The Summer Issue
90’s Euphoria edition
Antoni McMillan Armstrongs The Modern Kids of The Night
Imi wears PRETTY LITTLE THING
£5
717470- - -84 04- ! 0
Photography Lucy Duff
CONTENTS 6 THE TUNNEL PHOTOGRAPHY ROSA BLUEBELL ROSS ELLEN STEVENS 10 ANTONI MCMILLAN The young club promoter planning on taking over Scottish clubs with techno and house. 12 THE MODERN KIDS OF THE NIGHT An insight into what young ravers treasure of a night. 14 SEEK THE SHADES BELOW PHOTOGRAPHY ROSA BLUEBELL ROSS LUCY DUFF FASHION ROSA BLUEBELL ROSS ELLEN STEVENS ANTONELLA CARPICO 16 EUTOPIA BUZZ PHOTOGRAPHY ROSA BLUEBELL ROSS ELLEN STEVENS FASHION ROSA BLUEBELL ROSS ELLEN STEVENS FIONA GAVIN 20 ARMSTRONGS We introduce the world to the vintage store which, in Edinburgh has become a household name. 22 LIMELIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY ROSA BLUEBELL ROSS LUCY DUFF FASHION ROSA BLUEBELL ROSS ELLEN STEVENS FIONA GAVIN
26 IMI EVANS The ambitous fashion blogger inspiring others to wear their personality with pride. 28 PARTY MONSTER: A SHOCKUMENTARY A short reveiw on the documentation film about the party king Michael Alig.
EDITOR’S LETTER This unique addition of WONDERLAND dedicates itself to 1990s euphoria. We’ve aimed to capture the way in which the mind and body reacts to the buzz of the night life and want to emphasize how decades may change but the sensation does not. ‘The idea that is does not matter who you are, what you wear, who, you love or what you have, you can come together, if only for a night, and be free, and dance. That there is a horrible world out there, full of horrible people doing horrible things – but if we stay in here, and take care of each other, we can forget, for a while.’ Working with Imogen Evans has been a total pleasure. Her shoot Limelight named after the iconic 90s ‘Club Kid’ club examines the heavy drug culture of the era and subculture with an intention to emphasise the confusion and blur the brain goes through whilst under the influence of the night. Imogen is much admired by other girls as she believes that fashion is a form of art and is used to describe who you are inside and out. She wants others to not be afraid to be bold and show off your personality. We wanted to get to know her even better and so she has answered our questions on her own thoughts about life. In addition to Imogen’s section this issue also features a piece which gives an insight into the young ravers of this generation and how the different styles they wear and the sense freedom they feel reflects that of a 90s club scene. We have also published an interview with Antoni McMillian who speaks about his techno club night representing for Aberdeen’s millennials and the Edinburgh based vintage store Armstrongs who believe in ‘turning something old into something new’. Thank you as always for picking up this issue of WONDERLAND and to all our extremely talented contributors. Very Best, Ellen Stevens
CONTRIBUTERS
Ellen Stevens
Living by the rule; everyday is a no bra day, our editor has also shared the story of Antoni McMillan whilst helping photograph and style number of our shoots.
Fiona Gavin
Rosa Bluebell Ross
Believing that ‘nobody dies a virgin, life fucks us all’, Fiona has helped and contributed with fashion styling for our four page shoots.
Our sub-editor has photographed and styled on almost every shoot, and has also interviewed our cover star Imi Evans. #freethenipple.
Lucy Duff
“Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box.” - Deepak Chopra. Lucy has been the photographer for multiple shoots, including capturing the front and back cover shots.
Antonella Carpico
Channelling Diane Von Fürstenberg’s ‘attitude is everything’, Antonella has brought personality to the photography that accompanies our Jane Barrow interview, styling for one of our shoots and provided the written piece for the magazine feature on street style.
Andaleeb Obaid
“To create, one must first question everything”- Eileen Gray. Andeleeb conducted the magazine interview with the fabulous Jane Barrow from Edinburgh’s treasured vintage store, W. Armstrong and Son.
Jemima Jarvis
Quoting the 90’s “All that and a bag of chips” Jemima has assisted shoots, set lighting and helped with hair and makeup.
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THE TUNNEL
Photography Rosa Blubell Ross Ellen Stevens
Hair Makeup Ellen Stevens Model Jack Shanks
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ANTONI MCMILLAN The 19 year old founder and promoter of the up-and-coming techno night, Club Avenue When I started up Club Avenue around two years ago it was just a big party. I wanted to host an event which had a different type of scene from the usual club. Something that would bring everyone together. I didn’t feel as if Aberdeen had that, especially for young people. I was actually underage at the time so I thought if we can’t go into town why don’t we make just our own party. In the beginning I thought no one is going to come to this, who is going to spend £10 to see me DJ? But little did I know it sold out. I suppose it appealed to a lot of young people who were under the age to go out to clubs. Everyone somehow knew everyone that was going, they knew the scene, they knew the party people. After my first event the manager of the venue panicked and cancelled Club Avenue, but I wanted to keep it going because it had such a good buzz. Moving to Ashdale Hall in Westhill was amazing and by far was my favourite venue. It was a massive warehouse looking type place and I managed to fill the place. 220 people. It was the first time the event felt like it was ‘something’ and it felt surreal. It became more club promotion than a night and I almost felt like I was Photography Ellen Stevens Words Ellen Stevens
running my own club at this point. I had managed to pull it off and bring all these people to one place. I love how it felt like a big rave. I don’t feel like going into clubs in town is the same. There’s rules, strict bouncers and everyone is being watched. There is a specific way in which you have to act in town. At Club Avenue no one tells you what to do or how to behave. It felt naughty and illegal, the event was bring your own booze and the police ended up shutting it down early! You could say it was like a modern day illegal rave from the 90s, however I had actually gotten insurance, door staff and bar staff. After that everyone was talking Club Avenue. People were saying what a crazy night it was. It was something new and different. I would love to have gotten the chance to experience a rave in the 1990s for myself. I feel as if the music at Club Avenue and the way people come as one to dance reflects a 90s scene. I would say this especially after our audience age grew to around 1821 and we expanded into Tunnels; an underground and more urban nightclub in Aberdeen.
The atmosphere became even more casual and I feel as if the music got better. The change from EDM to techno and house was more through our resident DJ’s Aaron Cox and Tyler Reid, it was them who got me more into those genres. I feel as if you can lose yourself in this type of music and forget about all your problems. That is what people are looking for. People want to dance, they want a fun casual night and crazy after parties. It’s all part of the rush. I can’t imagine if I will ever be able to project that 90s euphoric feeling, but I hope I can give people something very close. For me there is definitely something special there. I would like to grow Club Avenue and turn it into more of a regular club night rather than an event. For example, the club night Milk is on a specific day every week. It would be great if I could get a residency at a club now the Club Avenue name has become bigger. It wouldn’t necessarily have to be in Tunnels; just a venue which is wee bit different, which has a bit of an edge to it. The music and Djs have a big influence, so getting bigger DJ acts into Aberdeen is something I would like to do more of. For instance we had Lee Walker appear at our last
event at Tunnels. We’re talking a dream now, but in the future I would love to have my own club in Ibiza. I have been going since I was young and there is just something about it that gives off such a feeling of ecstasy. You feel as if you’re free. I must have been about 14 years old when I went to my first club and I feel as if growing up and experiencing the big clubs such as Space Ibiza and Pasha had a big influence on me. I have a love for songs with a bit of vocals and a big bassline, however don’t think I could pin down a favourite 90s anthem in particular. Saying that, Groove Armada and Carl Cox are two big favourite DJs of mine, both being disk jockeys in the 1990s.
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THE MODERN KIDS OF THE NIGHT Our night life street style explores how the rebelling youth of todays underground club scene have been influenced by the urban city misfits who loved to party in the 1990s. Electric; a pounding bass running to your core, pulsing through the arteries and veins circulating the body. Supersonic; a speed within you, growing by the second. Hypnotic; all vision is blurred and all demons vanquished, the surrounding takes over. Where has this feeling gone? Why have we resorted to a mainstream club scene so bland and blasé? We explore and celebrate those who have taken the ‘old’ and ‘retro’ and made it new and present. The ones who believe that there is not just one way. Everyone has the right to make their own individual atmosphere. Here, at Cabaret Voltaire and Liquid Rooms; the Edinburgh clubs who are mad for techno and all things rave, we have the youth who just want to have fun and escape from judgement. Whilst speaking to some of the young party lovers we were told that heading out to these clubs and DJ events is ‘more than a posed night out’ and that ‘we actually have fun as ourselves’. These kids want the magical experience, they have a passion and a love for the music being played and they want to ‘feel the night.’ Influenced by rave culture these millennials are crazy for all things metallic and glitter, whilst others channel the 90s sport trend which has recently been translated through baggy street wear and manipulations of wellknown logos and slogans.
Photography Rosa Blubell Ross Words Antonella Carpico
Hair Makeup Ellen Stevens Model Juliann Yusko
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Photography Rosa Bluebell Ross Lucy Duff Fashion Antonella Carpico Rosa Blubell Ross Ellen Stevens
With pleasure drugged he almost longed for woe, And e’en for change of scene would seek the shades below
Hair Makeup Ellen Stevens Model Evie Brownlee
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Photography Rosa Bluebell Ross Ellen Stevens Fashion Bluebell Ross Ellen Stevens Fiona Gavin
The euphoric buzz of the nightlife is a wonderful feeling. Lose all sense of reality and step into a world where horrors do not exist. As the heart rate increases and the mind begins to relax, feel free and alive. Let the music takeover the body and have freedom within. Everyone is accepted here, no matter who or what The fear is when the ecstasy wears off and a heavy cloud fogs the mind.
Evie wears mesh top by ATMOSPHERE, grey skirt TOPSHOP , white fabric fabric STYLIST OWN, socks BY ATMOSPHERE, trainers ASOS and chocker by MISSGUIDED
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ARMSTRONGS We met Jane Barrow manager of the Edinburgh based vintage store which boomed in the 1990’s to see if old is the new fresh.
Can you tell us a bit about the history of Armstrongs and how you got involved in with the store? The shop itself started life as a rag and bone merchant down in the Cowgate and it was run by a man presumably called William Armstrong. It was for the less well off. They would to sell him unwanted items and he would go on to make a profit from them. Armstrongs changed over time and eventually I think by the mid-twentieth century the store was more of a jumble sale event. An ancestor of the current owner’s took it over in the latter part of the twentieth century and developed it so that it became more organised. I came and got involved in 1997 and I’ve been here off and on since. I remember the store becoming more popular in 1990, I would have been fourteen. Younger generations started talking about the shop. I think the attraction is the quirkiness of it. The complete opposite from the florescent high street shopping experience, where everything’s laid out for you, you have a size range of items. Here, you maybe have to work a little bit harder as a shopper but you’ll be rewarded.
the crowd with a specific trend. Honestly the people that I work with I just think they’re great and its nice because it attracts relative and like-minded people as staff so if you’re into art if you’re into theatre and just maybe a little bit more alternative then this is a good place to work
What are the most popular items sold at Armstrongs? Right now, most popular vintage item at the moment is sheepskin jackets and cashmere, we sell a lot of cashmere.
What is the inspiration for the interior design? The owner and her family sourced pretty much all the décor. I think they’ve been involved in antiques. I would say that a lot of the things are permanent display pieces they’ve been here for a long time and quite established. Now were just filling in little holes however, there aren’t that many.
What do you love most about vintage and the store? The beauty of vintage is that everything is a one off so what I like, not everybody’s going to like. We do get first look but nine times out of ten we do not like the items that come in. I just love the variety and you can be quite unique with it. The high street shops tend to put out a certain amount of trends in one go. Here, it is you can be whoever you like, it does not matter if you are following
Photography Antonella Carpico Words Andaleeb Obaid
Do you havea favourite artist and/or designer? I like Paco Rabanne and his total wackiness. He made a chainmail catsuit and it is just amazing. Alexander Mcqueen is another favourite because for the sheer mastery of being able to make such beautiful clothing, he’s wonderful. I cannot ignore Vivienne Westwood, I think she’s a bit bonkers and I
love that. She looks back at history from about one-hundred years ago and brings it back into a contemporary context. Favourite artist, I like Eeagon Sheel, he did a lot of female nudes that are just beautiful. They’re very realistic and ribbons women which are chubby. His paintings do not lie, all very ‘this is what women look like and that is how they should be loved.’
Is there a person you feel emulated 90s fashion perfectly or you like their fashion in the 90s?
Even amongst other vintage shops it is unlikely that you are going to get the same kind of range and the bulk of it. The atmosphere of Armstrongs is like no other, it’s not forced.
Are there any vintage items you’d like to get your hands on? A beautiful brown velvet Victorian jacket sold in the shop and id wish I’d bought it. The sad thing is was they bought it to have on display for their artist studio, they weren’t even going to wear it.
The girl group All Saints. I really liked hip-hop at the time. That baggy jeans, chunky trainers, a wee cropped vest top and lots of hair extensions and braiding look.
Do Armstrongs promote on social media? We are on Facebook, and Instagram.
What makes Armstrongs stand out amongst other vintage clothing stores? Our pricing is a lot cheaper than many other shops. A leather jacket for a woman in here is going to range between twenty-five to thirty pounds, whereas you might be charged two-hundered somewhere else. In general, our clothing is our unique selling point The pieces we have you aren’t going to get anywhere else because of where we source from.
What would you say to try and convince someone to buy vintage? It is a ‘one of a kind’, you won’t walk into the pub and see someone wearing the same top as you. Secondly that it can be fun. Try on things you would never normally dream of buying and have a play around when you’re shopping. I think vintage is a great way to express yourself. Experimentation is wonderful, I think it encourages a little bit of open mindedness.
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LIMELIGHT
Photgography Rosa Bluebell Ross Lucy Duff Fashion Bluebell Ross Ellen Stevens Fiona Gavin
Hait Makeup Ellen Stevens Imogen wears sequin top by PRETTY LITTLE THING, striped leggings ADIDAS, white chunky sandal TOPSHOP, white diamond fishnets SMIFFYS holigraphic chocker by PRETTY LITTLE THING and perspex chocker PRETTY LITTLE THING
Imogen wears halterneck top by DOLLS KILL, blube denim jeans TOPMAN, 90s vintage shell suit jacket by FILA and red diamond fishnets SMIFFYS,
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IMI EVANS Get to know the young fashion blogger urging other girls to find their own personal style and wear it with confidence
W: Why did you start a fashion blog? IMI: I was at a Central Saint Martins course in London and the tutor specifically asked if anybody had WWfashion blogs. One girl said she did and the tutor was really impressed. I guess it’s a really good way to express your style and show your interest in fashion. I also really want to encourage people to dress how they want to dress rather than feeling to need to follow popular trends.
IMI: I always made and created stuff whenever I had the chance. When I was 11 I got asewing machine for Christmas. I kind of taught myself the basics and I’ve been makingclothes since. W: Do you have a favourite shop? IMI: Dolls Kill or Illustrated People W: If you had £20,000 what would you do with it? IMI: I’d definitely go travelling, probably around Europe. I’d also buy clothes and invest in fabric for new collections W: Do you have a style icon who influences your fashion choices IMI: Charlie Barker. She’s so sick. W: Is there an anspect of the 90s you particularly like? IMI: 90s swimwear is the coolest, I’ll definitely be wearing high rise swimming costumes this summer. W: Do you have favourite instagram account? IMI: There’s so many... probably @notanothersalon or @sarahfuckingsnyder
Photography Rosa Blubell Ross Words Rosa Bluebell Ross
hair makeup Ellen Stevens Imi wears a halterneck top by DOLLSKILL
W: Why did you start making your own clothes?
W: What toy from the 90s is your favourite?
W: Tell us about your Barbie ring.
IMI: Barbie. I went to this Barbie exhibition in Paris last summer and it was the coolest thing. The way that the toys have evolved to reflect society is really interesting.
IMI: I’ve kind of been obsessed with Barbie since I saw that exhibition and I’ve been working on various art pieces using Barbies since. I saw that Charlie Barker had a Barbie ring on her Instagram so I made one of my own. I think it’s so cool but it creeps all my friends out.
W: How many times have you dyed your hair and which colour was your favourite? IMI: I used to fluctuate between brunette and blonde. Then I cut my hair and bleached and started experimenting with lilac, blue, pink, peach, silver and platinum blonde. My favourite has to be blue. As soon as I’m finished school I’m going back to blue (hopefully for good this time!) W: How would you describe your aesthetic? IMI: I’d say it reflects my personality, it’s lighthearted and fun. I love anything metallic, pastel or Disney. W: If you could save only one item in your wardrobe, what would it be? IMI: Either my Comme De Garçons T-dress or my TDS fur bomber jacket.
W: What three rules would you create if you were living in a post-apocalyptic world? W1. Work hard 2. Be nice in school 3. Free the nipple
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PARTY MONSTER: A SHOCKUMENTARY Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato document the controversial story of the night life party king and ringleader of the New York ‘Club Kids’ through Party Monster: A Shockumentary . The opening scene showing blurry footage of a mysterious box washing up on Staten Island, NY linking in with the end of Michaels story and ties together the film as whole. The box contains an unidentifiable legless torso. The body is that of Angel Melendez, fellow Club Kid and friend to Alig. The film portrays Alig’s downward spiral into drug addiction and the terrifying world he created. The film explores young adults disassociating themselves from reality and living in an almost permanent dream like state as they delve further and further into the drug induced New York City club culture of the late 1980’s to early1990’s. The audience views how this lifestyle takes its toll on Alig as his actions become more and more disturbing and he loses all boundaries between what is right and wrong. It’s both sad and disturbing how the Club Kids idea of using nightlife as an escapism
Words Rosa Blubell Ross Ellen Stevens
from the horrors of reality took over their lives and created something far more terrifying. A successfully thought provoking film that stays with you long after watching, this is not one for the light hearted.
There is a place for you if you feel like you don’t belong, if you’ve got a hunch back, you know throw a little glitter on it hunny and go out and dance, show the world that is’s okay, it’s okay to have weird thoughts in your head, it’s about just letting go, expressing yourself