THE ENGLIGHTENED ISSUE
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less more common sense SIMPLE. SOPHISTICATED. STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.
Spring/Summer 2011
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
less common ISSUE 1 - 2011
THE ENLIGHTENED ISSUE EDITORIAL EDITOR Lotte Sheedy SUB EDITOR Lucy Dang FEATURES EDITOR Victoria Brown
Katherine Slavin
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES E: lesscommon@su.arts.ac.uk
SPECIAL THANKS TO University of the Arts London, LCMS Contributors, Keith Martin, Rick Cordell , Flickr - Photo Sharing, Shireeka Devlin, Hayley Grundmann, Nicol Vizioli, Saga Sig, Azarra Christie-Ince, Hans Werner, Heidelberg, Robert Horne Group, Fujifilm
DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Margaret Werner
ADDRESS/ CONTACT DETAILS University of the Arts London 272 High Holborn London WC1V 7EY
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more sense
©©2011 LESS COMMON MORE SENSE MAGAZINE. All work remains copyright of the individual contributors and owners. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without prior permission of the copyright holder.
LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
THE TEAM
MEET THE TEAM
LOTTE SHEEDY EDITOR
MARGARET WERNER ART DIRECTOR
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LUCY DANG SUB-EDITOR
VICTORIA BROWN FEATURES EDITOR
KATHERINE SLAVIN FEATURES EDITOR
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EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITOR’S LETTER
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Hello Fellow Students! It’s Less Common More Sense here, we’ve had a bit of a revamp and can’t wait for you lot to get your grubby hands on our sparkly new issue. We had a flick through the old copies, and realized we needed to engage with your student lifestyle a bit more. So, behold the new features including the latest films to catch this summer, cheap holidays to whisk yourself away to when you can’t face slumming it at home any longer, old haunts and new finds to head out to when the sun goes down and the best tunes to drown out your flatmates moaning about the washing up. Do not fret! we have still kept the all important showcasing section to expose your wonderful talents, as well as listing the best events happening around all our campuses.
Lotte Sheedy Editor Less Common More Sense
LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
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But whats the point in having all this glorious content if you can’t find an issue? Now you will find us at all the UAL entrances and canteens, so there is no escaping us. From all of the team, Enjoy!
CONTENTS
CONTENTS MEET THE TEAM
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24
CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
EDITOR’S LETTER
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25
CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS
NUS
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26
LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION
GRINDR
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27
LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION
SHOWCASE: HAYLEY GRUNDMANN
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28
CAMBERWELL COLLEGE OF ART
JOHN GALLIANO
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29
WIMBLEDON COLLEGE OF ART
UNDERWATER GALLERY
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30
SHOWCASE: NICOL VIZIOLI
WORK EXPERIENCE
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32
LONDON ART EXHIBITIONS
CHEAP HOLIDAYS
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34
LONDON RAVES
THIS SEASONS -
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SUMMER FESTIVALS
TOP FILMS
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38
SHOWCASE: SHIREEKA DEVLIN
TOP MUSIC
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40
TUITION FEE INCREASE
TOP DESIGN BOOKS
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42
DOMINO EFFECT HAS BEGUN
TOP LITERATURE
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43
BRAND WHORE
SHOWCASE: SAGA SIG
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44
BRAND WHORE STUDENT INTERVIEW
EVENTS AT UAL
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46
FALLING FAITH
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ADVERTORIAL
NUS
WHAT DO YOU USE YOURS FOR? By Victoria Brown //
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Studying at university is an expensive business, and with the expense of further education now set to increase, it is more important than ever for students such as yourself to stretch your funds. Student loan instalments only occur once a term and if you’re not one of the lucky ones who are able to sustain a part-time job alongside your studies, then looking after your pennies is a necessity. Making use of an NUS card can help you to save money at places such as cinemas and clothes and food outlets such as Topshop and McDonalds, so there is no shortage of places to put your card to use. Now that the cost of studying is set to rise, the guys at NUS have put their heads together and come up with a way for you to make some extra dollar! It’ll require a small time commitment but there is money to be had if its done properly. All you have to do is log on to the NUS website at www.nus.org and record where you’ve used your card and the value of the product or service. In return, NUS are willing to pay every participant £10 in vouchers. So if you’re interested, head to the website, aside from anything else, there’s always a competition or two to check out. You never know, on top of 10 smackers, you might even bag yourself a cheeky prize!
Don’t have an NUS Card yet? Visit www. nus.org.uk or the Student Union.
LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
GAY
‘I’m straight or lesbian and I want Grindr too…’
GRINDR
IT’S A GUY THING ‘I’m straight or lesbian and I want Grindr too…’ This is the greeting you receive when you enter the gay or bi-curious Grindr website. It’s bold and it’s in you’re face, just like a lot of gay guys I know! Not that I’m stereotyping!! As a straight female, I was told about Grindr by a gay friend of mine. When the premise of the site was explained to me, i’m not afraid to admit that i was a little shocked. It basically seemed like Chat Roulette, with his dick out! For those of you that aren’t familiar with Grindr concept, it’s a website, and in the case of iPhone’s and iPad’s, an app, that allows gay or bi-curious guys to meet likeminded people living in the same area. Seems innocent, but it’s when you become privy to how quickly an introduction that graduates to linking up with someone you’ve met on the
By Victoria Brown //
site, actually happens. For a friend of mine, for example, this process was initiated and carried out to it’s completion in a matter of hours. You can argue that everyone should be able to conduct their lives in any manner they choose, just as long as they are not hurting anyone in the process. But what if they are hurting someone? What if the person they’re hurting is themselves? Websites such as Grindr raise questions regarding the promiscuity of the gay community, and this, in turn, raises other questions about the lives Grindr helps people lead. Websites such as Grindr, that help facilitate meetings between individuals, force people to, at some point, question their lifestyles. Living in a certain manner, can mean catching all sorts of STD’s. It can mean arranging a meeting an absolute head-case and then at best, having to get yourself out of the situation and at worst, living with the consequences. Grindr and other websites like it do not offer any screening process, so you can not ever be sure of the person you’re hooking up with? Don’t get me wrong, i’m not having a go at at websites like Grindr. What this article is aiming to do is make you think. As long as you’re conducting yourself safely and responsibly, you have nothing to worry about. And if the Grindr website is anything to go by, pretty soon, it won’t just be something you gays have to think about, but the ‘straights and lesbians’ who want Grindr too!!
Don’t have GRINDR yet? Download now @ www.grindr.com WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
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SHOWCASE
“The two most important things in life are - to make others happy and to be happy!”
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LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
SHOWCASE
HAYLEY GRUNDMANN WHERE YOU STUDIED... Central Saint Martins YOUR COURSE... I am studying BA HONORS Fashion
FASHION DESIGNER
Design with Knitwear
WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON NOW... I am currently in Paris interning for 3 months at John Galliano (Fashion Designer and director of Christian Dior) PLANS FOR YOUR FUTURE... For the near future, to apply for one last internship when back in London... GLASTONBURY!!!....then figure out my final collection and finish my studies...after that who knows??? Would love to have my final collection shown at the Press Show. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH... Sonia Rykiel, she has been around for over 40 years and I always take inspiration for Knit from her earlier collections, its super chic and fun and her colour pallet is to my taste. Alexander McQueen, my knitwear and fashion designs are very different and use unusual materials so I feel the my designs would match in that respect. Viktor and Rolf, they are truly inspiring, they are quite crazy sometimes and are not afraid of creating unusual shapes, especially their shoes.
MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT YOU... I canoed through the Scottish Locks in 2 days (56 miles) but didn’t see the lock ness monster once..gutted!!! YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT... Right now i cant live without fig roles and mais crackers, scizzors, my map! A few very special people, especially because I’m abroad...
YOU WILL NEVER FORGET... The night at Reading festival 2006 when me and two friends shared a tent and laughed at nothing and everything all night long...and my 13th birthday...everyone surprised me and covered my whole bunk bed with sweets... HAPPINESS IS... making other people happy... YOUR FAVOURITE THING IS... My favorite thing is finding that moment when you haven’t got a care in the world and you feel completely free...
YOU LIVE BY THESE WORDS... ”Enjoy every moment as if its your last.” “The two most important things in life are - to make others happy and to be happy!”
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JOHN GALLIANO
JOHN GALLIANO
Does the truth really come out when you are drunk? By Katherine Slavin //
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For fifteen years John Galliano has been the face behind Dior and has been bloody good at it. But shocking footage of a racist slur has come to light and I am gobsmacked. “People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be fucking gassed.” Apparently drinking alone at a table at La Perle, Paris, John Galliano took an instant disliking to some French and Italian girls who sat at the next table. How the conversation between Galliano and the girls started is unclear, but a video clip has come to light showing Galliano mid rant. This comes only a week after Geraldine Bloch, a 35 year old French woman, claims Galliano voiced a similar rant towards her friend Mr Vigitti, a 41 year old of Asian decent, and called her a “dirty Jew face”. Galliano is sticking to his story and is denying the allegations, on which grounds is unclear, and has begun procedures of suing Ms Bloch for defamation. Whether we will see the almighty crash of Galliano, or whether he will be propped up by those in the fashion industry who adore what he does, its clear he’s in a bit of a dark place at the moment. I for one love what he does and would love to see him back on top, but am torn by what he has said. I have massive respect for his designs, but not for him anymore...
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JOHN GALLIANO
So what does everyone make of it all?
“I very firmly condemn what was said by John Galliano” Dior’s chief executive, Sidney Toledano, after Galliano was fired from his position at Dior.
“In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr Galliano in any way.” This was part of Natalie Portman’s statement on the matter after working closely with him at Dior as the face of Miss Dior Cherie. 9
“I think Galliano made a terrible mistake and such offensive behaviour could not be ignored. It is all the same true that he has a huge amount of talent and has contributed enormously to the resurrection of the house of Dior. Who can predict what the future will bring?” UK Vogue Editor Alexandra Shulman.
‘The video seems too coincidental, the fact that the two girls are filming him to begin with is odd, as well as them laughing. It seems like they were trying to frame him. Not to say what he said was acceptable, no matter how much he was intoxicated and enticed, he should have never said those heinous words. In regards to his fashion career, I do not think it is the end of John Galliano.“ Student at LCC
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UNDERWATER GALLERY
‘Water is a malleable medium in which to travel, enabling the viewer to become active in their engagement with the works.”
JASON DECAIRES TAYLOR’S UNDERWATER GALLERY The Silent Evolution
By Victoria Brown //
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On viewing the ‘silent evolution’, youtube clip on Jason deCaires Taylor’s website, a few things come to mind. Some people may describe is peaceful and poignant whilst others may deem it eerie and disconcerting. For the images that greet you on JdCT’s website, now in it’s complete state, is 400 life-sized sculptures placed underwater. The exhibition is being backed by the Museum of Underwater Modern Art in Mexico and is on show nine metres below water on the Isla Mujeres, Cancun. The next phase of the expo will be to wait and watch as coral naturally develops and grows upon the array of sculptures, thus creating a visual feast, because there is nothing more beautiful than nature left to its own devices.
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Despite the obvious differences between this exhibit and others, there are other factors that distinguish it as a mustsee. ‘The experience of being underwater is vastly different from that of being on land’, says JdCT, ‘there are physical and optical considerations…colours alter as light is absorbed and reflected at different rates, with the depth of water affecting this further’. There is no doubt that the viewing of this exhibition would differ from viewing a more typical expo and this is reinforced even further when you are made aware that as a viewing participant, you are actually permitted to don a diving suit and swim amongst the exhibition pieces. This offers visitors something that as of yet is offered nowhere else. ‘Water is a malleable medium in which to travel, enabling the viewer to become active in their engagement with the works’. For any viewers lucky enough to actually see the exhibit, it is explained to them that they are not permitted to touch the sculptures or the reef developing on them.
UNDERWATER GALLERY
This is because the installation is a ‘living reef system’ and any touching of the coral could result in damage and a stunting of further growth in the environment. The works are separated into eight individual collections of work; Vicissitudes, The Unstill Life, The Lost Correspondent, Grace Reef, Sienna, La Jardinera de la Esperanza (The Gardener of Hope), El Coleccionista de los Suenos Perdidas (The Archives of Lost Dreams) and Hombre en Llamas (Man on Fire). The separate installations deal with topics from the oxymoron of a ‘still’ life beneath the ocean (The Unstill Life), ironic, because life under the ocean is anything but still, to the role of the male registrar in the form of one of the sculptures,
collating individual messages in bottles into cateorgories of fear, hope, loss or belonging (El Coleccionista). For those that are not so lucky to visit the exhibition, clips are provided on JdCT’s website that depict the slow process of developing coral. The clips are mesmerising and a must-see if you aren’t able to check out the real thing. On the website there is also the latest information regarding the UWG as well as info on JdCT’s other projects. Due to the nature of the installation, it is to be available to view for some time to come.
For more details on this project and JdCT”s other works, visit www.underwatersculpture.com.
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WORK EXPERIENCE
WORK EXPERIENCE [wurk] [ik-speer-ee-uhns]
-noun. slave labour
By Victoria Brown //
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As every student studying for a degree in the creative industry knows, work placements are vital. You might have a first class degree on paper but have you proven that you can put that knowledge into practice? No? Well, then you better find yourself some work experience. The thing with this subject is that a lot of it is easier said than done. Trying to organise work experience within big, well-established companies can be daunting. For a start there’s the possibility of rejection and the fear regarding your level of knowledge next to the industry professionals. The best thing to remember, is that work placements are a learning curve, albeit a steep learning curve for some students, and whilst you may worry that only the confident students with contacts are going to get the best places, well then you’re probably right. The first point being made is that you have to be in it to win it, so to speak. If you sit on your backside failing to apply to any companies
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then you have no reason to wonder why your skills base and knowledge remains stagnant and why your confidence also remains in the same regressive state, The second point that needs to be made is that, particularly within the creative industries, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Networking is paramount and work placements should be seen as a way to network and create relationships that will prove mutually beneficial once you’re out there in the big, wide, working world. You will always hear the horror stories where a students been working under a boss from hell, who has made them pick the blueberries out of a muffin or rub the dry skin from the soles of their feet but these cases are rare and most definitely outweighed by the benefits that will be afforded you on the completion of your degree. So get out there, get your work placement swag on and make that CV of yours worth reading.
WORK EXPERIENCE
TIPS FOR SECURING THAT WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT Don’t leave getting a work experience to the last minute. You could end up in that ‘catch 22’ situation where you can’t get a job without work experience but you can’t get work experience without a job. Follow these tips to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
+ Know the area you want to secure a placement in. With specific degrees think about a certain discipline in which
Keep an eye out for opportunites @ www.arts.ac.uk/student/careers/ creative-opportunities
you wish to broaden your skills base in.
+ Research the opportunities. Vacancies and experience availability can be found online. Also, look out for well-known companies with work placement programs such as the BBC.
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+ Networking is key! Make use of blogging and social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
+ Be realistic regarding the jobs you’ll be given and the fact that it will most probably be unpaid. + Don’t always go for the obvious ‘big companies’. You can garner the same, if not more experience by choosing to apply to smaller, more independent companies as you are more likely to experience more facets of the business process. + Finally, and most obviously, apply, apply, apply! Good luck!
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HOLIDAYS
Part of being a university student is learning to take responsibility of your own time management, being able to decide when its time to work and when its time to play. When the time to work is over and the summer holidays beckon, most people enjoy nothing more than jetting off to some hot, exotic countries, doing a bit of travelling or hitting up some festivals. But other may not be so lucky. Some students just don’t have the funds to afford these luxuries, and if you don’t have parents that pay for you to go on holiday, then you’re having what’s known as, a “staycation.” No, it doesn’t sound all that exotic to me either! A lot of money-savvy students use the summer holidays as a way to secure some industry work experience or to save a little money to use when the university life comes around again in which case, things like holidays are definitely out of the question! So what do these students end up doing? 14
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LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
Term time holidays are what they end up doing. In the end, the process of time management affords a student the right to choose when they go on holiday. Lecturers might not like it, the student might not like it but when we live in a world that says it’s ok to hike holiday prices when most people have the time to go on one, what other choice is there? Holiday companies and travel agents bombard consumers with the information that they’re selling ‘cheap’ or ‘half price’ holidays, yet this fails to be the case, not when these ‘cheap’ holidays are double the price they were before the 20th July. So just what is a university student to do aside from take an unauthorised holiday? You may miss something vital towards attaining your degree but everyone needs some downtime and if you’re unable to
HOLIDAYS
“staycation.” No, it doesn’t sound all that exotic to me either!
CHEAP HOLIDAYS DURING TERM TIME!
(Shh.. It’s our little secret!)
By Victoria Brown //
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afford the inflated prices that the holiday companies charge, then term-time holidays are a students’ only option. The logic behind the price increases are all very confusing anyway. Surely if prices were frozen at their off peak rates or possibly only increased a fraction as opposed to doubled, more people would be able to afford holidays and profit for these companies would not dwindle but actually be reinforced? It is something to consider?During the ongoing recession, holidays, are more than ever, being seen as a luxury.
Students are actually deemed to be the most financially sound of all people right now, but whilst this may be the case with regard to the amount of monetary responsibilities they have, it does not mean students are financially sound. The reality tends to be quite the opposite. Students work hard throughout the years and deserve a holiday from the stresses of trying to earn a degree. Until the government have some form of legislation that prevents companies from profiteering during selected periods, students should be able to get that down time whenever they can actually afford to do it. WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
REVIEWS
THIS SEASON’S TOP FILMS By Lucy Dang //
APRIL 1ST
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MARCH 4TH
RANGO
Johnny Depp’s voices of Rango the chameleon who aspires to be a hero in a western town, but has to literally play the role of one in order to protect the town from a plague of bandits.
APRIL 8TH
HOP RIO
Blending state of the art animation with live action, Hop is a comedy about E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny.On the eve of taking over the family business, E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer.
SUCKER PUNCH
An all female, all leather fantasyaction film in which we see a group of females battling serpents to samurais escaping their terrible fate of their captor.
SOURCE CODE
Directed by the man who brought you “moon”, Jake Gyllenhaal stars in an action thriller centered around a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
An animated comedy adventure about a blue Macaw called Blu who thought he was the last of his kind, only to meet another one of his kind called Jewel in Rio. Embarking on a journey, RIO brings together a menagerie of vivid characters, a heart-warming story, colorful backdrops, energizing Latin and contemporary music.
YOUR HIGHNESS
APRIL 15TH
Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave, handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. Danny McBride and James Franco team up for an epic comedy adventure set in a fantastical world--Your Highness.
APRIL 29TH
THOR
Marvel comic brings you another summer blockbuster. A power and arrogant god Thor is casted out of Asgard and force to live amongst the humans on earth, ending up the greatest defender for earth.
REVIEWS
JUNE 4TH
MAY 6TH
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
X-MEN FIRST CLASS
(Another film in which we find a reason to go weak in the knees for Robert pattinson). Based on acclaimed bestseller, Veterinary school student Jacob meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. Against all odds -- including the wrath of Marlena’s charismatic but dangerous husband, August -- Jacob and Marlena find lifelong love.
MAY 20TH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4
Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love--or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.
Prequel to the x-men franchise, X-MEN FIRST CLASS charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.
GREEN LATERN
JUNE 17TH
A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively and peter Sarsgaard
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REVIEWS
Jessie J - Who You Are
TOP
Having won the 2011 Critic’s Choice award at The BRITs, ‘Who You Are’ is the debut album from Essex-born Jessie J. Released a month early due to popular demand, the record is full of vivacious, catchy pop, with Jessie J showing that she has the vocal talent to live up to the hype her arrival in the UK music scene created. Including singles ‘Price Tag’ featuring B.o.B and ‘Do It Like A Dude’, This bold collection is for fans of Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
MUSIC Lupe Fiasco - Laser The wait is finally over as Lupe Fiasco has graced fans and music lovers everywhere with brand new single The Show Goes On. The single samples American indie heroes Modest Mouse, layered with Lupe Fiasco’s head-spinning wordplay and encompasses all the factors and magic which enabled Lupe Fisaco to inhabit both the worlds of respected, credible underground and mainstream adoration simultaneously, and all with his trademark effortless cool.
Alexis Jordan - Alexis Jordan With flowing red hair, just as vibrant as her personality, 18 year-old Alexis possesses an emotive, awe-inspiring voice that is packed with a power strong enough to brighten our entire world. “I only sing songs that are from my heart,” says the singer/songwriter compassionate young woman whose music promotes positivity and self-respect. “Because if I can’t feel it, it’s not going to come out right” she adds
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Radiohead - Kings of Limbs Radiohead’s eighth studio album, ‘The King Of Limbs’, is an experimental progression on the sound of its predecessor, 2007’s ‘In Rainbows’. Lyrically the record harks back to 2001’s ‘Amnesia’, and indeed the heavy use of electronic instrumentation and distortion also recalls both ‘Amnesia’ and ‘Kid A’. Announced only a week before its intended release date, ‘The King Of Limbs’ is named after an ancient tree near Radiohead’s recording studio.
The kills - Blood Pressures Their third album, After the dissolution of bouncy `90s Florida punk outfit Discount, lead singer Allison Mosshart moved to London to team up with Brit Jamie Hince. Under the ghost names VV & Hotel, the pair formed The Kills, an indie-rock outfit whose gritty guitar riffs and sexually charged call-and-response vocals captured the attention of Domino Records, enthralling critics on both sides of the Atlantic. LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
TOP DESIGN BOOKS
REVIEWS
LOGO DESIGN VOL. 3 Julius Wiedemann “This funky little book from Brazilian designer Julius Wiedemann brings together diverse logos from across the world’s of fashion, the media, and music, and explains the creative process that went into creating them.” The Independent, London, United Kingdom
ANDRE DE DIENES, MARILYN Steve Crist Before there was Marilyn, there was Norma Jeane. The photos and secret memoirs of Marilyn Monroe’s first photographer and lifelong friend. “Forty-nine years after her death, Marilyn Monroe’s legacy is as powerful as ever. Indeed, it’s even seeing a resurgence, with a host of A-listers clamouring to play the woman whose name alone is a byword for retro femininity.”
Alex Steinweiss, The Inventor of the Modern Album Cover Alex Steinweiss, Kevin Reagan, Steven Heller Music for the eyes. The man who launched the Golden Age of album cover design. Alex Steinweiss invented the album cover as we know it, and created a new graphic art form. “I love music so much and I had such ambition that I was willing to go way beyond what the hell they paid me for. I wanted people to look at the artwork and hear the music.” — Alex Steinweiss
TOP
ONE DAYDavid Nicholls ‘I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’ He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’ 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY.
LITERATURE THE KING’S SPEECH Mark Logue & Peter Conrandi
One man saved the British Royal Family in the first decades of the 20th century - he wasn’t a prime minister or an archbishop of Canterbury.
NEVER LET ME GO Kazuo Ishiguro
In one of the most acclaimed and strange novels of recent years, Kazuo Ishiguro imagines the lives of a group of students growing up in a darkly skewered version of contemporary England WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
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SHOWCASE
SAGA SIG PHOTOGRAPHER
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Miss Sig is one to blog about. Shes popping up all over the place from Dazed and Confused, Topshops magazine 214, taking backstage shots at Charlie Le Mindu and Meadham Kirchhoff - not to mention rubbing shoulders with fashionista Prince Pelayo. The Snow queen of Fashion photography, icelandic born and bred Saga spends her time doing shoot after shoot for cool publications in London, which she considers to be “the capital of creativity.” She takes inspiration from childrens drawings, folk stories and sentimental items she keeps in her studio of “organised chaos”.
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Her love of dramatic landscapes and habitats are clear in her work, which comes from her adoration of her home town also known as “the nature imporium”, Reykjavic. Picking up her first camera at 8, the now 23 year old is surprisingly still in the last year of her fashion photography degree at LCF alongside the countless collaborations and shoots she has published. Her upcoming, up close and personal book project with her sister is her next project which she is beyond excited about, which will be a collage of their lives so far.
SHOWCASE
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“London is the capital of creativitiy.”
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EVENTS
*THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS JUDITH CLARK *LCF PRESENTS BEATRICEBOYLE *CENTRE FOR FASHION SCIENCE – SKIN DEEP *CSM GREEN WEEK IN EXCHANGE *BA FINE ARTS SHOW *WINDOWS GALLERY *APHASIC DISTURBANCE *CHELSEA SUMMER SHOWS 2011 *RICHARD SLATTER: DECEPTION - DEPICTION
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EVENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON *LCC FILM CLUB: SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DIGITAL ERA *WHATEVER NEXT FESTIVAL *MA PHOTOGRAPHY INTERIM EXHIBITION *CAMBERWELL SUMMER SHOW 2011 *ELUSIVE – Curated by Sian Bonnell *FOOTPRINTS ACROSS FRESH SNOW *MA FINE ART INTERIM SHOW *MOVING IMAGE SOUTH
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EVENTS
CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS
LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION
LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION
CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
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CAMBERWELL COLLEGE OF ART
WIMBLEDON COLLEGE OF ART
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EVENTS
CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
Stay Informed!
For more news and events at Chelsea College of Art and Design visit: www.newsevents.arts.ac.uk/ chelsea/events/
APRIL - JUNE EVENTS
APRIL 19TH (DURATION: 1 MONTH)
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APHASIC DISTURBANCE
Aphasics can be defined as ‘the loss of power of expression through speech’. The exhibition, put together by Stephen Bury, takes inspiration from Roman Jakobson’s essay, ‘Two types of language and two types of aphasic disturbance’. The show promises to be thought provoking and at time, truly poignant.
CHELSEA SUMMER SHOWS 2011
APRIL 15TH SEPTEMBER 2ND
The Chelsea Summer Shows are a must see for any design fans. With exhibits being prof<<fered by students studying at CCAD from all course disciplines, the shows are sure to be eye-catching and original to say the least. For more info on specific dates and venues visit www. chelsea.arts.ac.uk/summershows2011
APRIL 15TH JUNE 3RD
RICHARD SLATTER: DECEPTION - DEPICTION
The Richard Slatter exhibition is running from the 15th April to the 3rd June 2011 at the Chelsea Futurespace in Hepworth Court. Sculptures made of bronze, aluminium and ceramics will be on display alongside some colour publications. Visit the gallery and view the exhibition; Hepworth Court, Grosvenor Waterside, Gatliff Road (off Ebury Bridge Road), London, SW1W 8QP
Richard Slatter 2010
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EVENTS
CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS
Stay Informed!
MAY 7TH MAY 13TH
For more news and events at Central Saint Martins visit: www.newsevents.arts.ac.uk/csm/ events/
APRIL - JUNE EVENTS
CSM GREEN WEEK
Central St Martin’s will be running events for one week to highlight ‘Green Week’. The organised program for the week includes a jewellery exhibition with products made with recycled materials, a clothes and artwork swap and short films on the issues of sustainability. To check out how to do your bit visit www.newsevents. arts.ac.uk/event/csm-green-week/
APRIL 24TH JUNE 4TH
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IN EXCHANGE BA FINE ARTS SHOW
The In Exchange is an exhibition of work by first and second year Fine Art students as well as 2D, 3D and 4D Pathway students. To see what some CSM students get up to during term time head to the Lethaby Gallery on Southampton Row.
AUGUST 16TH SEPTEMBER 6TH
WINDOWS GALLERY
If you happen to be in the Holborn area of London during the summer, you should definitely check out Sascha Mikloweits profferings housed behind the ‘South Window’ of the CSM campus. Visit www.csm.arts.ac.uk/window-gallery.htm
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
EVENTS
Stay Informed!
LONDON COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION
For more news and events at London College of Communication visit: www.newsevents.arts.ac.uk/lcc/ events/
APRIL - JUNE EVENTS
MAY 10TH MAY 24TH
AUGUST 7TH AUGUST 11TH
LCC FILM CLUB: SOCIAL WHATEVER NEXT FESTIVAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DIGITAL ERA The Whatever Next festival at LCC is back in 2011 after a
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The LCC film club will have an exhibition displayed around the exterior of the campus in Elephant and Castle between the 10th and 24th May 2011. The building high images will displayed along with films that will be shown every Thursday in the main lecture theatre. For more info visit http://newsevents.arts.ac.uk/event/lcc-filmclub-social-relationships-in-the-digital-era/
successful first run in 2010. The event that celebrates further education at the communication campus will be showcasing work from selected students between the 7th August and the 11th September at the New Gallery, LCC.
MA PHOTOGRAPHY INTERIM EXHIBITION
JULY 7TH JULY 14TH
The Upper Street Gallery at LCC will be displaying the works of its MA Photography part-time students. The works will be on display between the 7th and 14th July 2011. Its rare that students studying on a part-time basis are able to showcase their portfolios in this kind of professional setting, so get down to the LCC campus and check it out.
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EVENTS
LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION
Stay Informed!
For more news and events at London College of Fashion visit: www.newsevents.arts.ac.uk/lcf/ events/
APRIL - JUNE EVENTS JANUARY 18TH MARCH 16TH
CENTRE FOR FASHION SCIENCE – SKIN DEEP
Dr Paul Matts of Procter & Gamble, recently appointed Visiting Professor at LCF.
THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS JUDITH CLARK
FEBRUARY 16TH APRIL 2ND
Location: Fashion Space Gallery 1st Floor, London College of Fashion 20 John Prince’s Street, London W1G 0BJ This exhibition is part of ongoing research by Judith Clark, into how a story or a chosen history is reconstructed and displayed through the use of mannequins, the selection of clothes and exhibition props.
LCF PRESENTS BEATRICEBOYLE RHS TERRACE: John Princes Street Free Entry
FEBRUARY 18TH MARCH 3RD
To coincide with London Fashion Week LCF is proud to announce a new solo exhibition by artist and designer, and LCF graduate, Beatrice Boyle. This exciting new exhibition, which brings her back to LCF, comprises of large scale works which merge painting and photography. Exploring further the method of deconstruction, Beatrice has used techniques to deface the photographs and subvert the original image with instinctive, destructive brushstrokes.
We are pleased to announce an exciting series of Fashion Science talks on diverse subjects related to human skin. LECTURE 1 18th January 2011, 5.30 – 6.30pm Location: Rootstein Hopkins East Space; London College of Fashion Amazing Science, Applied Daily! Have you ever stopped to wonder how the cosmetics and toiletries you use each day are put together, who was involved and how it all comes about? Lecture 2 15th February, 5.30 – 6.30pm Location: Rootstein Hopkins Centre Space; London College of Fashion What’s the Attraction? Our skin speaks long before we open our mouths and, whether we like it not, helps drive others’ perception of our apparent age, health and attractiveness. Lecture 3 16th March, 5.30 – 6.30pm Location: Rootstein Hopkins East Space; London College of Fashion Nature’s Variety of Colour Charles Darwin’s concerns that the eye, as a ‘perfect’ detector, could not have been the result of evolution were ill-conceived – his problem was that he had underestimated colour. WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
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EVENTS
CAMBERWELL COLLEGE OF ART APRIL - JUNE EVENTS
Stay Informed!
For more news and events at Camberwell College of Art visit: www.newsevents.arts.ac.uk/lcc/ events/
CAMBERWELL SUMMER SHOW 2011 (Dates of which they are open to the public) Foundation Saturday 16 April - Wednesday 20 April Undergraduate Tuesday 21 June - Saturday 25 June 28
Postgraduate Friday 2 September - Thursday 8 September Venue: Camberwell College of Arts, 45-65 Peckham Road, SE5 8UF
Outside World - Katie Brookes LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
ELUSIVE – Curated by Sian Bonnell
FEBRUARY 8TH MARCH 18TH
Venue: Camberwell Space, Camberwell College of Arts, 45 – 65 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UF Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.00 – 20.00 ; Saturday 10.00 – 16.00 Elusive brings together the work of 29 artists. It features photography, video, performance and book works. The idea being explored here is of the camera as conduit, a place for the imagination. Light enters the interior space, some kind of magic occurs, and it exits transformed. The results can be erratic and fickle, elusive even.
EVENTS
Stay Informed!
For more news and events at Wimbledon College of Art visit: www.newsevents.arts.ac.uk/lcc/ events/
WIMBLEDON COLLEGE OF ART APRIL - JUNE EVENTS
FOOTPRINTS ACROSS FRESH SNOW Drawing & Mark Making Across Disciplines
JANUARY 28TH MARCH 5TH
Venue: Wimbledon Space, Wimbledon College of Art, Merton Hall Road, SW19 3QA Footprints Across Fresh Snow explores drawing for a purpose. The exhibition brings together drawings by practitioners from the disciplines of facial reconstruction, ceramics, jewellery design, architecture, illustration, graphic design and performance. In doing so, it stimulates connections between practices and subjects through drawing.
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MA FINE ART INTERIM SHOW Part 1 Friday 4 – Sunday 6 March, 13.00 – 17.00
JANUARY 28TH
Part 2 Friday 11 – Sunday 13 March, 13.00 – 17.00
MOVING IMAGE SOUTH
Venue: The Nunnery Gallery, 183 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ Part of the experimental nature of this year’s show lies in the decision to invite two guest curators, Juan Bolivar and Julia Alvarez, to negotiate relationships between what will inevitably be a diverse selection of works. The artists involved take this as an opportunity to showcase their evolving ideas ahead of their final exhibition in September 2011. The show provides an opportunity for visitors to engage with the new work and fresh ideas of a dynamic group of emerging young artists.
Patrick Keiller will be showcasing his work ‘Robinson in Ruins’ an essay film which follows up his last piece ‘London’ and ‘Robinson in Space’, in conjunction with HMVCurzon. Accompanying the screening will be a selection of films from student artists of Wimbledon College of Art.
Screening: 6,30PM, Monday 28TH February 2011 Location: HMVCURZON, 23 The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 1RE Tickets are prices from £6-£7. Please book online at www. hmvcurzon.com
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
SHOWCASE
NICOL VIZIOLI PHOTOGRAPHER
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WHERE YOU STUDIED... I got a degree in Cinema in Rome, then one year and a half ago i moved to London to attend UAL. YOUR COURSE... MA in Fashion Photography at LCF, University of the Arts London.
WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON NOW... At the moment I’m working on a project for Drome, a beautiful italian magazine. It was shot on film and inspired by the life of Hildegard Von Bingen. You will see it soon in the next issue! Iv also been shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Award 2011, so im working on a project for them - along with a few other things... PLANS FOR YOUR FUTURE... A video. A flat with high ceilings and perhaps a garden. A long trip... for extreme landscapes like Iceland and the desert. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH... Karin Andersson.
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MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT YOU... Every night I get bird legs and large wings to fly all over the city. YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT... My family and friends. YOU WILL NEVER FORGET... Being surrounded by eucalyptus plants, where i used to spend my earliest summer holidays. I remember the smell of that place, the sun through the branches, my young mother wearing a red dress. It is still a perfect picture in my mind.
HAPPINESS IS... Love YOUR FAVOURITE THING IS... Walking in the woods - and chocolate.
YOU LIVE BY THESE WORDS... Forgive and forget.
SHOWCASE
“Every night I get bird legs and large wings to fly all over the city.”
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WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
EXHIBITIONS
LONDON ART EXHIBITIONS
Stimulate Your Senses KATIE MCCGWIRE HOST
GAUGUIN Tate Modern The exhibition is running from 30 September 2010 – 16 January 2011 Tickets are expensive priced at £13.50 The French Post-impressionist painter Gauguin, was a celebrated world explorer. His collection holds many paintings and drawings of colourful and warm landscapes, portraits, women and most importantly culture. He shows the mythical and religious beliefs from each part of the world and wanted his art to hold a deeper meaning by including this ritual and myth as part of it. Book tickets quickly as guided tours are already sold out, it is a fantastic exhibition.
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Ever stumbled across a waterfall of magpie feathers spilling out of a fireplace? no? Well i hadnt either until I took a peek through the letterbox of an ex jewellery store on bateman street. Its hard to walk past when you spot a lightbulb at the top of the window display - with a mouse in it. Crazy you say? yeah kind of. But bladdy brilliant too, and definitely worth discovering. “Host” is an inaugural exhibition at Pertwee Anderson and Gold, exhibiting bizarre and beautiful installations. Until March the 24th, Kate Mccgwires work is on display. Her work “probes the beauty inherent in duality, exploring the play of opposites - at an aesthetic, intellectual and visceral level” The Showpiece ‘Slick’ is incredible. Made up of 5000 Magpie feathers taking 3 years to make and a price tag of £20,000, you can imagine. But nothing is better than seeing the real thing! LESS COMMON MORE SENSE
EXHIBITIONS
VENICE: CANALETTO & HIS RIVALS The National Gallery The exhibition is running from 13 October – 16 January 2011 Tickets are priced at £12 but with your student card you can get in for only £6 The exhibition features work by Canaletto and all the major artists within this genre. It is the first exhibition of its kind to be organised in the UK and brilliantly showcases the work of Canaletto in direct juxtaposition with his rivals work. In a time that is so concerned with seeing the world and exploring what more it has, this exhibition is fantastic at showing Venice though a masters eyes and back in the 1700s.
NANCY FOUTS Next @ HOST
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Described by Les Coleman as an ‘Art Prankster’, Fouts playfully distills and disrupts the roles and associations of objects, icons and relationships. Drawing from Surrealism and the Absurd her sculptural arrangements toy with themes of entrenched meaning, religious iconography and black humour. The artist cites Avant-gardists such as Marcel Marien and Rene Magritte as strong early influences.
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
RAVES
LONDON RAVES
The Places to be this Season
1ST
@ 93 Feet East Make it Funky, Your DJs: Mr T and Sir Mix A Bit
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5TH
@ Corsica Studios – Trouble Vision pres simple records with Move D, Ewan Pearson, Will Saul
18TH
@ East Village – Snap Crackle and Pop, Sharooz
MARCH
1ST
APRIL
4TH
@ Public Life – Nisekay, Rossko
12TH
@ EGG – Bodymove feat Copyright and Audiowhores
19TH
@ EGG – Supernova presents: DC7 Showcase
@ Cable London – We fear Silence presents Metalheadz
17TH
@ Fabric – David Rodigan, Rusko
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@ Lightbox – Summit resents The Fools Ball
2ND
@ Brixton Academy – Eric Prydz presents EPIC
RAVES
7TH
16TH
12TH
April @ KOKO – DI Yoda
@ KOKO – Katy B
@ Brixton Academy Faithless
8TH
23RD
@ Fabric – Ram Records
@ Ministry of Sound – We love
@ Cable London – Licked Beatz 1st Birthday Bash
@ Brixton Academy – Armin @ KOKO – Camden Crawl Day 2 van Buuren
14th
1ST
@ East Village – Murray Richardson, Stuart Patterson
MAY 10TH
@ The Brickhouse Relations
30TH
@ KOKO – Camden Crawl Day 1
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6TH
@ Brixton Academy – David Guetta
7TH
15TH
@ Ministry of Sound – The Gallery Introducing, Roger Shah and Anej @ Raving Buddah
@ KOKO – Buttoned Down Disco
28th
@ Alexandra Palace – Swedish House Mafia
@ Brixton Academy – Annie Mac
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
FESTIVALS
THIS SEASONS FESTIVALS Don’t Miss out!
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U2 COLDPLAY BEYONCE Tickets £195
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23RD – 26TH JUNE
FESTIVALS
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WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
SHOWCASE
Shireeka Devlin FASHION DESIGNER
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WHERE YOU STUDY... London College of Fashion YOUR COURSE... Fashion Design Technology: Print WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON NOW... Currently
MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT YOU... I don’t know...maybe that I’m irish?... people just really seem to like the accent!
on placement with Mary Katranzou, she also studied her BA and MA at UAL, Central Saint Martins
YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT... My family and friends, they are the best in the world!
PLANS FOR YOUR FUTURE... Definitely to do a MA
YOU WILL NEVER FORGET... the day I moved to London and said bye to my old life and jumped into the madness!
at some point…
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH... Manish Arora, creative director for Paco Rabanne and known for his vivid palette. He is one of my biggest inspirations and I absolutely love how much passion he has about his work, and the creativity involved in it. He just does his own thing. The textiles are just beautiful!
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HAPPINESS IS... What you make it yourself… YOUR FAVOURITE THING IS... My collection of Paul’s Boutique bags…
YOU LIVE BY THESE WORDS... Oh I don’t really have anything but one of my favorite quotes is, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Holy S...hit! What a Ride!” — Hunter S. Thompson
SHOWCASE
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Holy S...hit! What a Ride!” — Hunter S. Thompson 39
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
TUITION FEES
TUITION FEE INCREASE Were the rioters to blame?
By Victoria Brown //
Well the inevitable happened. Nick Clegg and Co: said it wouldn’t and students like you and me campaigned to stop it but our efforts we’re all in vain. As of the academic year 2012 – 2013 onwards, university’s can charge up to £9000 which will be decided upon by your chosen university. Despite the fact that the final decision regarding the increase was brought about by a House of Commons vote, for many, for many, there may be a nagging doubt that if the student protests hadn’t descended into riots, would the same decision have been reached? The proposal of the fee increase late last year was enough to send many former Liberal Democrat voters into a quandary as the Lib Dem party actually secured many of their younger voters through their promise that tuition fees would remain as they were but the fact that the touchy subject has been passed will disillusion many young voters.
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TUITION FEES
The damage done at Millbank (Lib Dem HQ) was reported to be in excess of one million pounds and this is where the nagging doubt lies. The Government is trying to claw back money to clear the national deficit and would undoubtedly have taken the Millbank damage as a huge blow. They may have taken it as a big enough slight that the majority of Ministers may have agreed to the motion that saw the price hike in further education. It is a question that a select few of the student body need to ask themselves.
For every issue, there are two sides to the argument and this one is no different. On one side is the fact that there will still be a student loan to cover tuition fees and accommodation/living expenses and the fact that the earning bracket before loan repayments are made will be increased. On the other side, students will argue that they will be forced to spend longer paying off the loan and so the trade off is not a beneficial one. Whichever end of the spectrum you’re at, the fact is tuition fees may have been increased to get back at the rioters.
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Meet the First Jailed Student from the Tuition Fee Riots Meet Edward Woollard. He’s the first student sentenced to a jail term for his part in the student riots against tuition fee increase. Edward was sentenced on the 11th January to 32 months for throwing a fire extinguisher off the roof of Millbank. Edward was prompted to hand himself in and few people expected
the sentence that was handed down to the sixth form student. His mother was later quoted as saying she hoped her son had not ‘ruined his life’. Many people now doubt that other students will follow Woollards lead for fear of similar sentences. Doubtless, the students who we have seen on the TV are hoping a similar retribution does not befall them. WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
TUITION FEES
‘CUT-PRICE COURSES” The Domino Effect has Begun
By Katherine Slavin //
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The appearance of ‘Cut-price courses’ is leading the ‘less prestigious’ Universities to want to charge more that £6,000 for a number of their courses, as they want to stay in a competing market with the more prestigious, ‘red brick’ Universities. Imperial College London, Exeter, Cambridge and Oxford have already announced plans to charge more than £6,000 for courses and in some cases the maximum £9,000. In an answer to this crippling fee, lesser renowned Universities have said that they don’t want to be seen as running ‘cut price’ courses and will raise their fees to keep up. So those of us not able to, or not wanting to go to one the red bricks, still have to pay the ridiculous amounts, just so other Universities don’t loose face! There have been a number of statements in the news lately about the idea that this level of tuition fee was set to make Universities elite again. Back in the day, if you weren’t rich, you weren’t getting in, and it looks like that’s what we’re heading back too. According to Libby Aston, Director of University Alliance, “The amount of graduate contribution set for a course is not simply about prestige - it is about being able to deliver quality teaching and a student experience that cannot be delivered through ‘cut price’ alternatives.” She also states that anything less than £7,000 is not enough to deliver the right standard of teaching. With out meaning to state the obvious, how have we managed it so far then?! The Office of Fair Access is set to publish a report in which Universities that wish to charge the £6,000+, will have to show why and where they intend to help accommodate the less wealthy student. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get my degree and get a job as soon as possible, give it a year or two and everyone leaving school will be looking for a job, not that ‘cut price’ university course…
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BRAND WHORE
BRAND WHORE
Is There one Inside all of us? By Katherine Slavin //
When entering the high earning postcodes of London’s Borough of Chelsea, the one noticeable aspect is how unobvious what the label is! If it wasn’t for the items being picked out and circled in weekly gossip magazines as something Cheryl Cole or Victoria Beckham is wearing, most people probably wouldn’t know what the inside designer label is. Who wants an amazing YSL suit if everyone knows what it is and how much it cost? Well ‘brand whores’, for want or a better phrase, are exactly who! Although I may be talking thousands on ‘suits in the city’, this can apply equally to the high street. For example, I went to the pub a few weeks ago in a gorgeous sequined black top from Topshop, (costing £50 and crippling me!) only for four people to say instantly, “Oh I love that top, Topshop?” Even a bloke said it, and he’s a Scaffolder, not a fashion student and certainly not gay! As horrified as I was, I almost expected it. These brands such as Topshop, River Island and All Saints are instantly recognisable without a logo or label in sight. When I think of a typical brand whore, I can’t help but the old school Burberry clad ‘chav’ spring to mind. Although knock offs carried on the trend, the real thing started it off.
A brands worst nightmare! On the other hand things have changed and the type of brand whores around nowadays aren’t damaging to the brand like the Burberry days were. Instead, we see young people clutching onto thousands and walking in designer brands without a care in the world. £995 Mui Mui Paloma bags are what I keep spotting of late, although I would love one, in my dreams is as close as I will get! Other than the lucky few that have wealthy parents willing to buy luxury items for their sons and daughters, how do students afford this? On average a student living in London get £4928 maintenance loan, majority going on rent, food, social lives, but how are they managing designer brands? I suppose it all comes down to how much your willing to sacrifice. Are you willing to stay in for a month, eating nothing but Tesco Value rice and maxing out your overdraft all for a pair of £600 boots? So is it viable to be a brand whore on a student loan? Well yes, it is, but only if you are willing to give up a chunk of your social life, call upon your parents, or lower your desires to the high street labels. Then again, what’s wrong with that? H&M gets all my wages and I’m OK with that!
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
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BRAND WHORE
BRAND WHORE A Tale of Two Sides By Victoria Brown //
Meet two of your very own UAL-ers and read about their take on whether or not being a brand whore is a viable option as a student.
Name: Stanley Zhu Age: 21 Campus: LCC
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LCMS: Do you currently have a job? No LCMS: If no, where do you get your income? From parents LCMS: Fashion Follower? Yes LCMS: Designer or Highstreet? Designer LCMS: Do you spend the majority of your available funds on fashion? Yes LCMS: If you had the choice, would like to spend more on clothes than you already do? yeah LCMS: Why do you think people, and in particular, certain students, have become so brand orientated? The fashion trend makes people excited for the new collection LCMS: What sort of brands (if any) do you prefer wearing? MMM, Alexander Wang, YSL, Acne
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LCMS: Is it important for the brand logo to be clearly visible if you have purchased a designer label? Not for me LCMS: If no, why? Do you think it is tacky, too auspicious, etc? I just like the design and clothes itself, not the logo LCMS: Do you think being a labels whore is a viable option for students today, in general? It depends on different people’s lifestyle and friend circle LCMS: How much is your entire outfit, that you’re wearing today, worth? Today is a uni day. They are uni clothes- £1070
BRAND WHORE
Name: Fianna Hornby Age: 19 Campus: LCC LCMS: Do you currently have a job? Yes, at Goswell Road Coffee shop LCMS: If no, where do you get your income? There and Student loan. LCMS: Fashion Follower? Not particularly LCMS: Designer or Highstreet? Highstreet sometimes but mainly charity shops or vintage. LCMS: Do you spend the majority of your available funds on fashion? Definitely not. I spend most of my money on eating or going out LCMS: If you had the choice, would like to spend more on clothes than you already do? If I had more money I probably would. LCMS: Why do you think people, and in particular, certain students, have become so brand orientated? I think people certainly have. Topshop certainly has a huge influence in young peoples fashion across the country. Having huge stars like Kate Moss create ranges certainly bumps up their credibility. Magazine’s also focus a huge amount on brands, whom also have an influence on younger people. An obvious example of this is how much Vice Magazine hype American Apparel.
There is always the feeling of looking nice which people enjoy, and I also think feeling like you fit in is a big part of growing up, which is possibly why younger people are more likely to invest in brands which their peers deem fashionable. LCMS: What sort of brands (if any) do you prefer wearing? I wouldn’t say a huge part of my wardrobe was made up of brands, but I do own items from Topshop and American Apparel. I like how simple Apparel clothes are and how they go with everything. LCMS: Is it important for the brand logo to be clearly visible if you have purchased a designer label? I don’t own any designer clothes, but if I did I wouldn’t think it would be for the label to be visible, it would be more about the item. LCMS: If no, why? Do you think it is tacky, too auspicious, etc? I would rather the item be about the item, rather than just the label. LCMS: Do you think being a labels whore is a viable option for students today, in general? I think a standard student wouldn’t be able to afford designer clothes, unless they were second hand, so no I don’t think its viable. LCMS: How much is your entire outfit, that you’re wearing today, worth? About £15 not including my shoes.
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
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FALLING FAITH
FALLING FAITH
Are People Too Cool for Religion Nowadays? By Katherine Slavin //
Might be a funny question to ask and one that I hope gets your brain ticking. The reason I ask, I was round a friends house with a group of students, all currently studying in London, and they all claimed to be absolute atheists, after being raised within some form of religion. Why is it that people break free from their homes and all of a sudden re-evaluate everything they have been bought up on, and in my experiences, completely change it. Is it because moving out and growing up includes finding themselves as a person, and its different from how they were raised? Or is it modern day cynicism that has done it? I was bought up in a catholic household. My parents didn’t throw it down my throat (although the nun at school did) and I came to my own conclusion, but it wasn’t far from what I was taught. Exploring other religions if anything made me more catholic as others beliefs made me realise what mine are. I don’t agree with an awful lot that the church says and I’m not ignorant enough to think that everyone should be part of a religion. I do however think its silly to label yourself a complete atheist and almost brag about it because you’ve ‘found yourself’ at university. Be free, have your own mind, and challenge your beliefs, but don’t do it just because your flat mates have.
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FALLING FAITH
STUDENT VOICES Catrina, 18. King’s College – “I went to a religious school and have been bought up in a very religious house hold. I wouldn’t deny what I believe but I would never bring it up and talk about it. Since going to university I don’t go to church anymore so I suppose it has affected me in that way, but then that might be laziness.”
Sarah, 22. UCL – “I have changed my religious views, moving away from home allowed me to think of things in my own light and I don’t believe any of it anymore. I’m an atheist now.” Francesca, 19 LCF – “I was bought up without religion really, I followed what my mum did and she was atheist. It’s weird because I like the idea that something is out there I just wouldn’t know where to start.”
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Maria, 20, Southbank – “I was so sick of it forced upon me that I don’t believe any of it now. It’s just writing in a book now. And look at the rest of the world and evolution and stuff. That’s something worth believing in.”
WWW.WEARELESSCOMMON.COM
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BURSTING WITH BRIGHT IDEAS? EMAIL: LESSCOMMON@SU.ARTS.AC.UK
LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT ISSUE OCTOBER 2011 LESS COMMON MORE SENSE