Showing posts with label The Guardian. Show all posts

Sunday, 25 March 2012

Go Team GB!

So. London 2012. It's finally here, and the country is in frenzy over preparations and plans to ensure it runs smoothly. Lengths to make changes to Sunday trading laws, huge new builds nearing completion, and nationwide aesthetic changes occurring to make sure Britain looks its best (such as Coventry, but let's face it... it did need it.) This once in a lifetime occurrence has everyone excited; not only for the economy, but the UK as a whole and showing off what we got is a priority! As well as the obvious competitive aspect of the age-long occasion, it's kind of a huge display of "I'm better than you", and proving your country can be bigger and better than the last- i.e. bigger and better fireworks!
Style-wise, the Team GB Olympic kit was launched last week, and I'm in two minds... Designed by Stella McCartney and created by Adidas, you can't deny that style and knowledge here is combined excellently to produce fashionable sportswear. The designs, however, are a bit hit and miss.

www.fabsugar.co.uk

"I wanted the kit to be British, but understated, not ridiculous,"

Stella McCartney at the launch of the kit at the Tower of London.

(Image: www.alexloves.com)

The launch was held in a humongous tent (see above) at the Tower of London, and saw well known, and slightly less well known Olympians and paralympians donning the new gear, from a variety of different disciplines. Stella McCartney has been working on these designs for two years, and with a brief of 600 athletes and 26 different disciplines to please, she had her work cut out for her! Getting the right look, correct balance of style and propriety of the sports wear is never an easy combination to collate, and pleasing all athletes was always going to be unlikely, however a majority of the designs seem nice- patriotic without being OTT.

(Image: www.mirror.co.uk)

"...the designs focuses on the Union flag, breaking down the iconic design and reconstructing it, creating a modern and contemporary twist.The result is a bold design that features on all items of the kit to ensure the British athletes stand out in front of the home crowd as a unified team." (Team GB organisers, Source: The Mirror)

Dislike and a somewhat disappointed feel for the designs, however, is present. Cyclist Bradley Wiggins tweeted: "Oh dear, the Olympic kit!!" and comments on Twitter mostly mention the distinct, perhaps dominant over-use, of the blue colour and lack of red colour. Twitterers even go as far as to mention looking of French design?...
Anyway, despite the haters, I don't think Stella did too badly. She was never going to make everyone happy! Perhaps a bit more red would have been nice, but never mind. Here are some individual shots of the designs...

[All photos are from the Guardian photo story...]

So, what do you think? Regardless of the design not pleasing everyone, I reckon the majority do appreciate the 2012 kit, and hope they'll see our athletes get as many medals as popular. GO TEAM GB!!
Here's some links you might wanna check out for some more info/photos - Enjoy :)

Bea xo

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

"Bankski"?

P183... Heard of him? Probably not. But the Russian street artist is making himself known around Moscow with his 'his politically charged murals – and says he's doing it for a 'strong, educated and cultured homeland'' His murals have developed from his childhood, when he would write poems paying tribute to Viktor Tsoi, a Soviet musician on the Tsoi Wall, Moscow. His work has more recently become popular after photographs have been viewed worldwide. His now much bolder and satirical art has been heavily compared to that of Banksy, coining him the nickname "Bankski". (I'm assuming we're all aware of who Banksy is? Well , if not, take a look here. The Bristol-born son of a photocopier technician has been a graffiti artist and creator of satirical street-art portraying political and social commentary since the late 1980s.) Despite the similarities in their art, P183 insists that imitation was, and isn't, his intention.

"I fully understand that we both have a common cause, but I never sought to emulate him or anyone else. I use the songs of people such as Yegor Letov and Konstantin Kinchev for inspiration – not public figures."

Russia seems to approach P183's art with a much less admired and open view than the UK with his representations of modern-day Russia. In reference to the Russian election, he replies

"I'm not going to talk about Putin, it's too much. In our country, there is a very heavy atmosphere. People are closed-minded, and money is the most important thing... The city government is categorically against street art, so any wall drawings are painted over. Graffiti with political meaning and social subtext are painted over especially fast,"

It seems to me that art created by the likes of people such as Banksy and P183 is a form of creativity intended to physically illustrate the sub-texts and underlying themes of our societies, and the discourses we all buy into. Economics, politics, society and modern culture discourse is communicated through this.
P183 says that "To me, street art is a tool to send thoughts to people."

To read more about P183, visit here for The Guardian article, written by Jake Hanrahan. Here are just some of his recent murals (All care of The Guardian page!)... Enjoy.

Bea xo

Agyness' New Chapter

We all know the name Agyness Deyn; with her trademark blonde pixie hair and the face of Giorgio Armani, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry (just to name a few!) Except, Agyness Deyn wasn't the name she was born with. And neither was she born with the expectation of becoming one of Britain's most well known supermodels. She speaks with Decca Aitkenhead from The Guardian about her childhood, her gradual entry into the world of fashion and her life now.
Agyness is no longer working as a model, deciding to take a step away from the fashion industry. Instead, Deyn has changed direction; straight into the theatre. The Leisure Society, is her first play, written by François Archambault. It's a 'deliciously offensive four-hander comedy' and Deyn admits that it definitely is a change from the catwalk. Rehearsing for up to eight hours a day, Deyn seems be to enjoying the new skills and experience acting is providing her with.

"When I started doing little bits of acting I was like, this is what I'm supposed to be doing, you know? Going to this place where there's this fulfilment in kind of like letting go, and also that part of really getting in touch with yourself, to be able to understand a different character, and then portray that to whoever's watching it, and to be able to penetrate them in a way that touches them. And there's this unsaid kind of bond with us all [in the cast] which is so powerful, you know? It's like this family, there for each other; I feel held by the other people who are doing it, which is so great, cos like with modelling for so long it's a very solo project, and quite lonely. Being part of – well, it makes me feel emotional just talking about it – being part of this with these great people – it's just like so cool."

Aiktenhead notes how different Deyn is in contrast to her portrayal in the media. Her 'army surplus meets jumble sale chic' look, defining cool effortlessly, interpreted by 'style magazines...as edgy and fierce' doesn't correlate exactly with what she actually stands for. She isn't fierce in character. In fact, nothing about her seems fierce. Polite and attentive, says Aitkenhead, speaking slowly and thoughtfully.

"I think I was able to put on more of a brash front a lot more when I was younger. Now it's a bit harder, so now I kind of embrace the feeling awkward, maybe a little bit socially inept. But in a good way."

Her modelling career lasted for eleven years, starting after she won a local modelling competition at the age of 16. Whilst visiting Henry Holland, best childhood friend, now a successful fashion designer, at university in London at the age of 18, she was scouted. For the next five years, she worked as a jobbing model, albeit failing to find much fame nor make a name for herself. However, by 2006, she was signed by a New York agent, becoming what was arguably the next Kate Moss overnight.
Laura Hollins was Deyn's birth name and there have been, as Aitkenhead explains, different accounts detailing different reasons as to why she changed it. She discovers, through a somewhat tense discussion with Deyn, that the first and foremost reason was because there was simply too many Lauras already in modelling.
Regardless of her name, Agyness is the one we all know and love, and I'm so excited to see her doing something new; a new direction. New is good.

To read the whole interview with Agyness, visit The G2 Interview, The Guardian
Bea xo

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Oh Vintage?... Well, is it really?

Vintage. Everything remotely second-hand or out of trend is now labelled 'vintage'. I, myself, am guilty of getting overexcited about a slightly old jumper from a charity shop, and bragging about my 'vintage buy'. But is it really vintage? Well, I suppose that all depends on everyone's own perception of vintage...

My charity shop experience is a bit hit and miss nowadays... You see, I can go into the Salvation Army and usually find something of excitement. And usually at a price I'm happy to agree to. But I can't believe how much the price of these have gone up. Now, I'm not sure that charity shops across the countries have been keeping up-to-date with current vintage fashion trends and deciding to increase the prices due to higher demand. It may simply be the state of the current economic climate and they, like most others, have had to up their prices.
However, it is VERY evident (and I'm sure it's not just me) that the prices and demand for decent vintage pieces has literally soared, with the apparent need to be so different from the crowd... Unfortunately, in thinking this, these people do, in fact, become part of a crowd themselves. And this is difficult to avoid.
I, personally, wear what I want. And sometimes it's things that are in fashion, and sometimes it isn't. Regardless, I like wearing what I want. And I LOVE a good charity shop buy. And car boots, phew, don't get me started; they're even better!! But is this 'vintage' look something that's becoming the antithesis of what it actually strives to be? The 'indie' look becoming an oxymoron- the mainstream individual?

New Vintage Fashion Shop in Chester City Centre, Bridge Street

Jo-Ann Fortune, blogger for The Guardian, shares this view, and raises many interesting points about the rise of 'vintage' to the top of our agendas. (Have a look at her 'Is vintage clothing passé?' article!! Check out some of the links too!)
I think it's safe to say that 'vintage' means a lot of different things to us all- whether it's 90's pieces we all remember, or the odd 60's tea dress. And how we choose to interpret these looks and express ourselves through fashion will always be down to that individual. But one thing I know is that I'm willing to battle through the bargain hunters at those car boots to get a bargain. No more will I be fooled by the ebay description of 'vintage', where some cheeky so and so is trying to fob me off with some old New Look dress. So, just be warned, keep vintage actual vintage.

Bea xo

samechic;differentweek