UN_FOLD Magazine Vol 5

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#WE ARE FASHION brings you UN_FOLD Magazine – an experiment for the fashion voices of tomorrow.

ISSN 2398-2713

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HELLO

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Welcome to the fifth 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.

What a year it’s been so far... Theresa + Brexit, Largerfeld + Chanel, Richardson + Photography, Trump + Power, Yellow Vests + Protests, Greta + Climate Change, Fenty + LVMH and Archie + Modernisation of families, it been a rollercoaster.

In this issue we take a look at the world of opposites, Life, Death, Digital, Analogue, Slow, Fast and of course all the other things that make us tick, from true British music scene of GRIME, to politics, hype, people, brands, individuals, tribes, communities, places, and the sensory experience of colour.

Issue five is dedicated to all the things we should and shouldn’t be talking about.

Paul Owen Founder + Creative Director WE_ARE_FASHION & UN_FOLD Magazine

Introduction_

THE FUTURE LIES IN THE PAST The modern age is a rolling tumbleweed encapsulating everything digital, it is said that in the next decade we will become so engrossed with technology that we ourselves will begin evolving with it. But in the current climate it is the items that fill us with nostalgia that are mapping out the future.

Many people are rediscovering and resurrecting older analogue technologies such as printed books, vinyl records, musical instruments – that provide some kind of tactile physical experience that a purely digital world has started to remove.

Claims that the print magazine industry is dying is catapulted into the media everyday – with the alignment of elite magazine’s editors who have all recently announced their departures. With glossy magazines such as Glamour and Look going bust recently. Making it seem that these said editors are leaving before the going gets worse.

However, is the going really getting tough? Or is it because competition for magazines is now moving to a digital world?

When we look back at the obsession with older analogue technologies this allows for a new and refreshed industry to grow. A self-published sector of the print magazine which are niche and independent of all elite factors. The vast range of independent magazines on offer in Britain is being hailed as a modern publishing phenomenon.

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2015 was also a huge year for the traditional British publishing industry, with British Vogue, a pillar of luxury fashion culture marked its centenary.

Proving to the world that print magazines are a pillar of culture and should be celebrated.

In August 2018, independent magazine gal-dem, an independent magazine produced by women of colour and non-binary people of colour took over the historically elite Sunday Times supplement magazine.

This publication left many speechless – with the founder of gal-dem, Liv Little stating; “when I started to see a flurry of young people who don’t normally go out and buy any sort of print media looking for this particular magazine, it was just amazing.”

With this explosion of independent print magazines, this allows an audience – which are most likely millennials – to have a feeling of empowerment. This is due to the amount of print media that is focusing specifically on a small community of individuals that often feel shunned from the historically elite sector.

Specialist subscription magazine services such as Stack Magazines boasted a 76% increase in subscribers and Magazine in Brighton now sells more than three times as many titles as it did when it opened four years ago. This need for independent publishing is prominently seen through the establishment of independent magazine shops, such as - Rare Mags in Stockport, which was crowdfunded by the general public.

It also allows individuals to feel a sense of ‘community’ which proves that the print magazine industry is not only capitalising in the right climate, but also pushing forward a generation of individuals that are self-motivated and aware of themselves and those around them.

Read on to see the work of said individuals who are creating a community we call WE_ARE_FASHION. A community that celebrates diversity and vibrancy. Long live UN_FOLD, long live print

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Within this publishing phenomenon came the first edition of UN_FOLD Magazine, released in June 2015.

The print magazine itself cultivating the best work from across the Fashion Design and Communication, responding to this trend in publishing and acknowledgment that students wanted more than just lectures – a physical output of what they had learned and proof to what they can actually do.

It was also established for those graduating students who had been paying the increased tuition fees since 2012 and now wanted more than just a degree.

Paul Owen Founder + Creative Director WE_ARE_FASHION & UN_FOLD Magazine

PRINT IS DEAD | 07

conform / individual / + D E AT H control / slow / young / + REBEL beautiful / alive / HOME + home / FA S T + north / open / on / TRADITIONAL + digital / independant / resistant / + CLOSED 08 | Feel Blue

16 | Exploring Pantone

18 | The Death of Fast Fashion 24 | Dirty Denim

28 | Being Stable not Stylish 34 | Suit-Up

46 | Under the Surface

62 | Fanimals

66 | Active Now

78 | Sculpture as Art

90 | The Naked Truth

116 | Tolu Coker 122 | It’s a Grime Ting 08 |

r eb e l tribe sur render f a s t CONTENTS old u gl y dead a wa y south closed off traditional cor porate WE_ARE_FASHION brings you UN_FOLD Magazine – an experiment for the fashion voices of tomorrow.

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, Hashtaggers, Risk Takers, Curators, Marketeers, Researchers and much, much more.

Creative Director | Paul Owen Editor | Daisy Scott Art Directors | Emily Keogh | Sophie Parry Team | Tom Lyon | Mia Smith

| Indie Kelly | Eliza Woolley

| Zoe Moungabio

| Francesca Ball

| Pippa Neale

| Renee Charles

| Charlotte Jones

| Niall Harrison

This year we see UN_FOLD bring together a group of super talented individuals together, analysing what exactly 2019 has been about.

They have successfully managed to shape the content of this issue to be much more than just a collection of words and images, and, like me, 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

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For those of us who are blessed with sight, we encounter colour every day, it is fundamental to our experience of the world around us. But whether we chose to appreciate it or not is personal. We take a closer look at Blue and how colour can have different effects on moods and experiences.

Everyone, even the non-sighted, possess a special receptor that senses blue light.

Proving that not only is colour a vital part of our existence, but the colour blue in its form must have an effect on our daily lives; evoking an emotion or experience from just one colour. This idea of changing experience due to colour is used throughout Chromotherapy, the colour blue being used to soothe illnesses and treat pain.

Scientists generally agree that humans began to see blue as a colour when they started making blue pigments. Using chemistry to combine the rare lapis with other ingredients to generate other saturated blue pigments. However, the dyes were expensive, with only royalty being able to afford them – thus blue has remained rare for centuries.

For example, blue flowers are so rare, in a floristry blue is very electric and very bright. Often related to the Romanticism movement in the Western world, the blue flower is representative of desire, love and metaphysical striving.

Blue light or High Energy Visible Light (HEV) is everywhere. When outside, light from the sun travels through the atmosphere, the shorter, high energy wavelengths collide with the air molecules causing blue light to scatter everywhere, and thus a blue sky. In its natural form, your body uses blue light from the sun to regulate your natural sleep and wakes cycle; your circadian rhythm.

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Blue light helps boost alertness, elevates mood and increases the feeling of wellbeing. However, our electronic devices also produce blue light, through the amount of what is emitted from the sun, the amount of time people spend using these devices is concerning due to the effects to our eyes, as well as sleeping patterns.

Colour, or the lack of, is integral to fashion.

It created nuances and aids self-expression and style. It can be argued that the colour blue is always in fashion – not necessarily blue in the form of baby, royal, cerulean, but navy never seems to disappears.

Fashion holds blue as a timeless and classic colour – seen through Yves Saint Laurent and the hue Majorelle Blue which is scattered throughout collections but also historically through the brand. Another classic brand that holds blue to its core is Tiffany & Co. who trademarked ‘Robin’s Egg Blue’ for their packaging.

In some cases, colour means more – it can be perceived through sound or texture. With cases of Synesthesia, some people see sounds as colours or music evokes colour.

UN_FOLD takes a look at how deep blue can go and examines the sensory nature of it and how positive it can be

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Photography & Styling: Emily Keogh

PA N TO N E ’S CO LO U R- M ATC HI N G S E RVI C E D O E S B E S P O K E S HA D E S FO R C LI E N T S A N D C E LE B RI T I E S LI K E JAY- Z , W HO C RE AT E D HI S OW N C U S TO M JAY- Z B LU E .

PANTONE 7674 C

PANTONE 5305 C

B LU E I S T HE LA S T CO LO U R TO A P P E A R AC RO SS E VE RY LA N G U AG E .

W I T HO U T A N A M E TO G O B Y, T HE RE ’S E VI D E N C E TO S U G G E S T T HAT B LU E M AY N OT HAVE B E E N S E E N AT A LL.

IN PANTONE PANTONE 5503 C

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WOMEN ARE MU CH BETTER T HAN MEN AT DISTI N GU I SH I N G S HADES OF R ED , D U E TO THE PERC EP TI O N O F I T CORRES POND I N G TO TH E X-CH R O M O SO M E.

TH ER E AR E N OW 3 2 , 0 0 0 U N I QU E CO LO U R I D S AN D 2 , 1 0 0 CO LO U R S I N THE PAN TO N E H O M E AN D FASH I O N SY STEM .

PANTONE 170 C

PANTONE 171 C

WE TRUST PANTONE 1245 C

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THE DEATH OF FAST FASHION

(or SS21 Trend: Global Warming) The need to have everything accessible and in our wardrobes in a matter of days has led to a boom in fast-fashion brands – feeding consumer demand and leaving us with considerable environmental and social damage.

Concern grows with the use of landfill sites and lack of understanding of how to deal with ever-growing effects of over-consumerism. This is a serious issue that needs addressing – an issue that leads to eighty billion new garments being made each year, with two million tons of textiles end up in landfill.

Capitalising on fast-fashion, the industry has left behind the two seasons of S/S, A/W and opted for phases within those – progressively retailers have introduced up to five phases within one season, with each lasting on average eight to twelve weeks. | 21

Modern day society has an insatiable appetite which has led to over consumerism of fashion. This injection of fast-fashion is leading to a huge number of clothes that end up in landfills across the world; with the majority filling the landscape of the poorest countries, who have no way of regulating what is put in and the control of the damage that is being done.

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How far will people go for cheap clothes?

Fashion has continued to be responsible for around 5% of all manmade greenhouse gas emission, with this percentage set to grow.

Collection: Niall Harrison / Photography & Styling: Emily Keogh

Considering fast-fashion companies relying on the production of Polyester for their clothing, the production of this fabric is accountable for around 40% of fashion industry emissions. With the idea of fast-fashion and the need for clothing, 20% of fabrics are not being recycled at all – but going into landfills or getting incinerated.

The aims of profit surpass any moral or value judgement, as to how the clothing is produced and in what circumstances.

This is further reinforced by Western governments who create policies that allow vast global profits to be made and do not always question the morality of working conditions or pay. Especially in countries that they do not hold the same moral values towards work, pay and conditions.

For example, in 2013 The Rana Plaza, in Bangladesh, a multi-industry factory complex, collapsed killing 1133 people.

Most of the 3,500 workers had been sent home the day before the collapse, when the factory was shut due to an ‘electrical problem’, however they were advised to come in the next day for work.

Due to this tragedy 220 companies in signed up to an agreement which contributed to a significantly safer workplace for millions of Bangladeshi garment workers. This was an agreement between global brands, retailers, IndustrialALL Global Union, UNI Global Union and eight of their Bangladeshi affiliated unions. This highlights that fashion is perhaps purely capitalism’s child; at the end of the cycle, mass production only boils down to making money.

Although, are things changing before our very eyes? It is claimed that by 2025 that sales of vintage clothing will surpass that of fast-fashion.

With many companies wanting to move further into sustainability as their customers are increasingly concerned over the damage they are having on the environment. We hope that this might happen.

The runways have now been surpassed with the sidewalk. Everyone is now accountable for the demand for fastfashion – so it is down to society to realise the environmental damages caused by having something ‘new’ or ‘on trend’ is having on the future.

Fashion you have a lot to answer for

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DIRTY DENIM

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Everybody has a pair or two, you’re most likely wearing a pair now. Our denim industry remains huge with an estimated value of over $57 billion. But do we really know what goes on behind the scenes to produce your favourite pair?

Over the past three hundred years’ denim has grown in popularity. Since beginning its life originating in workwear for miners and sailors. With around eight types of denim: Raw, Vintage, Selvedge, Poly, Coloured, Printed, Ramie and Slub.

The average fashion consumer is now buying four pairs of jeans a year, with only a third of denim production being sustainable.

Imagine waking up one day to see that the Pacific Ocean that you once swam in and went on holiday to was gone; disappear in front of your eyes. This is what happened to the Aral Sea. A sea, the size of the city of Bath, dissipating due to the manufacturing of denim and cotton.

CONTAMINATION But it isn’t just this sea that is being contaminated. With Asia’s rivers being filled with contamination from the manufacturing of denim.

Fashion is the largest industry for water consumption, with approximately two tons of water are needed to grow enough cotton for just one pair of jeans. The volume of clothing consumption has risen within the UK to 1.13 million tons since 2016 alone – this has led to 26 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the beginning of production.

With 2.5 billion gallons of water waste contaminated with chemical waste already inhibits 70% of Asia’s lakes and rivers – this contamination of the water supply can cause neurological damage, with many of the population relying on that water source, some have claimed that the consumption of that water can lead to children having a lower IQ due to the exposure. Surely there must be a better solution to denim manufacturing?

So there is hope that there are brands that want to change the industry that are beginning to clean up.

THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING UN_FOLD visited Denim City based in Amsterdam, the institute is an innovation campus founded by the House of Denim Foundation with a clear mission to bring the denim industry “towards a brighter blue.”

Creating new techniques to reduce the amount of water used to wash denim, by using laser beams to create the same effect. Through this they are able to reduce the consumption, but also their carbon footprint.

With the backing of the Mayor of Amsterdam, the addition of the Jeans School International academy and a new five-year-plan formed last year. Denim City is set to keep the ball rolling for all sustainable denim brands. Many brands have backed the innovative Denim City including denim brands such as: G-Star, Calvin Klein, Candiani, Levi’s and Tommy Hilfiger.

Greenpeace, Kristen Bodde stated: “79 major clothing brands that in 2020 they would no longer use toxic substances in the production of their clothing.” With H&M, Benetton and Inditex already making positive strides in the move towards a better denim industry.”

Although consumers always opt for the price versus quality ratio, the best thing that we can all do to make production cleaner is to buy less – a piece of clothing must become an investment again, instead of a disposable product.

Until then, we look forward to the pioneering effort of denim city being taken in by others

However, in recent years we have seen a pattern moving within some denim brands. Labels such as Levi’s and Jeanologia are beginning to make denim that is progressively becoming more environmentally focused. Not only are the jeans themselves sustainable, and even the packaging is being made to dramatically reduce the amount of waste.

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Collection Natasha Gittins,: / Photography & Styling: Emily Keogh

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Being Stylish, Not Stable

Photography & Styling: Zoe Moungabio

Throughout history men have felt the need to conform to a status that proves their masculinity, but also their ability to look after themselves and a family [if this is their choice]. This sense of conformity is not only pushed through social stigmas, but capitalised through the fashion industry. With advertising and fashion imagery creating a man who is sought after because he is ‘successful’ and ‘wealthy’. He is then fawned over by women and envied by other men.

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The Beckham effect re-established what women had felt for years, now men have an immense pressure to look a idealised way – or else they had failed. Prominent pictures of male celebrities helped to firmly establish the presence of their bodies in fashion imagery; with the idea that they must be groomed, muscular and all the while not have done anything to be that way.

So isn’t it about time we spoke up a bit about men’s body image, men’s stereotypes and men’s mental health.

THE STREETWEAR TREND

The issue with conformity as a whole, ultimately means that someone is going to be left behind. As social animals we do not want to be left out – because this doesn’t lead to the feeling of being accepted by the tribe.

Men have always been criticised for their outfit choices, it is no secret. Stigmatism of being left out can add to the increase is men’s mental health – with 12.5% of men in the UK alone that are diagnosed with one form of mental illness and judgement by others being key factors to those that suffer

One reason for men feeling the need to keep up with the explosion of streetwear, or splash out on garments is the social desire to have authenticity. This idea of authenticity equals wealth, status, knowledge and power – all of which a man should have.

1 in 4 people experience mental health Scotland and Wales aged 20-59 do not s because they prefer to solve their own p said loneliness and isolation had made 4,382 men took their own lives, an avera women died by suicide in the same time is the biggest killer of men under the ag UK takes his own life, this equates to 84 34 |

Today, three out of four suicides are by men – now the biggest cause of death for men under 35. Men have always spoken out, but when it comes to issues surrounding themselves they have always been quiet. Men’s mental health is a real problem that we all need to speak up for.

problems / 41% men in England, seek support when they need to, problems / 29% of the men surveyed them feel low in the past / In 2017, age of 12 per day. In comparison, 1,439 e frame: about four per day / Suicide ge of 45 / Every two hours a man in the 4 men per week, making suicide the | 35

SUIT

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UP

The suit for centuries has been a signifier to what it is to be a man - structured, functional and expensive. Throughout history men wore nothing else – proving that they were gentlemen.

Celebrities at the beginning and middle of last century were never seen without one on – take a look at Alain Delon, Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart. These were all men with who were successful, stable and wealthy – all envied by men and fawned over by women.

The suit helps to signify what men may feel the need to portray themselves as. Which is as a stable character; not only stable, but also wealthy, educated and successful – this all makes them desirable.

The fashion industry portrays that a successful man is one who owns a suit and wears this to work. However, the traditional image of a suit has changed since the 70s – more recently with the collaboration between Harry Styles and Gucci, starring in a campaign which utilises the suit is a feminine demeanour. Gucci suits embellished with typically feminine embroidery, teamed with pussy-bow blouses and golden headbands.

A man is told that wearing something that would be seen as ‘casual’ proves that he cannot be a success, or that he is not caring about himself enough. But also, men should not care too much about their appearance as this leads to a feminine trait.

This deviation away from the tradition of the suit, essentially allows men to stray away from what is considered ‘necessary’ of him.

A suit is expensive, setting back hundreds of pounds for one garment. Whereas traditionally, casual clothing is affordable for everyone, it can also be styled-up or down. With the rise in casualwear it has led to a rise in their price.

Collection: Bethany Bradshaw / Photography & Styling: Sophie Parry

With this in mind, young men are willing to spend money on clothing – whether it is a suit or casual clothing – proving that they are successful and worthy through the price of their clothing choices.

Contemporary heterosexual male consumers need to find a balance between conforming to gender roles, while still expressing individuality and caring too much about appearance.

The trickle-down effect has meant there has been a rise in casual streetwear and to the tribe moving towards traditionally ‘inferior’ clothing. With this in mind, the traditionally ‘inferior’ has become extravagantly priced – therefore making it desirable. The social norm of a suit has become outdated and rigid.

But the recent explosion of streetwear is turning the tides.

Brands such as A-Cold-Wall, Supreme and Off-White prove that this idea of masculinity and wealth doesn’t have to rely on historically masculine apparel. Maintaining the idea that, as long as it is expensive – this proves that a man in worthy

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Photography & Styling: Nimah Dearden

BEAUTIFUL

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UGLY | 39

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Photography & Styling: Tamkia Cain

CONFORM

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REBEL

control / 42 |

sur render

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Photography & Styling: Tamkia Cain

resistant /

receptive

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36° E

AMSTE 4.9036° E

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52.3680° N, 4.9036° E

ERDAM

52.36

Photography courtesy of Jessie Green | 47

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HOME

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Collection: Tamara Harrall / Photography Tom Lyon & Mia Smith

53.4084° N, 2.99

LIVER

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POOL 2.9916° W

N, 2.9916° W

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under

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the surface How you view ‘home’ is based upon what you have experienced. Often these preconceptions of place are based upon what you have been told growing up, or what the media has published. But what if you had the ability to see someone else’s home through their eyes? Would this change your mind and would it change your preconceptions? Would you be intrigued?

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Liverpool was the most heavily bombed area in the country outside of London. Even today the devastation of these events is seen through the burnt out shell of St Luke’s Church, affectionately known as, ‘The Bombed Out Church’. However, this building is now used for events such as food and drink festivals, film screening and art installations. Proving that the city itself is able to turn a negative event into something that has become part of the cultural identity of the city.

Throughout the 80s there was a decline, that through the denies of local development and government resulting in mass unemployment – creating a preconception of Liverpool that perhaps still is under consideration across the country.

Cultural archives allow audiences to form their own opinions – perhaps without visiting or involving themselves within that selected culture. Importantly, it gives a voice to a community UN_FOLD takes another look at Liverpool’s past and the present.

From the City to the suburbs we have been capturing the spirit of community of Liverpool.

Discovering the frictions and similarities within one.

Margaret Thatcher was urged to abandon Liverpool to ‘Managed Decline’ after the Toxteth Riots in 1981 – leading to unrest across the rest of England. With advice that pouring money into the city would be a waste of money. This has led to a continuous distrust in the Conservative party throughout Liverpool.

The rise of the statement ‘Scouse, not English’ has continued since the 80s. Now prominent as a football chant, Liverpool has always considered itself to be impartial to the outside, as those from Liverpool believe they have been ostricised from the rest of the country before.

However, we can dwell on the past or we can celebrate what the city is doing. With investment in culture throughout the visitor economy is worth £4.53 billion and supports over 53,500 jobs – with a continuous growth.

In 1993 Objective 1 programme was established throughout Liverpool.

Seeking to lift the economic performance of typically ‘deprived areas’ in Europe. Around one billion was provided from the EU, injecting investment into the region including infrastructure, helping to regenerate the Albert Dock and investment into Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Additionally, with this came major development of Liverpool One thanks to the Capital of Culture in 2008.

The creative industries within Liverpool have catapulted within the last decade. In 2010 development began within the Baltic Triangle.

Named in the top 20 coolest places in the UK. Investment is continuing within Liverpool with the Fabric District, the newer version of popular independent Bold Street celebrating the input of the fabric industry of Liverpool’s past.

spontaneity + control thoughtful + cautious proud + reluctant

Archive project Kathryn Davies

Under the surface is the beginning to archive of the people of Liverpool, where you will find a cultivating community that is encapsulated with the past all the while not dwelling within it.

But moving forward

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Collection: Tamara Harrall / Photography & Styling: Eliza, Indie & Pippa

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Music x Fashion project Renee Charles

www.liverpoollep.org

Liverpool City Region has a scale-up eco-system with a increase in digital business births from 2011 to 2016

Digital & Creative

people em ployed

-

Businesses

City illustration by Mia Smith

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(TechNation Report 2018)

The V isitor Economy, is wor t h and

suppor ts

bn

over

jobs, it cont inues to develop as a ma jor g rowt h sector bringing bot h economic benef its and reputat ional ad vantag e to t he City Region.

Mos t popular city for overseas visitors.

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F A S T

UN_FOLD has been looking at the contrast within themes. How you cannot have one positive without the negative. Leaving the audience with a question to what is the negative and why?

Questioning whether old is slow, beautiful is young and who holds control and who surrenders. Is it better to part of a tribe or be an individual. Each generation has something to teach the next – we can learn from the mistakes that others have made. But from those we can move forward, create and learn

SLOW

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+

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Collection: Laura Collins / Photography & Styling: Sophie Parry

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Collection: Laura Collins / Photography & Styling: Niall Harrison & Emily Keogh

trapped /

liberated | 65

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Illustration: Gabrielle Langridge-Jeffery

FANIMALS THE US E OF A N I M A L S I N FA S H I O N AND THE RI SE O F V E G A N I S M .

Trends continually change and develop due to the society that they are created within, and the demand that is coming from those that consume it. It is not secret that Veganism is the latest food trend to take Britain by storm.

In 2018, the UK was the nation with the highest number of new vegan products launched, toppling Germany from its number one spot. As many as one in six food products have been created and launched in the UK in 2018 with no animal ingredient.

This rise of the plant-based movement has generated a desire for a vegan lifestyle which moves beyond eating habits.

Increasingly, there are now more Britons than ever wanting to know where the contents of their wardrobe are developed, created and made. This sense of lifestyle is at an all-time high as people are seeking out cruelty free alternative to their favourite leather or woolen pieces.

Due to this rapid growth in lifestyle the vegan fashion industry is running slightly behind, as not only is it a more complicated, time-consuming process, but there is a lack of knowledge surrounding consumers and what vegan fashion actually is. Research suggests that people would be more likely to buy cruelty-free fashion is they were more educated on the effects of using animal products in fashion.

With big brand opting to use more environmental materials and consumers deciding whether to buy into more sustainable brands we need to question whether it is a trend; that is only going to last a couple of year. Or if it is a real issue that is going to become more popular moving up to ateliers and highcouture houses.

However, there are already existing vegan brands such as Veja who are based in France, Stella McCartney who is an English designer and labels such as Older Brother who are innovators within the industry.

Stella McCartney now uses vegetarian leather and vegan silk within her collections. The vegetarian leather is created with recycled polyester instead of Brazilian calf’s leather, this created 24 times less of an environmental impact.

The vegan leather uses technology that replicated the process and creates a high strength, durable silk that creates longterm sustainability and less pollution.

We as a society are becoming more and more ethically conscious when it comes to clothes and due to the new developing technologies, there are now a range of cruelty-free alternative to our favourite materials, such as Leather

For centuries the use of animals in manufacturing has been normalized and overlooked, but is now more important than ever that people are aware of new developing alternatives. These have allowed for the development of highpreforming vegan fabrics that companies such as H&M, NastyGal and Zara are now opting to use.

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Social media is lambasted with negatives – it is bad for mental health, that it is pushing young girls to compare themselves to others and it is purely a means of advertisements. However, recent studies suggest that social media is having no negative effect on adolescents – with social media accounting for less than 1% of a teenagers well-being.

Professors who have studied the effects of social media, claim that “99.75% of a person’s satisfaction has nothing to do with their use of social media.” Eradicating the idea that social media is effecting the health and self-worth of many teenagers.

However, this does not take away from the frustrations that many adolescents feel towards social media every day. With a fifth of 13-15-year-olds spend five hours or more a day on social media – with the use of social media at night becoming a serious issue.

The usage of social media should continue to be questioned, rather than the apps themselves.

Mental health Minister Clare Haughey stated that social media can be used is a positive way; “connect and empower people, especially young people. Especially powerful in the case of mental health, given that many people find it easier to describe how they feel better online.”

One billion people log on to Instagram a month, with roughly 60% of Instagram users accessing the platform every day. Each of these users have a unique story and a reason to be on the platform, social media brings all these people together from across the world. Whether it is a family of four from the USA posting updates on their lives with 150 followers, or a trans-activist with 130k followers.

Adolescents are now opened up to a realm of individuals and life-experience through social media apps. Social media is allowing children to be aware of other bodies. They are teaching themselves what cannot be taught in schools – gaining credibility over the years as a trusted source of information and a platform where organisations can interact with audiences.

But

how

has

social

media

impacted

the

older

generation?

According to Age UK, more than two million people aged 75 or over live alone, or suffer with loneliness. Social media has begun to eradicate this problem, with many family members being able to communicate daily through social media.

As many younger generations are moving towards ‘social media detoxes’ or going on a ‘hiatus’, older people are logging on. 700,000 UK teenagers are set to leave social media which allows for a surge in usage from the older generation.

With 500,000 new over-55s expected to join Facebook alone this year.

This means that there will be 6.4 million 55 to 65-year-olds regularly logging onto Facebook. The largest demographic compared to millennials.

What social media does allow for is a public platform. These people can allowing people, especially children, accounts of lives that they may not

a large range of people to show their lives on be across the world, age range and cultures – to see the real aspects of the world and true have been open to before social media began.

Of course, social media is an instrument to society that is continually being understood.

But perhaps we should not dwell on the negatives of social media – as it is the usage of said technology that is the issue, but look at the positives that bring us all together

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Photography & Styling: Indie Kelly

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Photography & Styling: Sophie Parry

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FASHION IS ART SORT-OF SCULPTURE FOR THE BODY

Fashion unarguably has a place in museums and galleries and holds an important role to play in opening up different perceptions to others; even opening up museums to new visitors.

But fashion’s place in these areas should be carefully guarded and developed by those with an understanding in that field.

Since the 1983 Yves Saint Laurent retrospective exhibition, shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the presence of current fashion within museums has become more prevalent. For example, both Dior and Mary Quant have individual exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert in London.

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Proving that the idea of fashion as art is established, that they are one of the same – in some ways they [fashion exhibitions] have contributed to the development and transformation of the 21st century museum culture. This establishment of fashion makes designers into artists – challenging the view of both forms.

The Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition which cost around £3 million to put together, had a significantly bigger budget than other fashion exhibitions before them. It attracted more than 480,000 visitors, making it the V&A’s most popular exhibition ever.

The V&A have capitalised on this new desirable exhibition concept.

Last month they opened the largest exhibition ever staged in the UK for the house of Dior. Before even opening its doors, the exhibition had sold 37,000 tickets and within three weeks of its initial six-month run, all pre-bookable tickets had sold out. The exhibition has now been extended an extra seven weeks.

However, this isn’t a new insight to the argument of “art as fashion”, as the V&A itself has been collecting clothing since its founding in 1852.

Showing us that the founders of the museum itself felt that archiving costume and clothing would be vital to the future.

The first fashion history exhibition itself was held in Paris is 1900, where thirty tableaux containing waxwork figures shows the historical progression of fashion – from ‘Gallic women at the time of the Roman Invasion’ to ‘Getting Ready for the Opera’ – which featured the most contemporary couture of the time.

This proves that more than ever, fashion is being documented and perceived as art.

If art is eternal, fashion should be considered in the same ways, they are on the whole, ephemeral

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Photography & Styling: Sophie Parry

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Collection: Ellie Boyce / Photography & Styling: Sophie Parry & Emily Keogh

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Photography & Styling: Mia Smith

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Photography & Styling: Lara Thompson

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naked During the past decade, women breached the power of structure; meanwhile, eating disorders rose exponentially and cosmetic surgery became the fastest-growing medical specialty.

If body dissatisfaction is only increasing and becoming a large factor in everybody’s lives, this means that there is a need to understand and educate about our bodies. The only way to educate is through normalising all body-types in the exact same way.

Through fashion imagery, social media or advertisements – championing bodies and proving that diversity does already exist.

This can be simply done by creating imagery that uses women and men, from across all body-types and spectrums, whether that means that fashion imagery would include women who have had children, who chose not to shave, who have stretch marks or are disabled. Or men that are not muscular, tall or masculine. This imagery does not contain the idealised body image, but celebrates what makes up the population.

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If the general public are shown these images then children from a young age will be able to understand that there is not just one ‘ideal’ body, but multiple. This will allow for an enrichment in children and adolescents awareness of others, and their education.

Perhaps leading to a more self-aware and self-confident generation.

Perception and experience of the body are the result of those values, and therefore they should be celebrated as we take influence from all the bodies that have gone before us

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Collection: Lucy McKeown / Photography & Styling: Sophie Parry & Emily Keogh

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Collection: Nav Nangla / Photography & Styling: Niall Harrison & Emily Keogh

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Photography backdrop by Hollie Bardbury

Collection: Jess Semple / Photography & Styling: Sophie Parry

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BRITISH 52:48:

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For decades, our generation has never known a time outside t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n . W h e t h e r t h r o u g h s t u d y, w o r k o r travel we have been lucky enough to enjoy the privileges, freedoms and safety that the unity of the EU provides.

In this section we explore Britishness, in a pre-BREXIT era.

U N _ FO L D a s k s w h a t ex a c t ly i s ‘ B r i t i s h n e ss’ i n 2 0 1 9 . C a n yo u explain it? Do you feel part of it? And who or what is British?

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Patrick Monteith & Francesca Ball

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Lauren Roberts

THE BRITISH FASHION COUNCIL IS COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING DESIGN EXCELLENCE AND GROWTH BY NURTURING, SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING BRITISH FASHION TALENT ON THE GLOBAL STAGE IN AN INDUSTRY WORTH BILLION TO THE UK GDP

HOW DO WE V THE FASHION INDUSTRY EMPLOYS

PEOPLE, ALMOST AS MANY PEOPLE AS THE FINANCIAL SECTOR. 114 |

CONSUMER SPENDING ON CLOTHING IS BILLION FORECAST TO RISE 25% TO IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS CONSUMER SPENDING ON WOMENSWEAR ROSE 5.5% TO £30.9BILLION IN 2018.

WOMENSWEAR NOW ACCOUNTS FOR 51% OF THE TOTAL CLOTHING MARKET, WHILST MENSWEAR ACCOUNTS FOR 26%.

VALUE DESIGN G E NE R ATE D E V E RY HO UR BY TH E CR E ATI V E I NDU S TR I E S OF AL L U K J O B S A R E IN T HE U K C R E AT I V E E C ON OM Y.

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Celebrating Tolu Cokers AW19 collection as we discuss her attitude towards culture, identity and heritage.

This season Tolu has been a designer on everyone’s lips because of the plethora of awards she now holds under her belt. Following several successful stints at Maison Margiela, J.W Anderson and Celine, the London based designer graduated from Central Saint Martin’s Design school in June 2017.

This reinforces her brand as more than a fashion label, and serves as a creative outlet for the youthful expression of emerging identities.

Her brand is centred around inclusivity, diversity and social responsibility. Both Tolu and us here at UN_FOLD have similar what representation actually is and what it should look like that makes her a designer to watch for the future of fashion.

Coker believes that you build communities around you, so that is ultimately her culture. Her pioneering attitude shows she understands that there is so much more to identity than nationality.

Largely inspired by the politics of identity and social climates, Coker’s designs are informed by embracing her heritage and exploring both sides of her dual heritage as a British Nigerian.

Her father, a huge documenter and social activist kept and archived “almost everything” which Coker regularly unpacks for inspiration, his archives offer a wealth of knowledge, information and a different perspective and narrative of history.

It’s about celebrating her identity as a black woman and reconstructing the black identity in the Western world.

Another refreshing aspect to Coker’s collection is her dedication to using reworked denims, recycled leathers and reused plastic and lace scraps, paired alongside striking and daring silhouettes.

Her collection focuses on the holistic representation, steering clear of all idea that seem trivial and disingenuous

Lauren Roberts

Before starting a collection Coker tends to work in sketchbooks or make films instead of just mood-boards. For her most recent AW19 collection, shown at Fashion Scout this February she started the show with family photos and videos ranging from generations.

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U N I T E D

IT’S A GRIME TING Grime is technology based music that a bunch of kids in the early 2000s started making on any technology based format/software/ hardware as in Playstation Ones, phones, cheap laptops, anything that can make the basic sounds on. Grime is the youth of the early millennium kids. I think it’s a part of the young British culture now, as in the music has been there in my life longer than it hasn’t. So because we do all aspects of it, MC, produce, write lyrics, coach people, go to raves, you know DJ, at one point or another you learn to do all points of Grime. I like it because it enables you to become someone from no-one , so you could just be a little estate kid and their parents could just buy them a computer and they can learn how to make a Grime beat, put it out, make something of themselves.

Nasty Jack, Musician

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Zoe Moungabio

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 Over the last 3 years this course has helped me to discover my own creative style and know what aspect of the fashion industry I work best in. It has opened doors to multiple opportunities and experiences that have put me on a pedestal towards my future career.

A N D Sophie Turpin

As The degree involved balancing numerous modules at a time, it helped create a solid work ethic, strong time management skills and resilience.

In my current role as a stylist this helped me enormously as I have to be flexible, meet deadlines to a high standard and work on numerous projects at the same time, making sure I put the same time and creativity into each one.

Whether you’re on a shoot or prep-ping in the studio you have to put in long working hours, where your work has to be consistent and you need to stay focused, and have the same attention to detail from the very start of the day to the end.

In all honesty, my degree made me feel I can do anything, in blunt terms I have never worked so hard so when coming into a real job it’s actually okay because you know your stress limits and how far you can be pushed to.

Isobelle Binns

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For once in my life, I know what I can do and what I am good at. I feel confident, proud and successful looking back at what I have achieved and how I’ve grown. This couldn’t of happened without being pushed out of my comfort zone and the continual support of my tutors.

Being on this course has taught me a lot about myself, I’ve learned to grow and realise that your location in the country doesn’t define your talent. But your education and willingness to learn and research with added support can teach you more than anything.

The confidence and appreciation of myself as a talent has allowed me to expand as a person.

- Hollie Bradbury

Kathryn Davies

The fashion communication course at LJMU has helped me discover who I am and developed my skills within branding, photography and styling, having the ability to create our own briefs and go in our own directions with guidance from tutors helps create our own design identity. I am excited to see what the future holds and take skills I have learnt here to industry.

Sophie Parry

P R E S I’ve loved having the ability to base our projects on our individual interests and tailor them to our future career aspirations. This creative freedom has lead me launch my own music platform, which I have continued after the degree using skills learnt in the past three years.

Renee Charles

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// OUR STUDIO CULTURE IS FOCUSED ON CREATING AN INDUSTRY ATMOSPHERE. A PROFESSIONAL AND CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS WILL ALWAYS BE CHALLENGED. PROJECTS OFTEN INVOLVE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY MIMICKING NDUSTRY PRACTICES. THIS FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE IS VITAL, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF A COMMERCIAL WORLD, FROM MEETING CLIENT DEADLINES, PRESENTING IDEAS, AND TALKING TO SUPPLIERS, TO MANAGING OTHER ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS. CRITICALLY, THIS PROCESS BUILDS ON THE SOFT SKILLS OFTEN NOT ALWAYS SEEN IN THE TRADITIONAL TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS; TEAMWORK, COMMUNICATION, ADAPTABILITY, PROBLEM SOLVING, TIME MANAGEMENT, ATTITUDE, CONFIDENCE, LEADERSHIP, AS WELL AS BEING CREATIVE AND WORKING UNDER PRESSURE. THIS ACCELERATES THE LEARNING PROCESS AND PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE REAL WORLD. 128 |

BA(Hons) F ashion Design and Communication

www.ljmu.ac.uk

Liverpool John Moores’ Fashion Design and Communication (BA Hons) programme is proud to present the fourth edition of UN_FOLD Magazine. We hope you find inspiration in this issue from our next generation of creatives. 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 and originality are 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 over the past year have included: Bite Magazine, NME, Resurrection, The Essential Journal, IPR London, Coney’s Loft, Adornment, Archive, Silverback Creative, Graduate Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Pretty Little Thing, BBC Merseyside, Best Dressed Secret, F Ciment Pleating Ltd, Wonderland Magazine, The National Student, Peter Pilotto, Elle Magazine, Pretty Green, Fashion East, LFA, Purple PR, Carousel PR, Aintree Racecourse, Kirsty Doyle, West End Clothing, Superdry, The Fashion Hub, British Style Collective, Liverpool Urban Hair Show, Bido Lito Magazine, tmrw magazine, Chic PR and Gigslutz.

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 go onto work from High Street to Couture. In Fashion Communication, our students work across the syllabus which includes branding, trend, PR, marketing, editorial, photography and styling, with knowledge from location sourcing to designing strategically diverse campaigns. 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 skills. Our aim is to produce confident motivated graduates who can work as professionals and compete in a world-class arena.

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UN_FOLD Magazine_VOL 05 WE MADE THIS

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the following people for their generous support and input on our fifth edition of UN_FOLD Magazine – this wouldn’t have been possible without your hard work and dedication: All our graduating students: Daniel Balde, Elizabeth Barnes, Caitlin Beaty, Chloe Bell, Shirley Bibby, Kara Birch, Bethany Bradshaw, Tori Braithwaite-Hamilton, Charelle Brown, Jenna Brown, Chloe Burns, Ellie Burns, Tamika Cain, Selin Cakirer, Celine Chan, Renee Charles, Laura Collins, Lucy Coulson, Kate Davies, Yoanna Dimitrova, Stacey Downey, Justine-Rose Dubber, Bridgeen Eakin, Jessica Evans, Pixie FreemanPettitt, Aimee Gernon, Natasha Gittins, Wenyi Guo, Tamara Harrall, Niall Harrison, Nellie Haywood, Natasha Horsley, Mariana Horta, Grace Jackson, Megan Kelly Fairhurst, Molly Kendrick, Emily Keogh, Martyna Lyszczarz, Leah Macfetters, Sam Manifold, Aoife McGivern, Annabel McIver-Barnes, Lucy McKeown, Briar McQue, Liv Millar, Nav Nangla, Jess Parker, Sophie Parry, Amy Peters, Ellie Quinn, Liv Roberts, Poppy Ross, Toni Rowley, Jess Semple, Lucy Sharpe, Paige Sheridan-O’Rourke, Heather Smith, Sophie Turpin, Enola Wade, Stephanie Weir, Holly Wharton, Bethany Wilson and Chloe Wilson The fashion team: Andrew Ibi, Kayla Owen, Paul Robinson, Lee Wright, Fiona Armstrong-Gibbs, Lesley Peacock, Jacqueline McAssey, Marc Provins, Carol Ryder, Jeanette Tunstall, Julie White, Nicole Watkinson, Anne Liddell. Technical staff: Cathy Reilly, Ann Jones, Lol Baker, James Nixon, Carlos Santos Barea, Milos Simpraga, Hannah Fray, Paul Davidson, Graham Gildea, Kevin McCormack, Maria Hardie, Nathlie Taylor.

Our models: Jesse Moore, Mia Thornton, Harry South, Kat Searle, Matt Spoors, Rachel Duncan, Ralph Chea, Rapheal Chea, Ollie James, Adam Chesworth, Sam Gelling, Joel Wrenham, Kenneth Alvarez, Claudia Shaw, Julie Parry, Emily Jones, Vicky Jones, Dawn Axworthy, Eisher Kaur Sangha, Danny de Jacques, Daisy Scott, Amy Thomas, Josh Jim, Elleana Dean, Divine Nwosu, Mia Smith and Jessi Oliver.

Our friends: Jane Crowther, Sophie Benson, Mark MacDonald, Phil Bush, Danielle Molyneux, Rachael Barker, Megan Storey, Lucy Fletcher, Lucy Hayes, Deena Denaro, Sarah O’Brien, Katie Roche, Joe Sammells, Sophie Allen, Thomas Sumner, Jess Fairclough, Alicia Timpson, Sue Flannery, Aisling Davis, Chelsea Slater, Carolyn Massey, Amy Ralph, Lauren Black, Maria Malone, Katie Berry, Alex Derby, Masha Mombelli, Seren Vivian, Laura Cockett, Lizzie Cardwell, Mohsin Ali, Tony Green, Sarah Hewen, Sarah Maclennan.

Sorry if your name has been missed, but thank you, everyone appreciates your help and contribution.

Thank you Paul Owen Founder + Creative Director WE_ARE_FASHION & UN_FOLD Magazine

Fashion_LJMU wearefashion_lsad

www.wearefashion.co.uk www.ljmu.ac.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

Volume 05.

Kindly sponsored by GFSmith.

Fine Coated. Heavan 42. 250gsm.

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Liverpool School of Art & Design John Lennon Art and Design Building 2 Duckinfield Street Liverpool, L3 5YD 132 |

www.ljmu.ac.uk www.wearefashion.co.uk