final major project magazine
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Contents: 1. About the Magazine 2. The Latest Music! -‐ Crystal Castles (p2 – 9) -‐ Grimes (p12 – 19) -‐ Purity Ring (p22 – 25) 3. Culture Shock -‐ Japanese Culture (p28 – 30) 4. Oh So Trendy S/S 2014 -‐ Pastel Pink Trend (p33 – 36) -‐ Plaid Trend (p37 – 38) -‐ Art Trend (p39 – 41) 5. Diversity Now -‐ Up-‐and-‐coming Petite Range for Matalan (p44 – 45) -‐ Up-‐and-‐coming Plus Sized Range for Very (p46 – 47) 6. Lifestyle Changing -‐ Minimalistic Lifestyle (p50 – 52) 7. Latest Designers On the Block -‐ Bobby Abley's Work (p53 – 56) 8. Main Spread -‐ Fashion Conscious Teens (p57 – 70)
About the Magazine II is an independent magazine created and founded by Ryan Mallon, a student from Liverpool Community College. Ryan decided to create a magazine for his Final Major Project at the end of his one-‐year course. Ryan set out to create this magazine for the more “artsy” type of customer. The magazine is based on both genders. This magazine is set out to give people a greater insight on the various goings on within the fashion retail. This could range from trends, to the latest and up-‐and-‐coming designers. The magazine isn’t set on just one topic; it’s based on different aspects of the world, such as lifestyle, culture, music and fashion. 1
Crystal Castles Crystal Castles are a band made up of two artists, Alice Glass and Ethan Kath. The duo comes from the small town of Saint Helena, Toronto, Canada. The band was formed in 2004 when Ethan Kath spotted Alice performing with her old band “Fetus Fatale.” He then went on to give her a CD full with 60 instrumentals of songs that he had made, and Alice had to choose 5 to write vocals for. They then went on to the recording studio and produced the tracks that Alice had written vocals for but to Alice's surprise, Ethan had created a 6th track which was just Alice's pre-‐recordings of the lyrics she wrote. This went on to becoming the bands first vinyl single, Alice Practice. Crystal Castles' first album, Crystal Castles, was released in 2008 and was listed 39th on NME'S "Top 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade.” The album Crystal Castles has various methods of communicating with the listener, may this be from listening to one of the darker songs such as Xxzxczx me or Vanished, to listening to one of the more “cheery” songs such as Tell Me What To Swallow or Magic Spells. Each song has a hidden meaning to it and although the synths and beats may feel fun, the lyrics tell a story. Take Tell Me What To Swallow for example. When you first listen to this song, it makes you feel calm and relaxed whilst at the same time, feeling well composed and cheerful. But when you listen to the lyrics, they actually tell a story of what used to be Alice's former life as a child. She composed the following lyrics: “Through the wall he threw me, I know he'd never hurt me. Daddy watched me sleeping, I've been praying for you silently. Daddy's love makes me whole, Without him I'm insecure The only girl he'd ever love, Is the one who smells so pure.” When you first get the gist of the lyrics, you will realise that it has a strong theme of abuse / paedophilia throughout. But you don't actually notice fully until you take the song apart and analyse it thoroughly. Personally, this song stood out the most for me as the soft tone of her voice cuts through the sharp message that she is putting across. This song is a step back from every other song on the album; it is explaining the root of the struggle that is underlying throughout the album. This album was just the start off point for Crystal Castles; little did they know that they would create such a diverse fan base and plummet into one of the best electronic bands to date. When they were touring for this album in late 2008, Alice broke two of her ribs in a car accident and was instructed to take at least 6 weeks off to allow the healing of the ribs, but Alice refused to do so and was performing sets within days of the accident. When Crystal Castles do a tour, their fans expect nothing but havoc and mischief. This is because Alice Glass is known for her outrageous and wild personality whilst performing, she is also known to be heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The album cover (displayed on the left hand side) is Alice and Ethan with a relaxed yet deformed posture facing towards the floor.
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Crystal Castles' second album, (II), was released in 2010 and was their first album to chart on the “Billboard Top 200” at 188th. This album is very similar to Crystal Castles in many ways, but this album had a more “Pop” feel towards it. This album still had dark undertones in its lyrics and instrumentals and is seen by many as the best Crystal Castles albums to date. The album goes from the 1st song, Baptism. To the last song, Year Of Silence, and takes us on an emotional roller coaster – yet again – through Alice's life. This time, the lyrics have a deeper emotion within them, and it's something that you can actually feel in your mind. The song Pap Smear has lyrics relating to abortion; “You never got to bloom They cut you from the stem You're innocent at birth Until you understand Repeat every word that you say to me They put you to use or put you to sleep I cant tell you the difference between An embryo or a planted seed.” Many say that this is referring to the unborn foetus and how it gets cut off from all forms of human life before it actually has a life of its own, she then goes on to sing about how abortion is your own choice and once that decision is made, that you can't take back your word on it. Many say that this song could also have something to do with various subjects and not just the topic of abortion. The lyrics that Alice produced for (II) are that meaningful, that you actually feel like you could be living the life of the song that is taking place. That's just one of the many things that Crystal Castles do well, mental manipulation. Crystal Castles' songs don't just tell a story; they also influence your mind into feeling things that you have never felt before. When you listen to the song I Am Made Of Chalk, it almost feels as if you're drowning and you're calling out for help yet your words never seem to reach the surface. That's also what Crystal Castles' lyrics are like, they never actually reach the surface unless you go into the water (or song, metaphorically speaking) and drag them out. The album artwork for (II) is a boy named X Tecumseh Clark who is in a graveyard mourning. The photograph was originally taken by his father and then used for Crystal Castles' use. 6
Crystal Castles' most recent album, (III), was released in 2012. This album has been said to be one of the most diverse albums of the millennium, and I agree with that. A quote from an interview that Alice was in claims: "A lot of bad things have happened to people close to me since (II), and it's profoundly influenced my writing as I've realized there will never be justice for them. I didn't think I could lose faith in humanity any more than I already had, but after witnessing some things, it feels like the world is a dystopia where victims don't get justice and corruption prevails.” The album addresses the theme of oppression and different ways on how you can treat it. Take the song Wrath of God for example: “Christen them with paraffin Sterilize Samaritans Contravene loyal ties Migrate them Through the pesticide They’ll strip you of your heritage Heritage They’ll strip you of your heritage.” This song is about colonization of native and indigenous peoples throughout the world. I also believe the verses are being said from the voice of a colonizer. This song also reflects the reasoning behind the colonizer, possibly spreading the beliefs of God to people around the world, yet the “wrath” of God is oppression of things such as rape, torture, occupation, genocide, slavery and the stripping of heritage. Stripping someone of their heritage is taking away any form of their past, making them forget who they once cared about and cherished, this also links back into the quote mentioned earlier on in this article. In this article, you can feel a great sense of clarity yet depression within the lyrics, Child I Will Hurt You has lyrics relating to depression and self harm: “Keep them locked away Reduce them to strays Clean their cuts and scrapes.” This could possibly relate to Alice's former life, and things she could have done before joining Crystal Castles. This album could be the be all end all for people who want an insight to the true meaning of Alice and Ethan’s life. For me personally, I think that this album is the best album that Crystal Castles have created yet. The raw emotion and compassion in this album is profoundly sincere, and from listening to the first song, Plague, to the last, Child I Will Hurt You, you can just feel the emotions dwelling in each song, and it affects the listeners life greatly. The album artwork for (III) features a picture by Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda. The image depicts a woman named Fatima al-‐Qaws holding her son, Zayed, who was exposed to tear gas in a street demonstration in Sana'a, Yemen, on October 15th, 2011. I recommend Crystal Castles to anyone who likes great music, music that actually shows raw emotion not just through the instrumentals, but through the lyrics, music that will actually make you think about your life rather than just feel numb when listening to it. Crystal Castles are a beautiful band who will thrive in the up and coming years, their next album – rumoured to be titled (IV) – will hopefully live up to the expectations of the hundreds and thousands of fans around the world. 8
Grimes Claire Elise Boucher, born March 17th 1988, better known by her stage name Grimes, is a Canadian producer, artist, musician, singer-‐songwriter and music video director. Born and raised in Vancouver. Grimes began recording experimental music while attending McGill University in Montréal, where she became involved with the underground music scene. Grimes has created three albums, the first being Geidi Primes. This album feels more cultural, with Chinese bells and claps reoccurring in her songs. Her voice is like a soft whisper in all her music, which creates a more eerie feel whilst listening, yet her instrumentals create a more joyous and exciting mood. People say that Geidi Primes is a cultist album, featuring songs with titles such as Beast Infection and Rosa. I personally think that the album is not a cultist album, yet an album filled with the ideas of a young woman who wants to create atmospheric music that will empower the listener. In Grimes' song, Feyd Rautha Dark Heart, it features lyrics such as: “I wont break your heart, in the dark. I wont break your heart, in the dark. I wont break no I wont break no.” This song has a more darker feel towards it, with the instrumental sounding cloudy and fuzzed but with her soft and mellow voice cutting through the instrumental like a knife, the lyrics suggest that This song could have been empowered by a past relationship and that Claire is trying to get out to the person she was dating and explaining that she didn't mean to actually break their heart. Grimes strives on creating different music to anyone else, she likes to create a visual mind-‐set for the listener and bases most of her music in Japan. Grimes is an artist that likes to create music when she feels like, she will not create an album year after year with the same sounding music on, she likes to take her time to create something different each time. She is currently creating an album that could possibly be released in November, but due to issues with her old record label and being taken in by Roc Records, there is a high possibility that we won't be getting any new Grimes new music until early 2015. When Grimes goes on tour, she always likes to include lights, but lights that will captivate the audience when they go to see her. Her tours always include some form of Japanese item in it also, her most popular item is a branch of cherry blossom, nobody knows what this symbolises yet she always has one at her tours. Grimes created Geidi Primes on an Apple based application called “Garage Band.” And although the album was created on an application such as Garage Band, it is one of the most endearing albums I have heard in my life. 15
Grimes' second album, Halfaxa, Has a really sinister sound to it, with heavy bass and distressed vocals and instrumentals. This album still has that oriental feel towards it but you can feel it slipping away as this album focuses more on actually getting inside the listeners mind and creating that distorted feel whilst listening. Grimes still has that whispering tone to her voice in this album and it makes the instrumentals feel deeper than the first album. Halfaxa also features song titles with not just letters in, but also symbols. No one fully knows and understands what these symbols mean, yet they give the album a more disambiguated feel to the music industry as putting symbols such as a triangle or the Omega sign is not usually seen in albums. Consider the title at face value; Halfaxa is just slightly removed from a place that we can understand and grab onto. This is the perfect way to describe the music of Grimes, a B.C. transplant making waves in the Montreal underground music scene. The songs on the album include titles such as ∆∆∆∆Rasik∆∆∆∆ and Sagrad прекрасный. Grimes always tends to use various cultures within her music, no one will ever fully understand why she does so, but it gives it that more underground and darker feel towards her albums. The song My Sister Says The Saddest Things, has lyrics such as: “Ah, my sister Hold my hand in the night, Tick tock, baby Tick tock, baby Ladies walk about, singing in the night You will never tell. I will cry on the 4th of July, and I don't really mind, and I haven't the time.” This song makes the listener feel overwhelmed, as it feels like Grimes is actually reaching out to you personally and is telling you her problems. The album Halfaxa will make the listener feel like their body is being taken over and that they are floating into space, this is because Grimes' vocals and instrumentals are that heavenly. Grimes is well known for her aesthetically pleasing album covers, and this album cover features a statue looking woman with a glowing hue around her. She then has her name “GRIMES” vertically on the far right of her cover. 17
Grimes’ most recent album is Visions and it was a studio-‐based album. This album is exactly the same as Halfaxa yet it has an earthier feel towards it, with songs such as Skin, which embraces the earth and tells you to actually appreciate the earth. Grimes also has a song on the album called Oblivion, this song is about a past experience that the singer had been in, and it was when she was walking alone at night and her evident insecurities were showing, hence why she tends to write the song in her “point of view.” The fact that the song is called Oblivion is obviously representing what she felt when she was in this situation. In an interview she says that when she went through the tragic event, that she couldn’t trust men for a while afterwards. The lyrics have a deep meaning and when you fully understand what the song is about, you will begin to unravel the song piece by piece and get a clearer image of what the singer is trying to portray. Grimes’ soft voice guides you through the 14-‐track album. The album includes a soft intro with a deep and bassy outro. This is a good representation of the album as it progresses from quiet and soft melodies in the beginning to dirty and dark bass tracks at the end. The song Skin that I mentioned earlier features the lyrics: “Soft skin, You touch me once again and somehow it stings ‘Cause I know it is the end I hate that you’re leaving, so why don’t you talk to me? You act like nothing ever happened but it meant the world to me. And you can’t, and you can’t see the wind in the trees. And you can’t, and you can’t see the wind in the leaves, And you can’t, and you can’t see the weight in the dark. And you can’t, and you can’t see the weight in the heart.” When you actually listen to this song, it isn’t just about appreciating the earth, but it is about a relationship that is at its breaking point. The lyrics that start from “And you can’t, and you can’t see the wind in the trees” could represent the fact that the singer is hurting and the partner is oblivious to the fact. It could also be seen, as the artist is hurting in ways that are unexplainable and to the other person it is just another story that they have heard before; it’s like the inevitable. The album artwork is a mutant looking man with a black and purple background displaying the track list on the side. Grimes is a girl of the future and in a very short space of time, she will become famous. So get used to hearing her sweet melodic voice around. 19
Purity Ring Purity Ring is a band from Canada made up from two artists, Megan James and Corin Roddick. Megan James and Corin Roddick, aged 26 and 23 respectively in April 2014, formed Purity Ring in 2010. Both grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. Megan played piano and Corin played drums prior to the band's inception, however neither currently play them as their primary instrument for Purity Ring. During live shows, Corin uses a custom-‐built, tree-‐shaped instrument to drive both live sound and lighting. Additionally, during live appearances both wear clothes custom designed and sewn by Megan. Megan uses written work, which she originally did not intend to release to the public for many of the band's lyrics. Purity Ring's only album, self-‐titled “Shrines” is one of the most outspoken and deepest albums out there. The album was made in 2012 and still gets flawless reviews now. It's like a mixture of Grimes and Crystal Castles put together. Purity Ring has an array of different songs, varying from the lighter Ungirthed, to the more sinister Obedear. These songs too, like Crystal Castles', have a deeper meaning behind them. Take their song Saltkin for example. This song chants things such as: “Still my sweating lips, wield my starving hips There's a cult, there's a cult inside of me Form a salt, sprinkle it around me.” This song is speaking about getting rid of those dark emotions inside you, casting them out as “demons” and trying to cleanse your body by bringing the old you back. This song speaks out to near enough all people as we all have those inner demons that we wish to repent. The hollow voice of the lead singer, Megan James, makes the song seem godlier, whilst the instrumental behind it all makes it feel more alluring. The 11-‐track album loops through, playing a snippet of each song at the end of the previous so you get that never-‐ending feeling. This is a good technique as once you start listening to the mesmerising album; it's hard to stop. Each song is portraying various aspects of life, some of which you may have never heard of. Apparently, Obedear is a song about killing your loved ones and hiding the evidence, god knows why anyone would want to sing about that but the mastery behind the vocals and those unearthly synths makes your body want to envelop the music and become one with it. Purity Ring are a not so well known band, and this makes listening to them that bit more exciting. I mean, who doesn't love listening to an unknown band and bragging about your finds to a friend? Purity Ring are masters at creating atmospheric tunes to dance and sway to, they make you feel like that thing that was missing in your life, is back, and bigger than ever before. This album feels very cult-‐like with the numerous lyrics about “cults” and “death” that appear on more than one occasion. Purity Ring's album cover is a mixture of all their singles put together. There is a set of lungs on top of the pile, then a pair of hands that appear to be trying to grasp the lungs (maybe it link's to Saltkin?) and then finally, an image of a young girl who is holding onto a sheep. The colours on the cover are also very alluring, with the black of the background and the light, pastel colours of the different things surrounding the girl. 24
Japanese Style The Japanese style is one of the most beautiful styles on this earth. They take the simplest of things and turn it into wearable art. The items that they use can be both home made and also store bought but they will never steer away from the traditional Japanese trends. At present, there are many styles of dress in Japan, created from a mix of both local and foreign labels. Some of these styles are extreme and avant-‐garde, similar to the haute couture seen on European catwalks. Shoichi Aoki has chronicled the rise and fall of many of these trends since 1997 in the fashion magazine FRUiTS, which is a magazine for the promotion of street fashion in Japan. There are many groups of Japanese street fashion, such as Lolita, Gyaru, Ganguro, Kogal, Bōsōzoku, Decora, Shironuri and Cult Party Kei. Each of the sub-‐sections has their own style, and they are all interpreted in their own way. Japanese fashion is known to have an international influence, and the influential countries are known as China, Korea and Taiwan. Japanese street fashion is also said to influence the West Cost of the USA. High-‐end fashion brands like Comme des Garçons played a big role in the global industry since the 80s, especially through numerous guest designs with other brands. In 2008, Rei Kawakubo designed for Louis Vuitton and H&M. The Japanese tend to wear vibrant colours and usually cosplay their favourite artists. The best style is seen in the main area of Japan, which is Tokyo. This is because Japanese people like to stun the foreign visitors whilst they are touring around Tokyo. The Japanese are known to exaggerate their eyes with contacts, this is so they can look as “Anime” as possible. 28
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Pastel Pink Pastel Pink, among many other pastel colours, is soon to hit the high-‐street retailers. The pastel hue seen amongst the catwalks, is this spring / summers hit trend. Many designers have tried to interpret the pastels into their own style by creating more elegant and formal wear that can still be classed as ravishing when going out for a meal with friends or even if you're just spending the day in the office. Pastels are easy to co-‐ordinate with summer clothes as the pastel hue will give the clothes a more relaxed and light feeling without making the outfit look crowded and dark. Leather has also been known to make an appearance whilst wearing the pink pastel hue, as it clashes and gives it more of a captivating look. Not only is this look filtering down from the catwalk into the high-‐street stores, but it is also making an appearance within celebrity’s wardrobes, this shows that it will definitely be a trend to look out for this S/S. One of the key colour combinations of this S/S trend is to go for a more light grey approach, clashing the light hue of the pink with the musky and contrasting grey to give it that luxurious look and feel. Another colour combination would also be the white on white trend, it isn't all about the colour black no more, this trend has definitely eliminated black from the colour palette this S/S. You don't actually have to own pastel pink garments to take part in this trend; you can also accessories with pink hues to add that summery feel to any of your current looks. Some of the key accessories would be a stylish clutch bag and shoes to enhance your outfit to that more elite look, but even if you don't have those, you can still wear a cute little watch and accessorize with hairpieces and such. It's also been reported that this trend is even going into hairstyles. This season’s hairstyle guide is apparently saying that this seasons “look” is soft rounded edges with a light pastel hue to set the look off. 34
Plaid The Plaid trend has been a thing that has been around for many, many years. The earliest sighting was in the 1980's. Fashion just re-‐uses trends but finds new and exciting ways to change them around. This time, the plaid trend has gone for a different approach, using bolder colours for both men and women. The women get dresses slashed with reds and blues, which mould together and create a beautiful violet colour, whereas the men get a more neutral approach and get the browns, greys and blacks. Many designers have created looks on the catwalk that include cut sequinned jeans with the plaid pattern on, and this trend has been funnelled down into the high-‐street stores so you can get almost anything with it on. There has also been a recent outbreak of two pieces of the same pattern, put together in a creative and stylish way. This is better known as a “Co-‐cord.” Many people have been wearing plaid co-‐cords in its original monochrome colours to give the outfit a more stylish yet sophisticated look whilst in every day life and around the office. The plaid trend will be something that will always manage to amaze everyone, yet still turn up every couple of years with something new and different in its works. 38
Art There is currently a trend exclusively to the catwalk involving a full collection of famous artist paintings, so exclusive that they haven't even filtered down the high street yet and are not available for the public, only for celebrities. The trend has been a sweep over blogs reaching over 1000 posts per minute just over the trend alone. Some websites have tried to interpret this trend my creating more smaller items for use, such as socks. There is a website that has created a full range of socks based on some of the most famous paintings in the world such as The Mona Lisa and “Scream.” Word is, that some of the designers in couture houses even interviewed various artists and got illustrations created exclusively for them. According to an inside source, Prada even had various printings on their studio walls for inspiration for this trend. This trend could also leap into next years S/S and appear with paintbrush strokes, spray cans and even graphite. The art trend can be worn any way you want to, you can go full grey scale or every colour of the spectrum available if you wish. This is one of the more “creative” trends of the S/S and should be used to your own advantage to create more eye-‐catching looks, as everything will be changing in A/W to more gloomy and darker outfits. 40
Petite Matalan are creating a new range, and this range is not your ordinary style of range, it’s petite. This is the first petite range of its kind, and it’s coming your way at the beginning of May 2015. The range will include various different patterns including things such as florals, abstract prints, peplum shirts and maxi dresses, all tailored to suit the petite size. That’s another thing, one of the key trends of this range is Tailored-‐clothing. Things such as abstract, bold prints with a subtle tone towards them will be in next s/s, just a heads up. Occasion wear is also a key trend, short suits with a pastel approach are definitely coming up next year and this range literally has it all. The preview launch date for this range is in the Liverpool store and day is Saturday 2nd of May 2015, the time is 8am to 6:30pm, to give everyone enough time to shop until you drop! The first 100 customers who spend £20+ get a free £5 reduction off their purchase. The Liverpool store is the first to have the range so be sure to come down and grab those bargain pieces before they all sell out. The official release date of the range is the 5th of May 2015 and it goes nationwide, also online. The preview launch will also be fundraising for the NSPCC by creating raffles with various items to win. There will be free goodie bags given out, including things such as vouchers, card organizers, pens, and much more. The launch of this range is the first that Matalan has ever seen and should definitely not be missed. As always, we do have some exclusive never seen before previews of the CADs and designs used in the making, enjoy! 45
So Fabulous! There’s a new range heading your way Very.co.uk buyers. This range is also an exclusive range that has never been created before, it’s a plus sized range. Now as Very.co.uk is based online, there is going to be a pop-‐up shop in the Metquarter based in Liverpool City Centre. The Metquarter is one of the most well known places in the Liverpool area and it has really easy access to its facilities. There is a bus station literally around the corner and there is a train station about a 5-‐minute walk away. The pop-‐up shop is going to be available for 4 weeks only from the 2nd of June until the 20th of June 2015. The opening times are going to be Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm and Saturday – Sunday: 10am – 4pm. There are going to be vouchers given out to the first 50 people who visit the pop up shop. There will be a personal shopper there also to cater to everyone’s needs, may it be a complete re-‐style or just a little touch up. The main reason for this pop-‐up shop is that not every shop has ranges for plus-‐sized women, so they tend to shop online, not no more. This pop-‐up shop will allow other plus-‐sized women to go out and actually shop and meet new people, whilst gathering new clothes to wear. There will also be goody bags given away on the first day along with the vouchers that I mentioned earlier. The sizes will be around 14 – 32 and there will be a special celebrity guest there for the opening, Gemma Collins. As always, we have an exclusive preview of some of the CADs of the items, hope you enjoy ;) 47
Lifestyle There is currently a trend that is sweeping across the nation, and that trend is known as “Minimalism.” Now you must be wondering: “Is this the 'old fashioned' minimalism where you go around wearing no clothes and having the basic supplies?” No, it isn't. This trend is about having different aspects to your life: • White, clean cut clothing • Plants, lots of them • A “soft” look • A clean and friendly environment This trend firstly started off on the popular blog website “Tumblr” and has funneled its way down to “Twitter” and “Instagram.” I follow a girl on Instagram who has nearly 4000 followers because of her witty clothes and minimalistic style. Her Instagram posts are always so fresh and clean, and she always has people commenting on her pictures asking where she got her clothes, plants and even home furnishings. You're probably wondering what I meant about the “soft” look, and it basically is natural, natural looking hair, hardly any make-‐up, and it helps if your eyebrows are “on point” too. Many people may see this trend as nonsense and will shun it, but others literally worship this trend and do everything in their will power to become more minimalist. I personally think that this is one of the nicest lifestyle trends to come around in the 20th century as I feel like it is more elegant and beautiful. This trend also focuses a lot on nature, and loving the surroundings that you are brought up in. This will include going for walks and appreciating the birds that tweet, and the flowers that grow beneath your feet. People mainly base their minimalism in their own living space, more specifically, your bedroom. Your bedroom is your own personal shrine where you can go to escape reality when it gets too hard. You can go to your room, read a book and drink some green tea whilst gazing outside your window watching the clouds pass you by. By allowing yourself to have a minimalistic lifestyle, you are allowing your body to be free, to be one with the clouds and the clothes that you put on. You see a different side to the world when you have this lifestyle and it is a better one for sure. Having a clean mind and environment will mean that you have a clean and clear mind, this will help you see life in a different light and will help you become more open and free with the world. “We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end.” -‐ Quote by Richard Bach about minimalism. If you are reading this and you feel like minimalism is the “thing” for you, then you now know what you need to lead a more fulfilling and enlightening life. 51
Bobby Abley Bobby Abley has taken the fashion industry by storm. Bobby’s collection is full of Disney inspired works, with pink, Mickey Mouse ears baseball cap, Banksy’esque slogan tops in Disney typography, furry sports jerseys and fuzzy Mickey Mouse shorts, everything was bright and playful. The styling saw a juxtapose between childlike and street-‐punk, where barbed wire printed track-‐suits met cartoon crow prints, where models clutching teddy-‐bears wore metal mouth vices, forcing their mouths wide open. The collection had a 90’s vibe to it with the three quarter length trousers, big print hoodies, and up to elbow sleeved cut off t-‐shirts; all rounded off with the 90’s style Dr. Martens to give it that cyber-‐punk aesthetic. Bobby is originally from Scarborough, and studied at the Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication. He has previously worked for Rankin, Alexander McQueen and Jeremy Scott. Bobby’s signature is cartoon inspired prints. Bobby’s trademark is anything with the Bobby Abley bear on; this is a solid black outline of a bear. Bobby Abley is an up and coming fashion designer whose recent A/W 2014 catwalk collection
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Fashion Conscious Teens This day in age, you don’t get judged by the actions that you do, it’s all about what you’re wearing. When you go out to town or anywhere with your friends, you will feel pressured into looking your best, why has it all come to this? Teenagers and even adults are feeling undermined when they go outside due to the glaring eyes of the people around them. The actions that people take to look “fashionable” are unnecessary and are all because of celebrities. Celebrities are the source of fashion, when teenagers and adults adore a certain celebrity they will try their best to dress like them. Celebrities will manipulate their fans and try to wear the most luxurious clothes they can to try and tempt their fans to do the same. In this article, I will be interviewing a teenager on her personal views about being fashion conscious this day in age. Fashion is about style, not cost. Celebrities don’t wear high street fashion, they tend to stick to the more designer brands forcing their fans to spend several hundreds of pounds / dollars on one garment. Celebrities do this as the fashion industry is one of the most competitive industries and celebrities get free garments to expose their fans to the eccentric fashion that is available to all. 59
Q: Hello. What is your name, age, and where are you from? A: Hey! My name is Emma Beggs, I'm 17 years old, and I live in Maghull, Liverpool. Q: When you go out, do you feel like you have to try and look your best at all times? A: Yes, absolutely. I feel like I have to keep my image to a respectable standard as I feel like my friends are going to try their hardest to keep their image up, plus I feel like nowadays, everything is based around fashion. People will judge you based on what you wear rather than your actual personality. Q: Who is your main fashion icon? A: Kylie Jenner would be my main fashion icon at the moment. The way she dresses is really minimalist and clean and I would love to be able to dress in the clothes that she wears on a daily basis. Q: Do you feel like when you go out, that people always look at you and what you're wearing? A: Yes, I feel like everyone is looking at me as teens in modern society are solely judged based on the clothes that they wear. You don't realise it, but you will be doing it yourself, no matter where you go and who you're with, you will always be looking at other people and looking at their clothes. Q: What do you do to make yourself stand out from the crowd? A: I tend to try and wear darker clothes mixed in with pastels on a daily basis. But I usually try to wear clothes that differ from the current trends, but also try to incorporate the trends into my clothes. Q: What is/are your favourite brand(s) to shop at? A: I tend to shop at Zara, Pull and Bear and H&M. They are all stylish and minimalist but at an affordable price. I also think that they have some really stylish up-‐to-‐date clothes but they are diverse and to my taste. Q: Would you spend countless amounts of pounds on a garment if a celebrity told you do/has worn it? A: I would if the garment was at a reasonable price and I actually thought that I would wear it. Q: What is your favourite trend this Spring/Summer? A: I'd have to say that my favourite trend this S/S would be pastels. I feel like this trend is really refreshing and can be incorporated into many different styles, such as my personal favourite – Black x Pastel. Q: What do you think the fashion industry has turned into this day in age? A: I believe that it has turned into a more cost-‐based industries and it's becoming harder for teenagers and adults alike to dress in the way they want to as the prices are just rocketing up. I feel like celebrities also have a big impact on the fashion industry, as they cannot be seen in plain high-‐street brands even though they have probably had a celebrity endorsement tied into them. Q: Thank you for answering these questions, just one more. What tips would you give to teenagers/adults reading this magazine and wondering about what/how to wear clothes? A: I would say to just be yourself and dress how you feel best. Do not try and dress and become something that you are not, as you will be lying to yourself and the others around you. If you just dress how you want, then you will become happier and more self-‐fulfilled. 64
What are your views on this delicate subject, do you agree with the editor or do you have a different view. Contact us at magazineII.tumblr.com or scan the QR code below.
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