milk___magazine
DESCRIPTION
F a s h i o n . A r t s . C u l t u r e .TRANSCRIPT
____magazine
f a s h i o n a r t s c u l t u r e
m i l k .I S S U E 1
SUMMER 2013
C O M E I N T O O U R M I L K . W O R L DC O M E I N T O O U R M I L K . W O R L DC O M E I N T O O U R M I L K . W O R L DC O M E I N T O O U R M I L K . W O R L DC O M E I N T O O U R M I L K . W O R L DC O M E I N T O O U R M I L K . W O R L DC O M E I N T O O U R M I L K . W O R L D
3. EdItoR’S LEttER//
4. UndER thE noodLEbaR//
8. WoRd//
10. KSEnIa//
16. CRoatIa//
18. PoP//
23. SECREt.Soho//
26. tREnd//
30. FREd V & GRaFIX//
34. PattERnItY//
36. tInnEd bananaS//
40. MIRRoR MIRRoR//
41. CUPP//
43. dUCKS//
44. MoRE FRoM MILK//
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E d I t o R ’ S L E t t E R
h e l l o .h e l l o .
Hey mini milkers. Welcome to the first issue of MILK__Magazine! It’s taken jugs of caffiene, patience and dates with indesign to get here, but it’s done. MILK___has grown from a little streetwear brand, starting off in 2012, into a hub of finding new talent across the fashion, arts and culture worlds. Bit by bit, this has been etched onto these pages to form our first summer issue of MILK___Magazine! Wheee! Like I said, this issue focuses on the emerging talent we expect to see seeping into your lives this summer. We’ve trav-elled everywhere from New York to Croatia, Bristol, Cardiff and back to London, to bring you the little gems which we couldn’t let go un-noticed. We see talent which has already acheived a hella-lot, like Fred V & Grafix. Only just waving bye to their teens and they’re touring Europe with the biggest DnB label out there at the moment. Or Ksenia Schnaider, the Ukranian Designer who has put her foot in the door of London Fashion Week this year. One of my favourites of the issue is the feature on super hawt, dancewear meets streetwear label TINNED BANANAS. We had so much fun shooting this, the bubble balloons, the crazy, little bit bananas prints and the chat with co-founder Rosie Spencer. Definitely one to note down for your summer splurge list. Also, a little roll back to the 90s is happening. There’s a mini style file of classic 90s pieces, ones which have been surfacing of late, and ones which we never, ever, ever thought would reappear. But ones we love. And cannot stop wearing. For some, the 90s scrunchie won’t even need to be repurchased, have a little rum-mage around your top draw and you’ve probably got one lurking from the gymnastics class-es nine years ago. Then we’ve got a dip into the culture pot - New York, Croatia, a festival dedicated to patterns and a Taiwanese tradition which will soon be knocking froyo off the top spot at festivals this summer. Phew. It’s been so much fun making this issue, massive thanks to everyone who has helped along the way! Woo, enjoy, and HAPPY SUMMER!
LouisaMILK___team
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under the noodlebar.
Taking inspiration from the renowned studio 54 in New York - STUDIO 89 offers the latest fix in disco and deep house since opening its doors at the end of 2011. Expect slow beats, electric atmosphere and disco vibes behind the unsuspecting black door in the backstreets of Cardiff.
a R t S
under the noodlebar.
F E a t U R E
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Welcome to Studio 89.
The twosome behind this in-
genius venture have enjoyed sell-
out events since the little black
door was opened in December
2011. They’ve managed to keep
regulars and a close knit quality
to the place, the ‘studio family’
without it feeling like a clique in
the slightest. They’ve got brand-
ing on point and have passed up
pleas of a bigger venue although
the demand is evidently there.
Studio just wouldn’t be studio
without being under one of Car-
diff’s most popular noodlebars.
F E a t U R E a R t S
IInk stamps, indian headress-
es, gold headbands and glit-
ter galore. It’s all regular attire
for the underground night in the
backstreets of the inconspicuous
welsh captial, Cardiff. Mix in
some deep house and disco vibes
and you’re well on your way to
having a pretty sweet night. Ven-
ture off the beaten track in Lon-
don or New York and you’re
soon to find something of the
sort, but Cardiff, it doesn’t ex-
actly scream underground scene.
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a r t s F E a t U R E
The former ‘secret underground’ seems
to be surfacing somewhat. In the light
of artists such as Disclosure and Ju-
lio Bashmore gaining regular airplay
on mainstream radio, previous fans of
the conventional vibe are seemingly
starting to dip their toes into the world
of deep house, disco and future garage.
This welsh venue is certainly gath-
ering a following, and being decked
out with 70s and 80s influenced art-
work all helps to transport you back
to the vibes that were circulating in
the 70s at Studio 54 in New York.
It’s the attention to detail in this place
that makes it so special, and keeps its
disco bunnies going back for more eve-
ry month. Acts like Bicep, Duff Disco,
Medlar, Detroit Swindle and Casino
Times have all graced the decks and tak-
en home a coverted studio golden vinyl
which is presented at the end of their set.
It’s Studio time. Don’t be left out.
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a r t sF E a t U R E
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W O R D.F a S h I o n
ROSIE TAPNER___MODELOne of the main faces to watch this year. Rosie has started off her year as the campaign gal for Top-shop SS13, walking for them at their LFW Unique show, as well as opening the Todd Lynn show and walking for Giles and Michael Van Der Ham. She was scouted by Storm at the Clothes Show in 2011, and now, still only at the tender age of 17, her career has skyrocketed. She’s currently got two Balenciaga campaigns under her belt and has worked with Burb-erry and Chloe, as well as being pals with fellow brit faces, Cara Delevinge and Jordan Dunn. Person-ality is an attractive selling point for models at present, and with her down to earth approach to the modelling lifestyle, Rosie retires back to boarding school when she’s not working on jobs. Being actively involved in a heap of sports too, she’s definitely got mass appeal.
@ROSIE _TAPNER
ELLIOTT MORGAN___PHOTOGRAPHER
@ELLIOTT_MORGAN
Working with the likes of Dazed & Confused, Glamour, GQ and Topman, it’s safe to say Elliott Morgan has a fully flourished CV behind him having graduated from his BA photography course at UCA. MILK__ has chosen to feature Elliott be-cause of the freshness he brings to photography, particularly in fashion, where his models demand attention. There’s a certain atti-tude behind his shots, all figures making a real statement in every click of the camera lens. At only 21, his work shows an effortless touch, and his ability to switch between subjects in the music, fashion and film industries is one he is highly credited for. Being a freelance for sony’s syco, and being the inhouse picture editor at Fiasco Magazine, more and more people are going to be getting to know Elliott’s work in 2013.
F E a t U R E
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RICK I HALL. ___MODELSOKI MAK___STYLIST
MILK. GIVES YOU A LITTLE PEEK INTO THE INDUSTRY NAMES WE THINK ARE SET FOR THE BIG TIME IN 2013.
Discovered as he stepped out of Topman on Oxford Street, which he refers to as ‘incred-ibly cliche’, this bearded, tattooed brummie has an atti-tude to match his exterior and has been stormin’ the modelling world so far this year. Tak-ing inspiration from a vetran model, Miles Better, Ricki ad-mits his iconic beard was the changing point for his career. “If I didn’t have the beard I don’t know where the fuck I’d be right now to be honest with you! It just gives that edge where you’ve got that gentleman look about you – that bit of dapper-ness, but you’ve got a little bit of naughtiness on the edge”.
Being best mates with singer Yas-min has already got Soki Mak some serious kudos among other celeb-rities, and leaving Central St. Martins because it ‘just isn’t for everyone’ she landed herself a sought after internship at Vivi-enne Westwood. From there she’s planted her foot firmly on the styling scene. Working with the likes of Dazed & Confused, Soki says it gave her chance to build a portfoio and be taken seriously. “It takes a while to gain respect from people that are in your line of work.” She’s certainly proved her worth, recently adding rapper Eve and female trio Stooshie to her list of celebrity clientel.
F a S h I o n
CLAIRE BARROW___DESIGNERGaining worldwide recognition for her detailed painted leather jackets, Westminster Uni graduate, Claire Barrow, has enjoyed a stream of success since being spotted by Lulu Kennedy of Fashion East. Her latest collection was included in a catwalk show at the Tate, and streamed to millions via Topshop.com. With Rihanna being a fan of the designer, it seems Barrow’s future is set to hold promising things, although she presses it’s not all about the celebrity appeal. “When I got asked to do stuff for Rihanna of course I wanted to do it, but peo-ple seem to think it should be something that’s a highlight of my career, but I don’t see it like that.” Her AW13 col-lection sees her diversifying her handling of leather, while maintaining the dignity of the underground culture in which she believes. View her collections at www.clairebarrow.com.
@SOKIMAK @RICKIFUCKINHALL
@MISCLAIREBARROW
F E a t U R E
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F a S h I o n
“you have to keep your heart wide open to see all the beauty that surrounds you”
KSENIA SCHNAIDER
design which pushed her to pursue her dream & the meaning behind her collections.
Eastern European Fashion in its finest form, Marchenko reveales herpassion
for
I n t E R V I E W
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CONCEpTUAl DESIgN DUO KSENIA SCHNAIDER, A EUROpEAN UNISEx bRAND wHICH lAUNCHED IN 2011, SHARE A pASSION fOR CONTEmpORARY DE-SIgN. UKRAINIAN DESIgNER KSENIA mARCHENKO AND RUSSIAN gRApHIC DESIgNER ANTON SCHNAIDER fORmED TOgETHER, bUIlDINg COllECTIONS THAT fEATURE mINImAlIST, vERSATIlE pIECES THAT CAN bE pAIRED wITH jUST AbOUT ANYTHINg. mIlK___ SpOKE TO KSENIA AbOUT Aw13 COllECTION ‘bODYwARmER’, THE NEw COllECTION fROm THE DUO AND pREvIOUS COlECTION ‘CAmOUflAgE’ wHICH HElD A STRONg pRESENCE AT THE mERCEDES bENz fASHION wEEK IN KIEv AT THE END Of 2012.
I n t E R V I E W F a S h I o n
Photo: Misha BochkarevModel : Olimpia Whitemustache
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Everyday people are exposed to various factors which influence their choice of clothing. Where do you feel fashion trends actually originate from? For you as a designer, who or what inspires your creativity the most?
You have to keep your heart wide open to see all the beauty that surrounds you – sky, architecture, people, music, nature, art… You never know what will influ-ence your work in the future; you just have to be ready to react. As for me, I get my inspiration when I am working, I just need to begin and then ideas will follow. I try to work consciously, con-stantly asking “why?” and “for what reason?” Nothing appears in the de-signs without a reason. In general, we are both inspired by clothing itself; we use traditional clothes and bring them our experience – simplicity and clarity.
Your past two collections are extremely strong and have such a simplistic feel to them. How would you describe your lat-est collection ‘Bodywarmer’ and what was your inspiration for this collection?
Thank you! When starting this collection I thought about the classic bodywarmer, how in the Soviet Union, the bodywarm-er is such an iconic piece because of its affordability, versatility and utility. I took inspiration from this and wanted to relay the idea of quilting and carry it through the collection, with dresses, skirts, jack-ets, coats and the backs of t-shirts, us-ing a fanned panelling technique. I still wanted to make it a luxury, away from the utility of the classic style, so chose to use a mix of leather and deep detail.
I n t E R V I E WF a S h I o n
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F a S h I o n
image courtesy of kseniaschnaider.com
F a S h I o n
image courtesy of kseniaschnaider.com
Do you aim to send out a mes-sage within the collections you create? What message are you trying to deliver and do you want people to have their own interpretations?
Of course, but we are trying to mask the meaning slightly, al-lowing people space and free-dom to express their personal beliefs with our clothes. I feel this allows people to feel an in-ner confidence in my designs when they are worn. By simply telling someone the meaning at-tached to a collection, you are stripping their own imagination in some way. Fashion is like art, everyone has their own in-terpretations, and everyone will wear something in a different way to the next person. That’s what I love about fashion and that’s what drew me to design-ing, it’s ever-changing nature.
Describe the journey your designs go through from beginning to end for a Ksenia Schnaider collection?
Everything starts in conversa-tion, we discuss different ideas and then I start sketching. I like to change everything at the first fitting, but it doesn’t hap-pen too often. We usually start from dialogues in a car. Anton works with fabrics, patterns and colours. We always meas-ure our clothes for ourselves. We love long fittings when you can concentrate on a feeling
F a S h I o n
for the challenges I face when designing today. They gave me inspiration without me having to look too far for it, it allowed my designing to come naturally in a way and I’m lucky in that respect that everything man-aged to fall Into place the way it did with the help of Anton
What advice would you give your younger self, starting off in today’s fashion industry?
I think young designers should give advice to the professionals nowadays! You have to have a tough skin to work in this busi-ness - the more work you put in early on, the earlier the ben-efits will start showing. If you don’t believe in what you are doing, then how do you ex-pect anyone else to believe it – self-belief is crucial to the success of your work. So my advice is to work, work, work!
[Favourite things]
[Favourite City]Anton: New York & Moscow
Ksenia: Paris and Kiev
[Favourite moment of day]Anton: early eveningKsenia: early morning
[Favourite dessert]
Anton: Umm, WatermelonKsenia: Probably ice cream
www.kseniaschnaider.com
from a cut and choose the best proportion. When samples are ready we carry out numerous shoots and other administrative work… emails, phone calls, meetings, fittings and so on.
What boundaries do you cross in relation to your de-signs and collections which you feel other designers don’t cross and are you constantly trying to challege yourself?
I think it is my personal bor-ders. Everyday brings a new challenge and a new approach, and you have to adapt to that. So I would say, growing and adapting to my work as a de-signer are constant boundaries which I cross everyday. This allows me to push my own tal-ents and hopefully that will al-low the designs to grow with the people who I design for.
When you first started de-signing, what encouraged you to keep persevering in such a tough industry?
I started about 10 years ago, and I was lucky to have great friends who have always in-spired me and encourage new collections. I think it’s definite-ly an important part of design-ing to get honest opinions from the outset, it helps to toughen your exterior for the things to come in this world, and hav-ing that support from my fam-ily and friends prepared me
I n t E R V I E W
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A D VE N TU R EI S LA N D
c u l t u r e F E a t U R E
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You’d be forgiven for failing
to keep up to speed with every
festival on the planet at the mo-
ment. Some have been around
for years and are only just start-
ing to seep into the media light.
Others, are little babies in this
ever growing outdoor musical
industry and have kept their fol-
lowing a tight knit one, nestled
in the idilic hideaways where
they belong. One thing festi-
vals are good at doing is getting
the same loyal followers back
every year for more. Lineups
are evolving to suit the needs of
the festival goers. We all want
different things out of a festival.
If you want a bit of tranquility,
a bask on the beach, followed
by a seductive beat and rippling
waves in the backdrop, then
have a little lookie at some of the
offerings Croatia has brought to
the table this year. In particular,
Unknown festival, the latest of-
fereing from the organisers be-
hind Hideout festival, held on
the island in July. Following on
from Hideout’s popularity with
UK house fiends, Unknown is
to be launched at the start of
September. The driving forces
behind this additional Croa-
tian event have secured a line
up which will see Disclosure,
Jessie Ware, TEED, Jamie XX,
Joy Orbison and Cyril Hahn, to
name a few, taking to stages set
against the contrasting Croatian
landscapes, forest and beach.
Add in another element to this
adventure island fest which
will see artists providing im-
promtu sets at secret venues
around Rovinj in the North of
Croatia and it’s looking like a
definite cert for anyone cling-
ing on to the last moments of
summer. The idea of providing
live music alongside mysteri-
ous art installations also keeps
it in line with its sister, Hide-
out. With many UK festivals
being a washout last year and
the temptation of flying away
for a holiday and festival in
one, it seems festival fans are
considering jumping on a plane
out of the UK and into the Eu-
ropean fest scene. No chance of
being knee deep in mud, leav-
ing because of flooding or get-
ting trench foot , instead you’ll
basking in the beauty that is the
island of Croatia at Unknown.
croatia.c u l t u r e
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w w w . u n k n o w n c r o a t i a . c o m
POP
F a S h I o n F E a t U R E
[90s][MILK.__& THE RE-BIRTH OF THE ICONIC PIECES OF 90S FASHION IN 2013. WHY WE CAN’T LET THE SCRUNCHIE DIE OUT AND DON OUR RUCKSACKS EVERYWHERE WE GO.]
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The ultimate symbol of
the 90s. The scrunchie is
back. So uncool, it’s cool.
These were in their prime
just before crimped hair
took over the world. When
‘Saved By The Bell’ was
compulsory after school
viewing and Cher Horow-
itz was our fashion sav-
F a S h I o nF E a t U R E
iour. After it’s fasing out,
the scrunchie has been left
to the preschool generation
and those of us who can’t
find an alternative bob-
ble in the morning rush.
This time around, wear
hair piled on the very top
of the head - think messy
topknot or Stefani style
ponytail. The scrunchie
prints should speak for
themselves - bright, child-
ish, phychedelic or a full
metallic or velvet is the
look you’re going for here.
People may sneer, but it’s
probable they’re the ones
sporting a DORK, GEEK,
DWEEB or NERD tee.
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The epitome of 90s grunge, acid wash
denim walked all over the stonewash
trend which appeared in the late 90s.
It began to emerge in the late 80s,
but the acid wash jean became a sta-
ple for the American supermodels of
the 90s era, which they chose to wear
with bodysuits tucked in to the high
rise waist. The rebirth sees the same
oversized looks - jackets, jeans, shorts
- with the emphasis on the gathered
paperbag, cinched in waist and rolled
up bottoms. It has an androgynous
feel to it, without the sharp silhou-
ette, more about creating layers and
throwing together patterns and tex-
tures for this look. Choose a thick belt
or patterned silk scarf to hold every-
thing together at the waist, a skinny-
belt will get a bit lost in the mix - it
may look like you’ve raided a man’s
warbrobe, but that’s pretty much what
you’re aiming for. If you have a lit-
tle nose online, you’ll find the best
heavyweight vintage pieces. The
more overbleached the better. You
need a dark plum lip and strong brows
to carry this iconic piece forward.
F a S h I o n F E a t U R E
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I think by now it’s clear
to see how streetwear had
taken over as the key feel
of 90s pieces. It’s taken off
in a new direction this time
- slightly more polished
with bolder colours and
patterns. The beanie was
sported by boybands and
F a S h I o nF E a t U R E
grunge fiends alike in the
90s. Wear it pointy, turned
up and oversized. We’re
chanelling the ‘Brian
from East 17’ look. Log-
os, patches, symbols and
neon colours are all major
players in the beanie boom
at the moment. The more
striking the contrast be-
tween hair colour and bean-
ie and the rest of the outfit,
the more effective this re-
birth will be. Don’t go for
the obvious brands either,
make it look a bit more au-
thentic and have a search
away from the high street.
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F a S h I o n
Ever since Cara Delevinge rocked up to
New York fashion week with her name
embroidered rucksack, the child-esque
bag has seen a new light in the modern
world. The 90s saw the popular bubble
rucksack bags, if you didn’t have a me-
tallic one in school, you were a bit of a
loser, and the clashing printed canvas
was also a favourtie. Fast forward fifteen
years and it’s the leather, denim and trib-
al prints which have wormed their way
down to the high street stores. The way
to get this revival spot on is to make the
bag your own. Don’t go buying tonnes of
rucksacks, one for each day of the week.
You have left school. You don’t need to
impress on the first day of term. This ruck-
sack will be an investment piece, lugging
your life around with all its little hidden
compartments. Add printed scarves and
big beads to bleached denim rucksacks,
or look out for the more unusual prints.
These will make a bit more of a state-
ment than aztec designs which have been
exhausted by the high street. So. The 90s
rebirth really will make you feel like a
little kid all over again. An ice cream in
one hand, rucksack on and a scrunchie
bun bobbing along, Happy Summer Kids.
F E a t U R E
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c u l t u r e
Secret SoHo
The narrative that embodies the landscape of New York.
SoHo. South of Houston.The streets are lined with market stalls crammed into nooks and crannies of
the street blocks, the lights seeping out onto a chaotic, blurred Broadway. Sometimes you have to
blink that little bit more just to keep up with everything that’s going on around. Blink for too long
and you’ll end up being blasted by a horn from the impatient city truckers. It’s a constant dodge
of human life and clogged pavements. Not enough time to take a step back and appreciate the
glow, the electric atmosphere and the hidden SoHo, the real SoHo, which lurks behind the facade.
F E a t U R E
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Step to the side of the buzz of the
SoHo strip and you’ll be trans-
ported into the history of this
famed Manhattan community.
The brickwork laiden with mu-
rals, figures, paintings and every
kind of street art you can imagine.
The concrete jungle of New York
City sees an escape in SoHo from
the plentiful grey wash skyscrap-
ers with its ‘gallery on the street’
movement. Being renowned for
its artistry since the 1960s, the
creative inhabitants of SoHo
have kept moulding and extend-
ing their canvases around every
back street corner. You’ll notice
a new addition every morning,
every time it hits evening, there’s
a new expression being shared
on the walls of this community.
A new layer of New York’s life.
Layers of writing, of names, pic-
tures, paintings, sometimes intel-
ligible, sometimes ambiguous,
but always expressive of who
New York City is on that day.
c u l t u r e F E a t U R E
24
New York, you’re perfect.Don’t, please don’t change a thing.
- James Murphy
c u l t u r eF E a t U R E
[ trend. ] |noun|
[general direction in which something is going/changing][a current style or fashion]
F a S h I o n F E a t U R E
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The image in the media has never been more powerful. Persuasive. Bewitching. Enthralling. Capturing the mood and feel of a unique moment in time and relaying this within media that can be viewed over and over again.With fashion moving at such a fast pace in the contemporary world, who is there to navigate us through the continuous journey through an ever-changing landscape? Who ulti-mately decides what is in and what is out of fashion - and quintessentially, what is a trend and how is is determined?----------------------------------------------------When defining a fashion trend, we usually think of styles or items of clothing which are currently popular to con-sumers. You could say, something which is already near saturation point by the time it works its way down to the high street. A number of factors infulence trends, but which of these ultimately decide what is ‘of the moment’.
celebrities. designers.social and economic factors.the media.money.you
F a S h I o n
M i l k _ _ _ _ i n v e s t i g a t e s .
[CELEBRITIES]It’s difficult to know a celeb-rities true style. Maybe go way back to when they first became famous, when they didn’t have a stylist there to decide what is worn at various public events and that’s when you’ll see what they would choose. However, with celebrity endorsements being at the top of the list for major brands, it’s true that many peo-ple get the majority of their trend influences from their fa-vourite star. Celebrities in contemporary culture are brands in their own right, and they have the selling power. Although
they are generally on trend, celebrities don’t create the trends. They are a platform for designers and brands alike to showcase their latest work and further influence the public.
[DESIGNERS]When a collection is shown at fashion week, the designers are immediatly back to research-ing ideas for the next show in 6 months time. Designers are usually exposed to many of the same influences, which is why various themes will be notice-able throughout different col-
F E a t U R E
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lections. The influences often come from present factors in culture. Every little thing that is going on around us. Visual, films, books, events are all ab-sorbed and relayed by designers as trends. So, the trends are ultimately decided by designers? They are in a sense bound together by designers, the root of trends is already formed in society.
[SOCIAL.AND.ECONOMIC.FACTORS]Society illustrates current trends of the season to design-ers. Not necessarily just fash-ion, but economic fluctuations and shifts in music genres, art and film. Significant trends over the past few years have shown a return to glamour and luxe, coinciding with the back-ground of political and economic gloom. This could be interpreted as escapism, the same way fan-tasy films have been popular – dressing as a character, hiding away from the harsh reality of the present. Compare this to the 90s, when everything was heading in a better direction, grunge was in its prime. Although the world and its movements influ-
F a S h I o n
ence the direction trends will head, it is left to another source to promote and focus in on specific trends and topics.
[MEDIA]With celebrities clearly being an influence for the growth of a trend, the media acts as a plat-form to showcase the styles they choose or are endorsed to wear, With the visual power of the typical glossy magazines having a significant effect on the de-velopment of trends, the Editor has the power to choose what is included and what isn’t covered. If a particular fashion is left out of focus, then it simply doesn’t reach the critical mass required.With the shift to online me-dia content and print sales falling, there is still a need to keep designers happy in this industry. Why is that? W e l l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
[MONEY] Magazines make the majority of their money through advertis-ing. That advertising happens to come from some of the big
F E a t U R E
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F a S h I o n
names and faces in the world of fashion. Editor’s may be choos-ing certain looks for more than one reason, money from design-ers is often a factor which is at the source of certain edito-rial shoots for instance. High street fashion chains are con-stantly adding new lines to their store catalogue , meaning that you, the customer, is also being swept along with the fast pace of these changes, ie. spending more money and updating your ward-robe more and more frequently.Although this may come across as manipulation by these fashion giants, there is still a mas-sive deciding factor involved in a trend taking off or not.
[YOU] Ultimately, it is up to the cus-tomer whether they buy into that trend or not. While it may seem that stores are luring you in and making it hard not to make that purchase, there are also many trends which are planned and tested and don’t end up de-veloping, simply because the customer hasn’t bought in to it. Usually, in the present day,
this is achieved before being passed down to the high street stores. With the increase in so-cial media and the blogosphere, retailers and designers alike have the ability to test the wa-ter of certain trends to their audiences before the production fase, giving them a clearer idea of which ones to push for-ward. Trends will also develop from customers influencing each other, as you often find peo-ple with similar style are eas-ily influenced by each other.
So, to conclude, fashion trend ideas are brainstormed by fash-ion industry retailers, judged by you, the customer, pushed to the designers, debuted on the catwalks, endorsed by celeb-rities, covered by the media, intergrated into high street ranges and ultimately worn by you. A process which happens over and over every 6 months.All of the factors discussed work hand in hand to complete the trend cycle . Every one, even if they are unaware of it, is in-volved in this cycle , every one having an equal part in de-ciding its sucess or failure.
F E a t U R E
29
I n t E R V I E W
The world’s fresh faces in DnB
take us into their world.
FACT: Drum and Bass music came into existence in the early 90s, develop-ing somewhat from its original ‘jungle music’ title, where people mixed reg-gae basslines with sped up hiphop breakbeats, along with various influences from techno. What is now a mega mix of influences and genres came from hum-ble roots in the UK. A bit like Fred V & Grafix, two jungle lovers from Exeter.
a R t S
see you in the rave.see you in the rave.see you in the rave.see you in the rave.
30
Anyone who is remotely tuned in to the DnB world will be well aware of Fred Vahrman and Josh Jackson aka. Fred V & Grafix, and their recent suc-cess after being signed and catapulted into the limelight by Hospital Records at the end of 2011. The Devonshire duo have been working together for over five years, but have shown bags of promise of late after a successful year in 2012. Not only have the boys been travelling the country with Hospital Records events pro-gramme, they have played sets at festivals such as DOUR in Belgium and even dipped their
feet into the world of event organization, setting up their own club night ‘Get Me’ in their hometown of Exeter. Add on to that an award for ‘Best Newcomer DJ’ at the Dnb Are-na Awards in Decemeber 2012, and it’s safe to say Fred V & Grafix have a lot to be proud of already. All of this having barely left their teens is quite an accomplishment - balancing Uni life studying creative mu-sic tech at Bath Spa they have big things planned for 2013. Having already been cred-ited with gems such as “One Of These Days”, “Long Dis-tance” and “Room To Breathe”
“ BELGIUM ALMOST FEELS LIKE OUR SECOND HOME ”
I n t E R V I E W a R t S
Fred V & Grafix.
31
Having already released mu-sic on Allsorts and Talkin Beatz, and received Radio One support from Zane Lowe and Annie Mac, Fred V & Grafix made their Hospital debut on the “Fifteen Years Of Hospital Records” album with “Find My Way”. As well as producers within their own right, Fred V & Grafix have also stunned us with their remixes of Emeli Sande – “Daddy” and Skepta – “Hold On” Having signed to Hos-pital late in 2011. MILK.___caught up with the cheeky chappies to get to know the story behind their success...
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HI Fred V & Grafix. Congratulations on win-ning Best Newcomer DJ at the DnB Arena Awards in December last year! Being some of the youngest DnB artists on the scene, what does it mean to you being recognised with the award?
We were thrilled just to have been nominated but to win was a real honour, especially considering the other nominees. DJing is one of the most fun things to do and we put a lot of thought into our sets so to get so much recognition for it is an amazing feeling!
You played at Dour Festival last year, and were in Belgium for NYE as well, the at-mosphere must have been crazy! What was the buzz like playing to a European crowd? And after such a successful year, what can we expect to see from Fred V & Grafix in 2013?
Belgium almost feels like our second home and it’s great to see the scene over there doing so well. European crowds are always full of energy and we have some amazing Euro-pean memories. Throughout 2013 we’re going to continue putting out new music and focussing as hard as we can on our debut album. Watch out for our first solo re-lease on Hospital in March as well!
It’s hard to believe what you’ve both achieved at such a young age, at what stage did you both realise you wanted to become an active part of drum n bass music? And who or what in-
spired your creativity the most growing up?
When we both started going to university in Bath in 2009 I think we were both sure we wanted to make a career out of DJing/producing but we weren’t sure how realistic this was. It wasn’t re-ally until we got signed to Hospital that we knew that we were fortunate enough to be able to make a living doing music after leaving uni. We were both really into Hospital when we were around 16 and listened to the podcasts religiously hoping
to be featured on one of the Democasts!
Have you ever produced any other genre of music or would you like to experiment with producing different gen-res? And who would you most love to collaborate with if you could outside of
the drum and bass world?
We’ve both got experience playing in live bands and making many different
genres from hip-hop to electro house. Collabo-rations wise we’re both really into Bonobo’s ‘Black Sands’ album so it would be great to work with him.
So we know you’re probably super busy at the moment, what’s been your most hectic 24
hours as DJs so far in your career af-ter being signed to Hospital records?
In the summer we had one weekend in particular that was extremely hec-
tic. It involved Nass Festival, Hospitality Bristol and Urban Art Forms Festival. It’s not unusual
“ I think the best piece of advice we can give anyone who’s making tunes is to enjoy the process itself rather than trying really hard to make a good tune”
a R t S I n t E R V I E W
32
i m a g e s c o u r t e s y o f h o s p i t a l i t y r e c o r d s . c o m
Check out hospitalrecords.com for the latest news and releases from the boys - and their latest EP, including latest tune ‘Purple Gates’ is already set to take the DnB world by storm this year. Thanks Guys!
for DJ’s to have three gigs in a weekend but the hard part about this weekend was that we had to play 4 till 5 in Bristol and then check into Heath-row airport at 9am. Needless to say we didn’t get a lot of sleep! We’re not complaining at all though, all three of those gigs were very very fun.
You’ve got some pretty inspiring role mod-els in the drum n bass world to look up to at Hospital Records – do you ever turn to the other guys in the business and what’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Of course! One of the best things about being on Hospital is being able to get the opinions of some of the artists which have made some of our favour-ite pieces of music. It’s hard to think what the best advice we’ve been given is. I do remem-ber reading an inter-view with ShockOne where he revealed that he spent 8 to 10 hours a day mini-mum making tunes, this motivated us quite a lot. I think the best piece of advice we can give anyone whos making tunes is to enjoy the pro-cess itself rather than trying really hard to make a good tune - that way you’ll end up spending a lot longer making tunes which will (hopefully) lead to making good tunes.
Okay so, explain the usual Fred V & Gra-fix ritual when getting ready for a set? Any
weird OCD customs which have to happen before taking to the stage to perform a set?
We don’t really have a ritual but we usual-ly brief whoever is MCing for us the general mission (which is simply ‘smash the rave’).
So you no doubt spend most of your time to-gether travelling around with Hospital - what’sthe best thing about being a part of a duo in this industry and being on the road together?
We both have experience DJing alone in other countries and the hardest thing about that is having to travel alone for very long periods of time. This really makes you appreciate having someone else’s company on the road. We also find that it makes
our DJ sets more fun because the amount of pressure is divided by two. That way it’s easier to en-joy the feeling of being on stage and not feel too intimitated by all the people looking at you while you’re deep in concentration
Finally, we know you’ve played at numerous festi-vals like Beachbreak, Dour and Lovebox in 2012. Will you be attending any as festi-
val-goers yourselves in 2013?
One that we’re really looking forward to that we haven’t attended yet is Bestival. We’ve always been told amazing things about it so it should be quite the adventure! There’s a chance we’ll both be attending Beautiful Days as well since its walking distance from Josh’s house. See you in the rave!
a R t S I n t E R V I E W
33
patternity.
“Because a shared awareness of pattern can positively shape our world”“Because a shared awareness of pattern can positively shape our world”“Because a shared awareness of pattern can positively shape our world”
When we sit back and
think what a pattern
means to us, we usually as-
sociate it with a material, a
fabric, made up of a print
pattern, or a physical pat-
tern in life. Something with
follows a certain direction,
framework or format. We
don’t always sit back and
engage with patterns. We’re
oblivious to a lot of them.
Patterns formed by shad-
ows, by discarded life, by
a R t S
moving objects. Enter the
world of Patternity. The cre-
ative organisation specialis-
ing in the expoloration, ap-
plication and awareness of
pattern, which works with
the ethos that pattern is all
around us. It’s an inspir-
ing concept. Combining the
desires of founders, Anna
Murray and Grace Winter-
ingham, to educate and push
the understanding of pattern
and its power to inspire and
engage. To aid the under-
standing that pattern shapes
our day to day life and is a
constant in society. April
2013 saw the first of a series
of annual festivals presented
by the organisation, entirely
about patterns. Encompass-
ing every attribute of this
entwined world of design.
Delving into the world of
patterns and their ability to
connect nations, cultures
and ultimately, the world.
34
F E a t U R E
This initial event sheds light
on the superstripe. How the
stripe is created in everyday
life. Shadows, illusions, food,
drink, barcodes, artwork and
the meanings behind these
unsuspecting lines. Making
the public aware of how pat-
a r t s
complex visual, the pattern.
Since its creation in 2009,
Patternity has held a strong
online presence, and now
makes the leap from inspira-
tional online hub into the real
world every year with this
celebration of pattern power.
terns shape our lives and are
often overlooked in our cul-
ture. The visual is the most
powerful medium in today’s
society, and being plummeted
into the creative world of Pat-
ternity will further the educa-
tion and breakdown of this
w w w . p a t t e r n i t y . c o . u k35
F E a t U R E
tinned bananas.
F a S h I o n
a little bit bananas.
tinned bananas.
36
If you’re planning on jet-
ting off to a festival this
year, anywhere tropi-
cal, or just want to pretend
it’s Summer in Britain, then
Milk have found your new
best friend to take with. A
crazy collection of goodies
which will have you absolute-
F E a t U R E
ly beaming like the sunshine
as you scroll through the site.
A little bit bananas. This
is TINNED BANANAS.
The new dancewear meets
streetwear UKlabel from broth-
er and sister Rosie and James
Spencer. The idea is all about
expressing personality through
the bold patterns, colours and
use of chosen material, lycra.
from dresses, tees and bikinis,
there’s a type of banana to suit
everyone for the summer season.
MILK. spoke to Rosie about the
exciting new brand and SS13
collection which will have eve-
ryone talking this summer.
F a S h I o n
toP - £35PHOTOGRAPHY: Nina RobinsonSTYLING: Louisa MarsdenMODEL: Mhairi West
bottoms - £35
37
F E a t U R E
Congratulations on the launch of
Tinned Bananas! How did the con-
cept of TB first come about and how
long did it take to come into fruition?
Thank you! Well, I guess you could say
I was the initial creative force behind
the whole TB concept. James is diabetic,
which is quite amusing, if you look at
how crazily sugary all the prints are! I fell
in love with quirky/ fun-loving/ high-en-
ergy/ medichloric screaming prints, and
found it hard to actually get something
with a fruity personality on the high street.
We love the bold personality of the
designs at Tinned Bananas. De-
scribe the perfect TB customer and
what celebrities would you love
to see wearing TB this summer?
We say, live by the rules of ‘be happy’,
‘think colourful’, ‘have fun’, ‘open your
mind’ and ‘bring yourself to life!!’, so
anyone who wants to express their in-
ner banana and celebrate a crazy print
or two. People like Katy Perry and
Jessie J are celebrities I’d loeve to
see in some Tinned Bananas outfits,
they’re not afraid of colour and prints.
bottoms - £35toP - £35
38
F a S h I o n F E a t U R E
We’re sure we’ll be seeing a lot of Tinned Ba-nanas out and about as the festival season starts this summer, if you could choose one summer tune to sum up TB, what would it be and why?
That’s a good one. It has to be something full of sugar and pop doesn’t it, I guess? I’d prob-ably have to say Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl, simply ‘cause it’s all about bananas. An anthem for Tinned Bananas right there!
What would you pick as your favour-ite pieces from the SS13 collection to take away this summer and where would be your ultimate TB hotspot to wear them?
The Caribbean Queen banana print is my fave. I think that in the dress, and the banga-rang bikini. I’d take them to Ibiza, there’s a lot of colour in Ibiza, and so mnay differ-ent types of music. I’ll be soaking up the sun and dancing the night away with my TB tan!
As people start going nuts for Tinned Banan-as, where would you like to see the brand in a years time? Can we expect more crazy prints and personality filling up our wardrobes?
Yeah, definitely! We’re always designing new lines for the site, and I’m absolutely crazy about putting together illustrations on photoshop, so yeah, there’ll be a lot more from Tinned Banan-as this time next year, and hopefully you’ll see some celebrities wearing their banana skins too!
And finally, any last words for those fruity fiends wanting to get their hands on these totally bananas creations?
Yeah sure! Head to our website tinnedba-nanas.co.uk to choose your favourite ba-nana look, and don’t blend in this summer! www.tinnedbananas.co.uk
CaRIbbEan QUEEn dRESS - £50
MESh dRESS - £35
F a S h I o nF E a t U R E
MIRRORMIRROR
Our lives revolve
around numbers.
They're dictated by
numbers. We all go by num-
bers. If you're a certain number
you fit into a certain category in
life. You fit into a size. A cloth-
ing size which defines how you
analyse your own body. As so-
ciety has developed, sizing has
too. The rise in popularity of
online outlets ebay, etsy and
asos marketplace has seen vin-
tage fashion thrust back in to
our lives from decades, some-
times generations ago. Shining
light on the shift in our bodies
and manufacturers motive to
deliver inconsistency in con-
temporary fashion. Vanity siz-
ing is something we're accus-
tomed to dealing with. We hop
from shop to shop, and size to
size everytime we do so. A size
eight now, was a size twelve
not that long ago. We're led
to believe we're smaller than
is realistic. A nation obsessed
with image, weight and the
ideal. An ideal which is being
twisted and skewed every now
and again to keep us spending.
Working with the idea that we,
as consumers, will spend more,
buy more and feel better about
ourselves fitting in to a small-
er size. Maybe re-evaluate the
size zero phenomenon. Why
is it now this size has come to
light. Size zero, equivalent to
a UK four, hasn't just appeared
because a cult of celebrities de-
cided to push the human bound-
aries of eating, although that is
sometimes the case. This media
spectacle has simply formed
from sizing morphing down
and us being made to believe
we’re that respected size. Some
could argue it's not necessar-
ily a bad thing being led to be-
lieve we’re a smaller size than
is true. But as a nation which is
seeing obesity on the rise and
fast food consumption at a re-
cord high, there won't be much
to stop you gorging a few dou-
ble cheeseburgers when you’ll
still be fitting into that size
eight next week. There's also
the issue of how influential ce-
lebrity culture is. If we’re be-
ing ing led to believe our role
models are able to achieve this
weight and size, then we must
follow suit. The supposed
ideal. By stores introducing
this sizing, it is seen to be re-
alistic. A size zero would've
been a higher equivalent a few
years ago. It goes back to the
desired look of Marylin Mon-
roe. Her size sixteen figure of
the time would sit comfort-
ably as an eight in the modern
world. The proof of the way
we're being meticulously led
to spend and to conform to a
size, which, unlike stepping
on a weighing scales, we have
absolutely no control over.
F a S h I o n C o M M E n t
40
L o u i s a M a r s d e n
bubble.pop.electric.
C U L t U R EF E a t U R E
Remember in school when your lunchbox wouldn’t
be seen dead without BN BN’s? So much so, the ac-companying jingle could’ve easily made it to number 1 within the primary school market in 1999. Now it’s all about frozen yoghurt. Froyo froyo froyo. It’s 10 degrees outside and we’re still gorg-ing froyo. But it’s fine, right? It’s yoghurt, it’s healthy, it’s the thing to have blady-blah. But, it’s pretty much hit satu-ration point. The same vari-ations of units and branding which started in London, have probably reached the Scottish Highlands by now. So what can we expect for 2013 and
beyond? The craze which will be entering our lives and be quenching our thirsts at fes-tivals, in the British sunshine and even through to winter? Hello, hello, bubble tea. This milk or fruit based tea has just started to make its mark on the UK market after being invented in Taiwan in the 80s. It’s made with these funny lit-tle chewy tapioca pearls, also known as bubbles, which are shaken up with the milk or fruit tea, creating a bub-bly mix. Having a little chew and drink in one seems to be the novelty here. Served with a fat straw and over ice, the bubble tea already has a little advantage over froyo with its
hot option, which won’t leave you a chilly billy in the win-ter. With the nation being ob-sessed with the latest health fix, this new phenomenon offers a base of green, black/red or white tea. All of which are extremely rich in antioxi-dants. The national drink has long been popular in Chi-natowns of the world since its invention 30 years ago, but the transition to western culture is just about to pop. MILK___. travelled to Bris-tol, in the West of England, to visit the UK’s first ever bubble tea cafe, built within an old shipping container, which opened mid March 2013 in Bristol’s City Centre.
41
F E a t U R EC U L t U R E
Here we have CUPP, the bubble bar concept from 28
year old Lee Peacock and Amy Miles. While spending three years in Taiwan teaching English, the couple drank the national drink everyday and when plan-ning a return to the UK, wanted to recreate the drink they had fallen in love with while living in Asia. The CUPP creators learned the true origins and authentic techniques of bubble tea, train-ing in a small independent tea shop in Kaohsiung to perfect the trade. “It’s such a popular drink out there, and although we’re the first independant bubble bar in the UK, we’ve already seen a few more popping up after we opened!” Co-creator, Amy, took MILK__ through the story of their idea and how it became re-ality. “We started off in 2012, do-ing the festival circuit in our Cit-roen HY van, and after getting a good reaction, we felt like a more permenant base!” The two-some
have transformed a once unused shipping container into the ‘CUPP BOX’, complete with tea crates as stools, and an industrial design feel. “We thought by replicating the tea crates as seats and using raw materials like wood and mesh metal containers, the CUPP BOX would have a more authentic feel, and using a shipping container has kept a link to the shipping history in Bristol!”. Choose from Lemon, Blueberry, Lime, Strawberry, Co-conut, Taro, Lychee...the list goes on. The addition of bubble coffee to the menu reaches out to an even wider audience. Bubbleology fol-lows the same principal. Based in London, this chain is rapidly ex-panding. They encourage you to be your own mixologist, trying out new flavours and combina-tions. That’s what this experience is all about. ‘The drink you can chew’ is bringing a completely new sensation to the UK market, a refereshing new lease of life into our ever evolving culture.
www.cupp teaba r. co .uk
42
ducks.
A nostalgic trip is always awaiting me in the boxes under my bed. I feel the
need sometimes to tear through the hoards of paper and debris which they contain just to put my hands on the treasured photo-graph album I’ve compiled while growing up. I make this sound very grand, when in actual fact, the album is simply a scrapbook. A scrapbook filled with photos and their negatives, gathered since I was reluctantly handed a Kodak on my 5th birthday. I’m glad my parents did that, let me record my own history, in the way I wanted to, from 3ft high. Even if it meant everyone losing their heads in the shot. Looking through the book, I always notice the recurrence of a place I visited in my childhood. A place which wouldn’t let a bad photo be taken. So it suited me perfectly.
That place is Hyde Park. It has that power to transport you away from the concrete jungle and cosmopolitan life surrounding. The way the black perimeter rail-ings guard you from the outside urban area is always something which has intrigued me. Really, it’s the sort of locality where I’d struggle to feel completely contented without the company of my parents. Merely because every footstep taken around the lake and onwards to the chil-dren’s playground provokes rec-ollections somewhere in the past. Memories which stretch from the array of bronzed leaf trees in the autumn chill, to the many pallid, plastic pedalos drifting over the ripples on the lake in the summer.
Maybe, also a reminder there is still chance to be separated from the material age we live in.
Boxing Day does bring some competition to the park. You’ll find the area patronised by many glossy bicycles, velvety, yapping puppies and pristine winter gear, all courtesy of the day before. Being a regular visitor to the park, I was prepared for this day, and often made a point of wear-ing everything gathered from my present box. It came to my atten-tion this was something of a mis-take, as wearing a new wardrobe and new roller-skates at the same time didn’t really bode well.
I guess the novelty has worn off now for flaunting round the lake. The excitement for eve-ryone to see my new bike or roller-skates or pogo stick was almost as thrilling as opening it on Christmas day. Now, with mi-cro scooters gone, it’s a continu-ous stint of the gleaming blue, electric buggy speeding by, with the little tyke behind the wheel chasing the squawking geese in front, his sister with the pink version, stopping to feed the ducks with what looks like the leftovers of the turkey crown.
Apart from Christmas, the park is settled. I always wondered where it finished, if there was any boundary to the green foli-age and grassy expanses beyond the playground. I did know the hustle and bustle of city life was just around the corner, but in-side, I liked to think the park was away from what I was used to.
It’s surprising the contrast in the atmosphere from after Christ-mas to the summer months. I’ve always cherished one photo of the park, the frozen lake in February. I do remember from looking at this photo how shut-down the park felt, the wildlife had completely vanished, and the usual squeals of excitement from the playground weren’t to be heard. A time where the park felt slightly daunting, but fasci-nating at the same time; the only day I can ever remember the ice cream vans being locked up and no pigeons fluttering over head or encircling my minature feet.
The park holds a variety of pleas-ant and not so pleasant memo-ries. The feeling of losing some of your prize possessions was al-ways the worst and climbing on the numerous picnic benches to escape the flock of geese. Maybe not quite as bad as a failed pho-tograph which ended with me being submerged in the murky water. I only wish my camera had survived the plunge to pick up my mother’s reaction to this.
However, there are always traits Hyde Park holds which will keep me going back; the stilness of the water in con-trast to the howling noises from the city behind the serpentine lake, the slide ferrying you to the playground and the vivid orchard gardens beyond this. It really is a beautiful getaway from the centre. One which I will always remember as holding many recollections in my child-hood, and visits in my adulthood.
C U L t U R E
43
E d i t o r i a l
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all content and images © Louisa Marsden 2013 unless otherwise stated.