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#WE ARE FASHION WE_ARE_FASHION brings you UN_FOLD Magazine – an experiment for the fashion voices of tomorrow.
ISSN 2398-2713 02 |
JUNE 2017
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EDITORS’ LETTER
Welcome to the third issue of UN_FOLD Magazine; our award winning publication – all conceived, designed, written, photographed and styled by our very own Fashion Design and Communication Students here at the School of Art & Design, Liverpool John Moores University. We are dedicating this issue to women. There hasn’t been a better time in recent history to be a woman – from the bold to the brave, we salute you. But, we’re not forgetting the men out there either – hail equality to all! As the fashion landscape continues to evolve, we continue to commit our pages to the young and talented fashion voices of the future. From Fashion and Politics to Technology and Culture, we have been challenging and exploring what these themes mean to us and generation Y. Throughout this issue we’ve been committed to investigating what Girl Power means today, the power of social media, body image and diversity. We’ve been examining current and emerging technology from smart fabric to the future of retail. And of course, we’ve been delving into one of our favorite topics – Culture. From the post Brexit blues, sub cultural groups and the realities and fantasies of image and identity.
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We are passionate about exploring the creative world from every aspect; an adventure that we hope you continue to follow us on, as we unfold the most interesting narratives. Enjoy reading Paul Owen Creative Director & Editor in Chief WE_ARE_FASHION & UN_FOLD Magazine
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Liverpool John Moores’ Fashion BA Hons programme is proud to present the third edition of UN_FOLD Magazine. We hope you find inspiration in this issue from the next generation of creative fashion designers and communicators. Fashion at Liverpool John Moores University is an established area, introduced to the Art School as early as 1936, and we are proud of our design heritage. Innovation is at the heart of our course, and the city of Liverpool is a key resource for our students to grow and prosper as creative and forward thinking individuals. Following on from the European City of Culture in 2008, the city has flourished to become a key destination for fashion and the visual arts. The Art School has direct links with arts organisations such as TATE Liverpool, Biennial, and FACT. Students are able to undertake local placements in the North West, as well as working in London, Europe, and beyond. Placements recently have included: ASOS, H&M, Aintree/The Jockey Club, Essential Journal, IPR London, Coney’s Loft, Wex Baby, Adornment Archive, Silverback Creative, Graduate Fashion Week, Pretty Little Thing, Whispering Smith, Best Dressed Secret, F Ciment Pleating Ltd, Totum Fitness, Matalan, Karl Lagerfeld, JD Williams, Peter Pilotto, Pretty Green, The London Fashion Agency, J.W.Anderson, Jonathan Saunders, Markus Lupfer, Harvey Nichols, Shop Direct, Clio Peppiatt and Missguided.
Illustration by Megan Storey 04 |
Our fashion course is known for its vibrancy and celebration of diversity in student work. For graduates to compete in the fashion sector, they must have belief in their own style, as well as having a broad understanding of how the industry works. The two pathways – Fashion Design and Fashion Communication – complement each other and students are able to work on several collaborative projects during their study. In Fashion Design, students work from concept through to pattern cutting and final garment construction. Research is essential to innovation and we embed fashion studies to further our student’s individual interests. Holistically, this knowledge is empowering and allows our graduates to work across a wide range of the fashion industry from High Street to Couture. In Fashion Communication, our students work across the syllabus which includes branding, PR, marketing, photography and styling. With knowledge from location sourcing to final layout and editorial, they are able to offer specialist companies a whole package of transferable skills to work on a broad range of projects. We have a dedicated studio environment in our purpose built and RIBA award winning John Lennon Art School, where students are able to develop and explore new technologies as well as rediscovering traditional re-emerging crafts in print, textiles and embellishment. Our aim is to produce confident motivated graduates who can work as professionals and compete in a world-class arena Lesley Peacock Programme Leader BA (Hons) Fashion MA Fashion Innovation and Realisation
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Collection: Beth Woolley
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CONTENTS WE_ARE_FASHION brings you UN_FOLD Magazine – an experiment for the fashion voices of tomorrow.
48 | Untouched
UN_FOLD Magazine allows our students to collaborate and contribute to something real, something tangible. It empowers them to gain ownership. They are our next generation of Art Directors, Designers, Copy Writers, Trend Forecasters, Stylists, Editors, Photographers, Communicators, Bloggers, Hash Taggers, Risk Takers, Curators, Researchers and much, much more. Our razor sharp all-female team contributors have crafted this magazine to be much more than just a collection of words and images – they have no interest in creating throw-away media. They want to make this magazine feel treasured, ending its days on your bookshelf or lying on your coffee table for months on end. So put down your tablet and read on
50 | Keeping up Appearances
Creative Director
08 | Females of the Future 12 | Fighter 18 | Striding Out 26 | Can Fashion still Shock 28 | Fantasy vs Reality 32 | Label 36 | Quaintrelle 46 | Forgotten Man
52 | She 54 | SuperNormal
Paul Owen
Fashion Communication Interns
Rachel Worsley & Sarah Graham
088 | Bowie to Brexit 090 | Don’t Look Back in Anger 096 | Generation Y 66 | Man or Machine
098 | Just Another Label
68 | Feel the Music
102 | Broken Minds
70 | In-store Experience
108 | Bargain Britain
72 | Super Elite
116 | Sub Culture
74 | VR
118 | Casuals
76 | Traces
120 | Form & Function
78 | Power vs Pain
122 | Nostalgic Nod
80 | Filtered Life
128 | Identity
82 | It’s All About You
136 | Now and Next Gen
84 | Bubble
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GIRLS Twenty-seventeen; a time when sisterhood and girl power have hit their peak. This is the year to be a woman. Whether it be complimenting your BFF on her new shade of lipstick, or supporting your girl with an Insta ‘like’ on her selfie, every female has got your back. FEMALES OF THE FUTURE Recently, we have seen entrepreneur and fashion designer Victoria Beckham’s honoured by the Duke of Cambridge with an OBE in recognition of her 17-year career in fashion. She is now seen as one of the biggest names in the industry inspiring us and woman-kind. Conservative MP Theresa May was appointed as Britain’s second female Prime Minister and will now lead one of the largest economic powers in the world through a Brexit plan. We salute you. Also, this year, Adwoa Aboah, the British born model stimulated conversation between women after revealing her own personal struggles. Aboah, the founder of GurlsTalk – a movement that strives to create a place where girls can openly share their experiences and feelings in a safe and trusting environment, championed empowering women to be comfortable in their own skin. She is a great ambassador for speaking out about mental health, diversity and girl power. These are just a few women that inspire us. A WOMAN HAS A VOICE; SHE IS NOT SOMEONE TO BE RECKONED WITH We are experiencing a revolution and expressing it in the form of fashion. Men, move over… female empowerment and the fashion industry have had a breakthrough. ‘Girls by Girls’ explores various types of women. It envisions the strength in the collective, embraces the female in her own right and encourages her own individuality. Here’s to the new and next generation of women
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Photography & Styling: Perri-Leigh Hunt
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Photography & Styling: Perri-Leigh Hunt
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Photography & Styling: Yolanda Edwards
Photography & Styling: Jessica Sharpe
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A fighter, a feminist and a strong-minded individual. With gender politics increasing we are seeing the rise of a new woman who is ready to take her place at the frontline. Strong-minded, determined and brave, re-framing her place in society. She is someone to be reckoned with. She’s a fighter, a feminist and a strongminded individual. More concerned with what she can do than how she should look – Sarah Graham
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BE BOLD
BRAVE POWERFUL CONFIDENT
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Photography: Sophie Eyres
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STRIDING OUT SOLI-HAIR-ITY Looking at the world through our non-binar y lens, let’s diminish mediocrity and encourage the contemporar y woman.
In today’s society, women are constantly pressured to conform. Conformity traces back to childhood, when dolls we are presented with epitomise and idolise unrealistic body images. The characters we watch on TV and film are infatuated with boys and the male’s perception of women. This ideology follows us through to adolescence. We find ourselves questioning if we are as pretty as our friends, our peers, and if we can ever achieve the standard of beauty we are transfixed by on our Instagram and social media accounts. Having this idea of beauty ingrained in us since childhood has led to challenges in adulthood as many women struggle to be comfortable in their own skin. This is why we need to redefine the idealistic perception of beauty. Be the best and truest form of yourself, that’s when your beauty will truly radiate, and you will become an unstoppable force – Rachel Worsley
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Collection: Beth Woolley
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Collection: Amy Ralph
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SHOCK ING VULGAR DISGUSTING UGLY 26 |
Can Fashion Still Shock?
NUDITY
Within the fashion industry it seems that we are most offended by the exposure of the human body, and more so with nudity. With advertising sparking hundreds of complaints, where is the line between seductively promoting a brand and offending the viewer? Why we view nudity differently, perhaps depends on an individuals’ social norms. As one person may see nudity as a form of art, whereas another could find it inappropriate or even shocking. Reviewing Calvin Klein’s 1982 underwear advertising campaign, Bruce Weber photographed the then pole vaulter Tom Hintaus, in a whiter than white, low cut, tight fit set of briefs, it sported the legendary Calvin waistband for the very first time. This was a pivotal moment for the brand who wanted to elevate men’s underwear into a fashionable garment. The campaign was predominantly featured on billboards in and around New York City, portraying the ‘statuesque’ Hintaus as the model. This quickly caused offence and controversy as it was seen by some to sexualise the representation of men.
Today, we still see high street and premium brands exploit this method of marketing. We are frequently reminded about provocative poses, nudity and the borderline pornographic ad’s that have been banned. And still, brands from Gucci to American Apparel continue to use this within their brand direction. However, we must remember there are Ancient Greek Statues that portray the pureness and beauty of the naked body displayed in Art galleries which millions of people go to view and appreciate. So, what is the difference? We wouldn’t criticise an artist’s concept behind a painting, so why are brands’ being forced to unnecessarily respond to defend their creative vision? ARE WE GETTING TOO SELF-INVOLVED Now if you haven’t noticed already, take another look at the image on the opposite page. Did you realise it is a female chest? Are we becoming harder to shock or easier to offend? – Sarah Graham
THE VIEWER
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FANTASY VS. REALITY. Are you buying into a fantasy world?
Do magazines promote an unhealthy image of beauty? Successively the media plays a prominent role in today’s society. The type of language it uses and the way it represents reality has a major impact on our world-view. We are living in a time where beauty is perceived as a core value and an integral part of today’s culture. It is a market that plays into women’s insecurities and makes them believe that if they buy a product promoted in a magazine it will, in some way, help improve their self image and insecurities. The imagery we are bombarded with, whether they are photo-shopped editorials or carefully crafted product promotions, are far from reality. Digital alteration and image manipulation plays a huge part in our industry.
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We know that the majority of images of women are ‘perfected’ with the help of technology, but do we really understand how serious this issue is? FANTASY WORLD The Austrian born self-educated psychoanalyst Bruno Bettelheim describes how children’s fairy tales take place in worlds from which many features of real life have been excluded. Similarly, the same methodology can be applied to the construction of the idealistic woman that is portrayed in today’s media. So why do women continue to buy into this fantasy? Over the next few pages, we hope you’ll acknowledge and celebrate that all women are diverse and that we should begin to diminish this contrived fantasy world – Lauren Welch
Photography & Styling: Perri-Leigh Hunt
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Interview with Plus Size Blogger Chloe In Curve (chloeincurve_)
29.8K followers on instagram
interview by Charlotte Hull
How do you think that plus size women are portrayed in the media? I find a severe lack of plus size women in the media in general. Navabi, the global leader in premium plus size fashion, found that only 2% of women in fashion magazines are plus size. Frankly, I find that ridiculous, especially considering the average female size in the UK is 16. When plus size women are in the media, we are portrayed as lazy or actively losing weight. It’s as if we are only deemed as digestible for the public if were trying to lose weight.
How do you feel about representing plus size women in today’s society? I feel that it is extremely important to encourage diversity and for people to see plus size women thriving, enjoying life and finding happiness.
Do you think that the growth of plus size models within the fashion industry and the media is promoting a positive message for today’s society?
Do you think that seeing plus size women within media will have a positive effect and young girls and how they see themselves?
Of course. We need to see more. More diversity. Ashley Graham is a size 14/16 and the perfect hourglass shape. I wouldn’t deem her fat so I do not see how her media coverage is radical. We need to see more women of varying shapes.
I feel like this is a loaded question because I’ve been asked this many times. Yes, by girls seeing bigger bodies, this should hopefully encourage them not to feel the intense pressure to conform to unrealistic body ideals. Plus size models are not promoting obesity, they are working women just like straight size models. A girl seeing a plus size model in a magazine isn’t going to think ‘I’ll go get fat because she’s fat’. They’ll hopefully see that within our world, we have a varied range of bodies, and accept that theirs is perfect too.
What would be your best advice to someone who needs to gain selfconfidence with regard to their body and themselves? I’m asked this a lot and it’s difficult to answer. Body confidence can take years to build and as cliché as it sounds, it has to just from you, the individual. I’d say read body-positive blogs. Look at their Instagram and read other peoples stories. My confidence only really started to grow after I started blogging, after I saw women like me thriving in life and finding happiness. One day, you’ll have a light bulb moment and realise that your weight isn’t the most important thing in your entire life. Take that moment with both hands and run with it.
“ I LOVE MY CURVES, THEY ARE A BIG PART OF WHO I AM”
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LABEL
Stereotypically, women are regarded as the weaker sex. They are often perceived as the vulnerable, fragile, shy or even the submissive gender. Discrepancies between gender and the differences between the way men and women are treated are still prominent due to stereotypical expectations, attitudes and behaviours towards females. Society’s expectations are reflected through the media and imagery that illustrates an unrealistic portrayal of the everyday, working woman. This idea of hyper-femininity exaggerates the female stereotypes reflecting a distorted image of reality to consumers. Women who demonstrate strength and confidence are branded butch, gay, masculine or a bitch. Today, everyone has an opinion and women are often subjected to a plethora of scrutiny. Namely, women who like make-up are regarded as ‘plastic’. Women who like books are referred to as ‘nerds’.
However, outside the mainstream media, there is a revolution amongst the minorities. With technological movement comes social and cultural liberation. The movement in trends is allowing the stereotypical woman to be released from the constraints of mainstream trends and traditions – Alice Butler
ABE
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Why are women frequently besieged to media campaigns that advocate the idea that superficial products such as makeup or hair extensions will immediately increase your femininity and sexual representation toward the opposite sex?
LOVE EVOL Whoever is right for you.
Photography & Styling: Anna Hodgson | 33
Girls just wa
Photography & Styling: Perri-Leigh Hunt
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nna have fun
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Quaintrelle; A woman who emphasises a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and cultivation of life’s pleasures. Working women earn the right to deviate from their hectic lives and busy schedules to take unrefined, essential time out. It is an integral part of any womans life, a modern right of sisterhood. To catch up with friends you wish you could see more regularly, a time to dress up and feel great, a time to be your true, authentic self. This is the time to voice your problems, air your concerns; an essential form of therapy where conversation thrives and the world is put to rights – Rachel Worsley
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Quaintrelle
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Collection: Emma Etchells
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Photography & Styling: Jessica Sharpe
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Be the girl
EILISH ARGUMENT. ALICE BUTLER. ELLIS DOCHERTY. FRANCESCA DYKE. ALEX EARLEY. YOLANDA EDWARDS. SOPHIE EYRES. EMMA FOX. KATE GEORGE. KATIE GILL. SARAH GRAHAM. KAYLEIGH HARGREAVES. GEORGIA HOBAN. ANNA HODGSON. KATIE HUGHES. CHARLOTTE HULL. PERRI-LEIGH HUNT. RACHEL HUTCHINGS. JUSTYNA KAJMA. LOUISE KEATLEY. LAUREN KEIR. KARIN LAIRD. ROSIE LEGGETT. KATE MARTIN. ALICE MCGREEVY. OLIVIA MCKENZIE. ELLIE MESKELL. CHLOE OLDHAM. JADE OWEN. GABRIELLE PALMER. SHARIYAH RICHARDS. AMIE ROGERS. JESS SHARPE. BETHANY STEBBENS. HAYLEY WAUGH. LAUREN WELCH. ROBYN WILSON. RACHEL WORSLEY.
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ISHBEL AL -JORANI. LAUREN SIAN BLACK. ABI BRAITHWAITE. REBECCA BROWN. REBECCA CONLIN. PENELOPE COOKE. AINE CRUMLISH. BETH DARWENT. SARAH DAVIES. EMMA ETCHELLS. JO FREAKE. LYNDSEY GILLETT. NIAMH HOLT. LOREN KING. LORREN MAGEE. SHONA MOLLOY. REBECCA MALONE. LOUISE MARTIN. CHARLOTTE MCCANN. LINDSEY MCCAVISH. LUKE MCGEAGH *. HELEN PARRY. AMY RALPH. ELLEN REED. ELLEN ROLLASON. JACK SHELBOURNE *. NICOLE STODDART. MELLISA THOMPSON. SARAH TILLOTSON. BETH WOOLLEY. CLAIRE YEARWOOD.
who goes for it.
*(or the boy)
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Collection: Luke McGeagh. Photography & Styling: Sarah Grahma.
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BOYS As a forward thinking fashion magazine, how could we forget about men. Gender blurring / Uncensored / Supernormal / Individual / Established / Sub-cultural
Tall, dark and handsome is the usual request, complete with a killer six-pack and a tan – can the ‘perfect man’ really be defined? Fashion is finally carving a path for a new type of man. Today, men can explore a world beyond the stereo-type. These men are carefree individuals with a new and established sense of vision. This man is not one to be forgotten. He proves his individualism through his creative expression. He makes a statement. He is unique. He is not specific to the easily defined male. ‘Boys by Girls’ documents the new man to the supernormal male
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F With the rise of the Insta-famous model complete with a killer bod, and the vigorous scrutiny on Tinder, who can blame a man for feeling the pressure to please? It is becoming increasingly common to sit on our phones and obsess over others, particularly on social media. Whether we are using an app to search for a potential partner solely based on looks, or being bombarded with yet another app where we’re forced to crave the body of a total stranger, we are obsessed with other people. This obsession takes place in multiple forms; lust, envy and judgment to name but a few. Woman aren’t reluctant to define their ideal man, convincing themselves that they have a ‘type’, but do women really find it so important for a man to fit this criteria? Everyone holds the right to personal preference, but since certain body types are stereotypically seen as more desirable when compared to another, the pressure is on to conform. After all, it is only natural for us to seek love and admiration, and with this always comes attraction. According to a survey* on the subject of appearance, 53% of men worry that their friends are more appealing and have better abs, pecks, triceps, biceps or any other body part which lies dormant under a sheet of flesh. By age seven, more than 50% of boys desire to have a more muscular body, a percentage which increases to around 90% through adolescence.
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been forgotten? Its no surprise that men feel inadequate in their bodies when we are surrounded by overly ‘ripped’ men with bulging muscles. Nearly every day, whether it be in the street, on screen or on social media, we are all exposed to this ‘perfect’ image of the masculine body, but we cannot let this define male expectations where body image is concerned. There are no guidelines, criteria or regulations to being a man. Female body insecurities are vast, but when it comes to men, the issue is a little more taboo. As women, we openly talk about our bodies, whether be it in celebration, shame or matter of progression. It is a common part of our daily or weekly routine to devote our topic of conversation to our bodies. So why is it almost unheard of for a group of men to open up about their body insecurities? Unless it’s deliberating which body part is being put to the test in the gym that day, I have never heard a man openly discussing their body around other men. Men are suffering with coming to terms with themselves and yet women are only focusing on the female body and how women feel under pressure to look on top form for the opposite sex. Could it be that we have ignored the fact that we put too much pressure on the opposite sex? Or do we simply think it’s acceptable? After all, you are a man so you can take it, right? No, nobody gets to tell you how you feel. Nobody gets to decide your emotions. To all the ladies out there reading this, think twice before scrutinising or body shaming the opposite sex and to all the men reading, ask yourselves the same. With any hope to live in a diverse world, we have to start somewhere and loving ourselves, warts and all, seems the best way to start. Banish the stereotypes of body expectations and love yourself – Eilish Argument
*survey DietChef
38% of men admit that they would sacrifice an entire year of their life in exchange for the ‘perfect’ body, a higher proportion than women. The part that is most shocking about these statistics is that they live in the shadows of society and even though it is being proven that men struggle with body insecurities, we choose to ignore it. However, these statistics are not entirely surprising. Amid all the worthy campaigning to celebrate diversity of the female body and put a stop to the objectification of women by men, have men and their myriad image complexities
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M A Photography & Styling: Anna Hodgson
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Photography & Styling: Anna Hodgson & Alice Butler 48 |
Men are strong. Men do not cry. Men cannot wear pink. According to society, these are some of the typical phrases associated with the male gender. Men and boys are under constant scrutiny to abide by these stereotypes in order to conform to society’s representation of what a ‘real man’ should be. Often referred to as ‘the strong gender’, men are continually expected to comply with unrealistic attributes set by past and present traditions. Men with emotions are frequently branded negatively and associated with derogatory terms. Emotions are feminine, and that simply won’t do. However, it is believed that one in eight men are diagnosed with a mental health illness, such as anxiety, depression, panic disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder. It is also believed that a lot more suffer in silence because it is simply not manly to feel. Often men are taught to suppress their emotions with the aim of obtaining this masculine aesthetic.
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But what if fashion culture wasn’t about the ‘ideal man’? Perhaps we should turn our attention to focus on embracing the heterosexual, the homosexual, and the genderless. Let us encourage the modern man and embark on a journey to recognise and diminish these ancient stereotypes, generating a culture that taps into the wider fashion audience. Identifying these stereotypes, UN_FOLD uses its fashion presence to break social patterns and commends the ‘not so typical’ perception of the male gender, shattering the egotistical view of this sex – Alice Butler
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Collection: Luke McGeagh. Photography & Styling: Yolanda Edwards.
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KEEPING UP WITH APPEARANCES As part of consumer culture, shopping has become a crucial ritual for shaping and contributing to identity. When the consumer lifestyle began to emerge, it brought along an obsession for the possession of material goods. Fashion was positioned at the heart of consumerism and the unlimited market left people feeling dissatisfied. Is it true that people are willing to spend their wages on designer items just to fit in with the crowd? Can we assume that high-fashion brands will be purchased in order for people to comply with higherclass society? They say you can tell a lot from a person by what you see. It is possible to examine their personality, identity and social status simply by evaluating the clothes they are wearing. However, in the past, clothing was one of the only ways to identify an individual’s societal position. If we are no longer able to gauge a person’s social status through their image, what other factors can we consider? Is it as easy nowadays to assume someone’s social status by evaluating their style, or is the issue much more complex? We find ourselves subconsciously considering a person’s material wealth in order to make snap judgements and draw our own conclusions.
to portray. They have the ability to raise one’s self-esteem. How are we able to keep up appearances through our image? Material goods allow the disguising of imperfections and allow a person to build their self-esteem. Eventually, we begin to unearth the true identity of someone, when material goods are stripped down. Perhaps the greatest determining factor of an individual’s overall image is the degree they value themselves. A person with low self-esteem will therefore seek reassurance through material possessions, hence the need to over-spend and over-consume. According to The Independent, a BBC survey of more than 160,000 people, academics established that Britons “can no longer be boxed into the traditional “upper”, “middle” and “working” classes.” Instead we analyse surrounding contributing factors aside from their clothes – Karin Laird
Analysing the story of a person’s image and personality highlights a more poignant story behind the way in which one chooses to express themselves. Material wealth simply confirms one’s true social status. Clothes seem to define the person we might strive to become and the image we attempt | 51
SHE Fashion is moving beyond the straightforward notion of borrowing from the boys and towards a grey area where clothes are gender-neutral.
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– Francesca Dyke
*stats usatoday.com
Rather than just adhering to traditional gender roles, young people are interpreting what gender means to them on a more personal level. According to recent stats*, 60% of young people believe that gender lines have been blurred and more than 66% believe that gender does not define a person the way it once did. The reality of combining gender styles is not just for risk-takers on fashions cutting edge, but for everyone. Gender roles assigned by society have established certain characteristics which define particular colours and silhouettes as genderspecific. People use the word ‘gender’ in reference to a person’s sex, despite it being Twenty-Seventeen. Most of us realise that the words ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ do not need be attached to a specific gender identity. Annoyingly, society can still feel somewhat rigid around the subject of gender, and generation Z is leading the wave of acceptance towards looser gender regulations. Within the industry, we are noticing an increasing number of masculine men wearing garments that some consider feminine. Unisex fashion is not only girls wearing boyfriend jeans or guys in skirts; that concept is outdated, as is the discussion surrounding traditional gender codes. Designers are tackling it head on and creating spaces for people to shop without any signs or direction in terms of segregated fashion
rules. Selfridges exercised this concept by testing a genderless boutique shopin-shop which they named Agender. The store was designed to appear completely unbranded and genderless. The space consisted of fashion lines and labels that fell into the realm of gender-fluid attire that where both men and women were able to shop. Seeing men and women’s clothing presented alongside each other during Fashion Week is something which is becoming increasingly common. Women have recently walked in shows for Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Givenchy that were ostensibly meant to showcase men’s collections. We are heading towards a time where we are able to wear clothes for the simple reason that we like them, and not because we believe we should. Both men and women need to be educated on new identity ideals and the representation of gender in order for a genderless shopping experience to succeed
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dressing the supernormal
MEET
The Supernormal Man gets out of bed in the morning, looks at his plans for the day. He considers the weather, thinks about the potential social engagements he may have, and decides what would make him feel most comfortable. Then he decides what he is going to wear. He considers practicality over most other factors when getting dressed in the morning. Even down to the thickness of a shirt fabric and its subsequent capacity for warmth. But each man is different, and the habitual dressing that comes with this manner of style produces some interesting quirks. These images detail a selection of men in the east end of London, wearing their everyday clothing, and explaining why they choose to wear certain things with such specification.
E M I LY K I N G
Pockets. Storage. Bags. Accessories. Comfort. Interview by Rosie Leggett
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We interviewed Emily King and asked her about her sense of the ‘supernormal’. We discussed it in it’s relation to fashion, Levi 501’s, school changing room taps, and Uniqlo. Emily King writes books, curates exhibitions and contributes articles to national newspapers, previously holding the role of design editor at frieze magazine. She has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (the one that all the politicians have), a Masters from the Royal College of Art and a PhD from Kingston. We know that you wrote about the origins and meaning of the supernormal for Freize, how did you become aware of the phrase? My husband and I are good friends with Jasper [Morrison], so were always aware of his work. We then tried to keep this idea in mind when designing their house – looking for the default tap, the default sink etc. But as soon as you start looking for these things they become really hard to find, even though you see them everywhere. What does the supernormal mean to you? It reminds me of a child being allowed to dress itself! [laughs]. The idea of comfort and practical clothing totally regardless of the style. Just wearing what they want to wear. It’s the default image of everything, like the most basic and standard version – think the school changing room taps. And in terms of fashion you can think about jeans. Although they’ve become something that people just throw on there really is no such thing as a default pair of jeans anymore. When I was young I used to wear men’s Levi 501’s, really straight legged and quite shapeless. They were the, kind of, basic default jean. But then jeans became very skinny and low to the waist and something that I wouldn’t ever dream of wearing. I don’t think that there is such a thing as the default basic jean anymore because every pair has some minute detail that the designer has thought about incredibly hard. You imagine jeans as an item that isn’t given much consideration when it’s designed, but in reality that’s not the case, they are such a commonly worn item and there are so many variations.
In one of your interviews with Naoto Fukasawa, one of the champions of the supernormal, he uses the phrase: “People don’t need design; they need tools for their life. Design shouldn’t be the goal”. This reflects completely the dressing habits and intentions of the men documented in this book, what is your take on this idea? Do you think it is something that is acted on so subconsciously that few people are aware of it? I think that it is subconscious, these people dress for total ease and personal comfort. But at the same time is it whether they aren’t thinking about it, or whether it’s just a really boring template. Going back to the school tap for example, it looks on first glance like it hasn’t been considered and the design and beauty of it hasn’t been addressed, but obviously it has been designed by someone it’s just according to a really boring template. I mean, could this be the same with your supernormal dressers? It’s interesting that you say that because one of the key things I’ve been exploring is the obsessive specifications that these guys set for themselves when dressing. On one hand they look like they haven’t considered their outfit at all, but on the other hand they have set themselves this really specific set of rules. They are just following a very boring template, but it’s a template that seems to help them function in their day to day lives. You have to consider, as well, lots of these people will think they’re acting to be non-conformist, people are
setting themselves a set of rules which are regardless of fashion, but at the same time allow them to fit in with a certain tribe. My daughters never wore uniform to school, and I always thought that they and their friends all looked exactly the same, but they obviously used to make such subtle changes that, in their tribe, allowed them to identify themselves. Their decisions weren’t necessarily fashion based, but they were definitely to do with conforming and fitting in, even though in their minds they were making themselves individual in their crowd. Thinking about the future of the concept, do you think that more people becoming aware of the supernormal will lead to it becoming more niche and exclusive, something that people have a desire to be a part of? The conscious rejection of fashion is becoming a luxury trend at the moment. Luxury brands like Permanent Collection and Egg don’t release seasonal collections and all of their products are intended to be your almost default collection. There’s basically one or two of each product. People who can afford to shop in a luxury market want to avoid the set of rules that comes with a fast fashion turnover. I mean the stock in Zara changes every 10-15 days or something like that so it encourages people to be impulsive with their purchases, and they have to stick with the trends Zara are pumping out. But by shopping in this supernormal basic collection and rejecting trends they’re buying into something they don’t have to worry about changing with trends. Uniqlo is another good example, even though it’s not luxury, I mean all of their stuff
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is like reflecting this idea of super basic and totally functional clothing. I suppose there’s also the idea of Normcore and the Vetements stereotype collection but Normcore was always about wearing quite crappy low end products. Wearing something undesirable and unremarkable that can be thrown away. I suppose it’s another way of rejecting fashion trends, but in this case it’s by adopting another throw away trend that just distances itself slightly from fashion. When I pick running trainers I’ll always consider how they fit my feet and how they affect my running style over how they look. I actively try and turn off the aesthetically driven part of my brain and I always feel some sense of achievement if I come out with a really ugly pair. Ski boots are the same, they are totally 100% functional but they’re so ugly and horrible. The uglier the better, I wonder if the uglier looking ones are more effective. Alternatively, do you think that the more people begin to identify with this idea, the more diluted it will become? At the moment it appears, to me, to be more an instinctive and subconscious thing, but do you think it has the potential to become something people buy into and used as a marketing tool? Like I said before, it is already something that people are starting to buy into. People create these rules for themselves and put themselves in a box even though they think they are being non-conformist. There is always a group of people that dress in this certain way and you may align yourselves with them accidentally. It kind of brings into question how authentic individuality is.
Would you say that you had any particular or obsessive dressing habits of your own? Is there a particular garment that this related to? If you do, could I ask you to describe it and why? I’m currently wearing a Uniqlo Heattech jumper. I’d say those are definitely my most supernormal item. I wear them pretty much every day. My kind of default outfit would consist of a Uniqlo heat-tech, high denier tights, and Margaret Howell Jeans. I want to be able to walk into a room and I don’t want people to look at me and think about my clothing choices. I want to be able to go seamlessly under the radar like the school changing room tap. Nike Air Force trainers as well maybe, I think they’d definitely be my default, normal, basic trainer. Or the most normal one I’ve been able to find. I felt like I was searching for something like that for a long time and then when I bought them I came home and my daughter told me that they were the trainers worn by the girls that used to bully them in school! I felt terrible! It changed the connotations a bit definitely
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SKATEBOARDING AND HIP HOP ETC INFLUENCED M I HAVE STYLE/ PRACTICALITY/ PURE NECESSITY – TO OUTDOOR PURSUITS), SENSE OF ‘LIFESTYLE’/ C FEEL WHEN GOING OUT IN PUBLIC. LOTS OF COMFY COMFORT AND JOY. AVOID THE TIE AND OR SUIT AT ALL T-SHIRT, CASUAL SHIRT, FORMAL SHIRT AND TIE, S JEANS, DESERT BOOTS, AND A T-SHIRT WHEREVER NICE SUIT!/ AS CASUAL AS YOU CAN BE, IN TH SMART CASUAL/ I DON’T AIM TO IMPRESS, ITS J CLOTHES AS SOON AS I GET HOME. ALWAYS BEE SCHOOL AS A CHILD TOO/ COMFORT, UTILITY, CHILLED STYLE OF DRESS/ I DRESS FOR SEMI S PISS OUT OF ME AT WORK BECAUSE I’LL BE WEA WHAT THE SITUATION IS. THE BEANIE IS MY FUN AND QUITE BRIGHT SO I STAND OUT/ JEA
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ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG. I DON’T FOLLOW FASHION BU ‘THIS LOOKS FINE’/ COMFORT, FUNCTIONAL (LINKED CASUAL, LOW KEY/ COMFORT IN THE WAY I LOOK AND SPORTSWEAR AROUND THE HOUSE FOR RELAXING IN L COSTS. I HAVE A DESCENDING ORDER OF PREFERENCE SUIT/ QUALITY NEVER GOES OUT OF FASHION/ LEVI R POSSIBLE/TRY TO BE SMART BUT NOT TOO SERIOUS HE SMART CASUAL BRACKET/ A LACK OF STYLE? JUST WHAT I FEEL LIKE/ MUST GET OUT OF WORK EN THE SAME. HATED WEARING MY UNIFORM AFTER AND NON-CONFORMITY/ FEELING COMFORTABLE STYLISH COMFORT DAY TO DAY. PEOPLE TAKE TH ARING A JUMPER, BEANIE, AND SNOOD NO MATTER Y IDENTIFIABLE FACTOR THOUGH/ STUFF THAT’ ANS AND T-SHIRTS/ WHAT IS CLEAN AND IRONED
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JERMAINE FRANCIS Interview by Rosie Leggett
We interviewed Jermaine Francis about his take on the supernormal, as a photographer who works with a number of famous faces and has the ability to watch what is happening from within the fashion industry. We discussed Margiela, functionality, super tech trainers, and the fact that he is bored by the supernormal. Jermaine is a world renowned fashion portrait and beauty photographer. He has assisted Corinne Day, and other photographers including Steven Klein, Marc Hom and Rankin. From starting out at Dazed, Jermaine has gone on to photograph talents such as Rosamund Pike, Natalie Dormer, and Cara Delevigne, as well as contributing to publications, and brands such as Harpers Bazaar UK, Vogue China, Vogue Japan, Twin, Crash, Bon, Porter Magazine, Stella McCartney, Roland Mouret, Gieves&Hawkes and Sky. Jermaine is exhibiting at The National Portrait Gallery as part of the Taylor Wessing Portrait Competition, and contacted us from Paris during his extremely busy schedule.
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Are you aware of the term supernormal? Yes I am. Do you feel that you have a sense of the supernormal and what it is? For us, before we read more about designer Jasper Morrison, it was the image of something being so normal and everyday that became a fashion choice by default. In a design context it appears to mean much more than that. What does it mean to you? Supernormal is an interesting phrase, for me it is functionality and practical, it appears to blend into the world and there is a reduction in the visual aspect, its beauty is its simplicity, in its function and its place in the world. The question I ask, is can design be both? In a fashion sense we had norm core and to be honest it appeared to be boring and safe at times, I guess it is democratic in the sense any one could attain taste and style very easily,
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but does that present any new narratives? Not really. For example the fashion style of Deconstruction and it exponents such as Martin Margiela were re-contextualising or as Alison Gill wrote ‘deconstruction of the architecture of the body’. If you look at how he translated this into his time at Hermes you see form and functionality in perfect harmony. I much prefer this to the notion of supernormal. Do you get a sense of the supernormal in your work? And do you feel it is reflected in the industry? In my beauty work I would not say that was the case, maybe it would be described as more minimal, but that does not mean it is super normal, but then maybe other people would describe it as something different. I guess norm core was the equivalent in fashion, but I found this incredibly boring.
Is the supernormal truly an instinctive/ subconscious phenomenon? Or is it more considered than first thought? I feel it is very considered and it appears to be subconscious but these things are usually part of a conscious process. I would say most things are a reaction to what is around or what has come before. As I suggested before, the phrase ‘super normal’ would suggest some form of conscious, deliberate aesthetic decision making.
Would you say that you have any particular or obsessive dressing habits of your own? Is there a particular garment that this relates to? If you do could I ask you to describe it and why? I would say I do like a simple trainer, I wish I could wear super tech trainers but my feet are super flat so they ended up like boats!
Is there a possibility that the supernormal is a commercial concept that people are buying into? If it is not now does it have the potential to become just that? I feel that it is applicable to being a commercial concept, it becomes a style which can be modified like all things in which brands can sell to the consumer through various artifices.
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BRITISH ST YLE COLLECTIVE PRESENTED BY THE CLOTHES SHOW 7-9 JULY LIVERPOOL #wearefashion
BRITI SH S T Y LE C OLLEC TI V E W ILL EMBR ACE SOME OF LI V ERP OOL’S MO S T IC ONIC L A NDM A RK S A S PA R T OF A CIT Y W IDE E V ENT, BOA S TING TREND -LED C AT WA LK S, UNRI VA LLED SHOPPING A ND E XCLUSI V E S TAGE C ONTENT FE AT URING SOME OF THE MO S T SOUGHT-A F TER N A ME S IN FA SHION, BE AU T Y A ND ENTER TA INMENT. THERE W ILL BE E XCITING C OLL A BOR ATION S W ITH LI V ERP OOL ONE , GR A DUATE FA SHION W EEK , A ND WAY NE HEMINGWAY ’S NE W FRINGE E V ENT – FINE T UNED. #BritishStyleCollective | 65
Machine has acquired a high priority in the modern era. It has come to occupy a place of major importance in the life of man. In all spheres and walks of life, machine comes to the aid of man. Right from the time of waking up in the morning until going to bed at night, man continues to make use of some machine or another. One of machines most recent developments is the human like robot. Japanese robotics seem to produce either one of two types of machine: cute ones that are meant to be personal companions, or scary ones that are bold attempting to replace humans with androids. Humanoid robots, robots with an anthropomorphic body plan and human-like senses, are enjoying increasing popularity as research tool. More and more groups worldwide work on issues like bipedal locomotion, dexterous manipulation, audio-visual perception, human-robot interaction, adaptive control, and learning, targeted for the application in humanoid robots. These efforts are motivated by the vision to create a new kind of tool: robots that work in close cooperation with humans in the same environment that we designed to suit our needs. While highly specialised industrial robots are successfully employed in industrial mass production, these new applications require a different approach: general purpose humanoid robots. The human body is well suited 66 |
for acting in our everyday environments. Stairs, door handles, tools, and so on are designed to be used by humans. A robot with a human-like body can take advantage of these humancentred designs. The new applications will require social interaction between humans and robots. If a robot is able to analyse and synthesise speech, eye movements, mimics, gestures, and body language, it will be capable of intuitive communication with humans. Most of these modalities require a human-like body plan. A humanlike action repertoire also facilitates the programming of the robots by demonstration and the learning of new skills by imitation of humans, because there is a one-to-one mapping of human actions to robot actions. Last, but not least, humanoid robots are used as a tool to understand human intelligence. In the same way biomimetic robots have been built to understand certain aspects of animal intelligence, humanoid robots can be used to test models of aspects of human intelligence. Addressing all of the above areas simultaneously exceeds the current state of the art. Today’s humanoid robots display their capabilities in tasks requiring a limited subset of skills. Technological advancement has meant that robots are increasing looking and behaving like humans. But can these machines ever match their human counterparts?
Stairs, door handles, tools, and so on are designed to be used by humans. A robot with a human-like body can take advantage of these human- centred designs. The new applications will require social interaction between humans and robots. If a robot is able to analyse and synthesise speech, eye movements, mimics, gestures, and body language, it will be capable of intuitive communication with humans. Most of these modalities require a human-like body plan. A humanlike action repertoire also facilitates the programming of the robots by demonstration and the learning of new skills by imitation of humans, because there is a one-to-one mapping of human actions to robot actions. Humanoid robots are used as a tool to understand human intelligence. In the same way biomimetic robots have been built to understand certain aspects of animal intelligence, humanoid robots can be used to test models of aspects of human intelligence. Addressing all of the above areas simultaneously exceeds the current state of the art. Today’s humanoid robots display their capabilities in tasks requiring a limited subset of skills but due to technological advances, robots are increasingly looking and behaving like humans. However, the question remains, can these machines ever match their human counterparts? – Jessica Sharpe
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The wind. Ever noticed the sound of it? Like rustling. Or how about thunder? It’s crashing beats that shudder the earth. Or even just a child’s laughter? Like a chorus of bells, a sweet happy sound. For the deaf these sounds are unheard of, as are the emotions evoked by these sounds. Our hearing is our most vital stimulus, it captures memories and revives them. ‘Oh I love this song, we heard it in Venice on our honeymoon’. We all do it. But for 70 million in the world that live in silence, that’s just over the amount of people that live in the UK, they can’t access this kind of connection. However, technology has developed the science that enables the deaf community to experience the phenomenon that the average deaf person misses the most. Music. Pioneering brand in wearable tech CuteCircuit has developed the Sound Shirt. Since 2004 the brand has been bringing together tech and fashion and now in the Sound Shirt is enhancing the human condition. Commissioned and bought by Junge Symphoniker Hamburg the shirt is an actual shirt that is connected to a computer system that picks up the audio from microphones placed around an orchestra stage. The science bit is that the shirt is filled with actuators that vibrate in relation to the intensity of the music. Imagine it, picture it. Heavy deep basses are activated in the torso and lighter instruments like violins in the upper torso. When a deaf person is feeling all these vibrations and watching the music being played they can see certain areas on the stage are more active than others. They feel soundwaves in specific areas within minutes understand the correlation between the music and what they can feel. A revolutionary product that converts sounds unto advanced vibrations in real time. By tapping into the touch sense, which is already heightened and exposed from the absence of hearing, we are allowing deaf people to experience music, how it feels. And on a deeper level experience the emotions associated the music.
What CuteCircuit have also managed to do in this product, that so many don’t think to consider, is that they’ve made it comfortable. A cochlear implant albeit life transforming when they can give some people their hearing back, also have drawbacks. Being surgically implanted does not appeal to most and with a huge price tag most cannot not afford or even begin to consider such a procedure. However what the Sound Shirt has done is taken the medical aspect out of it and instead made a deaf person feel completely at ease in a simple shirt that, say if developed further, will enable a grandmother/ mother/ father/ anyone, the chance to hear their own family members perhaps sing in the choir, a memory greatly cherished. By making it personal the Sound Shirt allows the sounds we take for granted to be valued again by those who miss them the most – Hayley Waugh | |143 69
So picture this, you go in, there’s probably a tissue on the floor or make up stains splattered on the wall. The first thing that comes to mind is “who on earth has been in this fitting room before me?!” Surrounded by mirrors, you are seeing angles you have never seen before and don’t particularly want to see. The lights are so intense that they are showing every lump, bump and blemish on your face. You now have to write a to-do list for when you get home that consists of plucking your eyebrows, doing a face mask and starting that diet once again.
So, with this in mind, what could be done to avoid this regular occurrence we all seem to face? With 33% of British people interested in virtual assistance, perhaps a digital fitting room with on screen help options could be the solution? With 61% of consumers exploring retailers’ websites before purchasing items and a vast 71% of U.S. consumers preferring to purchase an item in the physical store, even if the same items are available online.
Now you are getting to the next stage, round two, the actual purpose of being in the fitting room – to try on clothes. You take off your jumper that makes your hair go static and now you’ve got make up stains around the collar. Great. Then to top it off, you have those annoying lace up shoes on which is an event in itself. Now you have to start trying on that new perfect gem of a dress you think you have found which turns out to not be so perfect. Of course you discover this after 5 minutes of wrestling in the most unflattering way to get it on and an extra 10 minutes to get it off. You then start to evaluate the last 15 minutes of your life, worrying if the sales assistant is thinking, “what is she doing in there?” and “why is she taking so long?” With all that wasted energy you cannot wait to leave the store and get a boost of caffeine after the whole experience.
Blurring the lines between digital and physical, we are in luck. Ralph Lauren has acted upon the digital demand of consumers today, keeping in mind that people may still want to try things on. In their flagship store in Manhattan, a smart mirror has been introduced to their fitting rooms that allows you to change the lighting, request other sizes and complete your payment while you are trying other things on.
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On the other hand, Nordstorm has noticed the lack of personal touch with click & collect and have taken this one step further. Introducing “Reserve & Try In Store” feature to its app, this allows you to reserve up to 10 items on your smartphone. It also allows you to select your closest store with a personalised fitting room with your reserved pieces, allowing consumers to touch, feel and try on items before buying them. Additionally, these improvements could help companies cut costs by reducing the rate of returns. These new technologies are highlighting a need for something more substantial with the in-store experience. It is evolving in order to make consumers shopping experience more exciting and convenient – Sarah Graham
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H O W F A S T C A N I G O ? For as long as humans have had a sense of sport and competition, we have developed ways to push our anatomy to its limits. Fibre optic technology woven into technical sportswear has allowed XELFLEX (pron: ex-el-flex) to revolutionise the training of elite athletes, and push them beyond their limits. Could this be what it takes to build a ‘super elite’ athlete? The nature of the technology creates a level playing field – once the suit goes on there is no gender bias in the training or the assessment of abilities. The impact this could have on women’s sport has the potential to be enormous – meaning that they are trained without the preconception that they will ‘train like a girl’. ‘Super elite’ doesn’t have to be gender specific; this development takes another step forward in stamping out gender discrimination. The science behind XELFLEX is surprisingly simple. Optical fibres are woven into the fabric of your sportswear, and the bend in the light measures the angles of your body as you train. The wearer can then see how they could improve their movements – via smartphone feedback – so they are able to perform the optimum technique to achieve results. The technology has major implications for young people in sport, who will face a difference in their training. As young athletes break into their sport, their training focusses on technique. They clearly have the aptitude and the skill for the sport, however, to get to the next level, the most efficient and professional techniques are vital to compete with the superstars. This is usually done by the judgement of a good coach, XELFLEX gives this judgement 100% accuracy. The potential here, is to improve the athletic capabilities of these sportswomen and men so that they can push human performance to a new level of excellence. Children and young people learn more efficiently than adults due to the development of their pre-frontal cortex, they are flexible learners. So this is the key time, as these athletes are breaking into professional sport, to perfect their technique and push themselves. Adults cannot learn in the same way, so current world class athletes may not get the same benefit. This isn’t to say they couldn’t use this tech, but they are less likely to be able to drastically change the key ways in which they perform. Creating a ‘super elite’ generation who achieve more sporting greats than their superiors is a real possibility with this advance in smart fabrics – Rosie Leggett | 73
VR has developed beyond a concept of illusion and is becoming increasingly accessible due to its affordability, allowing anyone to become immersed in a world beyond the screen.
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TAKEOVER With technological advances becoming increasingly mind blowing and unfathomable, developments in virtual reality (VR) are set to disrupt this even further. In recent years, VR has become more than a concept widely-anticipated by the likes of gamers, and has encapsulated those within the field of fashion, medicine, education, film and music. VR has developed beyond a concept of illusion and is becoming increasingly accessible due to its affordability, allowing anyone to become immersed in a world beyond the screen. VR aims to create a virtual world through a giant high-tech goggle headset that provides a 360-degree view. The idea is, fundamentally, meant to allow users to submerge themselves into another realm and when doing so, as their head moves, so does their viewpoint. The objective is to radically modify the way people communicate and to have an impact on a worldwide stance, where communication and interaction has no restraints. With regards to fashion and the influence VR has within the industry, it is expanding at an exponential pace. Creative Director for Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia, was the first to delve into the world of VR to stream their A/W 16 show, releasing 360 degree, VR footage. Gvasalia describes the development as “a new panorama, for a new era of Balenciaga”. Additionally Dior is engaging with the concept, having debuted Dior Eyes; a 3D printed virtual reality headset. This is set to shape the future of fashion, providing consumers with an exclusive yet immersive behind the scenes preview of their collection. Moreover, designer Hussein Chalayan is exploring VR, stating that he is “excited about it because it gives the viewer an experience removed from both space and time”. In other words, reiterating the highly admirable factor that VR dissolves restraints of reality. Fashion retail business leaders are also confident that developments within VR are set to shape the future for consumers. Tommy
Hilfiger introduced Samsung Gear headsets into its flagship stores and Topshop, an initial pioneer for VR, used Oculus headsets to live stream footage of their A/W 16 show to shoppers. Within retail, the developments are ever-changing with augmented reality providing shoppers with VR mirrors that record measurements and display the clothing on a virtual version of themself. This is known as virtual fitting and through a swipe of the hand, retailers can store measurements for a consumers next visit, ensuring that shoppers have a unique, immersive experience that offers a solution for time conflicted shoppers. Virtual reality is considered to be the faultless, refreshing system for brands to directly engage with consumers. Astonishingly, VR headsets are forecast to reach 22.5 million sales for non video game playing consumers by 2018, with the potential for consumers to view themselves in certain outfits right from the comfort of their own homes. Virtual reality is rapidly establishing its position across the field of fashion, from designers using it as a platform for their shows, to retail interaction and experiences. As it is becoming increasingly evident that virtual reality is determining the future of fashion. However, the question poses itself as to how quickly can brands implement VR into their ethos to remain successful and fashion forward? – Rachel Worsley
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TRACES
At some point in every girl’s life, she dons those soft pink slippers and learns the difference between a first, second and third arabesque. However, reaching a professional level is much more gruelling than people think. The truth is you have to have the fuel to be able to dance. In the minds of many, ballet dancers follow strict rules, diets, healthy living and a huge amount of beauty sleep. Is ballet a beautiful spectacle or is it a life of pressure and pain on the quest for perfection? As you must know, ballet dancers strive for faultlessness. The magnitude of practice and discipline that goes into one simple pirouette is confounding. During a video interview with Rio Anderson, a 17 year old student at The Royal Ballet School in London, she says “the point of ballet it to make it look effortless, but, beneath all of that, it’s the most difficult thing I could imagine. Ballet can completely break you, it’s pretty all or nothing”. But how much of the beautiful and celebrated sport is lost? Are ballet dancers ever able to backtrack and retrace their brisé or bourrée? Ballerinas are known to push themselves to their absolute limits and a technology that allows the dancers to spot strengths and weaknesses would allow the dancer to correct their performance. The E-Traces ballet slippers, which were designed by Lesia Trubat, allow dancers to recreate and improve their movements in digital pictures using a specially designed application for smart phones. The Lilypad Ardino technology records the pressure of the dancers feet and sends a signal to an electronic device. The smartphone application then allows us to show the data graphically and customise it to suit each user.
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Seeing as ballet dancers are so precise in the way that they train; it allows them to amplify that memory of tracking a performance. Dancers now have technology that can work with
them in order to improve their techniques. More admirably; it is technology that is used for a real purpose rather than for fashion’s sake. – Karin Laird
MAKE YOUR OWN MEMORIES
Ballet can be considered ‘a lost art’; once the dancer has performed the step it is pretty much lost in air. The E-Traces technology allows dancers to make adjustments and enhancements and turn their routine into a memory. They can spot errors and compare their work with the likes of other dancers.
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POWER VS PA I N THE HIGH PERFORMANCE HEEL
Despite 72% of women wearing high heels at some time in their lives, and them being a staple of nearly every woman’s wardrobe, high heels are not the most comfortable or best designed footwear. High heels cause blisters, sores and excess pressure on the balls of women’s feet, and yet they still refuse to trade them in for a comfortable trainer. In the long period of time the heel has been around, it has never stopped evolving. It is therefore surprising to consumers that there has been no radical relaxed change in the structure of the shoe. Until now. Drastic advances to technology has enabled Dolly Singh, a female entrepreneur, to answer women’s prayers everywhere. Teaming up with a rocket scientist, an astronaut and an orthopedist to reinvent the heel. Singh adds “In a world where we build rockets, better shoes shouldn’t be an impossibility,”. Traditionally, the structure of a high heel relies on a single metal shank running along the sole of the shoe providing a very stiff and uncomfortable platform that puts 75% of the pressure on the ball of the foot. However, Singh and her team are trying to adjust the distribution of load so that the ball of the foot carries 50% of the weight and the
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heel carries the other 50% so that the impact is reduced and with it, the pain is lessened. Instead of a metal rod, or shank, this high performance heel is built around a patented internal architecture made of high grade polymers called the Thesis lift. The idea is to ensure the heel adapts with technological movements yet remains within tradition. So why is it so important to ensure that the heel remains a fashion staple amongst women in society? The heel has been around for centuries and is often worn to empower women. We are taught that by replicating the actions of a man gives us power. By wearing a heel we replicate the height of a man. Height is associated with power and masculinity, giving women power. Others may argue it is the idea of feeling confident that drives women to carry themselves assertively. It is important to ensure that women can adopt any style and not have to endure pain for pleasure – Alice Butler
*stats from thesiscouture.com | 79
FILTERED LIFE Instagram. The app you religiously check. First thing every morning and last thing at night. You vigorously scroll through a perfectly crafted feed filled with photogenic girls wearing the latest designer shoes and showcasing a high quality shot of their prestige eye shadow palette, envious of their number of followers. You anxiously continue to check it throughout the day, finding yourself sat staring blankly at your phone screen, deciding the right time to post your own with the hope that your photo will gain as many likes as theirs. We live in a world where so many young girls worship their phones and cannot cope without an hourly Instagram fix. Instagram users spend 21 minutes of their life a day on the app according to Business Insider UK. This indicates a problem with today’s society as people still crave online consumption in order to achieve the ‘perfect life’ for others to see, but this eventually only fuels a negative addiction. Users will go to any lengths to display perfection. From taking 100 selfies to finally feeling happy enough to post one and spending what feels like an eternity choosing the perfect filter. We spend too much of our time wasting the day, sitting, waiting for that first like on a newly uploaded photo. This fills us with anxiety, creating a vicious circle of unhappiness and unnecessary stress. Without the fix, withdrawal kicks in. This mirrors the addiction that exists today – Sophie Eyres
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PERSONAL SHOPPER OR PERSONAL PAIN IN THE ...
Online advertising is one of the most effective ways in which brands can communicate with their target audience. But is it getting too much? Have they crossed the line when it comes to respecting personal space? Or is it just something we get used to? In a survey taken, 61% of people do not think that brands are getting too personal in the ways they are connecting with us as consumers to advertise. A further 77% of people asked did not agree with brands using target audiences location tactics either. Today, brands often use the location of peoples’ whereabouts in order to connect with them, for instance when they are in the vicinity of their store. Is this not a way of advertising? Brands are also using cookies to see consumers online movements, - they can check the sites visited, and can see who their target audience communicates and interacts with, indeed even where they shop. They use these cookies to create personalised adverts that apply only to whom they want to advertise to at specific times. When scrolling on social media or emails the amount of times that a brand has being in contact may be apparent. They show the audience what they have recently viewed in hope it re-jigs the memory and they continue their purchase. This enticing emotive language and constant use of the words, you, your and you’re is what drives their sales. 94% of people surveyed said they have bought items off the back of an email or notification from
a brand advertising a product or an offer online and in-store. Yet only 33% say they feel inclined to buy from brands that send these emails compared to the 66% that felt neither nor or not inclined to buy. There are many tactics behind the ways that brands choose to target their audience and how they go about doing it. Systems are put in place to separate customers in their database and send certain things to each one, along with the mainstream advertising on social media and TV. Brands hope that in exchange for 20% off purchases they can attain emails and the information that comes with them. This is a very successful tactic by the brands and usually works well. Studies show about 70 emails from brands are emailed to the users every day with content that tries to make the consumer spend. Whether this is seen as intrusive or not is up to the individual - but it must be one of the most successful business strategies used today – Anna Hogson
*stats taken in LJMU survey
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BUBBLE. BUBBLE. BUBBLE.
IN A
BUBble 84 |
LIVING
B
IN A IN IN A
B U B B L E
The future is in the bubble. The sense of smell is our most ancient and primitive sense. The sensory designed dress comprises a fabric membrane that in effect is a second skin for the wearer. In other words, the dress mimics the body’s circulation system. The smart second skin dress interacts with its wearer, changing moods by releasing atomized bursts of fragrance. This personal positive scent bubble is designed to promote relaxation, alleviate depression or boost self-esteem. Within the past 10 years, technology has shown a remarkable advance in how we communicate with each other. Every part of our daily life is related to technology in one way or the other. It is continuing to develop and grow however, is too much tech in our lives having a negative impact? The constant feeling of needing to be ‘connected’ to your phone can be a reason for added stress in our daily lives. This sensory design is a way of bringing back the positivity into the tech world. The designed dress plays a very personal role of being a second skin to the user.
IN theApower of colour and scent.
Scent has the power to evoke emotion. By fusing together wellness, colour and scent, it is possible to create emotional fashion that offers social and therapeutic value. In art therapy, colour is often associated with a person’s emotions. Colour can influence a person’s mental or physical state. For example, studies have shown that some people looking at the colour red resulted in an increased heart rate, which then led to additional adrenaline being pumped into the blood stream. The sensory dress plays with colour psychology. It will detect your mood deteriorating and through the sensory bubble will make you feel better? Sensory design is a collection of responsive clothing. By using scent as a tool to improve mental and physical wellbeing, the wearer acts on visual clues or detects scent signals, immediately communicating information. Quality of life is therefore improved through sense. This is supported by psych-neurology, a new medicine that studies the connection between emotional stress and the health of the physical body. Fragrant pulses are targeted to specific parts of the body as an atomized mist that is detectable to the wearer alone. The fragrances flow through different channels in micro tubes and out through nozzles that mimic human sweat glands. These tubes are then woven and knitted or embroidered into an emotional membrane. The properties should be good for all, using fragrance as a new communication tool to reduce stress or balance the nervous system – Lauren Welch
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// OUR STUDIO CULTURE IS FOCUSED ON CREATING AND CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENT OFTEN INVOLVE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY M HAND EXPERIENCE IS VITAL, IT HIGHLIGHTS TH FROM MEETING CLIENT DEADLINES, PRESENTI MANAGING OTHER ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS. SOFT SKILLS OFTEN NOT ALWAYS SEEN IN T TEAMWORK, COMMUNICATION, ADAPTABILITY, PRO CONFIDENCE, LEADERSHIP, AS WELL AS BEING THIS ACCELERATES THE LEARNING PROCESS AND / THE ESSENTIAL JOURNAL / RESEARCH & ANA BURBERRY / PRESENTATION / ALEXANDER MCQUE COLLABORATION / LIVERPOOL ONE / TEAM BUILD KATRANTZOU / CRITICAL AWARENESS / MOTIVATIO VON FURSTENBERG / NIKE / ASOS / MARKS & SPEN TED BAKER / WAREHOUSE / INDUSTRY READY WEST FASHION FESTIVAL / PRODUCTION / NEXT / T PRESS / HOLLISTER / HARVEY NICHOLS / OASIS / LONDON / NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES / WHIS CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT / INSPO MAGAZINE / KIR TREASURE DESIGN / ZARA / MISSGUIDED / CRE FASHION WEEK / STRATEGIC THINKING / DOUBLE NE DR MARTENS / CATHERINE PRICE / TK MAXX / PITCHING PROCESS / MATALAN / KOOKY STUDIOS LUPFER / ZEKARYAS SOLOMON / WHISTLES / CL THFKDLF / WOOD WOOD / PLEXUS / BEST DRE 86 |
G AN INDUSTRY ATMOSPHERE. A PROFESSIONAL TS WILL ALWAYS BE CHALLENGED. PROJECTS MIMICKING INDUSTRY PRACTICES. THIS FIRST HE EXPECTATIONS OF A COMMERCIAL WORLD, ING IDEAS, AND TALKING TO SUPPLIERS, TO CRITICALLY, THIS PROCESS BUILDS ON THE THE TRADITIONAL TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS; OBLEM SOLVING, TIME MANAGEMENT, ATTITUDE, G CREATIVE AND WORKING UNDER PRESSURE. D PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE REAL WORLD. ALYSIS / TATE LIVERPOOL / RESPONSIBILITY / EEN / WORKING WITH CLIENTS / BOOHOO.COM / DING / PETER PILOTTO / IRIS VAN HERPEN / MARY ON / DEBENHAMS / PORTFOLIO BUILDING / DIANE NCER / PRETTY LITTLE THING / PREEN / REGATTA THE LONDON FASHION AGENCY / THE NORTH TOPSHOP / VISUALISATION / EXPOSURE / STAMP / LETUSFINDIT / SWITCHED MAGAZINE / GOLDIE STLE BLOWER / CRICKET / ANGHARAD OWEN / RSTY DOYLE / DECISION MAKING / SHOP DIRECT ATIVE COW / NO WAVE MAGAZINE / LIVERPOOL EGATIVE / KAREN MILLEN / JONATHAN SAUNDERS RARE LONDON / FLEXIBILITY / THINK PR / THE S / RESURRECTION / VERY / NEW LOOK / MARKUS LIO PEPPIATT / J.W ANDERSON / UNA RODDEN ESSED SECRET / LOVE LAURA / SELFRIDGES / | 87
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PEOPLE – POLITICS – MONEY
BOWIE BREXIT TO
Britain has had another extraordinary year. We’ve witnessed an amplitude of events within the world of Art, Politics and Popular Culture. We’ve seen everything from the dramatic, sobering, entertaining, satisfying to the incredible. It’s been all change at Number 10, with Cameron out and Theresa May in (our second female Prime Minister). In the fashion world we saw BHS close their doors after 88 years on our high street. Edward Enninful became the first black male editor at British Vogue, and more recently Terry Jones was awarded an MBE for his services to Fashion and Popular Culture. Finally, how could we not pay tribute to Bowie – the man that changed the world. As his legacy lives on, we asked our final year Fashion Communication students to respond to the words ‘Bowie to Brexit’. They explored a multitude of sub themes, from politics, diversity, identity, vices, gender, money, stereotypes, sub-culture, youth and more. Over the next few pages we observe their reaction Paul Owen Creative Director & Editor in Chief WE_ARE_FASHION & UN_FOLD Magazine | 89
DON’T LOOK
90 | 52
diversity politics
KCAB
vices gender money
IN
stereotypes
youth *stats from theguardian.com
ANGER
sub-culture
It’s fair to say that we are more politically fired up than ever before. 2017 is the year people are fighting back ready to take control of their lives and their future. After the political decisions from the EU Referendum took place it’s safe to say nothing but uncertainty is present. Whilst some individuals felt disappointment, some of the younger generation felt glad to have finally been heard after striving for a brighter future. Statistics show that 75% of young people aged 18-24, voted to remain in the EU. | 91
Collection: Lauren King. Photography & Styling: Lauren Welch.
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YOUR VOICE Your voice matters more than ever right now. Exploring the voices of the generation of hope who are striving to see the world through fresh eyes, hoping for a positive, brighter future. These young people have the means to change things, it is their future on the line and it is their time to have a voice – Lauren Welch.
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Collection: Helen Parry
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Lazy. Unhappy. Idiots. ...just a few names that appear in your search engine when you type in Generation Y. A selfinvolved, cosseted and politically apathetic narcissist who cannot function without a phone in hand while living in a state of adolescence with an incapability to commit. Not everyone shares this opinion. They have their own, strong voice and the power to make a difference.
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GENERATION Y Fashion is one of the many platforms used for protest. Since fashion replicates developments and events in social and political life, and is worn by all, it gives the power to express your thoughts. Even if you cannot attend a certain protest you believe in, just one person wearing a garment with a message sparks conversation. Posting it on social media with the relevant tags can show your support within that community. Change does not happen overnight. A lot of people think that one person can not make a difference, but one person can create change with just a small gesture. Educating people on an issue they didn’t actually understand will be passed through people sparking conversation. Change can not happen unless someone or a group of people stand up for what they believe in. The majority of Generation Y are taking this responsibility with both hands. A generation that opposes inequality and oppression. They are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Democracy goes beyond elections and many young people all over the world today are thinking the same thing – Jade Owen
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PROTEST REWOP | 97
DIVERSITY just another label
*stats thefashionspot.com
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Diversity, a topic that is forcing it’s way to the forefront of fashion today. Models of all shapes and colours are gracing the catwalk under some kind of label – plus size, straight and coloured to name a few. These labels create a sense of entitlement, a category and sense of belonging. Whilst we all belong as people, our aesthetic is assorted into boxes. Slapping a label on one another ignores the reflection of our person hood. These views have been thrust upon us unconsciously through various mediums, one being the fashion industry – an industry that has warped our perceptions of what is socially acceptable. As a society we should be embracing our differences through all aspects of life. Instead we promote an unconscious prejudice view of one another. Fashion itself is a reflection of social, economic, political and cultural change, so why does it not reflect real people? Diversity has become present across various labels on the catwalk, in campaigns and adverts. Kanye West is a prime example, 97 percent of the models walking down Yeezy Season 4 runway were of colour. Are times changing? Slowly. For the Spring 2017 season, a recent diversity report on www.thefashionspot.com shows ‘for the first time in recent history, more than 25 percent of the model castings were non-white.’ Despite the ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the inequality in the fashion industry, many brands are still sticking with their ‘type’. The few who break the barriers into the industry, who embrace their differences are sunken into yet another label. Ashley Graham stated to Vogue “I don’t like the term ‘plus-
size.’ it’s just not helping women. I’m ready to get rid of it”. When asked what makes a cover girl, Vogue responded “Someone who feels relevant right now”. Which leads to an un-nerving sense of thought. Is diversity in fashion a trend? Or is it here to stay. For years’ women and men have been asking why models who represent “normal” sizing can’t be used in high profile campaigns without the sense of a gimmick or trend. While the industry is slowly recognising the unequal casting the balance has become more complex than the days of the noughties with the models appeared homogeneous. With reactions from social media and the power to call out brands it is no longer possible for the industry to turn a blind eye. Models now are often cast due to their followers on social media and the families they are born into, but slowly uniqueness and difference are breaking the barriers. Being able to relate to others and showing your personality is what people are now diverting their attention to. What we see on television or in magazines is what we set as aspiration. If we drop labels and prejudices, whether it be colour or cellulite, we may gain a confidence in who we actually are and not the fabricated visuals that we see. Our differences make us who we are, and should be celebrated in fashion not with labels or gimmicks but normality. There is not one type of person buying into fashion so shouldn’t that be celebrated? People are people and should be categorized as just that. Our only ‘label’ should be our name – Jade Owen
Photography & Styling: Rachel Worsley
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Things I Wish I’d Said
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Photography & Styling: Rachel Worsley
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BROKEN MINDS Recently there has been growing evidence that would suggest that young adults are in the grip of a mental-health crisis. It is as if, rather than acting out, young people are turning in on themselves. We explore these issues and hope to inform our readers about the increasing impacts mental illnesses are having on young adults. We want to spread the message about mental health and destigmatise it so that people know; it’s ok not to be ok. Young people can experience a range of mental health problems. Teenage years and being a young adult is a time when they are usually changing rapidly and developing all the time. They often have to cope with many different situations and unfamiliar challenges from exams, to relationships. While often it’s possible to talk to parents or carers about their feelings, sometimes it is hard to do so. They often express how they feel through being unpredictable. Getting stressed with work, university, school or even home-life can be an easy trigger, but they need to figure out how to deal with their emotions and seek the necessary help if required – Rachel Worsley
1 in 4 70% 300,000 55% 1 in 10 (26%) of young people in the UK experience suicidal thoughts
is the increase of teenagers that have suffered from depression and anxiety in the past 25 years
Nearly 300,000 young people in Britain have an anxiety disorder
of children who have been bullied later developed depression as adults
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*stats mind.org.uk
suicides in the UK are by those aged 15-24
Photography & Styling: Justyna Kajma
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“I’D RATHER LAUGH WITH THE SINNERS THAN CRY WITH THE SAINTS.”
Photography & Styling: Jessica Sharpe 104 |
WHAT’S YOUR VICE? WHAT’S YOUR WHAT’S YO WHAT’S YOU UR VICE? YOUR VICE? WHAT’S YOUR VICE? | 105
106 | Illustration: Charlotte Allen
Illustration by Megan Storey
LIVERPOOL CAPITAL OF CULTURE RETAIL
THE VISITOR ECONOMY, WORTH £3.8BN SUPPORTS OVER 49,000 JOBS AND CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AS A MAJOR GROWTH SECTOR BRINGING BOTH ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND REPUTATIONAL ADVANTAGE TO THE CITY REGION.
£55.6 MILLION FASHION & RETAIL INVESTMENT LIVERPOOL IS NOW THE 5TH BEST PERFORMING RETAIL DESTINATION IN THE UK AND THE 5TH MOST POPULAR UK CITY FOR OVERSEAS AND DOMESTIC VISITORS. ONGOING SUCCESS OF LIVERPOOL ONE HAS BUCKED THE NATIONAL RETAIL DOWNTURN AND MAINTAINED A FOOTFALL OF 26 MILLION PEOPLE.
www.visitliverpool.biz www.liverpoolvision.co.uk | 107
Bargain Britain With the pound suffering post Brexit hitting its lowest rate in 168 years, it is more than ever a necessary time to grab a bargain. As a result, the rise in inflation as the costs of imported goods goes up, figures show that inflation in September was 1%, up from 0.6% in August. Economists estimate that by next year it will be nearing 3%. Additionally, with the minimum wage not matching the national living wage, families and individuals are struggling. They are therefore being forced to avoid the high street, causing store closures and encouraging people to shop at markets instead – Sarah Graham
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A sea of red and blue piled up and tangled at Widnes Flea Market lies the biggest divide of Merseyside: LFC and EFC. Discarded football kits, scarfs and flags that have been accumulated over the years into this large collection of history, waiting for a new reason of existence.
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Collection: Charlotte McCann
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HOW DO WE MEASURE VALUE IN FASHION DESIGN
SOURCE/ THE DESIGN COUNCIL SOURCE/ BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL
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BRITISH FASHION IS IN A BETTER STATE THAN EVER BEFORE THE DIRECT VALUE OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY TO THE UK ECONOMY IS
£28 BILLION THE UK FASHION INDUSTRY SUPPORTS AN ESTIMATED
8 8 0 , 0 0 0 J O B S I N FA S H I O N A N D I S T H E LARGEST EMPLOYER OF ALL THE C R E AT I V E I N D U S T R I E S I N T H E U K . Since 2013 UK sales of online fashion have increased by an impressive 18% to reach £12.4billion in 2015 / Fashion’s wider contribution to the economy by influencing spending in other industries is calculated as more than £22.5 billion / The forecast for the market remains strong with sales expected to reach £19 billion in the UK by 2019 / The number of industry jobs has grown by 5% per year since 2013 making growth over twice as fast as the economic average / Total annual revenue of UK’s fashion magazine industry in 2009 £410million / The womenswear clothing market is worth £27billion with a predicted growth of 23% by the year 2020. | 115
SUBCULTURE DOES
STILL EXIST?
It’s a question we’ve asked ourselves many times before. On one hand, the music we listen to no longer dictates the clothes we wear. On the other hand, the likes of Gosha Rubchinskiy and Nasir Mazhar are re-crafting subcultural fashion codes, creating modernday tribes for fashion’s new wave. Can true subcultures really exist in the same way as they did in the past? Have we outpaced the ability for subcultures to grow? Has the internet allowed them to break new ground in a way they never could previously? And what has changed from the times when Hebdige was writing about punks, mods and skinheads? Subcultures still exist in society today but they are nowhere near as rigid as they were in the days of mods and punks. Back then, it was important that you belonged to one group, but nowadays, people are no longer restricted by these codes – Yolanda Edwards
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NEW
TRIBES
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People don’t see past the Football Casuals are a very misunderstood subculture, perhaps for negative reasons. Many people associate individuals who are a part of this movement as hooligans, and although are correct to some extent, don’t see past some of these troublesome thugs. Behind all of that are plenty of genuine devotees of sports brands, who don’t involve themselves in crime and violence. Like a lot of us, they have a passion and interest for fashion. Casuals originally evolved in the late 1970s. With the success of football teams such as Liverpool FC during that era, this allowed football fans to travel outside of the UK to European cities where sports designer labels where found, and could not be found back in the UK. This included the likes of Sergio Tacchini, Lacoste and Fila. This was the start of a collectable obsession for many football fans up and down the country.
Casuals have always enjoyed collecting Adidas Original trainers, owning mounds of the blue and white striped boxes to hold their precious shoes. Equivalent to women collecting heels, this changed people’s perspective of men and fashion, and how both genders can become involved in fashion obsessions. Like many fashion movements and subcultures, individuals felt a sense of belonging to a scene when wearing particular footwear brands that represented a love for football and fashion. Thanks to subcultures such as the Casuals, sportswear became acceptable to wear as everyday clothing. Today, football fans still wear trainers to the match to show a nostalgic correlation between football and fashion – Sophie Eyres
One brand in particular that was adopted by Casuals was Adidas Originals. The classic tri fold logo and three stripes began to appear everywhere around football stadiums, mainly in trainer form. The sports brand became the signature footwear piece worn by the Casuals, and is still popular today with the subculture. Ranges that were extremely popular included Adidas Spezials, Gazelles and Hamburgs.
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FORM AND Massimo Osti was an innovative and intellectual man, but also a visionary garment engineer. Inspired by the concept of functionality, Osti was obsessed with the study of vintage military uniforms, workwear and anything wearable that was suited to serve a purpose well. Eventually this lead him to create his own unique hybrid garments we know today as urban sportswear. Osti’s background in advertising encouraged him to use his knowledge in graphic design as a starting point to push boundaries in the fashion industry. This eventually lead Osti to be responsible for many textile innovations and unique dyeing techniques that are still being used today. The brands founded by Osti are separate projects that explore new concepts in different directions without which menswear would not be the same today, from C.P. Company, Boneville, Stone Island and Left Hand, these brands are still relevant.
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FUNCTION Although the wearer of these brands should not just purchase them to look cool or for the aesthetic, but to appreciate the passion and careful consideration that goes into every piece. There are fans of his brands who are obsessed with his pieces which is quite ironic. These people are known as collectors and they have collections of Osti’s work worth thousands . It’s amazing how one man from Bologna who intended to be a graphic designer would have such an impact on the fashion industry and people all around the world. Osti was a man with an obsession for form and function. He became one of the worlds most iconic fashion innovators, inventing new textile technologies, and creating innovative designs that would shape and influence the fashion industry forever – Laur en Keir
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The relationship between Music, Art, Culture and Fashion are inherently intertwined. They influence each other, give us a sense of belonging and shape our identity regardless of age, race, gender and social status.
1990’s new electronic such as trance, happ bass, intelligent dan
c dance music genres py hardcore, drum and nce and trip hop, euro-
Collection: Sarah Davies. Photography & Styling: Bethany Stebbens. 124 |
The 19 emergen music and As disco fell ion in the de ly years, gen post-disco, Euro disco pop became ular. Roc tinued to e audience glam metal, al, becam ular and s gained
980s saw the nce of dance d new wave. l out of fashecade’s earnres such as , Italo disco, o and dancee more popck music conenjoy a wide e. Soft rock, , thrash metme very popsmooth jazz d popularity. | 125
Collection: Lorren Magee. Photography & Styling: Lauren Keir. 126 |
Apart from disco, funk, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, and soul remained popular throughout the decade. It is this influx of popular music that soon transformed into rock and roll during the Early 1970s. Rock music played an important part in the Western musical scene, with punk rock and roll thriving.
, , d e k e k e l k . | 127
Photography & Styling: Ellis Docherty & Karin Laird.
identity
why
define me?
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CU RLY BRAIDS
HA I R JU S T I SN ’T AL L ABOU T S T YLE. I T’ S A BO U T MY IDENTIT Y, TOO.
G I NG E R 130| | 98
BOB
BUZ Z
CREW CRO P
PL AITS AFRO
DR E ADS | 131
Photography & Styling: Lauren Keir
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Collection: Lyndsey Gillett. Photography & Styling: Sarah Graham.
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NEXT N OW NEW
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L4 L5 L6 THE ONES TO WATC H OUT FOR IN OUR N EXT EDITION ...
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Lucy Hayes
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Martha Hollingsworth
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Martyna Yszczarz & Harriet Law
Jess Morris
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Sophie Parry & Amelia Smith
SAY HELLO TO OUR STUDENTS
The fashion industry is constantly evolving. Today, our graduates need to know everything about the fast paced world. From styling, photography, brand development, and social media, to garment construction. Everything we do is about giving our students the skills to be successful in their future lives. Our ethos is to encourage work experience, internships, and new job opportunities.
P A S T The best thing about the course for me, is having the opportunity to take the projects in any direction I choose but also having the guidance and support from staff when needed. Louise Keatley.
I’ve learnt so much from this course - I can see the progress I’ve had during my three years. Being surrounded by others wanting to pursue different pathways within the fashion industry has also helped me focus on exactly what I want. Jade Owen.
A N D
I have had the best time studying with LJMU. They cover a range of different things on the Fashion Communication pathway which is great for industry. With projects you can tailor your work to suit your strengths. The course is great for those who want to be inspired, experiment and learn about the design process. You truly get prepared for industry. Anna Hogson.
E N T
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I’ve found something I’m really passionate about, and the course has helped me improve my skills. Projects have definitely helped me decide what I want to do in the future, I’ve become more independent and my confidence has improved significantly. Eilish Argument.
The course has had a huge impact on me, allowing me to become a better designer. I’ve taken advantage of the studio and space and all the facilities - and the staff are amazing.
I’ve learnt: To open my mind and push concepts further. To stop feeling self conscious about my work. To love what I’m producing.
Helen Parry.
Kate Davies.
After being introduced to Rosie Davies during a guest lecture at university I was given the opportunity to do some work experience with her at The London Fashion Agency. It was a really excellent place to work, with lovely studio atmosphere and great people. I was pushed to create work that was of a professional standard and trusted to work with a host of different brands. There are always opportunities like this offered. Rosie Leggett.
P R E S This course allows you to dip in to different areas with the freedom to develop a personal style. The best thing about this course is that you come out with the knowledge to be able to go in to a range of job roles with relevant experience. Sarah Graham.
The expertise from all tutors is in-depth and wide ranging and the studios are vibrant and dynamic. The degree has defined me as a credible designer, and I feel prepared for the pace of the industry. I feel I am a lot more confident and industry ready after three years. I’m already taking on private commissions and I know exactly the type of job I’d like to go into. Jessica Sharpe.
Luke McGeagh.
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UN_FOLD Magazine_VOL 3 WE MADE THIS
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following people for their generous support and input on our third edition of UN_FOLD Magazine – this wouldn’t have been possible without your hard work and dedication: Our students: Eilish Argument, Alice Butler, Ellis Docherty, Francesca Dyke, Alex Earley, Yolanda Edwards, Sophie Eyres, Emma Fox, Kate George, Katie Gill, Kayleigh Hargreaves, Georgia Hoban, Katie Hughes, Charlotte Hull, Perri-Leigh Hunt, Rachel Hutchings, Justyna Kajma, Louise Keatley, Karin Laird, Rosie Leggett, Kate Martin, Alice McGreevy, Olivia McKenzie, Ellie Meskell, Chloe Oldham, Jade Owen, Gabrielle Palmer, Shariyah Richards, Amie Rogers, Jess Sharpe, Bethany Stebbens. Hayley Waugh, Lauren Welch, Robyn Wilson, Ishbel Al -Jorani, Lauren Sian Black, Abi Braithwaite, Rebecca Brown, Rebecca Conlin, Penelope Cooke, Áine Crumlish, Beth Darwent, Sarah Davies, Emma Etchells, Jo Freake, Lyndsey Gillett, Niamh Holt, Loren King, Lorren Magee, Shona Molloy, Rebecca Malone, Louise Martin, Charlotte McCann, Lindsay McCavish, Luke McGeagh, Helen Parry, Amy Ralph, Ellen Reed, Ellen Rollason, Jack Shelbourne, Nicole Stoddart, Melissa Thompson, Sarah Tillotson, Beth Woolley, Claire Yearwood. All the fashion team, from garment design and dissertation writing to photography and visual communication: Lesley Peacock, Kayla Owen, Anne Liddell, Julie White, Jeanette Tunstall, Kira Courtney, Paul Robinson, Dr Lee Wright, Fiona Armstrong-Gibbs, Carol Ryder, Jacqueline McAssey, Marc Provins, guest lecturers Sophie Benson, Debbie Edwards. Technical staff: Cathy Reilly, Ann Jones, Lol Baker, Carlos Santos Barea, Milos Simpraga, Graham Gildea, Hannah Fray, Paul Davidson. Photographers: Simone Navardauskaite Our models: Harry South, Holly Rowley, Alex Storrow, Ruby Wong, Millie Radakovic, Ryan Hinks, Morgan Turner, David Kay, Jessi Stirrup, Ellie Dodd, Anete Erdogan, Danielle West, Katie Crossland, Ellis Thompson, James Morris, Natty Siripha, Ellie Magee, Hannah Beddeo, Nicole Wood, Candy Starr, Becky Samantha, Isabelle, Eden McCallum. Make Up/Hair Stylists: Elyse Stone and Jenna Hallwort from Cassie Lomas Make Up Academy. To those who generously gave up their time and resources: Emily King, Jermaine Francis, Frances Lawler, LJMU girls football team, The Old Blind School, Tate Liverpool, Palm House Sefton Park, HUS Liverpool and Jane Crowther of GFSmith Papers. Special thanks must also go to our dedicated UN_FOLD team: Fashion Communication Interns Rachel Worsley & Sarah Graham, our supporting designers Anna Hodgson, Lauren Keir, Megan Storey, Martha Hollingsworth and our guest copy writer Alix Pressley. Sorry if your name has been missed, but thank you, everyone appreciates your help and contribution. Thank you
Paul Owen Creative Director & Editor in Chief WE_ARE_FASHION & UN_FOLD Magazine
Fashion_LJMU wearefashion_lsad
www.wearefashion.co.uk
The views expressed in UN_FOLD Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by Liverpool John Moores University or its staff. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in the magazine, Liverpool John Moores University cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. First Published in the UK, by Liverpool John Moores University.
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#WE ARE FASHION #WE ARE COMMUNICATORS #WE ARE DESIGNERS #WE ARE TREND SEEKERS #WE ARE RISK TAKERS #WE ARE INNOVATIVE #WE ARE AMBITIOUS #WE ARE COLLABORATIVE #WE ARE CREATIVE
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Liverpool School of Art & Design John Lennon Art and Design Building 2 Duckinfield Street Liverpool, L3 5RD 148 |
www.ljmu.ac.uk www.wearefashion.co.uk