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Day: 26 January 2018

Bluedot Festival announce line-up

Bluedot festival have announced their 2018 line-up, with The Chemical Brothers, The Flaming Lips and Future Islands all headlining this year. The festival will take place from 19th-22nd July at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire.

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Photo: Zeitgeist

Bluedot describes itself as “an award-winning festival of discovery at the grounds of a deep space observatory”. Set against a backdrop of the iconic Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank, the festival combines an all-star line-up with a programme of live science experiments, expert talks and art exhibitions.

Joining the headliners are Public Service Broadcasting, Gary Numan and Little Dragon plus talks from leading scientists and thinkers.

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Photo: Zeitgeist

The stand-out feature of the weekend is sure to be Blue Planet in concert with the Halle, with the purchase of an additional Thursday ticket.

It’s not all music and science though – a killer comedy line-up also graces the festival, with the likes of Gary Delaney and David O’Doherty taking to the stage. There will be film screenings, exciting food and drink as well as family encounters…surely something for everyone?

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Photo: Zeitgeist

With Pixies, Orbital and Alt-J having already made their mark on the festival, Bluedot is sure to be bigger and better this year, offering something alternative to the classic UK festival.

Tickets are available now from the Bluedot website.

New Year, new Céline

Despite an incredibly strong Paris Fashion Week, it seems it was the politics behind fashion houses that took centre stage. The news that Kim Jones was to leave his exceptionally successful post as Artistic Director at Men’s Louis Vuitton shook the circuit before his final collection.

If this wasn’t dramatic enough, the news that Hedi Slimane was to replace Phoebe Philo at Céline, being appointed to Artistic, Creative, and Image Director sent social media into overdrive. This move signifies the ever-present comercial demands of the fashion industry, and leaves us asking questions as to where this leaves the value of the aesthetic and creative expression.

Since rumours of Philo’s departure from the Parisian house surfaced at the beginning of last year, her legacy has been continuously reflected upon. Philo can be accredited with transforming Céline, the house founded by a woman (Céline Vipiana) into the ultimate label of chic femininity, overhauling a struggling, stagnant brand to one with an iconic sophisticated aesthetic, boosting sales from €200million to €700million a year.

Philo has redefined how women dress for a generation, championing elegance and style to transcend trend. Her work boasts intelligent femininity, and champions the idea of a ‘uniform’ by creating key staples that can be worn for a lifetime. Her work at Céline has transformed the house into an icon of the woman-power era, bringing an empowering style against the grain of skinny jeans and sexy mini dresses, favouring oversized, fluid pieces, outerwear and neutral palettes alongside architectural leather accessories.

Céline is a brand designed by women, for women, with Philo reflecting that, “I have no problem with a woman wearing anything as long as she has chosen to wear it for herself.” It is this authenticity which is much coveted by customers. In a world of see-now, buy-now and e-commerce, Céline’s non-conformist restraint to stick to tradition, mirrors Philo’s personality, being notoriously private about her life away from fashion. Thus, Céline’s transformation blooms out of the integrity of Philo herself, and her no-nonsense attitude has cultivated an IT brand founded upon integrity and timeless glamour.

Thus, the news that Hedi Slimane is to take total control of the feminist Parisian house — tasked with introducing Menswear, fragrance, and couture — inevitably came as a shock across social media. The central concern is how a dark androgynous, celebrated menswear designer is able to continue the true feminine aesthetic of the Céline woman.

Slimane came to critical acclaim as a menswear designer following his celebrated stint at Dior Homme until 2007, where his iconic skinny suits boasted his signature dark, and rock and roll aesthetic. Yet, it is Slimane’s last stint at Saint Laurent, most notoriously rebranding to drop the ‘Yves’ from the house name, which established him as one of fashion’s most celebrated and profitable designers.

Slimane wholly reinvented Saint Laurent to become an edgy, L.A.-inspired brand, focusing on a much younger millennial customer. This transformation paid off, transforming YSL from a modest house to become one of the most lucrative cash cows of its parent company Kering’s luxury catalogue. In February 2015, Kering announced that Saint Laurent had doubled its business since Slimane’s hiring three years earlier, taking annual revenues in the region of $600 million.

Yet, despite his undeniable commercial success, the controversy following his move to Céline signifies the unusual pairing. His skinny, typically non-diverse, and young ‘cool’ aesthetic seems entirely opposite to the inclusive, modern and authentic femininity championed by Philo, and many are concerned about how Slimane will interpret and honour the house’s legacy to work with his seemingly opposed conception of femininity.

Yet, perhaps we should consider this move for what it is, a wholly commercial move rather than a solely aesthetical one. Slimane’s posting at Céline is of great commercial significance, as the luxury LVMH conglomerate group reclaim Slimane following his success for their rivals at Kering. LVMH is hoping to cash in on Slimane’s non-disputable commercial appeal, hoping to boost Celine’s revenues exponentially to establish the house as a billion-dollar brand.

LVMH Chairman Aranult expressed, “I have been a great admirer of his work since we collaborated on Dior Homme, which he launched to global acclaim in the 2000s. His arrival at Céline reinforces the great ambitions that LVMH has for this maison.”

In the increasingly competitive luxury market, where the Kering Group is thriving from ownership of the booming ‘it’ brands of Gucci, Balenciaga and YSL, a ramp in commercial success for the LVMH group is key. Slimane’s typically controversial aesthetic being incorporated into the ‘grown-up’ fashion house of Céline is set to be interesting, and no matter what the critical response, will be guaranteed to be profitable.

Profile: Clare Waight Keller

When it was announced that Clare Waight Keller would be stepping down from Chloé in order to take over from Riccardo Tisci as Creative Director of Givenchy in March 2017, it was questioned whether or not her style: femininity wrapped in gauzy sunlit-dappled 1970s nostalgia, would fit with the darkly sensual gothic edge that Givenchy has been known for under Tisci’s direction since 2005.

How could these two very different approaches to femininity be bridged, or would Keller take Givenchy in a completely new direction, and abandon the grime and lust for something more whimsical? These were the questions that surrounded Keller’s first collection for Givenchy in October 2017, and in all honesty, they weren’t entirely answered.

The first collection in a lot of ways looked and felt like an extension of her work at Chloé, if Bohemia landed an office job. The colour palette of white, navy and black was clean and professional, but splashes of vibrant red in the makeup and accessories elevated the entire collection, injecting some of the light-hearted, easy feminine charm that Keller is known for. The styling of the models and the classical French shape and design of the separates and dresses was a lovely nod to Givenchy’s founder, Hubert de Givenchy, which surely helped to assure sceptics that Keller was the right (if not unusual) choice for the job.

The move away from Tisci’s punk glamour which had become a mainstay in Ginvenchy’s branding is interesting. Keller has replaced the hyper-masculine, aggressively cool rottweiler that had become an unofficial mascot for Tisci in his designs with cats. It’s a subtler, softer approach and one that works incredibly well with the image that Tisci created over his tenure as Creative Director. In Keller’s own words, “I love the idea of a woman with a feline air… They’re seductive.” In another nod to Givenchy’s founder,  not only were the slender, classical French silhouettes reminiscent of his designs, but the cats were a reference to a pattern created by de Givenchy himself in the 1950s.

It’s this idea of feline seduction; strength and stoicism wrapped up in softness and grace that might make sense of Keller’s vision for Givenchy. Almost a year after her appointment as Creative Director, Keller first editorial campaign for the spring/summer 2018 collection has just been released and offers potential insight into where she plans on taking the French fashion house. Shot by Steven Meisel in an uptown New York apartment, the vibe is very cool and very chic. The models are photographed in black and white, looking directly at the camera whilst the accessories take centre stage in full colour. Keller has stated that she wanted to “play with that modern attitude and expression because I feel like it’s an apt metaphor for Givenchy’s current evolution.”

Interestingly, there is still something very easy-going about Keller’s approach, and there’s still definitely a pull towards the 1970s nostalgia that she explored with Chloé, however, with Givenchy there is altogether a sleeker, more youthful edge.

My Future Fest returns to help students plan careers

An upcoming event will help students plan their careers and post-University life.

On 6th February, University Place will be transformed into a haven of new opportunity as part of the event My Future Fest.

Numerous work experience placements and internships will be on offer, as well as volunteering projects and chances to travel abroad. Organisations such as National Citizen Service (NCS) and Camp America will be attending.

Tammy Goldfeld, Manchester University’s Head of Careers, said: “no matter what your degree subject or year of study is, My Future Fest has something for you. In one fun event, you can find out about exciting opportunities, such as summer internships and volunteering, both in the UK and abroad. Lots of careers staff will also be on hand to talk to finalists about graduate jobs and further study options after graduation.”

While maintaining a focus on careers, with the availability of advice on CV writing and handling job interviews, the event is designed to give University of Manchester students an insight into the wide range of opportunities available this semester.

There is also the chance to become increasingly involved in exclusive University programmes, such as the Manchester Leadership Award, that can be completed through taking up one of the many volunteering options that will be on show.

The focus of the day will also expand to help students engaged with key skills to integrate into and aid their existing studies — providing a universal set of options to help the organisation of your degree and future work aspirations.

Whether you’re looking for a route into a certain career path in the long-term or looking for ways to add to your CV while still in full time education, or even just some casual advice, the event aims to offer something for everyone.

With no advance registration required, students should head down to University Place between 10:30am and 4:30pm on the 6th of February to get involved.

Recipe: Chicken Ramen

Ingredients

·         1 chicken breast

·         3 tbsp dark soy sauce

·         3 tbsp each of grated fresh ginger and finely chopped garlic

·         1 tsp Chinese five spice

·         ½ tbsp runny honey

·         Zest of 1 lime

·         1 pack of egg noodles, cooked as per packet instructions

·         1 lemongrass stalk

·         1 red chilli

·         ½ red onion finely sliced

·         1 spring onion

·         Vegetables of choice, for example broccoli, sugarsnaps, bok choi and beansprouts

·         1 small bunch of fresh coriander with the leaves picked off and the stalks finely chopped

·         Juice of 1 lime

·         2 tbsp sriracha sauce

Method

1.       Begin by finely slicing the chicken breast. Add 1 tbsp each of the fresh ginger and garlic, 1 tbsp of the soy sauce, the five spice, the honey and the zest of the lime into a bowl. Add the chicken to this mixture and leave to marinate for at least one hour.

2.       Preheat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, chilli, spring onion, lemongrass, coriander stalks, and the remaining garlic and ginger and fry for 5 minutes, or until the onion and spring onion begin to soften.

3.       Add the vegetables to this mixture, along with the remaining soy sauce. Fry these for approximately 2 minutes.

4.       At this stage turn the heat up to high and, once the pan has begun to heat up, add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken pieces on each side, but only until they are white instead of pink. It is important at this stage to not overcook the chicken pieces so do this for approximately 3 minutes only.

5.       Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and, once simmering, add the noodles. Cook this mixture for approximately 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are cooked but maintain a crunch.

6.       Serve into a bowl and garnish with the chilli sauce, the juice of the lime and the coriander leaves.