france

Amelia’s Magazine | Yves Saint Laurent : Retrospective : Petit Palais, Paris

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A couple of weeks ago, order I was sifting through work emails and idly wondering how my forthcoming weekend was going to shape up; it seemed to be taking on the familiar pleasures of the default setting – drinks, lazing around Shoreditch Park, catching a gig or two, having a coffee at Columbia Road flower market; the same old same old essentially, and then an email dropped into my inbox that quickly made me revise my plans. It was from Ben, an old friend of Amelia’s Magazine from French-Music Org, and Liz from Brittany Tourism who were both involved in the French music festival des Vieilles Charrues in Brittany, and wanted to know if Amelia’s Magazine was interested in coming along to check it out. Being a champion of all kinds of festivals, both in England and abroad, but at the same time staying true to the ethics of not flying wherever possible, I was pleased to see that the festival encourages all non-flight forms of travel, and had a good deal with Brittany Ferries worked into one of the ticket packages that also includes transfers to and from the festival. I had a quick look at the line-up, which included performances from Phoenix, Midlake, The Raveonettes, Fanfarlo and Julian Casablancas. Then I checked my ipod and saw that apart from a little Francoise Hardy and Charlotte Gainsbourg, it was woefully lacking in French music and decided that this Gallic version of Glastonbury could be my guide to France’s vibrant music scene, especially seeing that Chapelier Fou, Revolver, Indochine, Fefe and the brilliantly named Sexy Sushi were all headlining. So that was that. All I needed to do was grab my trusty pillow and I was off to France! A few hours later, after a bumpy ferry ride that unfortunately took place on the windiest day of the year, I found myself in the picturesque town of Carhaix, home of the festival, and about 45 minutes inland from the coast.


Sune and Sharin of The Raveonettes give us a shock and awe performance.


Watching The Raveonettes with my friends – wet and bedraggled but happy.

It was straight to the festival and to the front of the crowd to watch The Raveonettes do a typically kinetic set of howling, fuzzy guitar riffs, liberally sprinkled with lots and lots of noise. Just how the audience like it. The Danish duo, made up of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are a dark force to reckon with and played an incredibly tight set, featuring songs from their fourth album, In And Out Of Control. I hadn’t see them play before and I came away thinking that the bands waiting in the wings such as Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Castles and Vivienne Girls still have a long way to go before they steal the crowns off of these two. Later I managed to get in some talk time with Sune who refused the offer of dinner with his bandmates in favour of shooting the breeze over mugs of vodka cranberries for a whole hour. (Interview to come in the next few weeks)

The next day, when I was a little less exhausted from twelve straight hours of travelling, and no sleep, I was able to properly explore the festival and see it through renewed eyes. Truth be told, it was refreshing to find myself at an overseas festival. The crowd were relaxed, extremely friendly (stand next to any random group of strangers and within a few minutes you will be conversing away happily in a garbled mix of Franglais) and the FOOD (and drink)! It doesn’t matter how many boutique festivals are springing up over England, festival des Vieilles Charrues trumps us with champagne bars all over the site (to be sipped insouciantly while you watch French rock gods Indochine) and food tents which can provide you cheese plates and fruits de la mer to go with your choice of wine. It being slightly earlier in the day, I was trying out the regional cider which was so tasty it practically made me weep, and made my way over to watch the Fanfarlo set. Unexpectedly, this was probably my favourite performance of the festival. Having toured constantly for the past year (watch the mini documentary on their website which painfully documents their incessant and exhaustion-inducing schedule), the performances of the songs from their 2009 release Reservoir have taken on a whole new level. Each band member seamlessly flitted between a myriad of different musical instruments; no-one ever held onto a guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin or musical saw for more than a few minutes before doing some musical-chairs. I’m not sure how well France was aware of Fanfarlo, but the full audience loved every song they played, and noisily demanded an encore – which unfortunately they didn’t get, but then, the band do only have about twelve songs in their back catalogue.


Fanfarlo talk about life on the road and divulge the little known fact of lead singer Simon’s childhood love of ham radios.


Traditional Breton music. Everyone knew the dance moves but me.

Night time gave me a chance to flit between the bands playing. I watched Midlake, the indie Texans who are fast gaining popularity over on this side of the pond, serenade the audience as the sun set, their hazy Americana sound drifting over the breeze and through the fields. Then it was a hop, skip and a jump to watch Sexy Sushi, the raw Parisian rap of Fefe and – I didn’t see this coming – some traditional Breton music involving some old men, a couple of accordions and a lively crowd who were all versed in the dance moves that accompany the traditional folk style. Then the midnight hour was upon us and the audience was heading in droves to watch Phoenix, who are clearly the prodigal sons of France. I’ve heard before that some of the French don’t appreciate the fact that Phoenix record all of their tracks in English, as opposed to their mother tongue, but there was no such bad feeling in the crowd that stood around me that night, sending waves of love and adulation towards the stage which prompted lead singer Thomas Mars to briefly lie on the stage in slightly dazed wonder at this epic night.

It was frustrating to have to leave on Sunday, as I missed performances by Pony Pony Run Run, Julian Casablancas and Etienne De Crecy, but work commitments dictated an early departure. Nonetheless, I had such a great time that I am already planning next years Festival des Vieilles Charrues (which will be the 20th anniversary of the festival). Brittany was the perfect setting for such a chilled festival, and a welcome addition to the festival calendar.


Yves Saint Laurent, buy information pills illustrated by Kayleigh Bluck

When in the fashion capital, sildenafil to miss a much talked about exhibition that focuses on the ‘prince of fashion’ would be a crime. Two years on from Yves Saint Laurent’s death in June 2008, information pills the Petit Palais Museum in Paris hosted a magnificent showcase of his work, his life and his history and I went to check it out.

A queuing time of one hour and a ticket price of 11 euros later, I arrived at the beginning of the exhibition which was a history of himself and through to ‘The Dior Years’; a fascinating look at how he was recognised for his beautiful fashion sketches and taken onboard by the famous couturier. Spending much of his time at Dior doing mundane tasks such as decorating, doing the paperwork and designing accessories, Yves Saint Laurent continued to submit his own sketches for new collections which, in time, lead to him being appointed to succeed as designer after Dior, who died suddenly at the age of 52 from a heart attack, promoting YSL sooner than expected and at only 21 years old.


Tribute to Piet Mondrian, 1965, illustrated by Lesley Barnes

The exhibition moved through to his first collections including the famous ‘Trapèze’, which were not approved of as he had hoped and slated by the press who didn’t think too highly of his beatnik designs.  A long line of mannequins, donated from the Foundation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent, modelled his wonderful safari jackets, skin tight trousers and the famous Le Smoking suit, which were so perfect and impeccably designed. As the first French couturier to produce a prêt -a-porter line, his rise in fame is recognised with yet another dozen or so mannequins showcasing his ‘silhouette’ designs and a room dedicated to the film Belle de Jour, starring Catherine Deneuve and many of his garments. Film clips of the beautiful actress wearing his suits and dresses lit up the room alongside his very desk where he worked on his fashion drawings and paperwork as he left it and of course, those famous glasses of his which added such a personal and almost emotional touch to the whole exhibition. An almost pitch black room beside it showing beautifully constructed evening gowns and video clips of his inspiration, ranging from old movies to photographs of Marilyn Monroe and pieces of art such as Van Gogh, Mondrian and Matisse. Leaving this, several areas full of his more exotic work which had taken inspiration from the far flung places Yves loved to visit such as Russia, India and Morocco to name but a few, showed a different, refreshing side to his talent. 


Le Smoking, illustrated by Abi Daker

As his prêt-a-porter line became more and more popular with the public, despite it’s initial reputation, YSL became considered one of the ‘Paris Jet Set’ which, although glamorous, created a worrying relationship with alcohol and drugs and a lack of interest in the production of his work. Despite this sad self destruction, his work was evidently still as fantastic as it was years before. A room decorated in red carpet and full of his best evening gowns, named as ‘The Last Ball’ shimmering underneath the spotlights and producing a lot of gasps and ‘wows’ from visitors, proved that his talent was ever-growing despite his sad personal life. Moving on to his final designs, ‘The Collision of Colours’ which were slightly different in that they were modern, classic and slightly more tamed than the extravagant previous collections, the exhibition came to a close with a few words about his last movements.  


Velvet and satin evening dress, 1983, illustrated by Emma Block

With the historical photographs, films and words alongside real life evidence of his blossoming talent from assistant to famous couturier, the exhibition was personal, thorough and highly favourable of this talented French designer whose contribution to the fashion industry is colossal. After a total of 307 of prêt-a-porter and haute couture designs and around two hours of wonderful education, I walked away feeling that I could definitely go back for another visit and would hope that any visitor to Paris would make time to go and be amazed too. He may be gone in person, but his talent lives on in memory and those who took over. If it is good enough for the fashion capital, who’s to say otherwise?

Written by Siobhan Fagan on Monday August 2nd, 2010 11:57 am

Categories ,Belle de Hour, ,Catherine Deneuve, ,Christian Dior, ,france, ,Hollywood, ,India, ,Le Smoking, ,Marilyn Monroe, ,matisse, ,Morocco, ,paris, ,Paris Jet Set, ,Petit Palais, ,Pierre Berge, ,Piet Mondrian, ,Pret-a-porter, ,Red carpet, ,Russia!, ,Silhouette, ,Trapeze, ,van gogh, ,YSL, ,Yves Saint Laurent

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Amelia’s Magazine | Yves Saint Laurent : Retrospective : Petit Palais, Paris

by


Yves Saint Laurent, illustrated by Kayleigh Bluck

When in the fashion capital, to miss a much talked about exhibition that focuses on the ‘prince of fashion’ would be a crime. Two years on from Yves Saint Laurent’s death in June 2008, the Petit Palais Museum in Paris hosted a magnificent showcase of his work, his life and his history and I went to check it out.

A queuing time of one hour and a ticket price of 11 euros later, I arrived at the beginning of the exhibition which was a history of himself and through to ‘The Dior Years’; a fascinating look at how he was recognised for his beautiful fashion sketches and taken onboard by the famous couturier. Spending much of his time at Dior doing mundane tasks such as decorating, doing the paperwork and designing accessories, Yves Saint Laurent continued to submit his own sketches for new collections which, in time, lead to him being appointed to succeed as designer after Dior, who died suddenly at the age of 52 from a heart attack, promoting YSL sooner than expected and at only 21 years old.


Tribute to Piet Mondrian, 1965, illustrated by Lesley Barnes

The exhibition moved through to his first collections including the famous ‘Trapèze’, which were not approved of as he had hoped and slated by the press who didn’t think too highly of his beatnik designs.  A long line of mannequins, donated from the Foundation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent, modelled his wonderful safari jackets, skin tight trousers and the famous Le Smoking suit, which were so perfect and impeccably designed. As the first French couturier to produce a prêt -a-porter line, his rise in fame is recognised with yet another dozen or so mannequins showcasing his ‘silhouette’ designs and a room dedicated to the film Belle de Jour, starring Catherine Deneuve and many of his garments. Film clips of the beautiful actress wearing his suits and dresses lit up the room alongside his very desk where he worked on his fashion drawings and paperwork as he left it and of course, those famous glasses of his which added such a personal and almost emotional touch to the whole exhibition. An almost pitch black room beside it showing beautifully constructed evening gowns and video clips of his inspiration, ranging from old movies to photographs of Marilyn Monroe and pieces of art such as Van Gogh, Mondrian and Matisse. Leaving this, several areas full of his more exotic work which had taken inspiration from the far flung places Yves loved to visit such as Russia, India and Morocco to name but a few, showed a different, refreshing side to his talent. 


Le Smoking, illustrated by Abi Daker

As his prêt-a-porter line became more and more popular with the public, despite it’s initial reputation, YSL became considered one of the ‘Paris Jet Set’ which, although glamorous, created a worrying relationship with alcohol and drugs and a lack of interest in the production of his work. Despite this sad self destruction, his work was evidently still as fantastic as it was years before. A room decorated in red carpet and full of his best evening gowns, named as ‘The Last Ball’ shimmering underneath the spotlights and producing a lot of gasps and ‘wows’ from visitors, proved that his talent was ever-growing despite his sad personal life. Moving on to his final designs, ‘The Collision of Colours’ which were slightly different in that they were modern, classic and slightly more tamed than the extravagant previous collections, the exhibition came to a close with a few words about his last movements.  


Velvet and satin evening dress, 1983, illustrated by Emma Block

With the historical photographs, films and words alongside real life evidence of his blossoming talent from assistant to famous couturier, the exhibition was personal, thorough and highly favourable of this talented French designer whose contribution to the fashion industry is colossal. After a total of 307 of prêt-a-porter and haute couture designs and around two hours of wonderful education, I walked away feeling that I could definitely go back for another visit and would hope that any visitor to Paris would make time to go and be amazed too. He may be gone in person, but his talent lives on in memory and those who took over. If it is good enough for the fashion capital, who’s to say otherwise?

Written by Siobhan Fagan on Monday August 2nd, 2010 11:57 am

Categories ,Belle de Hour, ,Catherine Deneuve, ,Christian Dior, ,france, ,Hollywood, ,India, ,Le Smoking, ,Marilyn Monroe, ,matisse, ,Morocco, ,paris, ,Paris Jet Set, ,Petit Palais, ,Pierre Berge, ,Piet Mondrian, ,Pret-a-porter, ,Red carpet, ,Russia!, ,Silhouette, ,Trapeze, ,van gogh, ,YSL, ,Yves Saint Laurent

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Masha Ma

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Masha Ma SS 2012 1 by Marta Spendowska
Masha Ma S/S 2012 by Marta Spendowska

She concluded her MA in Womenswear at Central Saint Martins only three years ago, page but Masha Ma has already a made a name for herself amongst London Fashion Week goers, visit web and is even one of Amelia Gregory’s favourites! True story. We therefore, capsule of course, made our way back to Vauxhall Fashion Scout to see what she’d been up to and what her S/S 2012 range had to offer.

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-003

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-004

In our interview with the award-winning designer last August, just prior to her London Fashion Week debut, Masha described her design agenda as ‘chic, modern arrogance and semi-couture’. Since then, we’ve seen her work evolve from her exquisite take on classic chic to what Amelia and I witnessed on that Saturday morning; a futuristic, bold mission into the female silhouette with accomplished fashion-forward detail.

Masha Ma SS 2012 by Meagan Morrison 1
Masha Ma S/S 2012 by Meagan Morrison

Inspired by the reconstruction of the famous Palace of Versailles, France, the collection displayed a combination of disciplined colours and textures juxtaposed with distressed sheers and unfinished edges. Most looks were slim, elegant, elongated assemblies with a tough sportswear vibe running throughout, complete with strategically placed zips, head gear and androgynous tailoring.

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-011

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-014

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-015

Masha Ma S/S 2012 by Kassie Berry
Masha Ma S/S 2012 by Kassie Berry

The show began with icy ensembles of muted blues and green pieces in numerous tones of mint and sea foam. For me, it was a stunning colour pallette which illuminated upon a delicate canvas of fluid silks, satins and sheers. These light references to an underwater odyssey (helped along by the gentle water sounds on the soundtrack) blended in-and-out amongst the Palace-inspired printed pieces. Thematically, the consistency did seem to lack. This, however, didn’t prevent me from finding the collection’s many contrasting elements equally delightful.

Masha Ma SS 2012 by Meagan Morrison 2
Masha Ma S/S 2012 by Meagan Morrison

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-022

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-023

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-033

Sheer white gauze skimmed down legs and clung loosely around calves, whilst delicate tight-pleated mini skater skirts in mint tones swayed across thighs. It was an unusually sexy composition that contrasted with smart, high-necked tailored shirts. Intelligent construction existed in the zipping together of a-symetric skirt and dress layers with other zips utilised as shaping detail to flatter the figure. The female silohuette was considered, embraced and pushed to new boundaries.

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-053

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-056

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-063

Masha Ma SS 2012 by Marta Spendowska
Masha Ma S/S 2012 by Marta Spendowska

Amongst my favourite pieces were the breathtakingly skilled coats that dominated the show, pre-finale. Original and dramatic in design, yet extremely wearable for the Spring/Summer seasons, I was being seduced into the idea of owning one of Masha‘s beautifully crafted outerwear pieces. (The matte-white one took my fancy; a girl can always dream.)

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-076

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-086

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-096

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-127

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-131

Masha Ma SS 2011 review-132
All photography by Amelia Gregory

As opposed to the radical design ethic that is so deep-seated in London fashion today, observing a collection so fine in detail and delicate in reference is something rare and refreshing. In her return to London Fashion Week for her third solo collection, Ma didn’t disappoint. In fact, it extended our vision as to her dress-making capabilities. With the art direction intriguing and beautifully illustrated, the construction unique and the detail impeccable, Masha Ma certainly (and, perhaps, unknowingly) reaffirmed herself as one of Amelia’s Magazine‘s firm favourites.

Written by Georgia Takacs on Saturday October 1st, 2011 12:34 pm

Categories ,Amelia Gregory, ,Blue, ,france, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Front Row, ,Georgia Takacs, ,lfw, ,LFW S/S 2012, ,LFW S/S12, ,London Fashion Week, ,London Fashion Week S/S 2012, ,London Fashion Week S/S12, ,Marta Spendowska, ,Masha Ma, ,Masha Ma S/S 2012, ,Masha Ma S/S12, ,Meagan Morrison, ,Palace of Versailles, ,pleats, ,print, ,sportswear, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout

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Amelia’s Magazine | At War for the Whales: Part 2

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Untitled-3

The Japanese harpoon ship, approved Shonan Maru No 2 appears behind the iceberg (photo credit: Barbara Veiga / Sea Shepherd)

It has been an eventful couple of months at sea and most of us are eager to get back to the whaling grounds as soon as possible. Two days ago we departed from Fremantle, Western Australia, for the third voyage down to the Antarctic waters, where the whalers continue their whaling season under the guise of ‘scientific research’. We have been at sea for well over 2 months now and returned to port twice for refuelling. When we initially left for the campaign in early December, we were tailed by the Shonan Maru II, a Japanese harpoon ship turned spy vessel, as soon as we left Australian waters. The ship stayed with us wherever we went. We tried to lose it by heading into ice or heavy weather, but could not shake them.

Sei whale

Illustration by Kerry Lemon

I step outside on the aft deck to see the spy ship, Shonan Maru II, bearing down upon us fast. Our helicopter had been launched earlier to verify what ship it actually is, as we hadn’t come within clear visual range before. Upon arrival, the helicopter had a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) pointed at it. This is a device that sends out a highly directional noise, aimed at disorientating or even incapacitating a person. Using it on our helicopter while it is mid-air is, to say the least, totally irresponsible. With the helicopter now safely back on the Steve Irwin, it seems that the Japanese ship is coming in for the attack. With its water cannons blasting at full power, it is trying to come alongside us, presumably to give the helicopter a wash down, in an effort to damage it. As it chases us, loudspeakers blast: “This is the Shonan Maru captain! You are too close to me! You are too close to me!” Meanwhile we have a prop-fouler ready, which is a long rope we trail from the end of our ship to keep them at bay. If they were to come too close and run over the line, it could get entangled in their propeller and cause serious damage. They know this and are unable to come as close as they’d like. They keep trying but by now we are entering an ice field full of mid-size growlers and after a few sharp manoeuvres the Japanese ship backs off. They fall back but stay behind us within radar range.

Untitled-4

The Japanese harpoon vessel, Shonan Maru No 2 on the run with water cannons blasting (photo credit: Michael Williams / Sea Shepherd)

A couple of days later we are anchored up in Commonwealth Bay, overlooking the Antarctic continent on one side and the open sea on the other. Our spy ship can still be seen lurking about on the horizon. We haven’t been able to get rid of her, so we take shelter in these waters, which are French territory. Perhaps the French can help.

We switch off the engines and while one of the officers gets in the helicopter to visit the French base Dumont D’urville, some of the crew strip down for the traditional dive in the freezing Antarctic waters. As negotiations with the French continue into the afternoon, some of us head out in the small boat towards Cape Denison, home to a colony of 30.000 Adelie penguins and the spot where the Australian scientist Mawson landed in 1911. I step foot on land and realise how few people must have been fortunate enough to see this place. Snow covers the land as far as the eye can see and the smell of the fresh and sharp air takes some getting used to. Looking out at sea, the coastline is covered with rocks and home to thousands of Adelie penguins.

penguin

A penguin on an iceberg in Antarctica (Photo: Eric Cheng / Sea Shepherd Conservation Society)

Following a bunch of penguins walking towards a huge icy ridge, it strikes me that this is probably one of the very few places of true wilderness left. Untouched by human hands, growth, development, exploitation. So far Antarctica has enjoyed fairly good protection. The Antarctic Treaty prohibits commercial and/or military activity on and around the continent and states that the number of cruise ships is to be kept to a minimum.
However, there are vast resources, such as oil and there are theories that when the treaty is re-negotiated in a few years, some countries including Japan will try to loosen these conditions in order to gain access. Some people argue that the only reason Japan continues its whaling operations in the Southern Ocean is so that it will have some ‘historical claim’ over the resources in the area, if it would ever be opened up for exploitation. Whatever the reasons, right now the Japanese fleet operates illegally in the area, threatening this habitat and the creatures that depend on its protection for their survival, which is all that matters to us.

Sperm whale

Illustration by Kerry Lemon

Seeing our ship in the far distance, anchored up in the bay, makes me feel proud to know that we are here for these animals and to protect this unique and untouched wilderness from the destructive hands of corporate power. I head back down towards the water, in the small boat and back to the ship. The commander of the French base has written a letter of support, but without some kind of navy presence in the area, they are unable to do much more than that. We pull up anchor and head back out into what now has become quite a rough sea. Not getting much sleep as we are thrown about by the 15 foot swells.

Untitled-1

photo credit: Glenn Lockitch / Sea Shepherd

Sea Shepherd has always enjoyed support from the ranks of Hollywood with, among many, Martin Sheen, Pierce Brosnan and Darryl Hannah donating their time and resources for the cause. The latest to join the list is Ady Gil, a businessman from Los Angeles, who has donated a large sum of money to help us purchase a second vessel. The ship, previously known as Earthrace, is a super fast trimaran powerboat which broke the world circumnavigation record in 2008, is bio-diesel powered and looks like something to have sailed straight out of the latest batman movie. Its skipper and creator Pete Bethune is eager to join the Sea Shepherd campaign and with the financial backing, the ship is refitted and renamed Ady Gil. We are on our way to meet up with the Ady Gil, which left Hobart two weeks earlier, to transfer food and other supplies. As we steam north, our spy ship keeps a steady two nautical miles behind us.

Untitled-2

photo credit: Glenn Lockitch / Sea Shepherd

We are getting closer to the Ady Gil and I go up to the bridge to see what is going on. Nothing shows on the radar. The boat is so small that it can go about its business virtually undetected. In addition, we take advantage of the short bit of darkness to covertly meet up. I step out on deck. ‘Over there, can you see?’ I can just about make out a tiny black spot in the vast darkness. We launch a small boat and pick up two of the crew. After a short meeting they head off into the darkness again. We set course for Hobart and the Ady Gil heads towards the spy ship in an attempt to take it out of action. Prop-foulers come out, stink bombs are thrown onto the deck and a photonic disruptor aimed at distracting those on the bridge is put to use. It is all part of our essential arsenal of non-violent tactics to shut down the whalers. In 30 years of operations Sea Shepherd has never caused a single injury as a result of any of its actions. We are non-violent yet honest about the fact that we take aggressive action. Exactly the type of action that is necessary to stop these criminal whale poachers. A few hours later we notice that the spy ship has caught up with us again. As we sail into Australian waters the Japanese ship stays put at the Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) boundary, unwilling to escalate the ongoing international stand-off over whaling.

Read Part 1 here.  Part 3 coming soon…

For latest updates and news, please see the Sea Shepherd website: www.seashepherd.org

Written by Wietse Van Der Werf on Tuesday February 16th, 2010 6:59 pm

Categories ,Adelie penguins, ,Ady Gil, ,Antarctica, ,Atlantic, ,Barbara Veiga, ,Cape Denison, ,conservation, ,Darryl Hannah, ,Dumont D’urville, ,Eric Cheng, ,france, ,Harpoon, ,Hollywood, ,Ice, ,Illegal Whaling, ,japan, ,Kerry Lemon, ,Los Angeles, ,Martin Sheen, ,Mawson, ,Michael Williams, ,Penguins, ,Pete Bethune, ,Pierce Brosnan, ,Sea Shepherd, ,Ship, ,Southern Ocean, ,Whale, ,Whaling, ,Wietse Van Der Werf

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Amelia’s Magazine | Lucky’s London Exclusive Chocolate Cake Collection inspired by Alice in Wonderland: Honey Time

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Lucky's Honey Time chocolates by Kirstie Battson
Lucky’s Honey Time chocolates by Kirstie Battson.

Love chocolate? Love cake? How about a unique combination of the two? Well, information pills the good people at Lucky’s London have decided to whack these two yummy delights together in a delicious new collection which they asked if I would like to sample. Well, I’d be a fool to say no.

Luckys chocolate review
Luckys chocolate Honey Time review
Luckys chocolate Honey Time review

The Lucky’s luxury cake range is inspired by their favourite book, Alice in Wonderland. I tried the Honey Time gift set, comprising of several exciting gingerish honey based morsels in a (fake) fur lined box: Hurry Bunny is covered with white chocolate and has an intense blueberry compote on top. Sour Kick is a moist combination of milk chocolate and apricot compote. Coco Rush has a layer of oozy coconut beneath dark chocolate. Lazy Rabbit combines milk chocolate with a Baileys infused ganache and walnut brittle. Fancy Fudge and Nutty Delay complete the mix.

Lucky's in Wonderland by Laura Frame
Lucky’s in Wonderland by Laura Frame.

All the cakes are fully enrobed in premium Grand Cru Valrhona chocolate from France which means that they have a long shelf life of up to 8 weeks. They taste delicious, and would make a unique gift for that someone special who loves cake… and chocolate.

Luckys vista
Lucky’s London has great design by creative director Fabio Buzzati, who is the co-creator of Lucky’s with Armand Falcao.

Another exciting concept being pioneered by Lucky’s is Lucky Cards – wherein customers will be asked to chose from one of a range of beautifully designed cards with an exclusive code that can then be used to claim a free gift when it arrives with their order. Lucky Cards are coming soon, but in the meantime you can marvel at their lovely design.

Luckys London Chocolates
Luckys Chocolates Mad Hatter Gift Set of 12
Also available: Lucky’s Chocolates Mad Hatter Gift Set of 12.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday October 7th, 2011 1:26 pm

Categories ,Alice in Wonderland, ,Armand Falcao, ,Baileys, ,Cake, ,chocolate, ,Coco Rush, ,Coconut, ,Compote, ,Fabio Buzzati, ,Fancy Fudge, ,france, ,Gift, ,Grand Cru Valrhona, ,Honey, ,Honey Time, ,Hurry Bunny, ,Kirstie Battson, ,Laura Frame, ,Lazy Rabbit, ,Lucky Cards, ,Lucky’s London, ,Luxury, ,Mad Hatter, ,Nutty Delay, ,Sour Kick

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion on Film: L’Amour Fou

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Yves Saint Laurent by Krister Selin

The relationship between a fashion designer and his business manager-cum-lover isn’t a new concept to cinema. Anybody who has seen Valentino: The Last Emperor will have already witnessed the trials and tribulations when two men – one a rare, creative genius, the other a businessman, have to work together on a daily basis for fifty consecutive years.


Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge by Karolina Burdon

L’Amour Fou is a little different, however. For starters, where The Last Emperor was a celebration of Valentino‘s illustrious career, L’Amour Fou doubles as a celebration of Yves Saint Laurent‘s life. This film is more of a romantic tribute to the designer through the eyes of his partner, Pierre Berge.


Yves Saint Laurent A/W 1965 – the ‘Mondrian‘ dress – by Cruz

From the opening credits, I was hooked. An homage to Yves‘ ‘Love‘ cards that he designed and produced for staff (many on display at the Majorelle Gardens, Marrakech), flashes of colour and geometric shapes flood the screen. I saw the film at the ICA, and its diminutive cinema with old fashion red velour seats and dusty projector make the experience even more apt.


Yves Saint Laurent at his final show by Mitika Chohan

When the title sequence has rolled, we see Yves at a press conference declaring his resignation, juxtaposed with Berge‘s touching eulogy at Saint Laurent‘s funeral. We’re only about 6 minutes into the film here, and already I’m in pieces.


Yves Saint Laurent at Dior by Cruz

The film features archival footage of Yves Saint Laurent, from his days at Dior through to his greatest collections during the 1970s and 1980s, pieced together by Pierre‘s narration. The film skips between Yves Saint Laurent the fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent the art collector, and Yves Saint Laurent the tempestuous lover. The film culminates with the dramatic, poignant and record-breaking art auction of 2009 in which Yves and Pierre‘s entire art collection was auctioned for AIDS charities.


Yves Saint Laurent Wedding Dress S/S 1999 by Janneke de Jong

The film explores the early relationship between the pair – they met at Christian Dior‘s funeral and it was pretty much love at first sight. You can tell by how Pierre talks about Yves that this was not an easy relationship. Yves‘ crippling depression, substance abuse, morbid insecurities and changeable state of mind have taken their toll on ol’ Berge. But through all this, a glint in his eyes remains, as his relates countless stories about one of the world’s greatest, creative men.


Yves Saint Laurent for Zizi Jeanmaire by Joana Faria

Amidst the drama of the relationship, fashion fans won’t be disappointed. The film features never-before-seen photographs of Yves at Dior, adjusting hemlines and admiring his creations on models. There’s film footage of his most celebrated collections, from bridal wear to Russian-inspired collections in the mid-seventies. We see Zizi Jeanmaire dancing in one of Yves’ most spectacular creations made of feathers.


Opium advert (1977) by Katrina Conquista

Wondrous footage of the original Opium ad is one of the film’s many highlights – and Berge describes how controversial this was; not so much the advert but the name (the controversial adverts would follow, with Sophie Dahl naked and spread eagle for Opium and the first ever fully naked man in a print advertisement for M7). The irony, as Berge describes, was that Yves selected a name with a narcotic reference, when it would be alcohol and drugs that would almost destroy their relationship. Berge talks about this at length, and how Yves would only ever be happy moments after a show; Berge would have to wait another six months to witness that same level of happiness.


Opium advert (2000) featuring a naked Sophie Dahl by Katrina Conquista

But it is the couple’s love of art that dominates this film. After Yves‘ death, Berge decided to sell the collection that they had tirelessly put together over twenty years. Why? Because, after Yves‘ death, ‘the collection had lost the greater part of its significance.’ There are less sombre anecdotes in the film: ‘When Yves designed the Mondrian dress, we never dreamt that one day we would own one,’ Berge says with a smile.


Yves Saint Laurent A/W 1965 – the ‘Mondrian‘ dress – by Mitika Chohan

And so at the end of the film, during the auction, we see Pierre sitting backstage clapping his hands and marvelling at the record-breaking sales prices. Finally, he’s the last to leave the auction and we see him walking down the stairs of the Grand Palais. It’s a poignant ending to a pretty poignant film, and there’s something a bit sinister about it that I couldn’t really put my finger on – the endless shots of empty rooms? Christies‘ employees, the ‘undertakers of art’, boxing up paintings? Berge‘s willingness to openly discuss every facet of Yves’ personality, at the risk of seeming a little bitter? I’m not sure. But I loved it, nonetheless. It’s a sombre tribute, but a colourful one.

Written by Matt Bramford on Monday November 21st, 2011 6:47 pm

Categories ,AIDS, ,art, ,Christian Dior, ,Cruz, ,Dior, ,fashion, ,film, ,france, ,ica, ,illustration, ,Janneke de Jong, ,Joana Faria, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Katrina Conquista, ,Krister Selin, ,L’Amour Fou, ,M7, ,Majorelle Gardens, ,Marrakech, ,Mondrian, ,Opium, ,paris, ,Pierre Berge, ,Pierre Thoretton, ,review, ,Russia!, ,The Last Emperor, ,Valentino, ,Yves Saint Laurent, ,Zizi Jeanmaire

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Amelia’s Magazine | Fashion on Film: L’Amour Fou

by


Yves Saint Laurent by Krister Selin

The relationship between a fashion designer and his business manager-cum-lover isn’t a new concept to cinema. Anybody who has seen Valentino: The Last Emperor will have already witnessed the trials and tribulations when two men – one a rare, creative genius, the other a businessman, have to work together on a daily basis for fifty consecutive years.


Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge by Karolina Burdon

L’Amour Fou is a little different, however. For starters, where The Last Emperor was a celebration of Valentino‘s illustrious career, L’Amour Fou doubles as a celebration of Yves Saint Laurent‘s life. This film is more of a romantic tribute to the designer through the eyes of his partner, Pierre Berge.


Yves Saint Laurent A/W 1965 – the ‘Mondrian‘ dress – by Cruz

From the opening credits, I was hooked. An homage to Yves‘ ‘Love‘ cards that he designed and produced for staff (many on display at the Majorelle Gardens, Marrakech), flashes of colour and geometric shapes flood the screen. I saw the film at the ICA, and its diminutive cinema with old fashion red velour seats and dusty projector make the experience even more apt.


Yves Saint Laurent at his final show by Mitika Chohan

When the title sequence has rolled, we see Yves at a press conference declaring his resignation, juxtaposed with Berge‘s touching eulogy at Saint Laurent‘s funeral. We’re only about 6 minutes into the film here, and already I’m in pieces.


Yves Saint Laurent at Dior by Cruz

The film features archival footage of Yves Saint Laurent, from his days at Dior through to his greatest collections during the 1970s and 1980s, pieced together by Pierre‘s narration. The film skips between Yves Saint Laurent the fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent the art collector, and Yves Saint Laurent the tempestuous lover. The film culminates with the dramatic, poignant and record-breaking art auction of 2009 in which Yves and Pierre‘s entire art collection was auctioned for AIDS charities.


Yves Saint Laurent Wedding Dress S/S 1999 by Janneke de Jong

The film explores the early relationship between the pair – they met at Christian Dior‘s funeral and it was pretty much love at first sight. You can tell by how Pierre talks about Yves that this was not an easy relationship. Yves‘ crippling depression, substance abuse, morbid insecurities and changeable state of mind have taken their toll on ol’ Berge. But through all this, a glint in his eyes remains, as his relates countless stories about one of the world’s greatest, creative men.


Yves Saint Laurent for Zizi Jeanmaire by Joana Faria

Amidst the drama of the relationship, fashion fans won’t be disappointed. The film features never-before-seen photographs of Yves at Dior, adjusting hemlines and admiring his creations on models. There’s film footage of his most celebrated collections, from bridal wear to Russian-inspired collections in the mid-seventies. We see Zizi Jeanmaire dancing in one of Yves’ most spectacular creations made of feathers.


Opium advert (1977) by Katrina Conquista

Wondrous footage of the original Opium ad is one of the film’s many highlights – and Berge describes how controversial this was; not so much the advert but the name (the controversial adverts would follow, with Sophie Dahl naked and spread eagle for Opium and the first ever fully naked man in a print advertisement for M7). The irony, as Berge describes, was that Yves selected a name with a narcotic reference, when it would be alcohol and drugs that would almost destroy their relationship. Berge talks about this at length, and how Yves would only ever be happy moments after a show; Berge would have to wait another six months to witness that same level of happiness.


Opium advert (2000) featuring a naked Sophie Dahl by Katrina Conquista

But it is the couple’s love of art that dominates this film. After Yves‘ death, Berge decided to sell the collection that they had tirelessly put together over twenty years. Why? Because, after Yves‘ death, ‘the collection had lost the greater part of its significance.’ There are less sombre anecdotes in the film: ‘When Yves designed the Mondrian dress, we never dreamt that one day we would own one,’ Berge says with a smile.


Yves Saint Laurent A/W 1965 – the ‘Mondrian‘ dress – by Mitika Chohan

And so at the end of the film, during the auction, we see Pierre sitting backstage clapping his hands and marvelling at the record-breaking sales prices. Finally, he’s the last to leave the auction and we see him walking down the stairs of the Grand Palais. It’s a poignant ending to a pretty poignant film, and there’s something a bit sinister about it that I couldn’t really put my finger on – the endless shots of empty rooms? Christies‘ employees, the ‘undertakers of art’, boxing up paintings? Berge‘s willingness to openly discuss every facet of Yves’ personality, at the risk of seeming a little bitter? I’m not sure. But I loved it, nonetheless. It’s a sombre tribute, but a colourful one.

Written by Matt Bramford on Monday November 21st, 2011 6:47 pm

Categories ,AIDS, ,art, ,Christian Dior, ,Cruz, ,Dior, ,fashion, ,film, ,france, ,ica, ,illustration, ,Janneke de Jong, ,Joana Faria, ,Karolina Burdon, ,Katrina Conquista, ,Krister Selin, ,L’Amour Fou, ,M7, ,Majorelle Gardens, ,Marrakech, ,Mondrian, ,Opium, ,paris, ,Pierre Berge, ,Pierre Thoretton, ,review, ,Russia!, ,The Last Emperor, ,Valentino, ,Yves Saint Laurent, ,Zizi Jeanmaire

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Amelia’s Magazine | Festival Review: Vieilles Charrues

by


A couple of weeks ago, medications I was sifting through work emails and idly wondering how my forthcoming weekend was going to shape up; it seemed to be taking on the familiar pleasures of the default setting – drinks, pilule lazing around Shoreditch Park, case catching a gig or two, having a coffee at Columbia Road flower market; the same old same old essentially, and then an email dropped into my inbox that quickly made me revise my plans. It was from Ben, an old friend of Amelia’s Magazine from French-Music Org, and Liz from Brittany Tourism who were both involved in the French music festival des Vieilles Charrues in Brittany, and wanted to know if Amelia’s Magazine was interested in coming along to check it out. Being a champion of all kinds of festivals, both in England and abroad, but at the same time staying true to the ethics of not flying wherever possible, I was pleased to see that the festival encourages all non-flight forms of travel, and had a good deal with Brittany Ferries worked into one of the ticket packages that also includes transfers to and from the festival. I had a quick look at the line-up, which included performances from Phoenix, Midlake, The Raveonettes, Fanfarlo, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and Julian Casablancas. Then I checked my ipod and saw that apart from a little Francoise Hardy and Charlotte Gainsbourg, it was woefully lacking in French music and decided that this Gallic version of Glastonbury could be my guide to France’s vibrant music scene, especially seeing that Chapelier Fou, Revolver, Indochine, Fefe and the brilliantly named Sexy Sushi were all headlining. So that was that. All I needed to do was grab my trusty pillow and I was off to France! A few hours later, after a bumpy ferry ride that unfortunately took place on the windiest day of the year, I found myself in the picturesque town of Carhaix, home of the festival, and about 45 minutes inland from the coast.


Sune and Sharin of The Raveonettes give us a shock and awe performance.


Watching The Raveonettes with my friends – wet and bedraggled but happy.

It was straight to the festival and to the front of the crowd to watch The Raveonettes do a typically kinetic set of howling, fuzzy guitar riffs, liberally sprinkled with lots and lots of noise. Just how the audience like it. The Danish duo, made up of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are a dark force to reckon with and played an incredibly tight set, featuring songs from their fourth album, In And Out Of Control. I hadn’t see them play before and I came away thinking that the bands waiting in the wings such as Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Castles and Vivienne Girls still have a long way to go before they steal the crowns off of these two. Later I managed to get in some talk time with Sune who refused the offer of dinner with his bandmates in favour of shooting the breeze over mugs of vodka cranberries for a whole hour. (Interview to come in the next few weeks)

The next day, when I was a little less exhausted from twelve straight hours of travelling, and no sleep, I was able to properly explore the festival and see it through renewed eyes. Truth be told, it was refreshing to find myself at an overseas festival. The crowd were relaxed, extremely friendly (stand next to any random group of strangers and within a few minutes you will be conversing away happily in a garbled mix of Franglais) and the FOOD (and drink)! It doesn’t matter how many boutique festivals are springing up over England, festival des Vieilles Charrues trumps us with champagne bars all over the site (to be sipped insouciantly while you watch French rock gods Indochine) and food tents which can provide you cheese plates and fruits de la mer to go with your choice of wine. It being slightly earlier in the day, I was trying out the regional cider which was so tasty it practically made me weep, and made my way over to watch the Fanfarlo set. Unexpectedly, this was probably my favourite performance of the festival. Having toured constantly for the past year (watch the mini documentary on their website which painfully documents their incessant and exhaustion-inducing schedule), the performances of the songs from their 2009 release Reservoir have taken on a whole new level. Each band member seamlessly flitted between a myriad of different musical instruments; no-one ever held onto a guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin or musical saw for more than a few minutes before doing some musical-chairs. I’m not sure how well France was aware of Fanfarlo, but the full audience loved every song they played, and noisily demanded an encore – which unfortunately they didn’t get, but then, the band do only have about twelve songs in their back catalogue.


Fanfarlo talk about life on the road and divulge the little known fact of lead singer Simon’s childhood love of ham radios.


Traditional Breton music. Everyone knew the dance moves but me.

Night time gave me a chance to flit between the bands playing. I watched Midlake, the indie Texans who are fast gaining popularity over on this side of the pond, serenade the audience as the sun set, their hazy Americana sound drifting over the breeze and through the fields. Then it was a hop, skip and a jump to watch Sexy Sushi, the raw Parisian rap of Fefe and – I didn’t see this coming – some traditional Breton music involving some old men, a couple of accordions and a lively crowd who were all versed in the dance moves that accompany the traditional folk style. Then the midnight hour was upon us and the audience was heading in droves to watch Phoenix, who are clearly the prodigal sons of France. I’ve heard before that some of the French don’t appreciate the fact that Phoenix record all of their tracks in English, as opposed to their mother tongue, but there was no such bad feeling in the crowd that stood around me that night, sending waves of love and adulation towards the stage which prompted lead singer Thomas Mars to briefly lie on the stage in slightly dazed wonder at this epic night.

It was frustrating to have to leave on Sunday, as I missed performances by Pony Pony Run Run, Julian Casablancas and Etienne De Crecy, but work commitments dictated an early departure. Nonetheless, I had such a great time that I am already planning next years Festival des Vieilles Charrues (which will be the 20th anniversary of the festival). Brittany was the perfect setting for such a chilled festival, and a welcome addition to the festival calendar.

Written by Cari Steel on Monday August 2nd, 2010 10:24 am

Categories ,Brittany, ,Brittany Ferries, ,Carhaix, ,Chapelier Fou, ,Charlotte Gainsbourg, ,Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, ,Etienne De Crecy, ,fanfarlo, ,Fefe, ,festival, ,france, ,Francoise Hardy, ,julian casablancas, ,Midlake, ,phoenix, ,Pony Pony Run Run, ,Sexy Sushi, ,The Raveonettes, ,Vieilles Charrues

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Amelia’s Magazine | This Is The Kit: Wriggle Out the Restless – Album Review

by

ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

It’s clear the beauty industry is relentlessly changing as fast as the fashion industry, pharmacy with both mediums always being used to express the latest trends. It would then come as no surprise that while fashion has been taking an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, pill which can be seen from clothing brands such as People Tree, that the beauty industry took point and followed. From this new approach, words such as Ethical, Natural and Organic have become somewhat common when it comes to the latest beauty products, however what do these actually mean, and is there a difference? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??Ethical means being conscious about the recognition of individuals all over the world, and their effort and position it took to get the ingredients which are in the products you’re using. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as FairTrade and The Body Shop sourcing ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America.

This standpoint focuses on the conditions and pays those individuals who source ingredients receive, such as, recently there has been questions raised as to the conditions of workers in Katie Price’s branded perfumes, which can be considered an ethical dilemma. Also under the ethical standpoint is the adherence to not test on animals. Most beauty and skincare products do not test on animals; however consumers must always check the packaging, as this is another area of controversy.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

?Natural is another term that often gets confused with what it actually means for beauty products. Brands which use this term are Lush, The Body Shop, Naked Shampoo & Conditioners, Origins and many more. Natural generally means nature and the state in which we are to begin with, (i.e. no makeup or enhancements) however there is also the viewpoint of ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up.

?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? More viewpoints come into the fray when questions start to get asked on where that sugar was produced. Has it got more ingredients than sugar? Is that honey, 100% honey? There are two issues which have been raised here, and that is the issue of Organic sourced products, which will be discussed, and secondly, that more often than not, products are not 100% natural. The brand ‘Naked’ Shampoo & Conditioner use 97% natural products and Lush, while try to make their products 100% natural, there are still some of their products which are only partially natural; “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Lending the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

??Organic is another term that seems to be related to natural skincare. Organic skincare focuses on the sourcing and products of the ingredients, often meaning that no parabens or synthetic emollients, synthetic humectants, synthetic emulsifiers, synthetic surfactants; synthetic preservatives, artificial dyes, no colourings, flavourings or additives are included. Brands which are focusing on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. As you can see organic skincare is looking more at the ingredients on the back of a product and often overlaps into natural skincare and ingredients because of the adherence to none synthetic additions.

IMAGE ETHICAL BEAUTY 3 JENIFFER
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

http://www.jenillustration.com/

?It’s easy to get confused with these words, and what they mean, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, which kind of products should you be going for? However the decision might be easier than you think. More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, the body shop is a chain which adheres to ethical and fair trade policies, while sourcing natural ingredients in a majority of their products. Also to some degree, using products which are organic, such as the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox foundation and concealer, which boasts 98% organic and natural ingredients, is helping the planet by not using or supporting the use of chemicals which may not be so environmentally friendly, this is on the pretence that a majority of organic ingredients are bio-degradable and do not destroy the planet – which is where the name of this product can be seen to come from.
Links: – Bourjois –
This change of focus could have easily come from the ever increasing pressure of climate change and being friendlier to our environment; nevertheless capitalism could easily have been an influence on this change as well. Especially since there is pressure for using more environmentally-friendly products on consumers, making it more about profit and less about caring for the planet. As consumers, we can easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, as after all, it’s made for us, and the promise of natural ingredients often mesmerises us into thinking it will do better than all the other products we have bought. It may be assumed that this shift in market focus is trying to signal the move away from chemically enhanced products as perhaps that doesn’t sound too appealing anymore.

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

The same goes for ethical sourcing of ingredients; this is a great way for other countries to get fair pay and conditions, and however this can be viewed as a way of the market to ease our conscience of buying more and more products, especially in a time of economic crisis. There has without a doubt been a significant rise in brands specialising and advertising their ethical, natural and organic sourced products, when I only remember when I was younger The Body Shop and their adherence to stop animal testing, therefore there is definitely the question to ask whether this shift in market focus was because of research into natural and organic skincare working for the environment and being less harsh on our bodies, ethical trade programs for those individuals who do pick and harvest the ingredients first, as opposed to a purposeful money making scheme.

ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

It’s clear the beauty industry is relentlessly changing as fast as the fashion industry, visit both used to express the latest trends. Fashion has taken an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, cheap best epitomised in high profile clothing brands such as People Tree, and of course the beauty industry has followed. Words such as Ethical, Natural and Organic have become somewhat common when it comes to the latest beauty products, but what do these actually mean, and is there a difference between them? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??

Ethical:
Ethical means being conscious of the efforts and conditions under which products are produced. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as FairTrade and The Body Shop sourcing ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America. Recently, for instance, there have been questions raised about the conditions of workers making Katie Price’s branded perfumes, presenting buyers with an ‘ethical dilemma’ once this is known. Most ethical products are not tested on animals, but for this consumers must always check the packaging.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

Natural:
?Natural is another confusing term when applied to beauty products. Brands which use this term include Lush, The Body Shop, Origins and many more. Natural can be applied to the state in which we are without intervention, i.e. no makeup or enhancements. However one may ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up. ?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? More viewpoints come into the fray when questions start to get asked on where that sugar was produced. Has it got more ingredients than sugar? Is that honey, 100% honey? There are two issues which have been raised here, and that is the issue of Organic sourced products, which will be discussed, and secondly, that more often than not, products are not 100% natural. The brand ‘Naked’ Shampoo & Conditioner use 97% natural products and Lush, while try to make their products 100% natural, there are still some of their products which are only partially natural; “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Lending the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

??Organic is another term that seems to be related to natural skincare. Organic skincare focuses on the sourcing and products of the ingredients, often meaning that no parabens or synthetic emollients, synthetic humectants, synthetic emulsifiers, synthetic surfactants; synthetic preservatives, artificial dyes, no colourings, flavourings or additives are included. Brands which are focusing on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. As you can see organic skincare is looking more at the ingredients on the back of a product and often overlaps into natural skincare and ingredients because of the adherence to none synthetic additions.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused with these words, and what they mean, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, which kind of products should you be going for? However the decision might be easier than you think. More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, the body shop is a chain which adheres to ethical and fair trade policies, while sourcing natural ingredients in a majority of their products. Also to some degree, using products which are organic, such as the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox foundation and concealer, which boasts 98% organic and natural ingredients, is helping the planet by not using or supporting the use of chemicals which may not be so environmentally friendly, this is on the pretence that a majority of organic ingredients are bio-degradable and do not destroy the planet – which is where the name of this product can be seen to come from.
Links: – Bourjois –
This change of focus could have easily come from the ever increasing pressure of climate change and being friendlier to our environment; nevertheless capitalism could easily have been an influence on this change as well. Especially since there is pressure for using more environmentally-friendly products on consumers, making it more about profit and less about caring for the planet. As consumers, we can easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, as after all, it’s made for us, and the promise of natural ingredients often mesmerises us into thinking it will do better than all the other products we have bought. It may be assumed that this shift in market focus is trying to signal the move away from chemically enhanced products as perhaps that doesn’t sound too appealing anymore.

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

The same goes for ethical sourcing of ingredients; this is a great way for other countries to get fair pay and conditions, and however this can be viewed as a way of the market to ease our conscience of buying more and more products, especially in a time of economic crisis. There has without a doubt been a significant rise in brands specialising and advertising their ethical, natural and organic sourced products, when I only remember when I was younger The Body Shop and their adherence to stop animal testing, therefore there is definitely the question to ask whether this shift in market focus was because of research into natural and organic skincare working for the environment and being less harsh on our bodies, ethical trade programs for those individuals who do pick and harvest the ingredients first, as opposed to a purposeful money making scheme.
ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

It’s clear the beauty industry is relentlessly changing as fast as the fashion industry, approved both used to express the latest trends. Fashion has taken an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, cure best epitomised in high profile clothing brands such as People Tree, prescription and of course the beauty industry has followed. Words such as Ethical, Natural and Organic have become somewhat common when it comes to the latest beauty products, but what do these actually mean, and is there a difference between them? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??

Ethical:
Ethical means being conscious about the recognition of individuals all over the world, and their effort and position it took to get the ingredients which are in the products you’re using. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as FairTrade and The Body Shop sourcing ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America. This standpoint focuses on the conditions and salaries of those individuals who manufacture the products, such as, recently there has been questions raised as to the conditions of workers in Katie Price’s branded perfumes, which can be considered an ethical dilemma. Also under the ethical standpoint is the adherence to not test on animals. Most beauty and skincare products do not test on animals; however consumers must always check the packaging, as this is another area of controversy.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

?Natural is another term that often gets confused with what it actually means for beauty products. Brands which use this term are Lush, The Body Shop, Naked Shampoo & Conditioners, Origins and many more. Natural generally means nature and the state in which we are to begin with, (i.e. no makeup or enhancements) however there is also the viewpoint of ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up.

?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? More viewpoints come into the fray when questions start to get asked on where that sugar was produced. Has it got more ingredients than sugar? Is that honey, 100% honey? There are two issues which have been raised here, and that is the issue of Organic sourced products, which will be discussed, and secondly, that more often than not, products are not 100% natural. The brand ‘Naked’ Shampoo & Conditioner use 97% natural products and Lush, while try to make their products 100% natural, there are still some of their products which are only partially natural; “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Lending the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

??Organic is another term that seems to be related to natural skincare. Organic skincare focuses on the sourcing and products of the ingredients, often meaning that no parabens or synthetic emollients, synthetic humectants, synthetic emulsifiers, synthetic surfactants; synthetic preservatives, artificial dyes, no colourings, flavourings or additives are included. Brands which are focusing on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. As you can see organic skincare is looking more at the ingredients on the back of a product and often overlaps into natural skincare and ingredients because of the adherence to none synthetic additions.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused with these words, and what they mean, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, which kind of products should you be going for? However the decision might be easier than you think. More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, the body shop is a chain which adheres to ethical and fair trade policies, while sourcing natural ingredients in a majority of their products. Also to some degree, using products which are organic, such as the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox foundation and concealer, which boasts 98% organic and natural ingredients, is helping the planet by not using or supporting the use of chemicals which may not be so environmentally friendly, this is on the pretence that a majority of organic ingredients are bio-degradable and do not destroy the planet – which is where the name of this product can be seen to come from.
Links: – Bourjois –
This change of focus could have easily come from the ever increasing pressure of climate change and being friendlier to our environment; nevertheless capitalism could easily have been an influence on this change as well. Especially since there is pressure for using more environmentally-friendly products on consumers, making it more about profit and less about caring for the planet. As consumers, we can easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, as after all, it’s made for us, and the promise of natural ingredients often mesmerises us into thinking it will do better than all the other products we have bought. It may be assumed that this shift in market focus is trying to signal the move away from chemically enhanced products as perhaps that doesn’t sound too appealing anymore.

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

The same goes for ethical sourcing of ingredients; this is a great way for other countries to get fair pay and conditions, and however this can be viewed as a way of the market to ease our conscience of buying more and more products, especially in a time of economic crisis. There has without a doubt been a significant rise in brands specialising and advertising their ethical, natural and organic sourced products, when I only remember when I was younger The Body Shop and their adherence to stop animal testing, therefore there is definitely the question to ask whether this shift in market focus was because of research into natural and organic skincare working for the environment and being less harsh on our bodies, ethical trade programs for those individuals who do pick and harvest the ingredients first, as opposed to a purposeful money making scheme.
ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

It’s clear the beauty industry is relentlessly changing as fast as the fashion industry, approved with both mediums always being used to express the latest trends. It would then come as no surprise that while fashion has been taking an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, visit this which can be seen from clothing brands such as People Tree, that the beauty industry took point and followed. From this new approach, words such as Ethical, Natural and Organic have become somewhat common when it comes to the latest beauty products, however what do these actually mean, and is there a difference? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??Ethical means being conscious about the recognition of individuals all over the world, and their effort and position it took to get the ingredients which are in the products you’re using. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as FairTrade and The Body Shop sourcing ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America.

This standpoint focuses on the conditions and pays those individuals who source ingredients receive, such as, recently there has been questions raised as to the conditions of workers in Katie Price’s branded perfumes, which can be considered an ethical dilemma. Also under the ethical standpoint is the adherence to not test on animals. Most beauty and skincare products do not test on animals; however consumers must always check the packaging, as this is another area of controversy.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

?Natural is another term that often gets confused with what it actually means for beauty products. Brands which use this term are Lush, The Body Shop, Naked Shampoo & Conditioners, Origins and many more. Natural generally means nature and the state in which we are to begin with, (i.e. no makeup or enhancements) however there is also the viewpoint of ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up.

?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? More viewpoints come into the fray when questions start to get asked on where that sugar was produced. Has it got more ingredients than sugar? Is that honey, 100% honey? There are two issues which have been raised here, and that is the issue of Organic sourced products, which will be discussed, and secondly, that more often than not, products are not 100% natural. The brand ‘Naked’ Shampoo & Conditioner use 97% natural products and Lush, while try to make their products 100% natural, there are still some of their products which are only partially natural; “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Lending the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

??Organic is another term that seems to be related to natural skincare. Organic skincare focuses on the sourcing and products of the ingredients, often meaning that no parabens or synthetic emollients, synthetic humectants, synthetic emulsifiers, synthetic surfactants; synthetic preservatives, artificial dyes, no colourings, flavourings or additives are included. Brands which are focusing on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. As you can see organic skincare is looking more at the ingredients on the back of a product and often overlaps into natural skincare and ingredients because of the adherence to none synthetic additions.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused with these words, and what they mean, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, which kind of products should you be going for? However the decision might be easier than you think. More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, the body shop is a chain which adheres to ethical and fair trade policies, while sourcing natural ingredients in a majority of their products. Also to some degree, using products which are organic, such as the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox foundation and concealer, which boasts 98% organic and natural ingredients, is helping the planet by not using or supporting the use of chemicals which may not be so environmentally friendly, this is on the pretence that a majority of organic ingredients are bio-degradable and do not destroy the planet – which is where the name of this product can be seen to come from.
Links: – Bourjois –
This change of focus could have easily come from the ever increasing pressure of climate change and being friendlier to our environment; nevertheless capitalism could easily have been an influence on this change as well. Especially since there is pressure for using more environmentally-friendly products on consumers, making it more about profit and less about caring for the planet. As consumers, we can easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, as after all, it’s made for us, and the promise of natural ingredients often mesmerises us into thinking it will do better than all the other products we have bought. It may be assumed that this shift in market focus is trying to signal the move away from chemically enhanced products as perhaps that doesn’t sound too appealing anymore.

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

The same goes for ethical sourcing of ingredients; this is a great way for other countries to get fair pay and conditions, and however this can be viewed as a way of the market to ease our conscience of buying more and more products, especially in a time of economic crisis. There has without a doubt been a significant rise in brands specialising and advertising their ethical, natural and organic sourced products, when I only remember when I was younger The Body Shop and their adherence to stop animal testing, therefore there is definitely the question to ask whether this shift in market focus was because of research into natural and organic skincare working for the environment and being less harsh on our bodies, ethical trade programs for those individuals who do pick and harvest the ingredients first, as opposed to a purposeful money making scheme.
ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

It’s clear the beauty industry is relentlessly changing as fast as the fashion industry, information pills with both mediums always being used to express the latest trends. It would then come as no surprise that while fashion has been taking an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, price which can be seen from clothing brands such as People Tree, medical that the beauty industry took point and followed. From this new approach, words such as Ethical, Natural and Organic have become somewhat common when it comes to the latest beauty products, however what do these actually mean, and is there a difference? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??Ethical means being conscious about the recognition of individuals all over the world, and their effort and position it took to get the ingredients which are in the products you’re using. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as FairTrade and The Body Shop sourcing ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America.

This standpoint focuses on the conditions and pays those individuals who source ingredients receive, such as, recently there has been questions raised as to the conditions of workers in Katie Price’s branded perfumes, which can be considered an ethical dilemma. Also under the ethical standpoint is the adherence to not test on animals. Most beauty and skincare products do not test on animals; however consumers must always check the packaging, as this is another area of controversy.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

?Natural is another term that often gets confused with what it actually means for beauty products. Brands which use this term are Lush, The Body Shop, Naked Shampoo & Conditioners, Origins and many more. Natural generally means nature and the state in which we are to begin with, (i.e. no makeup or enhancements) however there is also the viewpoint of ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up.

?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? More viewpoints come into the fray when questions start to get asked on where that sugar was produced. Has it got more ingredients than sugar? Is that honey, 100% honey? There are two issues which have been raised here, and that is the issue of Organic sourced products, which will be discussed, and secondly, that more often than not, products are not 100% natural. The brand ‘Naked’ Shampoo & Conditioner use 97% natural products and Lush, while try to make their products 100% natural, there are still some of their products which are only partially natural; “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Lending the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

??Organic is another term that seems to be related to natural skincare. Organic skincare focuses on the sourcing and products of the ingredients, often meaning that no parabens or synthetic emollients, synthetic humectants, synthetic emulsifiers, synthetic surfactants; synthetic preservatives, artificial dyes, no colourings, flavourings or additives are included. Brands which are focusing on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. As you can see organic skincare is looking more at the ingredients on the back of a product and often overlaps into natural skincare and ingredients because of the adherence to none synthetic additions.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused with these words, and what they mean, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, which kind of products should you be going for? However the decision might be easier than you think. More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, the body shop is a chain which adheres to ethical and fair trade policies, while sourcing natural ingredients in a majority of their products. Also to some degree, using products which are organic, such as the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox foundation and concealer, which boasts 98% organic and natural ingredients, is helping the planet by not using or supporting the use of chemicals which may not be so environmentally friendly, this is on the pretence that a majority of organic ingredients are bio-degradable and do not destroy the planet – which is where the name of this product can be seen to come from.
Links: – Bourjois –
This change of focus could have easily come from the ever increasing pressure of climate change and being friendlier to our environment; nevertheless capitalism could easily have been an influence on this change as well. Especially since there is pressure for using more environmentally-friendly products on consumers, making it more about profit and less about caring for the planet. As consumers, we can easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, as after all, it’s made for us, and the promise of natural ingredients often mesmerises us into thinking it will do better than all the other products we have bought. It may be assumed that this shift in market focus is trying to signal the move away from chemically enhanced products as perhaps that doesn’t sound too appealing anymore.

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

The same goes for ethical sourcing of ingredients; this is a great way for other countries to get fair pay and conditions, and however this can be viewed as a way of the market to ease our conscience of buying more and more products, especially in a time of economic crisis. There has without a doubt been a significant rise in brands specialising and advertising their ethical, natural and organic sourced products, when I only remember when I was younger The Body Shop and their adherence to stop animal testing, therefore there is definitely the question to ask whether this shift in market focus was because of research into natural and organic skincare working for the environment and being less harsh on our bodies, ethical trade programs for those individuals who do pick and harvest the ingredients first, as opposed to a purposeful money making scheme.
ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

It’s clear the beauty industry is relentlessly changing as fast as the fashion industry, order with both mediums always being used to express the latest trends. It would then come as no surprise that while fashion has been taking an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, which can be seen from clothing brands such as People Tree, that the beauty industry took point and followed. From this new approach, words such as Ethical, Natural and Organic have become somewhat common when it comes to the latest beauty products, however what do these actually mean, and is there a difference? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??Ethical means being conscious about the recognition of individuals all over the world, and their effort and position it took to get the ingredients which are in the products you’re using. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as FairTrade and The Body Shop sourcing ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America.

This standpoint focuses on the conditions and pays those individuals who source ingredients receive, such as, recently there has been questions raised as to the conditions of workers in Katie Price’s branded perfumes, which can be considered an ethical dilemma. Also under the ethical standpoint is the adherence to not test on animals. Most beauty and skincare products do not test on animals; however consumers must always check the packaging, as this is another area of controversy.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

?Natural is another term that often gets confused with what it actually means for beauty products. Brands which use this term are Lush, The Body Shop, Naked Shampoo & Conditioners, Origins and many more. Natural generally means nature and the state in which we are to begin with, (i.e. no makeup or enhancements) however there is also the viewpoint of ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up.

?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? More viewpoints come into the fray when questions start to get asked on where that sugar was produced. Has it got more ingredients than sugar? Is that honey, 100% honey? There are two issues which have been raised here, and that is the issue of Organic sourced products, which will be discussed, and secondly, that more often than not, products are not 100% natural. The brand ‘Naked’ Shampoo & Conditioner use 97% natural products and Lush, while try to make their products 100% natural, there are still some of their products which are only partially natural; “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Lending the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

??Organic is another term that seems to be related to natural skincare. Organic skincare focuses on the sourcing and products of the ingredients, often meaning that no parabens or synthetic emollients, synthetic humectants, synthetic emulsifiers, synthetic surfactants; synthetic preservatives, artificial dyes, no colourings, flavourings or additives are included. Brands which are focusing on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. As you can see organic skincare is looking more at the ingredients on the back of a product and often overlaps into natural skincare and ingredients because of the adherence to none synthetic additions.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused with these words, and what they mean, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, which kind of products should you be going for? However the decision might be easier than you think. More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, the body shop is a chain which adheres to ethical and fair trade policies, while sourcing natural ingredients in a majority of their products. Also to some degree, using products which are organic, such as the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox foundation and concealer, which boasts 98% organic and natural ingredients, is helping the planet by not using or supporting the use of chemicals which may not be so environmentally friendly, this is on the pretence that a majority of organic ingredients are bio-degradable and do not destroy the planet – which is where the name of this product can be seen to come from.
Links: – Bourjois –
This change of focus could have easily come from the ever increasing pressure of climate change and being friendlier to our environment; nevertheless capitalism could easily have been an influence on this change as well. Especially since there is pressure for using more environmentally-friendly products on consumers, making it more about profit and less about caring for the planet. As consumers, we can easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, as after all, it’s made for us, and the promise of natural ingredients often mesmerises us into thinking it will do better than all the other products we have bought. It may be assumed that this shift in market focus is trying to signal the move away from chemically enhanced products as perhaps that doesn’t sound too appealing anymore.

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

The same goes for ethical sourcing of ingredients; this is a great way for other countries to get fair pay and conditions, and however this can be viewed as a way of the market to ease our conscience of buying more and more products, especially in a time of economic crisis. There has without a doubt been a significant rise in brands specialising and advertising their ethical, natural and organic sourced products, when I only remember when I was younger The Body Shop and their adherence to stop animal testing, therefore there is definitely the question to ask whether this shift in market focus was because of research into natural and organic skincare working for the environment and being less harsh on our bodies, ethical trade programs for those individuals who do pick and harvest the ingredients first, as opposed to a purposeful money making scheme.
ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

The beauty industry changes as fast as the fashion industry, website like this constantly updating in line with the latest trends. Fashion has taken an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, best epitomised in high profile clothing brands such as People Tree. Now earth-friendly beauty products are burgeoning too. Words such as Ethical, Natural and Organic have become common when it comes to the latest beauty products, but what do these actually mean, and is there a difference between them? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??

Ethical:
Ethical means being conscious of the efforts and conditions under which products are produced. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as Fair Trade. A good example of an ethical company is The Body Shop, which sources Fair Trade ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America. On the other end of the spectrum questions have been raised about the conditions of workers making Katie Price’s branded perfumes. Most ethical products are not tested on animals, but for this consumers must always check the packaging.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

Natural:
?Natural is another confusing term when applied to beauty products. Brands which use this term include Lush, The Body Shop, Origins and many more. Natural can be applied to the state in which we are without intervention, i.e. no makeup or enhancements. However one may ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up. ?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? Where were the honey and sugar sourced from? Lush aspires to make 100% natural products but they include this disclaimer: “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Which leads to the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

Organic:
Organic skincare means there is no chemicals, colourings, flavourings or additives in the production of ingredients or at the manufacturing stage. Brands which focus on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. Organic skincare naturally overlaps with natural skincare.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused by these words, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, so which kind of products should you go for? The decision might be easier than you think… More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, The Body Shop adheres to both ethical and Fair Trade policies and sources natural ingredients for the majority of their products. But not all organic products are particularly ethical. Take the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox Organic Foundation which boasts 98% natural ingredients and 21% organic ingredients… how is it maunfactured?

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

Maybe it’s increasing awareness of how harmful chemicals can be to our skin or the ever increasing pressure to be kind to the environment; but the demand for more environmentally-friendly products has certainly inspired companies to seek profit from organic and natural products in growing numbers. As consumers, we are easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, but it’s important to consider how these products are made as well, so it could be argued that ethical production is by far the most important aspect of any purchase. Ethical production ensures that workers get fair pay and conditions, but there is also the very serious risk of over dependence on the huge markets of the capitalist west: forcing yet another kind of colonialism onto impoverished parts of the world.

In the meantime maybe it’s best to buy from small brands that strive to make things locally from 100% natural and organic ingredients. Coming next…
ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

The beauty industry changes as fast as the fashion industry, this constantly updating in line with the latest trends. Fashion has taken an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, more about best epitomised in high profile clothing brands such as People Tree. Now earth-friendly beauty products are burgeoning too. Words such as Ethical, sale Natural and Organic have become common when it comes to the latest beauty products, but what do these actually mean, and is there a difference between them? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??

Ethical:
Ethical means being conscious of the efforts and conditions under which products are produced. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as Fair Trade. A good example of an ethical company is The Body Shop, which sources Fair Trade ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America. On the other end of the spectrum questions have been raised about the conditions of workers making Katie Price’s branded perfumes. Most ethical products are not tested on animals, but for this consumers must always check the packaging.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

Natural:
?Natural is another confusing term when applied to beauty products. Brands which use this term include Lush, The Body Shop, Origins and many more. Natural can be applied to the state in which we are without intervention, i.e. no makeup or enhancements. However one may ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up. ?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? Where were the honey and sugar sourced from? Lush aspires to make 100% natural products but they include this disclaimer: “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Which leads to the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

Organic:
Organic skincare means there is no chemicals, colourings, flavourings or additives in the production of ingredients or at the manufacturing stage. Brands which focus on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. Organic skincare naturally overlaps with natural skincare.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused by these words, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, so which kind of products should you go for? The decision might be easier than you think… More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, The Body Shop adheres to both ethical and Fair Trade policies and sources natural ingredients for the majority of their products. But not all organic products are particularly ethical. Take the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox Organic Foundation which boasts 98% natural ingredients and 21% organic ingredients… how is it maunfactured?

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

Maybe it’s increasing awareness of how harmful chemicals can be to our skin or the ever increasing pressure to be kind to the environment; but the demand for more environmentally-friendly products has certainly inspired companies to seek profit from organic and natural products in growing numbers. As consumers, we are easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, but it’s important to consider how these products are made as well, so it could be argued that ethical production is by far the most important aspect of any purchase. Ethical production ensures that workers get fair pay and conditions, but there is also the very serious risk of over dependence on the huge markets of the capitalist west: forcing yet another kind of colonialism onto impoverished parts of the world.

In the meantime maybe it’s best to buy from small brands that strive to make things locally from 100% natural and organic ingredients. Coming next…
ethical beauty by sandra contreras
Illustration by Sandra Contreras

The beauty industry changes as fast as the fashion industry, order constantly updating in line with the latest trends. Fashion has taken an organic and earth friendly approach for some time now, viagra buy best epitomised in high profile clothing brands such as People Tree. Now earth-friendly beauty products are burgeoning too. Words such as Ethical, discount Natural and Organic have become common when it comes to the latest beauty products, but what do these actually mean, and is there a difference between them? If a product is ethical do we somehow think it is natural as well? If something is natural must it also be organic? I’ll now take you through an explanation of these expressions and what they can mean for your skin, and the planet.??

Ethical:
Ethical means being conscious of the efforts and conditions under which products are produced. It is often linked with Community Trade Programs such as Fair Trade. A good example of an ethical company is The Body Shop, which sources Fair Trade ingredients from countries such as Africa and South America. On the other end of the spectrum questions have been raised about the conditions of workers making Katie Price’s branded perfumes, which were withdrawn from the shelves of Superdrug earlier this year. Most ethical products are not tested on animals, but for this consumers must always check the packaging.

Dee-Andrews-Ethical-Beauty
Illustration by Dee Andrews

Natural:
?Natural is another confusing term when applied to beauty products. Brands which use this term include Lush, The Body Shop, Origins and many more. Natural can be applied to the state in which we are without intervention, i.e. no makeup or enhancements. However one may ‘naturally enhancing’ one’s natural features with minimal make up. ?Natural beauty, figuratively speaking, is made from nature, so if you go get some sugar and honey and mix them together for an exfoliating face mask, it would be natural, and the ingredients would be 100% natural. But would they? Where were the honey and sugar sourced from? Lush aspires to make 100% natural products but they include this disclaimer: “we go for lovely natural ingredients and use as few synthetics as possible. In fact, we have an incredible range of natural products with no synthetics at all. Over 70% of our range is totally unpreserved and we will aim to improve on that.” (Lush, 2010) Which leads to the conclusion that up to 30% of lush’s products are not 100% natural, even though the entire range is marketed to consumers as natural skincare.

Organic:
Organic skincare means there is no chemicals, colourings, flavourings or additives in the production of ingredients or at the manufacturing stage. Brands which focus on organic skincare include Lush, Neal’s Yard, L’Occitane, Organic Surge and Liz Earle. Organic skincare naturally overlaps with natural skincare.

ethical_beauty3_by_jennifercostello
Illustration by Jennifer Costello

?It’s easy to get confused by these words, especially if you’re committed to being earth friendly, so which kind of products should you go for? The decision might be easier than you think… More often than not, ethical products are to some degree, natural and organic, for example, The Body Shop adheres to both ethical and Fair Trade policies and sources natural ingredients for the majority of their products. But not all organic products are particularly ethical. Take the newly released Bourjois Bio-Detox Organic Foundation which boasts 98% natural ingredients and 21% organic ingredients… how is it maunfactured?

ethicalbeauty_aniela murphy
Illustration by Aniela Murphy

Maybe it’s increasing awareness of how harmful chemicals can be to our skin or the ever increasing pressure to be kind to the environment; but the demand for more environmentally-friendly products has certainly inspired companies to seek profit from organic and natural products in growing numbers. As consumers, we are easily be lured into thinking that anything ‘natural’ is good for us and the environment, but it’s important to consider how these products are made as well, so it could be argued that ethical production is by far the most important aspect of any purchase. Ethical production ensures that workers get fair pay and conditions, but there is also the very serious risk of over dependence on the huge markets of the capitalist west: forcing yet another kind of colonialism onto impoverished parts of the world.

In the meantime maybe it’s best to buy from small brands that strive to make things locally from 100% natural and organic ingredients. Coming next…
This is the Kit wriggle out the restless

I’ve always loved France, this harbouring an intention to learn the French lingo for many years. I’m not being frivolous, visit I can assure you. I am able to testify to my desire through my ginger cat, sildenafil whom I named Francois and my half French boy. Oui, j’adore France! Kate Stables wanted to learn French too, so she moved to Paris. Always an observer of life’s idiosyncrasies, she found her vision could stretch even further when she left Bristol’s borough and sat within a caffeinated artery of France. Stables, the singer/musician/protagonist in This Is The Kit, defines the music they create as ‘Screamo/Emo/Flamenco’. Which in a sense it is. A feisty, heart dancing, spirited, emotional flounce. Folky but not in the jingly sense, more soulful and with minimal instruments.

This Is The Kit by Kayleigh Bluck
This Is The Kit by Kayleigh Bluck

Stables is an endearing, dark Rapunzel locked figure. Her voice shoots through you like the first sip of wine after a slog of a day, trapped in an unlit cave. You will find This Is The Kit will gently waft along on a gondolier, tell you it’s all ok, then fighting off the cave bats with their melodies, take you outside to some weeping willow adorned fairy land. She beholds a sound similar to Mary Hampton and Martha Tilston, but more girl next door in pronunciation, realness and the simplicity of lyrics. See: Two Wooden Spoons and Our Socks Forever More. The latter, sang with an acoustic guitar and ukelele, is about wanting to take off your shoes and socks forever more. ‘One of these days’ going to make it back ‘to your mattress’… but ‘I have a thing about sound sufficiency’. It’s a haunting, touching song about decisions, desires and, ‘that someone’. Moon has to be the most splendid of songs about first breath romance. After being lost in the skies, the couple come down, gasping for air and hit by reality. It has only a few lines, but manages an upbeat yet serious undertone feel to it. ‘We had the Moon’ says all it needs to.

This Is The Kit by Kayleigh Bluck
This Is The Kit by Kayleigh Bluck.

It’s nice to be sitting down when you listen to This Is The Kit, with some Pear and Apple cider preferably, or indeed a cafe au lait, if you want to make it French. At many of their relaxed, low key shows (such as Village Halls) you can do this. However, This Is The Kit have also played with big Folk heros like Jeffrey Lewis in their time – so you’ll probably be somewhere bigger, without sitting potential and Maureen and Agnes’ tapestry collections festooning the wooden walls (shame). Multitalented Stables plays guitar, banjo, trumpet and percussion. Often she is joined on stage by her musical friends including Rozi Plain, Jim Barr and Francois and The Atlas Mountains. Tres Bon. Their latest album, Wriggle Out The Restless, on Dreamboat Records, was produced by long term collaborator, Jesse D Vernon, who also often plays on stage as a two piece with Stables.

Continuing to flit across the Channel, This Is The Kit are worth seeing whilst they are this side. They encourage the celebration of the pure and simple things in life. The joy from another person and the beauty right out there. French people will tell you about this: I quote Chamfort, the 18th century French playwright: “Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.” Think about this, at a time when most of the world belongs to some form of networking site. Encouraging self evaluation, we discuss our loves, losses, diets and determinations into the abyss. France and This Is The Kit say: look out and to the people we care about.

This Is The Kit released their latest album Wriggle Out the Restless last week on Dreamboat Records. They are also touring at the moment. Catch them in London during mid November, or check out other dates on our listing here.

Written by Helen Martin on Monday October 25th, 2010 12:46 pm

Categories ,bristol, ,Cider, ,Dreamboat Records, ,folk, ,france, ,Francois and The Atlas Mountains, ,french, ,Jeffrey Lewis, ,Jesse D Vernon, ,Jim Barr, ,Kate Stables, ,Kayleigh Bluck, ,Martha Tilston, ,mary hampton, ,paris, ,Rozi Plain, ,This Is The Kit

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Amelia’s Magazine | Hold Your Horses!

by

Monday 12th Jan
Starting today: The Voice and Nothing More is a week-long festival at the Slade Research Centre that explores the voice as both medium and subject matter in contemporary arts practices. Established artists and emerging talent will work with leading vocal performers in an exploration of the voice outside language. On Wednesday the festival culminates in a presentation of objects, pilule generic performances, order and installations that are open to the public. There will also be performances on Thursday and Friday from 6 pm.

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Wednesday 14th Jan
Now in it’s 21st year, recipe the London Art Fair begins at the Design Centre in Islington. A hundred galleries are selected to show work from the last few hundred years. This immense exhibition will encompass sculpture, photography, prints, video and installation art. It ends on the 18th of January.
There is a talk this evening at the ICA entitled Can Art make us Happy? where artists Zoë Walker and Michael Pinsky explore the notions of art as a social cure-all in times of economic and social gloom.
A new solo show from Josephine Flynn begins today at Limoncello on Hoxton Square. The Mexican was bought off a patient who was in hospital with mental health problems. When the patient talked about The Mexican she described how the process of making him had helped her – ‘healing through making’ was how she put it.

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Thursday 15th Jan
Feierabend is a collaborative installation between artists Francis Upritchard, Martino Gamper, and Karl Fritsche, bringing together a shared aesthetic in their distinctive approaches to jewellery, furniture design, and sculpture. The exhibition plays with the boundaries of art and real life – looking like a workshop abandoned at the end of a day’s work, or a sitting room left in abstracted dissary, it’s only inhabitants a set of sculpted figures who seem lost in their own meditations.
Gimpel Fils opens a new photographic exhbition from Peter Lanyon and Emily-Jo Sargent, 100 Pictures of Coney Island.
The Asphalt World is a new solo show at Studio Voltaire from Simon Bedwell. Drip paintings are made from advertising posters in an ironic twist or corporate seduction.

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Feierabend


Friday 16th
There are two exhibitions starting today at Wilkinson on Vyner Street. In Upper Gallery a, Episode III, Enjoy Poverty, is the second in a series of three films by Renzo Martens in which he raises issues surrounding contemporary image making, challenging ideas about the role of film makers and viewers in the construction of documentaries. In the Lower Gallery, there will be the fourth exhibiton from German artist, Silke Schatz. Through the conjunction of video, sculpture, drawing and found objects, Schahtz composes a personal portrait of the city of Agsburg.

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Saturday 17th Jan

We featured David Cotterrell in issue ten, where in the picturesque surroundings of Tatton Park, he explained how his visit to Afghanistan, where he was invited by the Wellcome Trust, would be likely to have a lasting effect on his future work. Aesthetic Distance is David Cotterrell’s third solo exhibition with Danielle Arnaud, and focuses on the experiences and inevitable aftermath of a flight he took in November 2007 in a RAF C17, from Brize Norton to Kandahar. He was the sole passenger in a plane loaded with half a million rounds of palletised munitions and medical supplies to join Operation Herrick 7, a strange irony not lost on the artist.

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Earth Listings

Monday 12th January, viagra 60mg 7pm

Climate Rush hits Heathrow

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To whomsoever concerned by the biggest threat faced by humanity today-that of climate change,

You are cordially invited to Dinner at Domestic Departures. Join us for an evening of peaceful civil(ised) disobedience ahead of the government’s decision over a third runway at Heathrow. Inspired by the actions of the suffragettes, we will be calling for DEEDS NOT WORDS. The government acknowledges the huge problems we face from Climate Change but they continue with business as usual. This jolly evening is intended to produce much-needed positive change and we do hope that you would join us.

Location: Domestic Departures, Terminal 1, Heathrow Airport.

Time: 7pm (when the string quartet plays their first note).

Dress Code: Edwardian Suffragette: high collars, long skirts, fitted jackets, puffed sleeves, think Mary Poppins. Sashes will be provided. * Although advisable, it is not compulsory to arrive in Edwardian dress, the most important thing is that you your friends and family join us for dinner. To add the element of surprise, it is suggested that you arrive in a large coat to conceal your costume until the stroke of 7.

Bring: Jam tarts, scones, cucumber sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, tea cakes. Picnic blankets and table cloths. Tea and elderflower cordial. No alcohol please.

Entertainment: String quartet, art tricks from ArtPort, polite conversation.

We look forward to seeing you,

The Misbehaved Ladies from Climate Rush x

Tuesday 13th January, 6pm

Art, Activism and the legacy of Chico Mendes
RSA
8 John Adam Street
London
WC2N 6EZ

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Tonight will explore the ways in which the arts can help shift society’s attitudes in the face of unprecedented climate change. Elenira Mendes, daughter of environmental activist Chico Mendes, will talk alongside panelists Jonathan Dove (award-winning composer), Greenpeace’s senior climate adviser, Charlie Kronick and fasion designer and activist Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Wednesday 14th January

Wednesdays Do Matter
InSpiral Lounge, 250 Camden High Street NW1 8QS

A night of music, comedy, poetry and film (and really good vegan smoothies!) in aid of global justice campaigners, the World Development Movement. Remind yourselves why everyday matters, even Wednesdays.

Trouble the Water
ICA
The Mall
London
SW1Y 5AH

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Winner of this year’s Grand Jury prize at Sundance and announced as a finalist in 2009 Accademy Awards for Best Documentary. This is one New Orleans’ resident’s depiction of the catastrophic tragedy of Hurricaine Katrina. Shot with a (shakily) handheld camera, Kimberely Roberts’ footage starts from the weekend before the hurricaine and covers a period of a year. Michael Moore collaborators Tia Lessin and Carl Deal edit and append the tapes with their own film of the post-Katrina clean-up effort.An astounding portrayal of resilience and bravery.

Showing at the ICA 12th-15th January

Turning The Season
at The Wapping Project
Wapping Hydraulic Power Station
Wapping Wall
London
E1W 3SG

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Recent crisp bright skies have been a welcome respite from the usual drab January weather. But who knows what tomorrow may bring. Turning the Season explores the social and cultural phenomenon of the British Season. It would be fair to say that the increasingly visible effects of Climate Change have further fuelled our national fascination with the weather.
Expect 100 bird houses, a roof-top lily pond and a photo story showing the break-up of a relationship against the backdrop of seasonal events shot by fashion photographer Thomas Zanon-Larcher.

Until 28th Febuary

Amazonia at the Young Vic

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Although aimed at swarms of roaring key stage 3 schoolchildren as an educational piece on the issue of deforestation, this production from Palace People’s Projects is a true delight. Set in a traditional village in the Amazon that is eventually swayed by the ghost of Chico Mendes to not fall under the developers’ bulldozers. But not until some devastation has been wreaked first. A socio-political depiction of destruction of the Amazon with a mythical slant. All set to the music and dancing of Forro. An inventive stage (a mammoth man-made tree rather resembling an electrical pole, and pools of water seperating the audience) and brilliantly gaudy costumes by Gringo Cardia.

Until 24th January
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Monday 12th January

Dead Kids, cost O Children, erectile The Lexington, London

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Seriously energetic post-punk, sequinned and LOUD live act Dead Kids headline. No matter what you think of them on record, they’re sure to grab you live. Continuing the infant name-theme, as well as the intense post-punk sounds are support O Children.

Comanechi, Durrr at The End, London

With the ever-winning combo of Japanese girl singing drummer (also to be found as frontwoman for London band Pre) and jangular guitars, this is your best bet for a trendy sceney night out in London.

Tuesday 13th January


Banjo or Freakout single launch party, White Heat @ Madame JoJos, London

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Part of the new-wave of ultra-hip, genre-smashing music sweeping the artier corners of the globe at the moment. Should be a celebratory atmosphere as it is his single launch party.

Wednesday 14th January

Goldie Lookin Chain, Metro, London

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Ho ho ho, GLC are sooooo funny. Free entry is promised to the gig but don’t leave your purse at home as you’ll have to pay to leave.

The Virgins, Rough Trade East, London

American New Wave tinged indie-rock.

Thursday 15th January

Wet Paint, Rough Trade East, London

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Playing this gig in anticipation of the release of their new album, they’ll be supporting Bloc Party later in the year.

Emmy the Great, 12 Bar Club, London

Intimate solo acoustic performance of debut album First Love in full, ahead of its release in February.

Push, Astoria 2, London

A massive farewell party for the Astoria 2 which will be finally demolished on Friday. Catch Cajun Dance Party live as well as DJ sets from Mystery Jets, Lightspeed Champion, Good Shoes and Neon Gold among many others and mourn the demise of the sticky-floored dingy music venue in central London.

Friday 16th January

Cats in Paris, Brassica, Braindead Improv Ensemble, The Woe Betides, George Tavern, London

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Massively hyped, bonkers 70s-ish glam-electro from Manchester.

The Golden Silvers, The Macbeth, London

Dreamy indie-pop from these regulars of the London gig circuit.

Saturday 17th January

The Bookhouse Boys, Empire, Middlesborough

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Catch this 9 piece mini-orchestra, complete with mariachi brass, duelling drummers and girl-boy vocals, for their Ennio Morricone-style soundscapes.

I Love Boxie: a web-based business in London that tailors a t-shirt especially for you based on the story you tell them. The most astute of the fashion-conscious clan know that style should reflect your spirit and not merely robotic trends. In light of this; don’t wear your heart on your sleeve– instead wear it on a t-shirt; a Boxie t-shirt.
Here, cure founder of Boxie, troche Moxie shares her views on what fashion is truly about, how her brand works and what she hopes to achieve through her t-shirts:

Tell us the story of I Love Boxie.?
Each t-shirt tells a piece of the way – a place we have been, a person we have seen. We have many lines that fit many situations and could tell a piece of your story too. If not, we offer t-spoke. You call us, tell us a story and we turn it into a line on a t-shirt. We believe everyone in the world should have an unbranded, authentic tee that sings a line of where they have been and what they have seen. We are the opposite of any company who just put a logo on a t-shirt.

?Where does the inspiration for your t-shirts come from?
?From the people who write and call in everyday with their stories. The stories are wild, heartfelt, quiet, poignant and are better than anything we could make up.

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What’s the idea behind the “half a conversation” concept?
If you think about branding for the last 30 years it’s been about distillation, reducing everything to a line eg: ‘just do it’ or ‘impossible is nothing’.
Our lines are about provoking expansion. It’s just the first line of the story, or the chapter heading. We want people to come up to someone wearing a Boxie tee – and go ‘wow, what the hell happened to you??’
?
Why do you make it purposefully hard for people to purchase your t-shirts, without contacting you directly first??
The tees are written about stupid, funny, weird, deep moments in people’s lives. All of them from the heart. They feel like they need more exchange than a credit card transaction. T-spoke especially. This is a creative collaboration that begins with the customer telling us their story. It is a strange and wonderful one off encounter between them and us. The t-shirt is their battle scar of that personal story.

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Is all your business Internet based? ?
As far as being web based goes, our tees are obviously a form of self expression and there is no greater arena for that than the web. This taps into what a tee originally was – a piece of underwear, something that wasn’t supposed to be seen but kept close to the chest and hidden like a secret.

These days, the web is a place where secrets can step out of the shade, where people can talk about things they wouldn’t usually talk about in real life. Most times, you can learn more about someone from reading their status report than talking to them for an hour in reality, because the web has taught us the language of openness and sharing.

Boxie exists in the ether as part of that fluency. More importantly those web values – openness, sharing, community – are overflowing back into real life now. So, yes, soon we’ll be on the streets in some form, although the tees will never ever be in a retail space, hanging limply on a rack.

Your favourite Boxie T-Shirt to date??
So High and Solo

How would you describe Boxie in one word??
Gonzo

Any advice for the penniless fashionista?
Everything great creatively comes from being up against it and with no cash. You can’t ever see it when you’re in it but, as far as imagination goes, you are in an infinitely better position than someone with a million dollars. Do something great with this time. And then call us to get the t-shirt. ?

Advice for those wanting to purchase something Boxie??
Write to us directly at moxie@iloveboxie.com
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New York is spawning many a catchy-tuned electro based band at the moment – meet The Discoghosts, more about firstly they have a brilliant name, look secondly, approved they do what they say on the tin, this is a disco fest. Their ethos is nicely summed up in their lyrics, “We love ladies and they love us, cos we’re cool and disco plus.”

Otherwise known as M-Boy and Tracky, they meant their album title – BAD – literally it seems, rather than a tribute to the King of 80′s pop, as they are apparently, “trying to break the taboos of “good” music, while playing with clichés of club sound like repetition, climax, stupidity, autofilter, and sound fetishism.” I see.

This album could be the OST to many an 80′s movie – it’s true, it may be the decade that taste forgot but it produced some pretty good tunes – there are obvious Ghostbusters references ie: track 2 being called Ghostbusters Busters and there’s also hints of the Beverley Hills Cop riffs in there, along with and slinky soul beats, electro voices, rubbish rapping and a guy that sounds suspiciously like the chef from South Park…

That’s not to say they’re stuck in the past, their mellower synthetic beats, such as Jellyfish, track 9, have a Hot Chip vibe and that’s not a bad thing at all.

If their aim was to produce an awful album – they failed, maybe it’s just that I have a soft spot/great love for the 80′s but I very much enjoyed this, catchy, listenable songs that don’t take themselves seriously. My favourite line, from Straight but Gayish (sung by a high electro voice), “your boyfriend’s hetro but he looks homo.”

And they dress like this to perform:

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How could you not love them?
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It was legitimate for us to feel nervous. With indiscreet bullying from BAA and no knowledge as to how the police were planning to receive us, sick we tucked our dresses beneath our over-coats and shuffled through the throngs of intimidating fluorescent jackets at Heathrow Departures, illness passports at the ready and an impromptu conversation about flight times – very subtle. I wish I could have seen the briefing, look out for pretty girls in dresses and large jackets.

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Once in, all subtleties were abandoned, a charming sight when the order of the day was Edwardian dress and dinner, an evening of very civil (ised) disobedience. Instruments, top hats, high collars and puffy sleeves – all were revealed as the clock struck seven, the string quartet took to its first note and picnic blankets were unfurled for the beginning of the Climate Rush organized party, Dinner at Domestic Departures.

Music played, food passed cordially from plate to plate, and sashes were handed out. It was not long before currents rippled through the crowd into cheers, claps, and chants, “Deeds Not Words”, “Trains not Planes” and, “No Third Runway”, with a contingency singing to the tune of 90′s classic There’s no Limit. The complete transformation of Zone C was helped along by Artport, a collective of artists working in collaboration with Cilimate Rush to redefine the space as we know it. Green all-in-one clad waiters weaved through the crowd with a planet for a cake and planes for spoons, whilst a parachute game bounced a blow-up earth from edge to edge.

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In amidst this electric and elevating atmosphere, it was a spectacular delivery of a serious message. Climate Change is a very real threat and many people feel let down by the powers that be to address this threat.

We don’t want a third runway and call for cheaper train fares and better transport hubs instead of domestic short-haul flights. It is of course just part of a bigger picture: the greater threat of Climate Change of which aviation expansion is just a part, and the wider feelings of concern and dissatisfaction amongst citizens for whom civil disobedience is also, just a part.

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Describing herself as an ex-Camden townie, link the self-taught illustrator, Zarina Liew, has thrown her arms up at the big smoke and a career in marketing; and has chosen instead the serenity of the Cambridgeshire countryside, pencils, watercolours, and strange lonely creatures ridden by lust and self-ruin.
Her Hunter Series, eight inked paintings which exhibited at the Shoreditch Shuffle Festival, started life as a 24-page graphic novel. It tells the story of a gramaphone and a lonely creature, who forms an unlikely friendship with three musicians. She is driven by a need for company and music, they are captured by her beauty and seduced by her authority. The musicians fall into her charm and into her gramophone where they are trapped and eventually perish, singing songs of solidarity and love.

Over a virtual cup if Green Tea, we ask Liew a bit more about her curious creatures of emotional turmoil, her illustrative inspiration and whether or not she misses Camden.

Tell us about the Hunter Series.
I wanted The Hunter Series to be an extension of the original story both visually and metaphorically – a story within a story. You get a sense of the narrative from the different pieces, but as a whole, you see the Hunter for who she is – a hungry, lonely and melancholic being. It’s an illustration of lust and self-ruin; both the musicians and the Hunter are acting on impulse, blind to their terrible fates. Even though she is the one to end the men’s lives, the Hunter does not get what she wants. With no one to listen or play with, she’s alone again.

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Where do you draw information for your characters from?

I draw most of my information from observing the people around me. I never assume that what you see in someone is what you get – everyone has a hidden interior of ambition and desire. Music plays a large part as well. I found the musicians for The Hunter listening to an unsigned band playing at the Dublin Castle in Camden – the Parallel Animals. After falling in love with them – and the front man! – I offered to sketch them during rehearsals and help out at their gigs. Seeing how hard local bands work at this music business, and how ruthless the whole industry is, gave me a sense of direction in depicting the musician’s fate in my artwork.

The emotional context of the characters is strong; the nature of lust and self-ruin… is this an expression of your own emotional turmoil?

I suppose yes – in a sense that all of my work is an expression of myself, my feelings and thoughts. I wouldn’t say that I am strongly affected by the nature of lust and self-ruin though, let’s just say that I am extremely aware of it in myself, and all too conscious of letting myself go, or losing control of who I am. As I mentioned earlier we all have a hidden interior of ambition and desire – acting on lust however (whatever the desire – money, sex, fame) can only lead to self-ruin. Sometimes I wonder if I’m making the right choices, I question why I did certain things and what is behind my motivations. It’s a constant cycle of self-reflection.

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And finally, Camden vs Cambridge countryside… who wins?

This is a real toughie. Can I be wayward and say that weekdays are for Camden and weekends are for Cambridge?
During the week I get a lot of inspiration from the Camden kids, lovely hidden-away galleries and sweaty underpriced indie nights. By the weekend though it’s full of puffy tourists and very long queues for nothing.
That’s when I retreat to the gentle Cambridge countryside. It’s perfect for lethargic country strolls and relaxing afternoon teas; this is also where I get a lot of my inspiration down onto paper and start to paint. All the week’s bustle leaves my mind ready to draw in peace and quiet!

You can see more of her work here, or catch her at the Alternative Press Fair on Sunday 1st February where she will be featuring the Hunter Storybook alongside other homemade creations, and apparently, lots of Green Tea.

.
Why is it no-one tells you that when you leave uni, approved your life will have a huge vacuum and those 3 years you spent studying illustration suddenly seem wasted when all the available jobs are in call centres? What to do? Give up the creative dream? Not if you’re Brighton girl Anna Wenger. She decided that if there was no jobs out there, adiposity she’d start her own business, viagra dosage and Sacred Stitches was born. Her idea of stitching classic tattoo designs onto clothes and homewares has really taken off in recent months, and she’s kindly chatted to us about it:

How did your business come about?
I needed to give my family and friends Christmas presents but without spending much money, so made everyone cushions. I got a lot of attention from these cushions and created more and more and now embroider onto everything I can lay my hands on!

Who are your favourite designers?
I love Angelique Houtkamp, her work mixes classic tattoo imagery with Hollywood romance and her eye for style is very inspirational.
Others include Inka Tattooist James Robinson, Alex Binnie, Jon Burgerman, Tara McPherson and Crush Design Studio.

How would you describe your personal style?
A very modern graphic twist on an old school tattoo style. I like to think that with my designs everyone can appreciate the art form of tattoos without having to get one.

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Do you wear your own designs?
Oh yes, and so does my boyfriend, his friends, my flatmates. My flat is completely covered in sacred stitches cushions!

Who or what inspires you? (i know the obvious answer here is tattoos –
but if there’s anything else!)
I live with a tattooist who influences my work; magazines and art exhibitions are good for getting new ideas. My boyfriend and friends are covered in tattoos and will come home with a new piece of art on their skin, so its hard not to be inspired when your surrounded by moving artwork.


Have you got any tattoos?
No, the design is still in progress.

Do you have a favourite tattoo design / what’s the best you’ve seen so
far?
My favourite so far is by Judd Ripley of an amazingly haunting pirate ship. (pictured below)

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Do you still love Brighton/can you see yourself living anywhere else?
I am originally from Brighton and moved back here after University, as it’s a creative city. I do love Brighton as it’s a very receptive place for my designs because people here like to buy from small businesses.

Can I have a t-shirt please?
Yes, what size are you, xxl?!?

How very dare you. A medium at the very most!
Thanks for your time Anna. Talent and ambition, the best combination.
Contact Anna about getting hold of your own personalised tattoo(ed piece of clothing) here.

So it may have looked like I was deserting my post last week, cheap swanning off to Paris to slide down hills on the ice and hibernate in nice restaurants. However, whilst my trip may have involved quite a lot of that sort of fun, I was not just being a bone-idle holiday-monger. Au contraire. I also had my ears opened to some great new music and had this excellent first EP by Hold Your Horses! thrust into my sweaty and eager palms (fine it was in a nice restaurant that this transaction took place but we were just following the model of most international business).

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Most recent French bands seem either to do an excellent line in electronica or a terrible one in punk rock – you just can’t do attitude if your beige converse match your cashmere v-neck and your hair is cleaner and shinier than a Pantene advert. Hold Your Horses! have most in common with the second school, essentially a guitar band augmented with some strings and wind. However, perhaps the fact that they are a motley crew of diplobrats and true Frenchies contributes to the broader and more interesting range of influences discernible in their music. Sure, The Strokes are probably in every single member of the band’s record collection and at moments on this record, if you were to replace singer Flo’s Chrissie Hinde delivery with a Casablancas drawl, you would be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped back to Strokes-fever 2003, but this is really just what provides the catchy backbone of these songs. There’s a pleasantly shambolic tone – perhaps a little too shambolic at times due to the slightly rough-around-the-edges self-done mix – and when the boy vocals kick in partway through track two, a vaguely Celtic edge emerges.

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Opener Cigarettes and Lies, the strongest song on the record, fanfares its arrival with a blast of trumpets before launching into a danceable meditation on youthful lust and confusion. After that, the titles get longer and the violins more prominent as they have a bit of an Irish-ska moment (fine that’s not like, an official genre but listen and you’ll know what I mean) before ending on the sultry Argue and the sweet Flo’s Folk. Although not perfect or polished, this EP is really promising and tips HYH! as a band it’s definitely worth catching live when they hopefully make it to this side of the Channel.

Click hereto get hold of a copy.

Written by Prudence Ivey on Wednesday January 14th, 2009 3:47 pm

Categories ,EP, ,France, ,Hold Your Horses, ,Musician

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