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p hotog raph by t urk i n a fa so B A G by E l en a K aravasi l i
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tea m avan i p u r oh i t / / editor in c hief h el en wolter i n g // deput y editor q u en ti n h u b er t // ar t dir ec tor em m i h yypp채 / / g r ap h i c d esign er & photogr apher tan i a fr an co k l ei n // photogr apher k ati tu r k i n a / / photogr apher k ate th or n / / f eat ur e w r iter m i r el a l acerda / / online c ont r ibutor d eb ar ati s anyal / / cr o w d fundin g m anager ag ata dz i ur g ot // v ideo editor yi h an yu / / m ar ket in g
c o ntri b utors Eg l e An dr ius El i z aveta M azitova Dal m a P o dhor anyi G eeti k a A garwal i n ar i s ir ola J es s i ca Dee L au r a G utier r ez M ar gar ita Glushkova N oth em b a M khon do S er ap P ollar d S h i r ly P iper n o S tep h an ie Galea Z i i m a Yos uk e N akajim a
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adje c tive :of or perta ining to life :li v in g , v ita l : d ee p er mea n in g
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c o n te n t s
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1 2 ic ar us
1 8 re c l a i mi n g yo ur war d r ob e
2 2 (uni)sex appeal
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3 0 in his shoes
4 0 d es i gn got dr one
34 f ut ure pa st
4 6 th e p ur suit of happiness
4 8 sc rut i n i z i n g feti sh i s m
5 0 i n am or ata
4 2 r ainbow in m y c loset
fr ont & bac k c ov er by tania fr anc o klein
t eA M le t te r
Dear Reader, This year flew by, and before we knew it, we realised that we are halfway through our course. It seems like yesterday when we started conceptualising Zoetic, and now - it’s finally a reality. We dedicate this issue to our readers; the generation whose thirst for knowledge and refusal to accept things for what they are was the driving force behind a magazine that well, questions everything. We hope you enjoy reading it and the stories that unfold propel you forward. “Why?” being the undercurrent theme of the magazine, this power packed issue delves into questioning various aspects of the world we live in. Our four sections Stance, Agenda, Radar and Tonic showcases fabulous work produced by our in-house photographers. We have featured a number of the many new and inspiring practitioners in fashion, design and life. Amy Rainbow, Emma Slade, Nik Kacy and Ruth Rogers remind us that determination, courage and an entrepreneurial spirit are the core ingredients one needs in order to pursue your passion, and be successful. These are skill sets that we imbibed and learnt along the way as we worked on this publication. A failed crowd-funding campaign (yes, not everyone believes in your dream), managing team schedules and work demands later - we still made it. Zoetic has seen the light of day. Something that wouldn’t have been easy, if it wasn’t for Cherie Federico and Nilgin Yusuf; believing in us even when we didn’t. Last but not the least, special thanks to Andrew Tucker whose guidance as always, was valuable. Love, Team Zoetic
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stance L i fe i n pl as ti c , i t’s fantasti c?
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generation try wor d s by hel e n wolter i n g Ph otog ra p h by Ste p h an i e G al ea
When was the last time you did something for the first time? If you cannot remember, let’s start with something today.
We are independent, we follow our dreams, we are the believers, the change-makers and challenge-seekers who constantly long for more; always one swipe away from the latest trend; we have the power to transform ourselves and the world around us – hello and welcome, we are generation Y. We question everything and everyone but ourselves.
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work so hard on our self-realisation and are self-absorbed by our own lives. At the same time we know that we need to coexist because we are also a generation of sharing; flat sharing, car sharing, clothes renting.
We live in a disposable society where everything is replaceable and tossed away in the blink of an eye; clothes, broken things, relationships. Loyalty is not our biggest strength, even marketers realise that traditional advertising does not appeal to us anymore. Often blindsided by the glamour quotient that fashion has to offer, we dress to impress. A call for help is stitched onto a Primark label and landfills overflow with fast clothes - we are certainly aware of these things but when did our generation become so reluctant to be ethically responsible?
Different from fashion in history where dressing alike was a way to fit in, we are born to stand out, to make a change. Research has shown that Millenials don’t follow every trend; expressing individuality is more important as a result of which we love to shop in vintage stores rather than wearing solely branded items. Personalised goods make us feel special. However, people still have misconceptions about living a sustainable lifestyle. Emma Slade, (see interview on page 18), who helps people creating new looks with old treasures in their wardrobe is a good example that sustainable fashion can be fun, cost-efficient and aesthetically appealing. Sometimes all we need is a fresh change in our perspective.
Globalisation, emancipation and unlimited opportunities are some of the reasons why we
A sustainable lifestyle does not require to change who you are, it literally requires to
V e gan bag by Se rap P ollar d
think outside of the box and make a little effort. Muck out your closet, don’t toss your clothes in the bin, make a gift for a friend or sell them in a flea market. The last time I cleaned my wardrobe, I gave 10 boxes of clothes to charity. The smile in their eyes made me happier than a new pair of shoes ever could. Look around you! An attempt to being sustainable is closer than you might think: our UAL bags for instance, they’re cool, aren’t they? We should use those over the orange Sainsbury’s bags when we go grocery shopping – those orange plastic bags are not en vogue anyways. We forget about old clothes and these forgotten values lurk in the back of our consciousness. The trick is to recall them and see them through the eyes of our zeitgeist. Our generation is ambitious, we strive for the best but we should not forget that, in order to receive the utmost we need to be the best version of ourselves and when would be a better time to start?
5 easy way s to a m or e su stainabl e l ifest y l e 1
D o n ’ t waste wate r . S h o w er w i th a f r i e n d .
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Tes c o c o utur e. S av e p l as ti c b ag s to g e t yo ur s el f a tai lo r m ad e d r es s à l a Jer em y S c ott.
3 S av e th e ear th , i t’s th e o n ly p l an e t w i th c h o c o l ate. 4
G o s tr aw - l es s. D r i n k yo ur D o ub l e R i s tr etto V en ti - H al f S oy N o n fat O r gan i c C h ai c ar am el L atte w i th o ut.
5 S av e e n er gy . H o w wo ul d yo u l i k e i t i f s o m eo n e tur n e d yo u o n an d l ef t yo u th e r e?
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i ca r u s Ta i lo r-ma d e m ed i c al jew el l er y, P VC , l eather , sheer a n d susta i n a b l e u se of p l as ti c c om es together in a d e l uge o f c h i c. P hoto g ra phs by S tep h an i e Gal ea C re a ti v e D i rec ti on by H el en Wolter i n g Mo d el l i n g by C ar ol i n e W fr om Fi r s t M od el M anagem ent St y l i n g by Eg le An d r i u s Ma k e up & Ha i r by Jes si c a D ee
oth e r pag e : D re ss by Jan a Zo rni k Sh o es by To ps h o p K i m o n o an d Bo dy by H uyke London
To p by O lg a N o ronh a Jew eller y sk i rt by G . F . H aw th or ne Sh o es by To ps h o p oth e r pag e : D re ss by Jan a Zo rni k o l i v e wo o d c o l lar by nadya h azb unova
H e ad pi ec e by O lga Nor onh a Jew eller y To p by G . F. H aw th or ne Sk i r t by C atari n a N i eder m ei er
Reclaiming Yo u r Wa r d r o b e Wor d s by N ot hemb a M k h on d o ph otog ra p hs by ra c h el m an n s
Translating your passion into a full-fledged business: Emma Slade is a stylist based in London who practices a sustainable and personal approach to fashion. She digs into people’s wardrobes to bring hidden treasures back to life.
How often do you find yourself staring aimlessly at your closet and silently muttering “I have nothing to wear”? What we all need is a change in perspective and to dig deep into our treasure trove of long unworn items, to see our wardrobes for their true colours. Back Of The Wardrobe is Emma Slade’s way of helping us tackle the closet conundrum. Z: Tell us about Back Of The Wardrobe and how it works? ES: Back Of The Wardrobe (BOW) is a unique personal styling concept - I work with the clothes my clients currently own. I try to understand the reasons behind why they bought the clothes they bought, which in turn helps me reinvent them. Z: What inspired you to start this venture? ES: I started doing this when I was at university. A lot of my friends would talk about how they had to style themselves creatively with what they had since as students they didn’t have money to splurge on clothes. After I graduated, a friend of mine was going through a really bad breakup and she asked me to help her. This time around, I realised that it was much more than clothes. It was about rebuilding yourself 18
on a deeper level - developing an understanding your personal aspirations and of how you want to project yourself to the world. Z: You refer to a magic little questionnaire that helps you figure out your client’s style. How did you devise the questions? ES: I think it was largely from watching people and observing my clients over time. I’ve refined the questions based on what I felt would help me know and understand my clients, before I could help them. Z: How do you translate the answers into real style options and advice your clients? ES: After they have answered the questions, I build a style board for them. What I try to do with that board is to visually represent where I feel they are at the moment and then gradually build towards what I think might be more adventurous for them. It might be something that they may aspire to be or an area they want to grow their style in. So when I meet a client, I want them to feel at ease and reassured that I have an understanding of who they are, where their comfortable style place is and where their renewed happy place might be, and then we can build towards that.
Z: With all your experience in styling people, what is your number one style tip? ES: I don’t have a number one style tip because everybody is different. I do however always tell my clients to at some point have a glass of wine and spend some time with their clothes – try things on, experiment and just get to know their clothes again. I say this because once we’ve opened that door together, it’s very important to revisit this by yourself so that it’s not something you only feel confident with when I’m there in the room telling you, “that looks amazing! Why haven’t you been wearing that?” It takes time, it’s like a new haircut sometimes you have to keep looking at yourself and asking yourself whether it feels right. Z: Tell us your biggest highlight with BOW. ES: That’s a difficult question because I love my job! A really poignant moment was when I was feeling really low. A family member was really very ill and I was exhaust-ed from it all. I went to a session, and on the way I remember wondering how I could help this woman, because I felt so tired and like I had nothing to give. Five minutes in – she was smiling, and so was I, and I felt elated. It may sound silly, but helping people look great and therefore feel good about themselves, is therapeutic for me.
Z: What made you start recreating London Fashion Week looks for your Charity Fashion Live project? ES: I was looking for a way to give a nongovernmental organisation – or what I would consider to be a sustainable fashion retailer, a voice during the biggest fashion event of the year. In line with BOW, I wanted to evidence the idea that if you’re creative with clothing, textiles and things that already exist, you can really create something beautiful and great. So the idea was to recreate London Fashion Week looks live on the spot so people can see what’s possible and that there isn’t any fakery involved. We test ran it with Charity Hospice and it was a great success so it became something I wanted to revisit each year. Z: What are your plans for BOW in the future? ES: I would love to at some point bring more stylists on board and train them up in the BOW way and grow the company so that it is able to reach more people. I would also love to have a TV programme that is about BOW styling. Take a trip into the back of your wardrobe with Emma by visiting her website: www.backofthewardrobe.com.
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AGENDa H e y Boy , H ey G i r l
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(U ni )S ex Appea l wor d s by A va n i P ur oh i t il l ustr a t i o n by i n a r i s i r ol a
If we take the sex out of fashion and go gender neutral, is it attractive enough for us to embrace?
Pink or Blue? Barbies or miniature cars? Gender roles have been constructed for us from the second we are born. Society, however has strived to redefine some of these stereotypes and sure, we now see women playing the same sports as men, men opting out of boardrooms and choosing to be stay-at-home dads, but is that enough? Do you think we are ready to transcend the preconceived notions of his and hers? When Diane Keaton was seen wearing men’s trousers, waistcoats and ties, in Woody Allen’s 1977 film Annie Hall, her style went on to become a trend that lives on today. In comparison, when Hollywood actor, Will Smith’s 16-year-old son Jaden was seen wearing a dress over a pair of denim shorts recently, the media went bal-listic. Most of the newspaper headlines read ‘Jaden Smith Wears a Dress’. Why didn’t Angelina Jolie make the headlines for wearing a tuxedo for the 67th Annual BAFTA awards in 2014? Over time we’ve realised that although it is far more acceptable for women to dress in an androgynous fashion, seldom will men follow suit when it comes to 22
wearing anything that is remotely feminine. Earlier this year luxury department store, Selfridges dedicated three floors to unisex apparel in its flagship store in London. When this happens, we can be certain that gender lines are not just blurring on the runways but that they’ve gone mainstream. We are familiar with womenswear taking on the mannish look, but this year we witnessed menswear becoming effeminate. Some of the Autumn Winter 2015 menswear collections showed us designers flirting with the idea of gender fluid clothes. Gucci’s new creative director Alessandro Michele showcased male models walking down the runway in blouses with pussy cat bows. Riccardo Tisci at Givency sent men in skirts (also known as a “man-skirt”) styled over trousers. JW Anderson, Hedi Slimane and Prada’s collections also lingered around the same inspiration. The Oxford Dictionary (OED) has been considering the inclusion of the word ‘Mx’, in its next edition. This honorific will be recognised as a third gender, or for people who do not wish to identify their gender.
The creative industry has always been quick to accept peoples individualities and their eccentricities as opposed to the rigid ‘norms’ laid down by society. We saw Lae T, the Brazilian born transgender model who was Riccardo Tisci’s muse was featured on the cover of LOVE magazine in January 2011. Transgender model Andrea Pejic has modelled for both menswear and womenswear collections of brands such as Marc Jacobs, DKNY and Jean Paul Gaultier. She told the New York magazine in August 2011, “I guess professionally I’ve left my gender open to artistic interpretation. I don’t really have that sort of strong gender identity - I identify as what I am.” We’ve come to terms with unisex salons, perfumes and toilets, so what’s the hype about unisex clothes? Author Jo Paoletti writes in the introduction of her book, Sex and Unisex: Fashion, Feminism, and the Sexual Revolution, “Yes, fashion is fun, but clothing is also bound up with the most serious business we do as humans: expressing ourselves as we understand ourselves.” It will be interesting to see if people outside the creative industry adapt to clothes that are void of gender associations. Is this radical fashion trend here to stay? Is it just another passing fad? We have all borrowed clothes from our boyfriends but will there be a day when they start borrowing from us? 23
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s he Zo e ti c sho wc ases th i s s eason s tr an sfor m able, g en d e rl e ss a nd str u c tu r ed si l h ouettes .
P hoto g ra phs by Tan i a Fr an co K l ei n Mo d el l i n g by S tep h en an d B i an k a fr om Oxygen m odels st y l i n g by Shi r ly P i p er n o C re a ti v e D i rec ti on by Avan i P ur oh i t Ha i r a n d ma k e up by L au r a G u ti er r ez an d M ar gar ita Glushkova
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oth e r pag e : D re ss by M ar ty n a sob czak to p by M e l i e Sc h ae r tr o us ers by Z ara c oat by Sabi n a Soder b er g To p by M ar ty n a Sob czak Tr o us ers by M ati er e “Fr ankli n” To p by L api dar i u m sw e ats h i r t by M a r tyna Sob czak Tr o us ers by Z ara
to p by M ar ty n a Sob czak tr o us ers by M ati er e “Fr ankli n� to p by M ar ti n a S o b czak Tr o us ers by Z ara oth e r pag e : D re ss es by M el i e Sch aer
othe r pa ge : coa t by S a bina S oderberg Top by Ma rtyna S obc z a k Trousers by Ma tiere “Fra nkl in� Top by L a pida rium swe a tshirt by Ma rtyna S obc z a k Trousers by Z a ra top by Ma rtyna S obc z a k
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in hi s sh o es wor d s by a va n i p ur oh i t ph otog ra p hs by A l ex S c h m i d er
Since Nik Kacy couldn’t find the shoes he wanted while growing up, he decided to make them himself. The designer speaks to Avani Purohit about his mantra of gratitude and the future of genderless fashion.
When I first read about Los Angeles-based unisex-shoe designer Nik Kacy and his incredible journey of quitting his 20 year old stable job at Google in order to pursue his dreams, I was inspired. He successfully raised approximately $48,000 via Kickstarter to start his own luxury shoe brand, one that is hand crafted in Portugal, different from the casual styles that Vans and Converse have to offer. When I reached out to him for an interview, his prompt and helpful response restored my faith in this creative but superficial industry. “I will be happy to pay it forward,” he said as he voluntarily offered to go through our Kickstarter campaign. And his detailed feedback left the entire Zoetic team speechless - something he wrote in spite of the fact that he was rushing in and out of the hospital to look after his father who was in a coma. Nik reminds us that benevolence and selflessness go hand in glove with success and determination. 30
Z: What is your inspiration behind the concept of genderless footwear? How did it begin? NK: While growing up I always had a tough time finding shoes that I liked. Primarily because I have small feet and finding a pair that fit right in the men’s section was a challenge. That’s when I realised that there is a gap in the market and decided to one day make shoes for everyone like me - people who wanted to break out of the stereotypical gender binary. Z: Leaving a secure job to follow your dreams is a tough choice - what gave you the conviction to follow yours? NK: I’ve always been one to live life to the fullest. Maybe its because I spent much of my childhood depressed, closeted and suicidal. Somewhere along the way, I made a decision to live and not just exist and since that day, I have had no regrets and I live each day with as much authenticity as I can. Z: Did you face any challenges while starting off? How did you overcome them? NK: Definitely. First off, coming from zero background in the shoe industry meant I had to start from scratch and find experts in the field to learn from. Second, even at the international shoe fair most people refused to talk to me because I looked unfamiliar and different from what they were used to seeing. Finally, to the folks who finally sat down to listen to what
I envision (thanks to my new shoe contact Giovanni, an agent from Italy), the majority of people could not grasp what I wanted to do or didn’t think that there was a market for it. Z: Can you tell us a little bit about how you designed this collection? NK: For my first collection, I wanted to start with basics and take the masculine styles that I have always drooled over, like wingtips and monks, and give it a queer and personal twist. Finally, I had the last custom designed to break the traditional gendered proportions. The last for Fortune (my first collection) is designed to em-body the aesthetics of gender neutrality so that everyone can wear it. Z: Does creating genderless footwear allow you to have freedom, or does it rather add an element of constraint? NK: Personally, I believe it allows limitless potential to express yourself through fashion in whatever mood or way you feel at the moment. Z: Do you think that unisex fashion is the future of fashion? NK: Absolutely. I believe that style should not be defined by gender. Times are changing - we have witnessed large department stores and fashion houses embrace gender fluidity as a concept. Everyone should be able to shop for clothes that are true to their individuality. 31
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radar T ec h n o log i c
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future pa s t T ra n si t i o n a l d r ess i n g th r ow s u p s om e i nt er esting c o mb i n a t i o n s: 3 D p r i n ted ac ces sor i es along w it h pa ste l e n se mb l es i s th e sh ap e of th i n gs to c om e. p hoto g ra phs by tu r k i n a faso MO D EL l i n g by M er c ed es Wal l i sc h fr om D 1 M od els ST Y L I n g by El i zaveta M az i tova MA K E UP & HA I R by Z i i m a Yosu k e N ak aji m a
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oth e r pag e : D re ss by C O S L e gg i n g s by M ai son M ar g i ela Bag by I sabe l H e l f R u c k sac k by C h i ar a Pavan Bo dy su i t an d L e gg i ng s by M ai son M ar g i ela
D re ss by & Oth e r Stor i es Bac k pac k by C as sandr a V er i ty G r een oth e r pag e : Sh o es by Val e n ti n i Ar gyr op oulou
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othe r pa ge : Dre ss by L ungta de Fa nc y Eyewe a r by Chia ra Pa va n Ja c ket by Ma ison Ma rgiel a
Design got Dro ne Wor d s by Geet ika Agar wal illustr at ion by inar i sir ola
It will fly your package to your home, it’ll get the map of a terrorist camp, it’ll catch a celebrity in the nude, and you’ll try to fight against it, but drones are all you’ll be obsessed with very soon.
Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), are not a new thing anymore. Starting from the military to mundane, they are now everywhere and fast becoming part of the surveillance of terrorist camps by the military. However, design, the medium which alternates between following trends and pioneering them has adapted to the time of the drone in a fairly haphazard manner. The first instance which comes to mind is the infamous Fendi fiasco, where the legendary design house attempted to project itself as a futuristic brand by live-streaming the A/W14 collection show via a drone cam. While the idea was truly novel, the execution buried the novelty six feet under, the footage was blurred, overexposed and shaky enough for people to acquire migraines. However, the good thing is that Fendi opened up the possibility of drones becoming a part of mainstream fashion, rather than just a niche weapon. A better variation of drones being used as filming devices for fashion 40
was demonstrated by Style.com in collaboration with Da Drone Boyz, where they made two short videos on the New York Fashion Week 2015. The visuals were of the best quality and there was no discernible shake to the video either, perhaps Fendi should try drones again this year. The following months in 2014 saw drone popularity rise meteorically as filmmakers, activists, explorers and the paparazzi discovered the advantages of video-recording from a distance. This kind of intrusive surveillance annoyed and infuriated many, one of them being New York designer Adam Harvey. Apart from introducing CV Dazzle, make-up to thwart facial-recognition and CamoFlash, a brighter counter-flash to foil paparazzi photos, he has also introduced Stealth Wear. The collection consists of antidrone garments ranging from caps to hijabs that, in essence, act as a barrier against the thermal imaging technology used to identify individuals in UAVs.
Now a year later and against the backdrop of hysterical news alerts about drones being used to scout terror-strike locations in France, drones are receiving a much-needed facelift thanks to the lovechild of design and technology- wearable tech. The idea of wearable drones was first seen as the Nixie, a wearable selfie-cam drone. It was the winner of Intel’s 2014 Make It Wearable challenge and one of the first prototypes was demonstrated in at CES 2015. The drone, which looked like a watch made with Lego, successfully launched, clicked a photo and found its way back to the founder who snapped it out of the air. This may seem to be the best compromise between selfies and traditional photography, however the challenges of picture quality and mass production are still being worked out by the Nixie Team. At the recently concluded interactive festival South by Southwest (SXSW), this spark was developed into a raging inferno by Frog Design, a global product strategy and design firm. The
premise behind its seriously mind-blowing designs is that wearable drones are going to be replacing handheld smartphones in the future. In fact, they believe wearable drones will be commonplace by 2030 and conceptualised 16 different wearable drones in its Wearable Drones in the City project. Four of the concepts were shared with the awed public outside of SXSW, consisting of Flare, a palm strapped drone which launches and flies ahead of you to guide your way; Breathe, a hovering oval drone which filters the air when it registers high air-pollution; Scout, a drone that maps out an interactive route which challenges a climbers pace and endurance; Parasol, a drone which is hooked onto jewellery and transforms into umbrella using its propellers. While wearable drones are all still in the prototype stages, such inventions come as fodder for thinking minds who may yet be able to find a different definition of drone and design. For now, you’ll have to be content with drone deliveries, drone movies, anti-drone clothes and anti-drone drones. 41
R AIN B O W I N M Y C LO S ET WOR D S BY D EBA RA TI S AN YAL ph otog ra p hs by a m y w i n ter s
Central Saint Martins graduate Amy Konstanze Mercedes Rainbow Winters creates clothes that have the ability to change colour depending on its surroundings. She speaks to Debarati Sanyal about her journey and future plans.
Her knowledge of theatre is the driving force behind her deep understanding of human behaviour and its environment; about peoples reactions within an artificially constructed framework. This is the essence of Amy’s interactive wearable designs, one that is a fusion of fashion and visual arts. Z: You have been actively involved with the technological aspect of design for a long time. What got you into it? AW: Back in 2006 I was creating an opera costume, and decided to add LED lights to really make it stand out. This experience inspired me to work with fabrics that would transform its colour in response to sunlight, sound, water and tension. I initially studied arts but I gained the courage to speak to scientists through a chance discovery a few years ago. After reading about truly incredible things that were evolving with textiles I wrote to a scientist behind one of the technologies. Post that meeting I began to discover a new world where science, art and fashion could work together. 42
Z: Where do you gain inspiration from? AW: Change, response and process. My work centres around how clothes once worn can transform and morph the body as it responds to external environmental factors and I actively keep experimenting and merging technology with fashion. Z: Tell us a little bit about the process behind your creation. AW: Since my creations involve a mélange of technology and fashion, the process is far more laborious as opposed to regular garment manufacturing. And this is also one of the biggest challenges we face. But I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. One day I’m working with clothes and the next I’m at a scientific conference or a research laboratory. For me, work never gets monotonous and that’s what I love about it! Z: How has your design process and work evolved since you have graduated from CSM?
AW: I have become more confident about all the science that goes into the making of a future fabric and I know a lot more about this technology than before. This makes the communication between me and my collaborators in this field a lot easier! Z: Will we see a ready-to-wear collection from the Rainbow Winters label soon? AW: As of now, I am channeling all my energy in the research and development of new fabrics. My ultimate goal is to gain a deeper insight of this branch, to help encourage collaborations between science, textiles and fashion. Z: Are there any new collections in the horizon that we can look forward to? AW: Its all under wraps for now, the world of fashion and technology is top secret until launch! But you can keep yourself updated and see more videos and pictures on my website, www.rainbowwinters.com.
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T he Pur suit of
H a p p i n es s words by avani purohit photographs by tania franco klein
Is happiness a place you go to? Or something we need to search for deep within ourselves? Ruth Rogers, owner of The Canvas Cafe and founder of the charity Body Gossip speaks to Avani Purohit about her attempts to pass on some sunshine.
What do you do when you are upset? Cry? Call up your best friend? Or go for a run? Though we are told that happiness lies within us, we are all guilty of seeking external comfort on our bad days - maybe it involves indulging ourselves with a bowl of vanilla ice-cream or a quick shopping spree. London’s Brick Lane is now home to The Canvas Cafe, also known as The Happy Cafe, and could soon be one of the places you go to, to cheer you up. For Ruth, happiness lies in the little things - be it watching Netflix with her cat and boyfriend, hanging out with her friends and their kids or talking to her parents on the phone. Z: You have many roles - actress, founder of Body Gossip and now The Happy Cafe - which one do you enjoy the most and why? RR: I think I enjoyed this [The Happy Cafe] the most. When I was an actress I felt quite unpowerful. It gets difficult at times because even though you’re intelligent, have ambition and want to do something with your life you’re at the beck and call of casting directors. You’re constantly being judged on the basis of your age, height, skin colour and everything. Here, however scary as it might be to run a social enterprise, I do feel like I can actually make a difference and there are a lot of positive things that I feel I now have control of. 46
Z: I love the psychological take on the cafe how did you come up with the concept? RR: For my charity Body Gossip, I got the general public to write about their bodies on a sofa which had a white cover. What started out as a medium to encourage people to write a story about their body, brought out beautiful, brave and honest thoughts from people. I decided that it would be amazing to take the sofa as an idea, but go bigger where a whole venue is dedicated to the the ideas and secrets and stories of the people. So that’s why every single wall has a question on it and we invite people to share little snippets of their lives. Not only their own empowerment in sharing and being a part of this ever evolving piece of live art but also to inspire, encourage and ensure anyone that reads them. Z: Has this idea been well received by public? RR: Yes. It really has. Sometimes I walk through this basement and there’s one person standing in the middle of it who says, “I’ve been here for ages!” You know, people come down to use the toilet and then they stay a while longer to read the comments. I thought this would happen. I’m happy I’ve been proved right. You give the public a pen and ask them to write on the wall and you expect.. you know what will they write,
what will they draw?! But they have excelled themselves. The comments are beautiful, inspiring and funny and they certainly reaffirm my faith in humanity. Z: The Canvas Cafe offers a variety of seminars and workshops that are meant to uplift peoples lives - which one is your favourite and why? RR: That’s a tricky one. Because they are all quite different. But I’ll go with yoga. It’s the one thing that manages to calm me down or invigorate me. If I need to start my day I’ll do yoga. And if I need to calm down at the end of the day, I’ll do yoga. Moving our bodies is one of the best ways we can create endorphins. So, the yoga classes here on Wednesdays at lunch time and plus it’s hump day! Z: Was setting it up difficult? RR: It was so difficult. Coming from an acting background, I’d managed to live an unroutine life. Every week was different and I got comfortable within that space. And suddenly I was working on something that was never going to go away. With acting you go to a job and you know you’ve got maybe two months and then you move onto something else. With this one you know.. I’m here now. This is my job now, this is all I do. I was stepping further and further outside of my comfort zone every single day. And for the first few
months I felt very anxious, because I didn’t know if I could pull it off. But then I learnt that no one opens a business on their own. And I started looking at the skills I did not have and then finding people who had those skills. So with my team we managed to open the place. Without the team I could never have done it. Z: The decor of the cafe is very interesting, what is the thought process behind it? RR: I worked with an amazing interior designer Margriet Schuring, who volunteers at the canvas as a part of Dot Dot Dot Property Guardians. She created the interiors along with my brand designer Lee Simmons. We wanted to create something that was very happy, which is why we chose the lovely canvas yellow colour. Z: Are there any future collaborations that our readers should know about? RR: Yes! By next year this will become an arts venue. Our backyard will be converted to an outdoor seating space, so over the summer people can come over and enjoy their iced coffees or beers in the garden. Currently the basement transforms into the yoga studio, the theatre, burlesque nights, but this will then be more of a cafe and then the space at the back will be where all the events go on. 47
scr utiniz in g fe tishis m wor d s by k a t e t ho r n ph otog ra p h by e mm i h yyp pä
An exploration into the multiple definitions of the word fetish in an attempt to understand its diverse and various meanings.
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘fetishism’? Latex? Fishnet stockings? Fifty Shades of Grey? But the word doesn’t only have a sexual connotation. Traditionally, when an inanimate object is believed to be inhabited by a spirit and is then worshipped for its supposed magical powers, it’s known as a fetish. Many of our desires stem from our childhood and they can later develop into a more adult fascination for a particular object, for instance, fabrics, shoes or fur. In a 2014 interview with Dazed, alternative designer Rick Castro comments, “Fetish is the exploration of sex as art, and the refinement of one’s personal desires. Anything can be fetishised... There’ll be new fetishes forever. I feel that the 21st century is all about fetish.” There are many different aspects to it such as connections to childhood memories, nomadism and regional identity. In fact, we increasingly use fetishism design as an attempt to connect to an uncertain society. Keeping this non-kinky aspect of a fetish in mind, TRAPHOLT - The Museum of Modern Art, Applied Art, Design and Architecture in Denmark invited leading trend forecaster Li Edelkoort to curate a special exhibition on fetishism that is running until January 26, 2016. Her exhibition, Fetishism.Obsessions in Fashion and Design seeks to address how design questions our personal connection to certain materials and objects. She focused on 48
ten distinct fetish themes in design including romanticism, absurdism, infantilism and spiritualism. Based on themes emerging in design, she believes that we use design as fetishes in order to connect to a complex world. In an interview with Dezeen magazine in March 2015, Edelkoort said: “There is a moment in fashion where there is this super need to be very fetishistic. There is animalism, there are children’s behaviours, there is of course bondage, there is lace, there is fur, feathers and so on.” Fetishism and fashion seem to go together particularly well because objects that come from the design world as garments bring a sense of proximity and closeness to the viewer, more so than if the objects were simply categorised as “art.” We often use the phrase, “She has a fetish for…” when we really just mean a strong like or penchant. However, “fetish” implies something much stronger. A desire that is obsessive, perverse and excessive is a fetish and leads to such phrases such as “shopaholic” and “that dress is to die for.” If fetishism is essential to fashion, then fashion has provided the most powerful platform upon which fetishism rides. Nowhere else is there a desire for a product that is less rational. Our modern obsession with fashion seems to indicate that fetishism goes beyond bondage and into something more primal.
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