent releases Originally, Pallister planned to release only four capsule collections a year. But upon the realisation that this does not cater to the monthly needs of those that define the I.AM.GIA girl, she decided to release 30 pieces per month. In doing so, the brand is consistently current and fresh and always one step ahead of the trends, perfect for the modern IT girl.
5. Nostalgic Tattoo prints, chequered plaids, bedazzled tops and gothic ball necklaces; this brand leaves a trail of nostalgia bait attracting lovers of the 90’s decade. If this doesn’t get your inner 90’s Britney Spears cheap glam giddy, we don’t know what will. Taking a lot of time out from city life to gain creative inspiration, Pallister is most inspired by movies, street style and festivals such as the Burning Man. Since launching, I.AM.GIA has undoubtedly made its mark in the fashion world. With a niche celebrity following, they have gone on to show at Australian Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and even designed an accessories and menswear range. Pallister has caused a stir creating unseasonal collections and setting her own trends, the visionary extraordinaire has fashionistas queuing at Urban Outfitters to get her newest garment drops. Her success story only continues to grow and we are so excited to see what’s to come in the upcoming years.
Words: Holly Lamb
From chief designer at the Kardashian Kollection to heading up her own highly successful label, Bianca Whyte is one exceptionally talented woman to watch. Â
You haven’t experienced Sports Luxe until you’ve taken a look at WHYTE STUDIO. As a former professional motocross athlete and now celebrity designer, Bianca Whyte has juxtaposed a sporty edge to her work. High quality, interchangeable statement pieces designed for the curvy woman set the tone for the whole collection at WHYTE STUDIO, and with A-list celebrities the Kardashians, Hayley Baldwin, and Jordan Dunn embracing her creations, Bianca has a very bright future ahead of her. We sat down with the charismatic designer to get the low down on her growing brand and all things fashion.
Holly: When did you first discover your love for Fashion? Bianca: Through my mum’s (Lynne’s) wardrobe, she is a real influence on my style and is also the Co-Director to Whyte Studio. I love going through my ideas with her and have in my mind what would look good on my mum and my sister Lexy who also has a great sense of style. What was it like being head designer for the Kardashian Collection? It was an incredible experience, I was so inspired by the Kardashian’s work ethic and importance on self-branding. Now designing under your own label, what sets you apart from other brands? I am just doing my thing, I don’t try to compare with other brands, I have so much respect for anyone in the industry as I know how challenging it can be. It is a creative process of my expression through designing clothes. I love to style women with curves as I myself have them and my goal is to give anyone that wears WHYTE STUDIO confidence through the collection. All my pieces are designed and made in UK with Italian fabrics. What inspires you through your design process? I am inspired mostly through music, being also a DJ I am constantly surrounded by cool crowds wanting to be seen and I love that! I love to travel, and people watch, and I love good quality fabrics, I combine all those elements and then mood board all my visual inspiration. Who is your fashion Icon? My mum and my sister, but I love looking to see what the amazing women in music are wearing and of course Rihanna.
“Be prepared to work hard, be organised, have a great supportive team�
You have worked with the Kardashian, you have concessions at Topshop and you’ve shown at London Fashion Week to name a few of your incredible achievements. What’s next for yourself and WHYTE Studios? I have so many goals to achieve, I’ve just started! I would love to show in Paris Fashion Week and more concession spaces in major and independent retail precincts. We will be also doing a lot more pop up activations around London so stay tuned! What encouragement would you give to other young men and women trying to get their foot in the door of the fashion industry? Be prepared to work hard, be organised, have a great supportive team and try to keep as much in house in managing your business.
When you think about what’s new in fashion, there’s a perpetual flow of reliable designers consistently bringing us new trends and new takes on old silhouettes. These past few years we’ve seen nothing but progression, progression onto new levels of imagination, and new designers coming forth to show us the way to the future. But have you thought about looking for something different? A fresh, new take on fashion to satisfy your hunger for style? Then look no further. We introduce you to 5 designers who are switching things up...a lot!
Dilara Findikoglu Central Saint Martins graduate and London based designer Dilara Findikoglu has been causing controversy since the inception of her brand. Drawing the attention of international press through a sidewalk guerilla show and her ‘satanic’ AW18 collection shown in a church, Findikoglu got her start in fashion as a no nonsense nonconformist. She has an air of rebellion about her, the clothes she designs the epitome of a new wave of Goth, but with a punk attitude. Her collections ooze a sense of breaking out from the norms of fashion, and catering to an audience hungry for something alternative to the mainstream. Ripped fabrics and uneven hems give us bride of Frankenstein vibes, but in the most high fashion way possible, combined with ripped dogtooth and gunmetal gold she showed us a bright but riotous collection. Findikoglu has created pieces that speak elegance, but with the sharp edge of barbed wire and safety pins, a couture circus of the strange and unusual.
Harris Reed At 21 years old, Harris Reed already has his name next to that of Gucci and McQueen, being noticed by Harry Styles’ stylist, Harry Lambert- it’s only been up from there. Whilst only in his second year at Central Saint Martins, he’s created a collection that feels dark and mysterious in its aesthetic, the clothing taking you on a journey: transparent fabrics and embellishment that shines in the beautiful but edgy black and white photography of Jack Davidson, Reed’s work has a contemporary but classic feel. The way that the collection has been shot is almost psychedelic, blurry effects and shadowy projections layer over the photos to create something stylized and an experience in itself. Hats with feathers and fishnet veils perch on the heads of models, sophisticatedly expressing Reed’s genderfluid allure.
Roberts-Wood Created by Katie Roberts-Wood after graduating from the Royal College of Art, this multiple award winning brand showed at the 2015 London Fashion Week and was picked up by many stockists in New York, Tokyo and Dover Street Market in London. The success of her brand is clearly for a reason, the classic femininity and the somewhat beautiful chaos of the garments give Roberts-Wood a quintessentially contemporary feel. Delicate flower motifs spread across classic silhouettes adding texture to soft fabrics, pleating around waists and necklines creates an element of detail to unadorned shirts and dresses. The clothing in this collection has a structured, armour like quality, and juxtaposed with the softer femininity of meticulously crafted flowers and light fabrics creates the perfect blend of hard and soft.
LRS Studio Started by Mexican-born designer Raul Solis, this New York based label will give you protest, prints and fashion forward practicality. Solis believes that we have a responsibility to speak up and to take action on matters that effect us, which inspired his ‘no ban no wall’ panties. Looking for some underwear that is a big FU to discriminatoires? Put on a pair of protest pants and off you go. In their AW18 collection cockrells, tomatoes, black and white portraits and mushrooms graced the front of shirts and coats, adding a quirkiness to these colourful pieces. PVC and animal prints made their way into the latest collection, incorporating some of the latest trends into the label’s quirky style. LRS Studios has taken basic items and made them eccentric and unconventional, a fresh and contemporary take on fashion.
Ellery Born in Australia, and showing at Paris Fashion Week, Ellery has reinvented everyday garments as empowering architectural silhouettes with an avant garde aesthetic. Based between Paris and Sydney, this brand is giving us the feeling of female excellence: bold and voluminous, the silhouettes have an air of femininity, but not dainty and stereotypical- strong and a form of self expression for the powerful women of the world. The spring 2018 collection gave high waisted flared trousers, shirts with romantically ruffled sleeves, an assemblage of fresh and interesting silhouettes with pops of red, blue and yellow. The print in the collection entitled ‘Beaches of Venus’ is a beautiful, winding print that flows on the garments as if ink travelling across a page, adding an illustrative detail to the already intricate design work. The strong, opaque fabrics are broken up with vinyl, a dash of fabric variance adding satisfying texture combinations to this exciting collection, boasting femininity and a sleek, modern feel.
By Luke Walwyn
The Allure of Olivia and Alice Lookup @oliviaandalice_ on Instagram and you will see post after post of intelligently styled images, akin to high fashion editorials which grace the pages of stylish magazines [of course just like Voir Fashion]. Olivia and Alice are sisters, and extremely hard-working ones at that. They ply their trade starring in lifestyle shoots in the name of selling fast fashion. On top of this they design for their own label, collaborate with brands and grow their customer base. Passion and dedication are what sit at the heart of their success, and with an Instagram following of 18.5k in just over a year, their message is spreading rapidly. “Our perspective on life is that you only get one chance to do what you love” enthuses Olivia, “and life goes by quickly, so if you have a dream you want to pursue, do it! If you love something enough, you’ll become good at it, and you’ll do well at it if you put the work in.” Long may they influence.
Intro: Holly Lamb, Interview: Jyoti Matoo
From working with clients including Craig David, Raye and Tom Zanetti, to being head makeup artist at Africa Fashion Week for the 4th year running, the incredible Abbie May is truly hitting the big time. With striking simplicity, Abbie captures the raw beauty of each and every one of her clients, and we are loving everything she does. We caught up with her after our fashion editorial to talk all things beauty. How Long have you been a makeup artist and what got you started in the industry? I have always been interested in make-up, even though I was a bit of a tom boy growing up. All my friends were in Brownie’s and I was in the Scouts with the boys! I started getting into make-up from the age of around 12 when I started wearing lip gloss, mascara and Maybelline’s ledgendary dream matte mousse! After quitting A-levels, I decided to attend Amersham & Wycombe College to do a 2-year make-up course and there I found my true passion for make-up! Who is your biggest makeup inspiration? My biggest make-up inspiration is Bea Sweet Beauty (@beasweetbeauty). Bea’s work is fun, creative and beautiful. She works with many faces including a range of races, gender and sexuality which I think is really important in this industry. She isn’t afraid to be different which is what I love about her the most and she is a very honest make-up artist when it comes to recommending products.
What’s one makeup item you can’t live without? In my kit, I can’t live without MAC Cosmetics mixing medium in “Shine”. You can do so much with it including use on it’s own as a highlighter on the skin, mix with pigments to create a glossy eye or lip and so much more. How would you best describe your signature look? Your natural beauty enhanced! What’s your best makeup tip? Less is more! I am so over this caked make-up look with blocky brows. I’m all about natural make-up where your skin still looks like skin with feathered fluffy brows. What’s one makeup mistake to avoid? Overdrawing your eyebrows or lips! A little is okay so that they are in proportion with the rest of your facial features, but when it looks obvious i really dislike it. What beauty trends do you love for AW18? I love the use of bright colours this AW18 as well as the flattened brow using soap, setting spray and a tooth brush to create the shape and then stick them to the skin, I did this look on the brows on both days for Africa Fashion Week London I was head make-up artist for this year for the 4th year running! If you could work with anyone dead or alive who would it be? It would be Rihanna! I think she looks amazing in everything! I would want to do something really abstract and colour/texture clashing with her. I’m obsessed with her new cover on Vogue!
Maya Jama
Raye
“I’m all about natural make-up where your skin still looks like skin with feathered fluffy brows.”
Researched and written by Kat Kennedy The fearless attitudes of female artists of the past have paved the way for the art we see today, roots of empowerment and encouragement. It is these attitudes towards art we’ve explored, revealing 3 female artists who fabricate their own realities, and express themselves fully through their creative media, and take this creative world by storm.
Yayoi Kusama
Starting to develop her famous polka dot style at aged 10, Yayoi Kusama was destined for greatness at a young age creating surreal masterpieces with paints and pencils, which expanded onto sculpture and mirror and light displays. Her work stands alone as installations of organised polka dot chaos, one of the most recognisable artists we’ve seen: Kusama’s creations are psychedelic masterpieces. Using light and mirrors along with her signature style she fabricates seemingly endless
rooms of surrealism, these installations named ‘Infinity Rooms’; why would you want reality when you can encapsulate yourself in a hallucinatory heaven? Kusama’s work fully immerses you, leaving you to debate what is real and what is dot: an expression of perfect optical illusions of abstract expressionism. Wanting to feel like you’re in a daze of psychedelia? Plunge yourself into a polka dot landscape, far from reality you’ll witness infinity: sinking into your own experience of ‘self-obliteration’.
“Forget yourself. Become one with eternity. Become part of your environment.� Yayoi Kusama
Since 2007, Ebony G. Patterson has been a painting professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Art and Visual Studies. Based between her birth country of Jamaica and Kentucky, Patterson creates work that tackles issues important to her in bold colours and prints. Some of the main focuses of her work explore gender, class, race and the media through a multitude of techniques onto tapestries, sculptures and paintings. Her work is an amalgamation of colour and texture, designed with incredible
detail to make you look closer. Her shows give us bright installations and a fantasy of elaborately decorated work; bejeweled walls and objects sit in bright rooms, adorned with sequins, beads and stickers; a positive mayhem of colour and spirit. Patterson creates tapestries and tableaux that are a daring chaos, sumptuously emblazoned with decorative ornamentation, her work is blindingly bold and detailed but always holds a strong message that matches the strength of her vibrant aesthetic.
“In order to force one’s way out of invisibility one has to create a reason to be seen.” Ebony G. Patterson
Receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD University in Drawing and Painting with a minor in Art History, Shanna Van Maurik has put her painting skills to use. Inspired by classic portraiture, along with her own experiences travelling, nature, fairy tales, memories and stage lighting at concerts, Maurik has a wide range of influences that deliver us the pastel dreamland aesthetic we’ve fallen in love with.
inventing characters and painting them she’s given us another universe of delicate alien personas, complete with blushing cheeks and brightly coloured hair.
Looking at her work you’d think it was meticulously planned, but no: Maurik likes to work spontaneously, not drawing a base for her paintings and working intuitively as it feels harmonious to her. Her paintings ooze something surreal, but also Using only oil paints, her work has a soft, believable: a land of rainbow fantasy that cotton candy feel with hints of 90’s grunge: makes us feel like we’ve entered our very her work is a wondrous land of fantasy, own daydreams.
“The world I’ve created feels like a perpetual wandering-around-after-school daydream where everyone is a little awkward and heartbroken, but all the while magical and celebrated.” Shanna Van Maurik
Captured by Holly Lamb
Voir Fashion Magazine - for those daring to be different. Voir is an online publication issued on a quarterly basis. Issue 22 Next Level was constructed by: Jyoti Matoo Editor-In-Chief / Stylist jm@voirfashion.co.uk Luke Walwyn Art Director/Photographer art@voirfashion.co.uk Kymberley Jefferson : Head Hair Stylist Abbie May MUA Felix Laurens Brand Liaison creative@voirfashion.co.uk WRITERS, ARTISTS & CREATIVES Catwalking.com Hannah Oulton Alice Walker Lauren Geddes Brooke Kelsall Holly Lamb Kat Kennedy Loren Owen representing Makeup London Academy Harsimran Sahota Anna Hutchence Special Thank You to the following: Vick Hope M.O Biance Whyte @Whyte Studio Kara Marni Stina Persson Olivia & Alice Vintz_shop Flannels Lookers LDN Marianne Tupelo For creative submissions creative@voirfashion.co.uk art@voirfashion.co.uk For collaborations and advertising opportunities: jm@voirfashion.co.uk For general enquiries editorial@voirfashion.co.uk For beauty enquiries lifestyle@voirfashion.co.uk
Issue 22: Dedicated to those who push to the next level.
IVY WATSON BY
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