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Day: 25 November 2012

Creative writing professor urges ‘tax avoiders’ to fund libraries

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

Jeanette Winterson has called for Starbucks, Google and Amazon to fund a countrywide library revival.

The award winning author, and professor of creative writing at the University of Manchester, suggested that the millions of pounds in profits that these companies allegedly owe in tax avoidance should be used to expand the UK’s library network.

Speaking at the Reading Agency Lecture at the British Library, Winterson said that “either we stop arguing and agree that libraries are doing their best to reinvent themselves, and that with a bit of help – financial and ideological – they belong to the future, or we let them run down until they disappear.”

She continued, “Libraries cost about £1bn to run right now. Make it £2bn and charge Google, Amazon and Starbucks all that back tax on their profits here.”

This follows outrage at the accusation that the companies in question have been diverting millions of pounds in UK profits to secretive tax havens, and has led to a debate which has raised questions over whether Starbucks stores should be allowed on campus.

Winterson argued that libraries should be accounted for in the national education budget, rather than local councils’ leisure budgets: “I don’t see how this can be classed as `leisure’ nor do I see how we have a choice between getting our bins emptied and putting cash into libraries.”

The John Rylands Library on Deansgate has recently received Manchester’s `Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’ award, and was described by judges as “progressive” and “exciting”.

However, the Public Libraries News website estimates that 300 libraries have been closed or under threat since April.

Winterson urged her audience not to “hand kids over to computer games and wall-to-wall TV – bring them to books early and see what happens. Give them real choice – let them find out what books are, what they can do.”

 

The Artist: Long Live McQueen

Written by Miles Zilesnick on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest names in British fashion and known to
 be equally as outlandish. His shows have consisted of placing models in a wind tunnel for the exploration of displaying fabric, torn clothes symbolising the rape of Scotland by England and even using a hologram model of Kate Moss on the runway.

In regards to his ‘unwearable fashion’, one of his most extreme pieces includes a collaboration between graffiti and art, where a model was elevated in the midst of a show and spray painted, not too unlike the Citroen Picasso advert. If you haven’t seen the McQueen video yet, I’d highly suggest you put down this paper and watch it. To some, the piece would appear to be a wedding dress violated by a Banksy wannabe, or for other fashionistas, an expression of the fluidity of fashion. Personally I just thinks it looks really cool.

Another favourite of mine, yet more predictable, are McQueen’s iconic Armadillo shoes. His 10inch heels famously featured in the video for Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’, which appear impossible to walk in, let alone dance in. These glittery devils look incredible, but I can guarantee it is not acceptable to wear them in any respectable social situation, (unless of course you know of a higher class edition of Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.) Either way, I still think they look amazing despite their potential excessiveness.

Photo: Sartorial Editorial Blogspot

Since the tragic death of McQueen however, his old work has taken on a certain kind of reverence. His fashion house still lives on through the like-minded work of Sarah Burton, who designed Kate Middleton’s stunning wedding dress, now on display at Buckingham Palace. A timeless classic, representative of British fashion.

Style Icons or Style Crisis?

Written by Alice Tofts on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

TV shows and films are renowned for their fantasy worlds. Superheroes, vampires and wizards challenge reality. But when unconventional outfits are worn by characters who are supposed to live in the real world, the viewer is left either baffled or inspired. Whether entertaining or setting trends, these characters make us question the endless possibilities of dressing with artistic licence. Spanning the last 30 years of film fashion, here is a list of the best through to the worst and the geniality to the absurdity.

Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen (Gossip Girl– see featured image): Their extravagant outfits reflect their extravagant lifestyles. Expected to dress to impress and to wear the latest designs, their outfits can never be described as boring. Rejecting conventional school uniform, they pioneer a more innovative school style, which includes clashing brightly coloured socks, ruffled blouses and silk ties. These girls do not shy away from experimenting, yet they manage to avoid the terrible mistakes often made by other film characters.

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Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City): Confused about her age and sometimes gender, her outfits are rarely within the boundaries of the norm, nor suitable for the occasion. Striding shamelessly down a New York sidewalk, shopping bags in hand, Carrie wore a gold prom dress and fur jacket. Despite claiming to be a ‘normal gal’ her brave fashion choices hardly reflect the average New York street style. Carrie reputes conformism yet beams with self-confidence. It is this carefree attitude which is so inspiring; helping to make her one of the most influential on screen fashion icons of the last twenty years.

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Eddie and Patsy (Absolutely Fabulous): Perhaps the least inspirational of TV stars, these two ladies present a very flamboyant image of British Fashion. Eddie and Patsy’s costumes were designed to entertain rather than inspire. Taking fashion trends 5 steps too far, Eddie and Patsy put the fun into fashion. Patsy’s polka dot coat and Eddie’s snakeskin trouser suit were as outrageous in the 90s as they are now yet we cannot help but enjoy the fun and frivolity of their unique style.

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Rebecca Bloomwood (Confessions of a Shopaholic): Addicted to shopping, her wardrobe is bulging with items in every shade of pink imaginable. Full of colour and volume, her outfits reach the extent of being ridiculous. Daring and bold colours, textures and prints, her outfits are fun and eye-catching. However her style is less respected than other film characters and it is less likely that her style is seen replicated on the high street.

Top 5: H&M Collaborations

Written by Grainne Morrison on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

1) Marni – 2012

This recent collaboration was a hit with the fashion crew. Such a hit, in fact, that on its first day in store the London shop had to limit shoppers to ten minute slots each. The New York store had sold out of the collection in less than an hour.

Lanvin for H&M ad campaign. Photo: H&M

2) Lanvin – 2010

In November 2010, Lanvin provided party goers with bold frocks and statement looks. Giving those on less than A-list budgets a taste of Parisian, high-end fashion. The success of the collaboration saw H&M’s sales rise by 8%; so, apart from the unlucky latecomers, everyone was happy.

Roberto Cavalli for H&M. Photo: H&M

3) Roberto Cavalli – 2007

One of the more glamorous collaborations, Cavalli brought a splash of Italian style to the Swedish chain store. Leopard print and glitter won over dazzled shoppers. There were even reports of physical fights breaking out over the sought after items in the New York store!

Stella McCartney for H&M. Photo: H&M

4) Stella McCartney – 2005

This Brit favourite’s contribution to high street fashion came under controversy when Kate Moss( star of its ad campaign) was snapped taking cocaine. The line made its own headlines though for quality designs and happy customers.

Karl Lagerfeld for H&M. Photo: H&M

5) Karl Lagerfeld – 2004

The scandal loving designer caused a furore when he said of his line “What I designed was fashion for slender and slim people”, upset by the store’s decision to produce his line in sizes up to (shock horror!) 16. Despite his controversial comments, the line lived up to Lagerfeld’s Chanel credentials.

5 Academic Sartorial Stereotypes

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Sleepy Student

Shuffling about like an extra from the latest low budget zombie film, you’ll find this student species napping at the back of the lecture theatre (when they bother to turn up) or snoozing in a secret corner of the library. Their uniforms are barely disguised sleepwear teamed with beanies (doubles up as a pillow).

Business Guy

Out of Oak House and into the office

This breed of student belongs more in the boardroom than in the classroom. Suave and sophisticated at all times, jacket and shirt are a must, briefcase glued to one hand, blackberry to the other.

Trustafarian

Often found roaming Oldham Street clutching an Urban Outfitters satchel and raving about how they’d been a fan of Alt-J way before they were even nominated for the Mercury prize.  Most Trustafarians would ask if we could please retake the above photo, using Instagram instead.

Leavers

You can take the student out of Sixth-Form…

We all know them; we also know what school they went to and what year they left. These are the (mainly female) students that love the ‘I didn’t put any effort into this outfit’ look whilst wearing so much mascara they find it hard to blink. Can be identified by the fact their face and neck are two different shades, the former usually being a vibrant shade of orange.

Gap Yah

The Gap Yah student is easily spotted in the remnants of their travelling attire, finding it hard to accept they are no longer hiking in South Asia. Often sharing their enlightening tales of the life changing experience the Full Moon party in Koh Phangan gave them. But be nice, a Gap Yah student means well – like, they’ve worked with orphans, yah?

From the vault: Manic Street Preachers – Generation Terrorists

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

The effect of time and age on a band is a joy to behold. Generation Terrorists, the Manic Street Preachers brash statement to the world is now celebrating its 20th Birthday. And from their initial manifesto of releasing one album, taking over the planet and then imploding, to performing  soft-rock ballads on Strictly come dancing – the Manic Street Preachers are essentially the same politically charged punks, but just a tad more grown-up.

The working title for the album, Culture, Alienation, Boredom & Despair is pretty damn effective in covering all the bases for the album. The Manics in themselves were ‘Generation Terrorists’ if you like; highly politicized nutters with no regard for establishment –thankfully they favored guitars over grenades.  Take the opening track ‘Slash ‘n’ Burn’ straight away it’s a cold hard slap in the face. The Guns N’ Roses style riffs coupled with the bitterness in the lyrics “Madonna drinks Coke and so you can too, Taste’s real good not like a sweet poison should”.

Nicky and the late (we assume so anyway) Richy provide most of the ammunition for the album, however the real credit for me goes to JDB for crafting actual songs given lyrics such as – “Obedience to the law is free desire, Under curfew from neon barbed wire, Wasting away this country, wearing like a born dead, Free heroin shots for those who never beg”.

As a whole piece, my first encounter with Generation Terrorists was a difficult one. Over faced by the sheer audacity and arrogance, tracks like ‘You Love Us’ I’m ashamed to say kind of passed me by. On first impressions the abrasive nature and no-frills production was quite overwhelming, but the album is actually pretty varied in its styling. From the amalgamation of Rage Against The Machine and Guns N’ Roses-esque tracks like ‘Another Invented Disease’ to the lush softer sounds found on ‘Little Baby Nothing’, James Dean Bradfield really excels as the sole musical contributor, and shows why many consider him the guitarist of his generation.

To most, the creme de la creme of the album is the anthemic  ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’ – comfortably taking the title of ‘that song you know, but aren’t sure who it’s by’. It epitomises the whole album, and in many ways showcasing the best of what the Manic Street Preachers have to offer. 20 years on and Generation Terrorists is still as potent and relevant as ever.

 

Deciphering Dreams

Written by Emma Richards on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Following the typical student lifestyle, we have all undoubtedly spent too much on *insert here* at one point or another, only to spot an amazing addition to our wardrobes, guaranteed to make you stand out from the manic Mancunian crowds. However, you now inevitably simply cannot afford the luxury (not even with that looming overdraft…)

THINK THRIFTETTE.

Having started out travelling between Vintage Fairs and fuelled by their dreams, Thriftette’s founders, Lucie Benjamin and Grace Avery, began their own market stall in 2011 and have already managed to open their first shop, which can be found in Affleck’s Palace, in under a year. An astonishing success for a business that has been in existence for such a short period of time, as well as providing a highly inspirational example for anyone out there to take note of.

Having met while at University, the trendy duo realised that they both shared a passion for everything vintage, already with the ability to stand out, and could offer a product and ideas that differ from every other, while still staying bang in vogue. Having studied the fashion industry it was inevitable that these two fashion super-savvies would create something stylish yet equally affordable.

In addition to this, unlike a lot of other stores, the girls effortlessly create an incredibly welcoming, friendly and sociable atmosphere with an eagerness to help their customers, something which I definitely felt when I paid them a visit for an interview. Here is what they said:

Did you always know that you wanted a fashion-orientated job?

We always dreamed about it but never actually believed that it would happen. One night Lucie and I just sat up talking and sharing ideas, then we began doing vintage fairs. It was a good place to start because apart from the clothes, all you really need is a car! We did that for quite a while, but it did start to get boring doing the same thing every weekend and we also found it to be too focused on money-grabbing as they charge stalls to attend, which just seems ironic! When we realised we wanted to open our own store, we each gave an input of £150, so it really can be done. We also model our own products for our online store, as that helps to cut down the cost as well. Although we did have a photo shoot yesterday and the model we got was really good. Of course now we have earned that money back…and more.

Is the fashion industry as stereotypical as people immediately think?

At uni we felt like the losers, it was always just the two of us, we did everything together, lived together. There really was a lot of bitchiness on our course, especially because there were sixty girls! People used to laugh at us or just not really want to get to know us because we were different. I still have some of them on Facebook and it makes me laugh now because a lot of people now, even after they have graduated, work in supermarkets and things like that.

What was the reason you moved back to start a store in Manchester having studied in Leeds?

I [Grace] grew up in Manchester and so I suppose I always knew that I was going to come back after I graduated, and when Lucie and I had the idea that we did want to start our own store, we looked around and found this shop space in Afflecks really quickly. Too good to turn down!

A lot of people would love to do what you have achieved, but worry at the thought of having and managing their own business. Have you had any major setbacks or difficulties on the way?

It’s still really hard to know. We have only been here for eleven months so we do not really have any previous figures to work by. Not that long after we moved here, a lot of customers would come in and ask us where other (vintage) stores were, and when they left we would think, “come and try our stuff!”

We were already established here for the post-Christmas madness in January, and I suppose, for us, we didn’t really know how well we were doing since it was all new to us, any time customers came in and bought something, we thought it was great! There is a lot of trial and error involved. It will be interesting to compare the figures at the end of the year.

Where do you get your clothes from?

Well, we do pretty much all of the design work ourselves. We get a lot of things from Wholesalers and then revamp the products ourselves. My [Lucie] parents also moved to France so I often travel there to the flea markets, they are a great place to find new ideas and I always come back with loads of things. The only thing is, whenever I go to France I get a lot of French people shouting ‘Lady Gaga’ at me (which she pronounced in a perfect French accent). I think it is because people in France must not see people with blonde hair!

How would you describe your style and/or the style of your product?

We definitely create things that we would wear. [They both demonstrate their outfits, which in some cases, can either be identified hanging on the walls or have a very similar look]. We really don’t like it when we see what some models wear on the catwalk and you just know that you would never dream of wearing that on the street, especially since a lot of people do not like to look too different. We are of course also providing for a target audience similar to ourselves. If you come in store you will often see us wearing our own products. The things we sell are one-of-a-kind that you would not find anywhere else. We are very pro self-expressionism and try to inject our own personality into everything we design. I [Grace] wouldn’t say that we ever stick to a particular style rigidly, we always change, it just happens at the moment that we have a bit of a grunge theme. Whatever style it is, we definitely wear it with a purpose, we know why we like that particular look at that particular time, that is something that is really important to us. Lucie often changes her hair too. At uni you’d never know what colour it would be the next time you saw her! I [Grace] am in the process of growing out my blonde and returning to my natural, brown. We don’t even know what we will do next.

On my way to Thriftette this morning it was hard not to notice the vast amount of vintage stores all in such a close vicinity to yourselves. How do you deal with that sort of competition and does it affect your business?

[Grace] I don’t think we have ever noticed it really. I mean we have our own stand-out ideas. For example, as we said all our products are 100% original so you won’t find them in any other of these vintage stores. We also offer T-shirt printing within the store, so that of course is something else that makes us unique. We also have a Loyalty Card system, so you get a stamp every time you buy something, then after five stamps you get £10 to use in store. Oh, and 10% student discount, which, actually a lot of other independent stores will not offer.

So, now that you have made it so far, where do you see yourselves in a couple of years time?

We would like to branch out and maybe develop into a chain store in locations all over the country, but obviously also where there is a good space for fashion. London or Birmingham would be good. And since I [Lucie] am from Essex, maybe that could help to get us going in different places. I’d like to open a store in the South. Developing our online store is also a big issue for us.

What do you both enjoy doing in your free time?

We work in the store an awful lot since it is just the two of us, but on our days off we do a lot of designing, updating our blog and do enjoy guilty pleasures such as TOWIE, oh, and Made In Chelsea.

 

If you haven’t already, a visit to Thriftette is an absolute must. Not only will you be spoilt for choice in great fashion, you will also get a lovely chat from two very talented young ladies. SOLD!