Y-3 and Virgin Galactic Unveil Astro Fashion Collab for First Commercial 'Spaceline'

January 19, 2016, 8:42 am

≫ Next: Barring Transgender Women Like Me From Beauty Pageants Is Wrong

≪ Previous: Hello Kefir, Goodbye Acne!

$

0

0

Designers from Craig Green to Fendi are busy sending sleepwear-inspired collections for next winter down the runways of London and Milan - 'to sleep perchance to dream' - and while they do so there are a bunch of people getting ready to actually live their dreams - and they're going to be looking pretty nifty as they do it.

Ever wondered what the well-dressed space traveller will be wearing in the future? This is what...



In preparation for the launch of its first ever commercial space flight service - or 'spaceline' - Virgin Galactic collaborated with Y-3, Yohji Yamamoto's line in conjunction with adidas (Y for Yohji, 3 for adidas' trademark three stripe logo) and has unveiled the prototype flight suit and boots that each of the astro pilots will wear.

The Y-3 and Virgin Galactic teams each started from a shared futuristic, visionary standpoint balanced by the practical requirements of space travel, and worked together to achieve their goal of producing the prototypes pictured. No mean feat when you consider this is a world first and will secure everyone involved a place in aviation, space and fashion history.



The Y-3 signature Japanese tailoring and edgy, technical precision - as well as the brand's preferred colour way of black, black and more black - is clear throughout the two pieces. Who would have thought those chunky boots would be super light though? Clever.

Constructed from layers of specially engineered fabric, the flight-suit is serving superhero space realness. One part evil black-suited Spider-Man to one part Captain America with a splash of Missy Elliott. The back graphic charting the progress of flight history - something that was at the heart of the design and development teams work - is a standout detail.



Watch the video below, filmed at Spaceport America in New Mexico, to find out more about this ground-breaking partnership straight from the designers themselves. After all, who knows... given the huge interest in Tim Peake and intergalactic travel, in the near future space walks might just be the new catwalks.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

---

Barring Transgender Women Like Me From Beauty Pageants Is Wrong

January 19, 2016, 10:14 am

≫ Next: "My Makeup Changes People's Lives: Laura Geller on How Working With Icons Made Her Become an Icon Herself

≪ Previous: Y-3 and Virgin Galactic Unveil Astro Fashion Collab for First Commercial 'Spaceline'

$

0

0

My name is Jocelyne Yendall, or just Jossy for short. I am a 29-year-old Northern lass, with an interest in performing arts and modelling. I was assigned male at birth that means I was biologically male when I was born, but I have always been feminine from an early age. This is not about my 'journey to womanhood' and being transgender is not something that solely defines me as a person but recently I have been in the media talking about being a transgender woman, and in particular how transgender women still face discrimination.

Some would say that my recent experience with discrimination is small compared to what other people have to go through, and I agree to some extent. But sometimes it's the smaller incidents of exclusion and misunderstanding that can grow or develop into bigger issues. So what happened to me? Well, I have been modelling since 201, and I have always had an interest in pageantry, I even devised a performance about the pageant system for my university degree (I studied Performance at Northumbria University). The majority of pageants are not open to transgender women, and I have always thought that this ruling needing addressing.

In the UK, it is effectively against the law to discriminate against a person because of their gender. I applied for the Ms Galaxy pageant in October last year, I was aware that the 'rule' was that entrants had to be 'born genetically female', but I thought if I was honest with the organisers from the start, then maybe they could overlook the ruling. In the first line of my application form, I mentioned that I was transgender female, and I explained how having a transgender contestant would be beneficial for the organisation - after all, Caitlyn Jenner had recently won 'Woman of The Year' award and transgender celebrities such as Laverne Cox, Kellie Maloney and Jazz Jennings have been well received by the media.

I was selected to be a 'Grand Finalist' for Ms Galaxy UK, where I was going to represent the North East. Communication between me and the organisers was great. They gave me advice on how to get sponsorship and I had even spoken to them on the phone. The issue of me being transgender was never raised, and it's not something I usually would keep mentioning because like I said before, being trans doesn't define me as a person. I transitioned to be a woman and that's just how it is for me. I had to pay a deposit, to secure my place in the final. This was when I mentioned again that I was transgender, via email. I got an email back saying that my 'admission' had been overlooked on the original application and I was therefore disqualified from the contest as I wasn't born anatomically female. I was devastated as I thought that I had been honest from the beginning, and that they accepted me regardless of my history.

A lot of friends had mentioned to me that what Ms Galaxy had done was discriminatory, and flies in the face of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and The Equality Act 2010. On the advice of friends, I contacted a press agency who took the story up, but I didn't want to be that girl who just sells a story to the press and doesn't actually do anything. I wanted to turn a negative experience into a positive one, so this was why I decided to set up a petition on change.org. The purpose of the petition is to make the organisers of these pageants aware that barring transgender contestants from mainstream pageants is just wrong.

When I set up the petition I just thought I would get a about 100 signatures but the media picked up on the story (again) and I now have over 1,000 signatures, I have been on various radio stations and also appeared on Good Morning Britain. I have been accused of hypocrisy, as I was in a transgender-only pageant last year, but what people fail to realise is that the reason for having a transgender pageant is because we are not allowed to compete with cis-gender women. Pageants like Miss Transgender raise awareness too, and that was my reasons for being involved with that competition. By and large, the women competing in pageants such as Ms Galaxy would not have been discriminated against because they are cis-gender.

It is important for me to say that in no way am I wanting to slander the Ms Galaxy pageant, they raise a lot for charity and what I have been told from them is that they have to abide by international rules. Hopefully my petition will reach the CEOs of Miss Galaxy International.

So please, if you also think that barring transgender women from mainstream pageants is wrong, then please, please sign the petition! Your support could help make a difference.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

"My Makeup Changes People's Lives: Laura Geller on How Working With Icons Made Her Become an Icon Herself

January 21, 2016, 1:36 am

≫ Next: My Design Process

≪ Previous: Barring Transgender Women Like Me From Beauty Pageants Is Wrong

$

0

0

I arrive at the QVC Beauty Bash with my cynical London reporter hat on. I'm here to cover makeup artist Laura Geller's first appearance at the mammoth event, where the shopping channel's biggest buyers are invited to schmooze the people behind the brands they love to purchase. I walk around the stalls, watching mothers and daughters get massages and makeovers, as well as the odd slightly lost-looking husband here and there.

Geller is huge in the US, QVC's biggest seller and a veritable star with a collection that is perpetually sold out - but she's not well known on these shores. In my capacity both as a model and journalist, I've met people many like Geller who have built mini-empires based largely on their personal appeal, and I can tell you: these folks don't always live up to their reputation. Most have a tendency to treat their assistants like whipping boys behind the scenes, managing to turn on the charm a millisecond before meeting the public/appearing on air. That or they turn into a hollow-eyed pastiche of the character that made them famous. This means that I'm braced for the worst when I meet Geller moments before she makes her grand appearance at her stall in the QVC Beauty Bash...

...And I couldn't have got it more wrong. Within 5 minutes in her company I want her to be my Mum (sorry Mum). Within ten minutes I've switched roles, letting Laura interview me, regaling her with the epic tale of how I met my boyfriend on the Bakerloo Line thanks to the blusher I'd just purchased (it's true!). It's a tale that the company will apparently name a product after.

This is the Laura Geller effect, and it explains why I watch hundreds of women, with an average age of around 40, queue up just to spend a minute basking in the glow of her company (and that's not just from her 'French Vanilla' highlighter).


Laura meets a fan

I witness these women crying the moment they get to Laura - is that common? "Oh yes. I get a lot of women saying I changed their life with make up. In fact just today, there was this lady - very tall, sort of thick set, maybe you saw her. Beautiful. She came up to me and told me that I'd saved her life. That I'd boosted her confidence with my make up to the point that she felt she could get up off of that sofa where she had been trapped for years and back out to engage with the world."

I can believe it because, frankly, I'm under the Geller spell myself, and I can sense that her effusive warmth isn't an act. Her 'bedside manner' reminds me of countless make up artists who, over the years, have somehow had me spilling my darkest secrets to them, not to mention bolstering my confidence on shoots when everyone else was treating me with disdain.


My new best mate


Geller worked her way up from a lowly make up artist on Broadway, making up iconic faces such as Ginger Rogers and Audrey Hepburn. "I did Paul Newman's make up and I was horrified. I just knew I had made it too ridiculously pale and I didn't know what to do with myself. He pointed to his face and said 'you think this is right?' and I just quietly shook my head, eyes wide open. He just shrugged and smirked - so cool! I also have Gene Kelly's pancake blush. I stole it...I couldn't not!" It's her experience here that led Laura to introduce the world to 'Spackle', her primer (£22), which she describes as 'polyfilla' for the face but is a bit more refined than that - their new soothing product contains chamomile and avocado to treat the skin whilst providing a good base for make up.

I'm clearly a fan of the lady, so it's a relief that the actual make up stands up to its reputation as a perennial top-seller: her Gelato Swirl Illuminator (£21) is worthy of note here: it's finely milled, velvet to touch and, like many of her products, has been baked in Italy from a cream formula so it's matt but not dehydrating.


The illuminator is applied while I probably overshare with Geller


The brand is beloved by women with mature skin because the sparkle helps lift complexions and won't settle into lines, but many products span generations such as the bright coloured, hydrating baked lipsticks (£16). My hero product? I've trialled a zillion concealers for dark circles, from the priciest to the high street, and all of them either made my skin greyish white, wrinkly or both. The 'Baked Radiance Cream Concealer' in medium (£20) finally gave me what I've wanted: realistic coverage (i.e. I look better but not like a doll) that didn't enhance fine lines. It didn't budge all day and is great for any blemishes, too.

Laura Geller has launched in House of Fraser and Debenhams, and is also sold at Cult Beauty and Escentual.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

My Design Process

January 21, 2016, 6:37 am

≫ Next: Lacking Infurmation: Are We Becoming a Nation of Accidental Fur Buyers?

≪ Previous: "My Makeup Changes People's Lives: Laura Geller on How Working With Icons Made Her Become an Icon Herself

$

0

0

I have been working with fair trade jewellery since the trend first started, because I have always worked with friends and family abroad. Ensuring a piece is fair trade is very important to me, as it means that everyone involved in the design and manufacturing of the piece is rewarded. It also makes the pieces that much more special, knowing that each individual piece is a collaboration between creative people from across the world, coming together to make something beautiful.

I work best when I can collaborate with artists and smaller groups of people as my mentality is far more family-orientated than corporate. Working with friends and people that I know and love is really rewarding. Having that familiarity is really important because it brings the whole brand together. The brands ethos is about beautiful jewellery made with soul and love, and that's what inspires the designs. Working in this way makes the design process so much more fun and engaging for everyone involved.

I always choose the stones myself. The designs are a reflection of my own intuition. Going with a gut feeling ensures the design process is always exciting and energetic. If something doesn't feel right in a design, I'll rework it until I feel confident about it. The same goes for sourcing the stones; if it doesn't feel right, I will wait to find exactly what it is that I am after. The whole process is very organic. My own personal intuition is what drives the whole thing, so when a collection is finished, I know it is a true reflection of Mirabelle as a brand and of me, and my collaborators.

I believe that following my own intuition has helped me immensely so far, it's what spurs me on to continue designing season after season. I love what I do and I believe having that self-belief is very important, especially when you consider how many designers there are. Self-belief helps you to stand out from the crowd, so having confidence in my designs is paramount. My designs are always a reflection of myself, but I always consider the current trends. It's not the main inspiration for a collection, but keeping in touch with the trends is important for the success of the brand.

I am usually attracted to the meaning, quality and beauty of a piece rather than the cost, even if it is an important factor to consider. My priority is always the look and feel of a stone or piece above anything else. I think it is important that it is that way round. If it were primarily about money, the pieces wouldn't feel right. The integrity of a piece comes through the creativity, not the cost. 2016 is going to be a very exciting year for Mirabelle with some very exciting new stockists to announce. We will be showcasing our AW16 Collection at SCOOP later this month.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Lacking Infurmation: Are We Becoming a Nation of Accidental Fur Buyers?

January 21, 2016, 9:05 am

≫ Next: The Winter Coat

≪ Previous: My Design Process

$

0

0

Walking down many UK high-streets this winter has been like stumbling on to the set of Game of Thrones: barely a minute goes by without spotting someone with a thick animal fur mane on a jacket hood, or a big ball of animal fur on top of a bobble hat.

Humane Society International UK's recent high-street investigations, featured in the Sun and the Mail Online, have found an alarming volume of real animal fur for sale and not, as many might expect, just at high end stores like Harrods. Across five cities we've had no difficulty in finding hundreds of garments for sale with real animal fur, usually as trim, with prices as low as £3 for a hat and £20 for a coat.

This is both depressing and perplexing. We are, if we believe our own hype, a nation of animal lovers. Opinion polls tell us that 93% of people say they would not buy or wear real animal fur, and historically our governments and industry have listened and acted, most notably in 2000 by introducing a UK ban on fur farming.

So we'd washed our hands of the cruelty of the fur industry? Sadly not. HM Revenue and Customs reports indicate that the UK imported £62,631,106 worth of fur articles in 2014 with a net domestic market value (after exports) of £26,948,130. Here's the disconnect: we don't farm animals for fur, and we claim not to want to buy it, so why are so many people wearing it and why are so many independent stores and market stalls full of it?

I think a major part of the answer is that many people are unaware they are selling, or buying, real animal fur. For many, fur is still assumed to be an expensive preserve of the wealthy. Many shops around Bond Street and other affluent areas still flaunt the lifeless pelts of pitiful animals in their store windows, but thanks to large-scale industrial fur farms in Europe, China and elsewhere, where millions of animals are raised and killed each year in woefully inadequate intensive conditions, fur is cheap, really cheap.


Millions of raccoon dogs like this languish in barren cages in China and elsewhere. credit: blickwinkel

Online wholesalers bulk-sell real rabbit fur trim for just £1 per metre, 70cm raccoon dog fur hood trim for £3 and raccoon dog fur pompoms for just 30p. At those prices it's easy to see how fur items make their way to dozens of stalls at Camden market, cheap stores in Dalston and Brixton and elsewhere. So, do customers realise that the £10 hat they're looking at has a piece of raccoon dog on top? Our polling data and consumer interviews suggest not.

Most people seeking to avoid buying real animal fur use a variety of cues when trying to distinguish real from fake. In our recent YouGov poll, the top indicator used by 50% of people to identify faux fur is the fur feeling synthetic, followed a close second by low cost: 47% of people would think fur was fake if the price was cheap. Unfortunately neither of these are reliable indicators; the look and feel of faux fur can be hard to distinguish from animal fur, and deceptively low prices are potentially leading would-be ethical consumers to invest in the inherent cruelty of the fur industry. (Tip: use our online guide to help you spot the difference between real and faux fur!)


Spot the difference: a shop in north London selling a mixture of fur and real fur-trimmed coats, all around £40, none labelled. credit: HSI UK



But there's one even more critical factor that is likely misleading shoppers into buying animal fur: what's on - or not on - the label. At present there is there is no overarching legal requirement for garments and products containing animal fur to list that information on the label. Consumers need clear and consistent labeling of animal fur, but the EU textile labeling regulation is anything but.

Firstly, it doesn't apply to footwear, and under the Footwear labelling regulations (1995) only the main material must be labelled, there is no requirement to label trims. Secondly, items only have to indicate animal fur on the label if they contain more than 80% textile by weight, so don't forget your scales when you shop! That means that a hat comprising 79% textile and 21% fur, doesn't need a label mentioning the fur at all; perversely the more fur in a garment the less the legal requirement to label it. Thirdly, even where this labelling law does apply, it merely requires the garment to include a somewhat cryptic label stating it "contains non-textile parts of animal origin," which arguably invites confusion. Since the provision also applies to other animal products, like leather and duck feathers, how are consumers supposed to know if and when it refers to fur?

The final indictment is that in practice we've found extremely high non-compliance with this law, 87% of 163 items we found didn't carry the label.

As a consumer society we expect full disclosure on the products we buy. In food labelling, for example, every trace ingredient must be clearly listed. Consumers expect the same with fur: 85% of the UK public expects an item containing animal fur should be clearly labelled as such.

Obviously, I'd prefer that nobody bought animal fur. But at the very least we need an EU fur labelling system that clearly tells people when an item contains animal fur, which animal species used to own the fur, which country it lived in and what method of farming and killing was used. Such labelling requirements are already in place in the US and Switzerland. Only then can people make an informed choice, and leave fur cruelty on the shelf.

Find out how you can help our Make It Fake campaign, and sign our fur-free pledge!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The Winter Coat

January 26, 2016, 2:38 am

≫ Next: You Don't Need to Be Middle Class to Be a Beauty Blogger, But It Helps

≪ Previous: Lacking Infurmation: Are We Becoming a Nation of Accidental Fur Buyers?

$

0

0

There is something rather special about a very good winter coat. It feels set apart from other garments; it offers you its own kind of relationship. Unlike other, more transient, items, the coat has longevity. Jeans become ripped, jumpers shrink, and t-shirts worn out. But the right coat, on the other hand, can last a lifetime: a steadfast witness to your wardrobe's evolution. Like a bag, a coat is immensely versatile, but unlike bags, coats protect us.

It is our coats, after all, that shield us from the wind and inclement weather (unless, like my most treasured coat, it is made out of suede - impracticality of the highest order). Coats conceal us when we feel a little shy, they provide us with pockets that warm our hands and carry our things; they are the threshold between the outside world and us. But they can also be full of seductive power: think how potent the image of a trench coat worn with high heels, and the hint of only lingerie underneath. Coats can convey sex appeal without compromising on mystery; in fact, that is where the very sex appeal lies.

A Burberry trench tied at the waist leans on the sexier side of life, of course, accentuating the sinuous curves of the female form; but there is a coat for all moods, whether it be shearling, simply oversized, a cape, or military style. Nothing quite screams luxury like a white, cashmere mix coat though, does it? Such a coat laughs in the face of dry cleaning costs; the kind of coat Jackie Kennedy used to wear.

For some reason, fur trimmed parkas seem to be having a particularly modish moment. They can be seen in various incarnations, but only a handful are really elegant. Done well, they bridge the gap between luxe sophistication and easy understatement; but done badly, they epitomise ubiquitous naff. I'm afraid coats are just one of those things that require an investment, and where quality cannot be underestimated. I truly believe that few things in life make one feel quite so splendid and so empowered like a beautiful, well-fitted coat. Why trouble ourselves co-ordinating and ensemble of clothes when the coat does it all for you. Just one piece; our outer shell; the ultimate symbol of our style.

Perhaps the most powerful thing about the winter coat, however, is how we return to it. Not just day after day in the cold and dismal months, but year after year. In winter, our coats become an intimate friend, familiar and reliable. And then we forget about them. Superfluous in the warmth, our coats are relegated, forgotten, until we need them again; and then find an ancient bus ticket lingering in the pocket, and are reminded of how fondly we once wore them. The very best coats are part of a cycle of absence and return, like the ebb and flow of the tide. They hang in our closets over summer, silent and inert, the repository of our memories and experience. They alone retain the human shape they once held, waiting for our return.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

You Don't Need to Be Middle Class to Be a Beauty Blogger, But It Helps

January 26, 2016, 2:45 am

≫ Next: 2016 Beauty Trends for the Over-30 Beauty

≪ Previous: The Winter Coat

$

0

0

Bella sets her camera up on a tripod, making sure to position it in front of a window to get the most light. She checks herself in the camera screen, brushes her hair behind her ears, and takes a deep breath.

"Hello guys!" She coos out to the camera; soon to the hundreds of thousands who watch the videos that she uploads each week. Bella is a beauty blogger, one of 1107 currently listed on Youtube.

A beauty blogger is somebody who writes, takes photographs, and/or makes videos ('vlogs') of or about anything that falls under the umbrella of cosmetics.

Bella talks us through some of her Favorite Things: a neon orange lipstick; a mascara with two compartments; some teeth whitening strips. Her deep blue eyes glisten when she talks; you can see, spilling out of the screen, her passion for beauty. Bella is so passionate about beauty that by the time you have finished watching her video, you are positive that your life is incomplete without an irridescent greige nail varnish.

But for all of her doe-eyed endorsement, Bella misses something out: the price. The small, iridescent nail varnish is made by Chanel, and it costs £18.

I made Bella up; choose one of her non-fictional counterparts and the script fits much the same. Some beauty bloggers are more transparent than others about how much the products that they recommend cost: the underlying point is the same; being a successful beauty blogger costs.

When beauty blogging first began to establish itself around about seven years ago, it didn't etch away at a cultural space; it strapped a load of TNT to itself a sent shockwaves through the beauty industry. Before this, traditional forms of beauty journalism - print newspapers and magazines, held the publishing ground. Women with an interest in beauty were directed to these sources because they were the only spaces where information about the beauty industry could be readily accessed.

So we are continually told: beauty blogging is good because it is democratic. The power of beauty bloggers is their number; the number of opinions expressed by beauty bloggers (of which there are thousands) decentralise the authority of beauty articles written according to dubious editorial instruction. Beauty bloggers propel us in the direction of a more libertarian press, enabling the everyday women-with no editorial agenda-to write, publish and, hopefully, tell us the truth about cosmetics.

But this narrative that we are fed about the democratisation of beauty journalism features many of the same oversights that we find in the political narratives that we trophy. In principle beauty blogging is a great democratiser; in practice the same underlying social inequalities that prevent women from entering the media prevent them from becoming successful beauty bloggers.

And it is beauty blogs that highlight this difference so starkly, when compared to other blogs, e.g. blogs about politics, or news, because beauty blogging is fueled by money. Without money, Bella wouldn't have that £18 nail varnish to share with us. She would be without props, and without props she would be without a blog. Without money, Bella wouldn't have become the twinkly beauty blogger with the audience of thousands.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

2016 Beauty Trends for the Over-30 Beauty

January 26, 2016, 2:36 pm

≫ Next: Page Three, Feminism and Me: What I Learned From a Glamour Model

≪ Previous: You Don't Need to Be Middle Class to Be a Beauty Blogger, But It Helps

$

0

0

As someone (well) over 30, I find I prefer to take beauty trends with a grain or two of salt. My skin isn't perfect, my budget isn't infinite, and I actually have to go to work wearing this stuff. I also can't take every recommendation the beauty blog-o-sphere provides because I will only use products from brands that don't test on animals. So, since it takes a bit of legwork, maybe it will save you some time if I share some ways I've found of interpreting recent beauty trends that work for me.

In 2015 we added 'strobing' to our beauty vocabulary. Or, at least, that's when I learned about it. All reports suggest that strobing should be listed in your beauty thesaurus under highlighting, the strategic placement of light to the high points of the face.




For 2016, it appears that an all-over glow is the way to go. Luckily, there are some ways to achieve this effect without having a dab hand with the highlighter brush. There are some lovely base products that give a luminous finish, oftentimes in the BB and CC cream family. I also feel fairly certain that we'll be presented with a flurry of new options this spring. That said, I think there are other ways to get some glow without having to rush out to your local beauty counter. One strategy is to mix a bit of cream or liquid highlighter into whichever is your foundation of the day. I'm almost positive that I learned this from the lovely Lisa Eldridge. You get that luminosity without having to sacrifice the coverage or color-match you already have from your foundation. Another way to go is to layer your illumination either under your foundation with a primer that has a quite hydrating, luminizing finish or to go with a setting spray that adds a bit of illumination as a finishing touch. Either way, you get the glow, but you also get the added advantage of makeup that lasts a bit longer than it might otherwise.

Next up, blue eye shadow. Yes, you read that right, and yes, I know what you're thinking. The 1960s (or, heaven forfend, the 1980s) are calling and they want their shadow back. While you'll not spot me sporting the fluorescent and electric blues, I do think we have options that can be both subtle and sophisticated. In a word, navy. For a dramatic take, I think a navy smoky eye is a stunning alternative to black or brown. If that's a bit much on the time or intensity front, skip the shadow and stick with a touch of blue liner.




Another eye trend, which I couldn't be happier about, is the return of glitter. I am a firm believer that we over 30s are quite capable of sporting some sparkle!




Similarly to her cousin the smoky eye, the glitter eye can be a bit much on the time and effort front. If you're looking for a way to achieve this look without the mess, a great way to go is cream shadows that have a bit of gloss or shine in them. Less work for you, and more work-appropriate.




As a gal who came of age in the 1990s, I am pleased to report that the dark, vampy lip does not seem to be going anywhere. But, another trend that seems to be coming our way this year is for a slightly brighter lip look. The cherry/apple red lip.




It is my personal belief that there are few things more classic and chic than a red lip. However, there's no avoiding the fact that if you're going for the full effect, you need to invest some serious time perfecting your lip line. If you only have time for a quick swipe, finding a tinted lip balm will be the best thing you've done for your beauty routine all week ;)

Well, I hope this has been helpful! Let me know if you'll be trying any of these trends.

Images blogger's own

For more info, check out the original posts, volumes 1 and 2 of my cruelty-free takes on 2016 beauty trends, on beautyforgood.net.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

---

Page Three, Feminism and Me: What I Learned From a Glamour Model

January 28, 2016, 9:25 am

≫ Next: #Fashion4All: Join Our Campaign to Champion Diversity on the Catwalk

≪ Previous: 2016 Beauty Trends for the Over-30 Beauty

$

0

0

It's been almost a year to the day since the Sun stopped printing Page 3.

For months, 'No More Page 3', a campaign group led by Lucy Holmes, had worked tirelessly to remove topless models from the Sun. The campaign compared the feature to "soft porn", stressing that it was 'inappropriate' for a family newspaper, and that it objectified women.

Bare breasts obviously aren't news, but what if these women like being objectified? What if these women like the crude comments from men or enjoy flaunting their bodies for attention?

Last summer, I met a glamour model who completely changed my opinion on the glamour industry. The Sun's removal of Page 3 had come into effect a few months prior, and I was curious as to whether this had stopped girls like her from getting work.

Despite modelling myself, I'd held a certain contempt and elitist attitude towards glamour models. I would stalk them on social media and view them with disdain - the sexual poses, the provocative posts and the lecherous comments they'd receive; forgetting that I, too, would receive such comments and had sometimes posed in similar positions for high fashion, all for 'likes', attention and money.

I'm ashamed to say I judged these women, forgetting that just as I'd had the privilege of choosing modelling as my job, they too had this entitlement.




I towered above Rae, a petite and bolshy 25 year-old, who frequented Page 3 and lads mags often with a loyal fan base. She would receive sacks of fan mail from men around the world, be showered with messages of affection online, and her topless calendar would sell out annually. Her genetics, like Victoria's Secret models, had made her successful.

Like the other glamour models I met, she loved the male attention. She enjoyed manipulating men with her provocative social media posts, flaunting her femininity and using the sexual power that being female grants you. Her photos and captions were suggestive, and men loved it.

It was refreshing to see Rae embracing her sexuality. She was proud to be a woman and there is something incredibly sexy about a woman aware of her beauty.




I watched her pose on a Page 3 shoot, bouncing topless on a blow-up ball. The atmosphere was so asexual, I might as well have been watching a pantomime. Although it would've been slightly hard not to notice Rae's huge breasts, the men on set weren't leering at her. She was the person in control - not only in the room, but of the image she was portraying.

It was a far cry from the fashion shoots I was used to, where the lines between sex and fashion have become increasingly blurred. Unlike fashion models, who are often asked to go nude or topless without being asked beforehand, glamour models know what they are posing for. Their topless photo doesn't just 'miraculously' turn up on Page 3, nor does the (very) minimal pay cheque mysteriously land into their bank.

What they hope for, like millions of other girls, is that their lucky break will come; that they'll become the next Jordan or Caprice and make their millions.




Lads mags and Page 3 disgusted me, as did the sexist, misogynistic 'culture' which followed them, and I believed girls like Rae were merely encouraging men to treat women a certain way. They bred the type of boys - and later, men - who would grope you on a night out; the type to make a mockery out of women, of feminism and of how far we had come.

But it wasn't until I compared a few Page 3 cuttings to online porn that it dawned on me just how mild Page 3 actually is. In fact, I'd seen cruder poses in fashion advertisements or editorials.

Here's the reality: sex sells. Men like looking at pretty women, and women like to feel lusted after. Men will always source a way of finding naked pictures of women, and there are many women who will pander to that.

And yes, a woman's worth is based on more than her looks. But not all women are designed to work in an office or be charity workers.

Therefore, it seems a shame that we've taken something relatively 'meek' and placed it in the same league as online porn. The idea that a photograph of a cheeky, topless woman could ever be compared to a pornographic video is surely incomprehensible to even the most prudish of minds.




Rae and I didn't know it at the time, but soon came the announcement that FHM and Zoo were to suspend publication. Playboy also announced it would stop printing nude models from March this year, instead choosing to pursue a more "fashion-led" publication. The world of glamour modelling suddenly became smaller, and the opportunities fewer.

For a working-class girl like Rae, whose family read red-top papers, glamour modelling was a way of making something for herself, just as it had been for the likes of Kelly Brook or Katie Price. Modelling for a newspaper like the Sun or Daily Star is often viewed as an achievement.

The truth is that, whilst print magazines are dwindling year on year, glamour models simply don't compete with the dirtier (and free!) videos or images available online. Men want more, and we've pandered to it. Mainstream media is getting filthier every day, meaning women like Rae are having to turn to "seedier" work in order to keep up with those demands, such as porn, live cams or escorting, all because of a feminist backlash.

The only difference between mine and Rae's jobs are our body shapes. We're both selling the same thing: sex. But you never see a thin, flat-chested model on Page 3, just like you don't see a glamour girl with Double D's in Vogue. Our sexually-charged facial expressions or poses are often similar, yet because fashion is aimed at a female or gay audience, it's considered acceptable.

As a society, we say that thin bodies with small breasts are couture-worthy, but rarely worthy enough for male attention. We put a petite girl with huge boobs in a family newspaper and it's instantly seen as sexual, but never 'fashionable'. A fashion model can stand there seductively and topless with no questions asked; a glamour girl will stand there topless and smiling, and suddenly she's letting women down.

To the 'No More Page 3' campaigners, large breasts screamed "sex". We've subconsciously placed women into categories and judged them based on their builds. Curves mean you're open to male objectification, never femininity.

There is nothing anti-feminist about wanting to look good or be desired, for yourself or for male attention. But there is something wrong when a self-proclaimed feminist tells other women how to behave.

And this is why I have a problem with the 'No More Page 3' campaign. You cannot state that you support and fight for women, all whilst telling some of those women what lifestyle choices are acceptable or not. There will never be anything feminist about that.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

#Fashion4All: Join Our Campaign to Champion Diversity on the Catwalk

February 1, 2016, 4:19 am

≫ Next: Our Models Will Have No Choice But to Eat

≪ Previous: Page Three, Feminism and Me: What I Learned From a Glamour Model

$

0

0

A love of fashion can be empowering - it can bring moments of great joy and bolster confidence.

Just ask Anna Wintour, who is often quoted as saying: "If you can't be better than your competition, just dress better."

Or think about why this famous Marilyn Monroe quote holds such resonance: "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world."

But what if you look at catwalks and advertising campaigns, and feel the implied suggestion that you're not welcome here?


A uniform selection of models conveys the message you're not welcome here

At the Spring 2016 New York, London, Paris and Milan fashion weeks, 77.6% of 9,926 catwalk appearances were white models, according to figures from The Fashion Spot.

Plus-size models accounted for just .1% of the total, transgender models made up .06% and models over the age of 50 made up .05%.

Models with disabilities were similarly under-represented, one in six people in Britain are disabled, but you wouldn't know it from how disability is represented by fashion and beauty brands, as you could have counted the number of models with disabilities at the last run of fashion weeks on one hand.

What does it matter if all catwalk models are of a singular type? Well for one thing, this lack of diversity is always going to pull focus from the designs and convey the message that the clothes are only intended to be worn by a very narrow segment of the audience.

When we launched HuffPost UK Style in May 2015, one of our founding principles was that we wanted to provide exclusive information that's inclusive of the whole audience.

Unlike print publications we have the luxury of not being beholden to the demands of advertisers, which gives us the freedom to push boundaries. And sadly the boundaries of what is conventionally considered beautiful are still very narrow.

However, there is a glimmer of change that's glowing increasingly bright - 22.4% non-white models at the Spring 2016 shows is an increase on the 17% at the Spring 2015 fashion weeks.

To bring focus onto the people spearheading this change, last September our American colleagues launched their #NYFW4All campaign to highlight fashion week moments that celebrated diversity, and we followed up with #LFW4All, which celebrated the likes of the Zulkifli sisters, founders of Mimpikita, who made their fashion week debut wearing hijabs on the catwalk.

This time around we've decided to make Fashion For All our focus for the whole of February and we are partnering with Models of Diversity (MOD), who are fierce advocates of diverse beauty as founder Angel Sinclair explains:

"If fashion is about anything, surely it's about the new, the cutting edge and leading the public's idea of form and design. Yet when it comes to choice of models, it lags behind its consumers' recognition for the potential of beauty in all of us regardless of shape, size, race, gender definition, age and not least, disability.

"At present the UK is very reserved when it comes to disability in fashion. We are way behind a number of countries including the US, where models with disabilities are employed alongside regular models for brand campaigns such as Nordstrum and Diesel.

"In my eyes the UK should be setters not followers when it comes to fashion; we have such a big presence within fashion, that it's crazy that in 2016 we are still fighting for equality. But unfortunately this is the case."

Let's be clear: our aim isn't to shame or harass the fashion industry into change, but rather to champion those individuals and organisations who are already doing a great job of promoting diversity.

We'll be speaking to models Winnie Harlow and Kelly Knox, as well as sharing personal blogs from Jameela Jamil, Jack Eyers and key industry insiders, including models, designers and modelling agency executives.

We will be sharing moments of colour, size, gender and age diversity and disability inclusivity at London Fashion Week with the hashtag #LFW4All and we'd like to invite you to do the same.

Or if you'd like to blog about diversity or get involved, email us here.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Our Models Will Have No Choice But to Eat

February 1, 2016, 4:37 am

≫ Next: UK Must Catch Up and Lead on Fashion Diversity

≪ Previous: #Fashion4All: Join Our Campaign to Champion Diversity on the Catwalk

$

0

0

We've written previously on body image and how to the exploitation of fashion models.

According to various press reports this month we could expect the final conclusion of committee hearings and investigations by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Body Image. This seems likely to result in the recommendation of the banning of fashion models under the age of 18.

It seems the imposition of a threshold BMI, as introduced by France, Spain, Italy and Israel, is not to be proposed. As we've discussed in our earlier blog this is no doubt because such a law would be very difficult to police. There is the issue also that BMI measures can be manipulated.

At Rose & Willard we are committed to protecting the models who work for us and are very much encouraged by public debate of this important and sensitive topic.

As mentioned previously our site features mostly non-model models, i.e. women we believe represent aspiration but to whom our customers can readily relate. It was an endeavour that wasn't well received. In response we chose to shoot our most recent SS16 campaign using a professional model.

We are now at a crossroads with regard to whether we continue with professional models or our non-model models. If we do opt for the former we have decided that we will include a non-negotiable contractual clause with the model agency which will state that the model must eat a meal and in our presence. We will not allow her to only eat a tiny morsel and/or suggest she'll eat later. The consequence of non-compliance will be that neither she nor her agency will be paid.

Yes, it's a form of nannying but we feel we have a responsibility to protect these young women from an industry which we believe can leave them exploited and puts them under pressure to starve themselves and damage their health and wellbeing.

We haven't taken this decision lightly. These are our reasons:

1. Ahead of our initial launch we undertook test shoots with some models. None of them ate anything during the day's shoots despite our protestations. One even became delirious and started talking gibberish. We had to send her home.

2. We were told on each occasion by the models that they were due to attend castings for catwalk shows and were thus 'watching their weight'. One even said that she 'couldn't afford to eat'. It's heartbreaking to hear a young woman say such a thing.

3. While we were casting for SS16 campaign, I asked every model who attended (around 12) whether they felt under pressure to lose weight. Without exception, they said yes. The reasoning had been that they would get more work if they were thinner.

4. A number of models, and other sources, have also told us that it's common for models to eat tissues ahead of castings or shoots in order to avoid having their stomachs rumble.

This is simply wrong.

We are often asked what we think the answer is. While an age threshold offers some protection we believe the industry may argue that they are being discriminated against when people under the age of 18 can work in other industries. In addition it perhaps does not protect those models who are aged 18 and older. These models can still be pressured to lose weight.

We continue to believe that industry self-regulation is the way forward. We think this can be achieved by the public applying moral pressure to fashion brands. Social media, in our opinion, is the perfect conduit. After all we have seen how swiftly the 'Are You Beach Body Ready?' protest spread. The 'Ice Bucket Challenge' is another analogy.

Social media ensures that companies cannot hide. It is this media that engender change.

We know we can't put a stop to it ourselves but it's been enormously encouraging to receive numerous messages from members of the public in support of our determination.

Hopefully now the ball will start rolling....

This February HuffPost UK Style is running a month-long focus on our Fashion For All campaign, which aims to highlight moments of colour, size, gender and age diversity and disability inclusivity in the fashion and beauty world.

We will be sharing moments of diversity at London Fashion Week with the hashtag #LFW4All and we'd like to invite you to do the same. If you'd like to blog about diversity or get involved, email us here.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

UK Must Catch Up and Lead on Fashion Diversity

February 1, 2016, 8:48 am

≫ Next: Stacey Manière: A Visionary Pioneer for Fashion

≪ Previous: Our Models Will Have No Choice But to Eat

$

0

0

The idea for Models of Diversity was born back in 2008, when I took part in Gok Wan's "Miss Naked Beauty". Thousands of beautiful women, representing of all of us - all races, sizes, shapes and ages.

Except later on it became clear that even there we hadn't grasped the full problem. For example, were transgender aspirants present? It wasn't so long ago, but the idea of a transgender model was hardly common. Little people? No sign.

But looking back by far the greatest omission was of models with a disability. No doubt some contenders did have a disability that wasn't immediately obvious. But wheelchair users? Amputees? People with vitiligo? None to be seen!

Challenging this outmoded idea of what beauty is was a major passion for my founding of MoD. Confidence is so important to being a successful model. Turning through a glossy magazine but finding no one who looks like you can extinguish any thoughts of pursuing a modelling career. This is especially true for young people, developing their identity and ideas of what looks are presented as attractive and those you just don't see.

Gok's competitors were self-selecting - so did no one with a disability, or just a physically unusual trait, feel that they could possibly be in with a chance to compete? Not even feel that this was an event they belonged at?

If the fashion is about anything, it is surely about the new, the cutting edge and leading the public's idea of form and design. Yet when it comes to choice of models, it lags behind its consumers' recognition for the potential of beauty in all of us, regardless of shape, size, race, gender definition, age and not least disability.

At present the UK is very reserved when it comes to disability in fashion. We are way behind a number of countries including the US, where models with disabilities are employed along side regular models for brand campaigns such as Nordstrum and Diesel.

In my eyes, the UK should be setters not followers when it comes to fashion; we have such a big presence within fashion with some major fashion houses and brands being UK based, that it's crazy that in 2016 we are still fighting for equality. But unfortunately this is the case. We see occasional pieces in mainstream media but they are still novelty items. This is why Models of Diversity is delighted with HuffPost's "Fashion For All campaign" exploring all aspects of diversity in the industry.

Whether it is due to us being more reserved than other countries in many ways, or being scared of change, this is one change that needs to happen!

We need to keep up with other countries and in other instances should be setting a president for others to follow. All eyes are on London during fashion week, but even then disability is only shown recently as a one-off, having one amputee model walking. This is not good enough, we are a country where disability is still seen as taboo and is not embraced in a positive way at all within fashion!

In the UK at present their are only two models with disabilities signed to major agencies and no UK brand that regularly uses disabled models in their campaigns. Why should disability in fashion still be allowed to be seen as a one-off, or as a publicity stunt?

We are models who more than earn our stripes within fashion and show time and time again that we are more than capable of holding our own next to any other model on the catwalk. And we should be given our dues and embraced by the fashion industry instead of being shunned. It is particularly galling to see able-bodied models like Kendall Jenner, using a wheelchair merely as a prop in a photoshoot when a model who uses one day-to-day doesn't get a look in!

One of Models of Diversity's biggest strengths is its support from the public. Our street surveys and social media followers tell us UK consumers have been ready for a more representative range of models for some time and they're certainly not fazed by disability. And the cheers and applause at our shows tell us a wheelchair, crutches or missing limb is no bar to ruling the catwalk. So it's natural we would go out to with a petition to demonstrate the public is ready.

The UK is already so behind with this, that we shouldn't be left in the dark. Young people growing up with disabilities should be able to see that their own country embraces and represents them within fashion, which is what our petition is calling for... for the disability ratio to be fairly represented within fashion and media.

This February HuffPost UK Style is running a month-long focus on our Fashion For All campaign, which aims to highlight moments of colour, size, gender and age diversity and disability inclusivity in the fashion and beauty world.

We will be sharing moments of diversity at London Fashion Week with the hashtag #LFW4All and we'd like to invite you to do the same. If you'd like to blog about diversity or get involved, email us here.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Stacey Manière: A Visionary Pioneer for Fashion

February 1, 2016, 8:50 am

≫ Next: How to Start a Fashion Revolution

≪ Previous: UK Must Catch Up and Lead on Fashion Diversity

$

0

0

When I read that this year's Bright New Things at Selfridges were going to be some of the earliest pioneers of responsible fashion, I couldn't wait to take a look. Buried deep in the heart of the esteemed labyrinth, they were scattered, their innovation tightly controlled in neatly compact displays.

'The days of lumbering corporate giants with their own rule books are gone. It will be the small, the nimble, the innovative and the socially positive who win, because customers want them to' Sarah Greenaway, founder of Mosami, recently said.

How I wish I could agree, but I sense that in reality there's a long way to go.

I read near the clothing rail of one Bright New Thing, designer Katie Jones, that these chosen brands prove that Sustainable Fashion doesn't have to be boring. Agreed. But in the age of the Internet and social media, must we rely on a world-renowned department store to get this message across?

If my experience in this industry has taught me anything so far, it's that you have no idea what you might discover round any corner (coveted or otherwise) and just a stone's throw away from this shoppers' goliath lies one of the most exciting brands I have encountered to date.

Introducing (re)vision society.

I had come across (re)vision society late last year and ever since, had been desperate to meet the girl behind the clothing. And finally, this cool January brought the day.

There surely is nothing better than meeting a designer fully decked out in their own creations. Bag, check. Hat, check. Coat, check. It's like making the subject of the meeting 3D; the brand values; its style; its communication, all wrapped up and presented in a living, breathing human being. It's a rare and remarkable experience.

Trying to summarise the 'interesting points' of such a harmonious vision seems a little feeble. As the founder herself writes 'there is so much more going on behind the seams'.

I will however try...

Every part of every product is sourced from waste materials found in London's menswear factories.

That means the beautifully masculine outer fabric

and the lining

and any handles

and the hand stamped labels

and the bits beyond the lining and labels that you may have not, like me, even known existed (interfacing, wadding, canvas etc).

The differing sizes and shapes of these materials are no cause for concern for the makers. If need be they are patchworked together or layered on top of each other to achieve the desired outcome.

And, as if there needed to be anything else, one of their products 'The Thinking Cap' was designed by an intern with the assistance of the team - the most valuable kind of collaboration, surely.

And a very last but very important detail: each product boasts a unique offcut rescue number that emphasises just how individual it really is.

I hear you, you're thinking 'okaaay but what do these products actually look like?'

Just take a little look below:



The Versatile Coat, image courtesy of revisionsociety.com




The Thinking Cap, image courtesy of revisionsociety.com





The Hybrid Rucksack, image courtesy of revisionsociety.com


So what else did this encounter produce aside from sincere admiration on my part? Some frankness. We spoke of the hardships that come with working alone, of playing all the roles required in a company, of the emotional and financial strains we've exposed ourselves to; and all in the name of building a more responsible fashion industry which, sadly, has a less than notable following right now.

I left our discussion however, with a total refuelling of energy to continue chasing this goal and full of appreciation for others doing the same...

This post was originally featured on the study 34 blog

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

How to Start a Fashion Revolution

February 2, 2016, 1:02 am

≫ Next: A Day in the Life

≪ Previous: Stacey Manière: A Visionary Pioneer for Fashion

$

0

0

It seems an increasing amount of shoppers are feeling the frustration when it comes to trying to buy clothes with an ethical or environmental conscience. Fashion Revolution Day, on 24 April, is one day of the year when we have the opportunity to be part of a fashion revolution, and even start our own.

24f April marks the day when the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed in 2013, taking with it the lives of over 1000 garment workers. Many of the brands we have come to recognise on our UK high streets have paid out contributions to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, set up to compensate victims and their families. This event ignited the minds of some fashion revolutionaries, who marked the date as 'Fashion Revolution Day'. On Fashion Revolution Day we are all encouraged to become 'fashion revolutionaries', with people around the world choosing to wear their clothing inside out, taking a selfie with their clothes label and asking brands 'who made my clothes?".

The Fashion Revolution Day campaign has attracted followers from all over the world. I got more involved with the campaign in 2015, choosing to ask Londoners to cut out the labels in their clothing and collect them on a huge wall. We managed to collect over 1000 labels, to match the same number of people who died during the Rana Plaza factory collapse. Little did I realise, I had helped start a fashion revolution amongst my fellow students. This year, 2016, is set to be the biggest gathering of fashion revolutionaries ever, but still more students are needed to start their own fashion revolutions! Student Ambassadors from Universities around the UK, and globally, will be starting their own fashion revolution events on their own university campus. Arranging your own wall of clothing labels is just one way you can start a fashion revolution in a place near you. Here's a quick little how to guide, based on my experience organising my wall of clothes labels last year.

1. Get informed

There are many blogs and sites out there bursting with facts, opinions and research on the truth behind our clothing labels. Fashion Revolution Day's latest white paper on transparent supply chains, gives an encompassing look at the issues surrounding the fashion industry and it's impact on our planet and the people on it. You might try to focus in on one topic you feel particularly strong about, such as child labour, and go crazy finding out about a small part of the issue in-depth. Once you're passionately informed, you should enjoy sharing what you've learnt with others. I have found sharing tangible quick facts can grab attention, such as 'the Global Slavery Index estimates that 36 million people are living in modern slavery today'.

2. Gather other fashion revolutionaries

To start a fashion revolution, you're obviously going to need some other fashion revolutionaries to get involved. Start talking to friends and family about the issues surrounding their clothing, ask them what they think of the information you've discovered. Ask them what changes, if any, they might like to see about they way they buy their clothing, for example would they be interested to know who made their clothing? The more you share your thoughts, the more ideas you start to create about how to start your fashion revolution.

3. Make a plan

Now make those bright ideas happen, and make a plan! Ask yourself a few questions: Who do you want to come to your event? What do you want to make them think about? What do you want them to do as a result of coming to your event? For example, I love travel and I knew a lot of my friends did too, so I wanted student consumers to think about where and the context in which their clothing was made. As a result I wanted them to look at their clothing labels saying 'Made In' and be able to better imagine the places their clothing might have been made in next time they shopped. Once I had a clearer idea of the end result in mind, I found it easier to work back and start writing my plan. What do you need to do now, tomorrow and in the next days until 24th April to make your event happen? Write a list of the things you need to get done, and who will be responsible for getting each part done. Sharing the responsibilities with your other fashion revolutionaries makes things a little easier. When arranging a wall of clothes labels, I knew I needed to find a venue, some kind of wall or board which we were allowed to stick the labels on, materials and people to go out and ask people to cut their clothing labels. I found having somewhere cool for people to gather and see the wall grow as more people came to pin up their cut labels, created the perfect atmosphere for people to just chat about their clothing.

4. Shout about it

In the lead up to Fashion Revolution Day, get the word out there about the amazingly life changing event you are about to arrange! Be inventive, be cheeky, this is a revolution after all! Graphics can help grab attention on social media or in posters and flyers.

5. Do it

There's nothing else left to say except make it happen. Don't forget to have lots of fun whilst you're making your event happen, talk to the people who come along to your event and find out why they came along.


I can still remember that amazing feeling after I had organised the wall of clothing labels last year. I was surprised by the huge amount of support I got, from friends old and new! It got me thinking about how lots of small revolutions, based locally, but part of a global movement, could really be the key to a real revolution. It's powerful to be a part of a community of Fashion Revolutionaries. If you're tempted to become a Student Ambassador, now you already know how to start a fashion revolution. Making a wall of clothes labels is just one idea, but if you do make your own wall, please do let me know!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

A Day in the Life

February 2, 2016, 1:53 am

≫ Next: Brooklyn Beckham Photographing Burberry - Celebs in Fashion is Nothing New

≪ Previous: How to Start a Fashion Revolution

$

0

0

Life as a model is a tough one. Constantly being judged on your appearance, criticised if body size dares to change slightly and publicly shamed on social media if, God forbid, you make a fashion faux pas or take a bad shot. Yet life as an able-bodied model is still a damn sight different than life as a model with disabilities.

How do I know this?! I am a model with disabilities.


Image Credit: Matt Jamie

As a disabled model, life is so much harder, as not only do you have all the usual pressures, but you also have the added pressures and barriers to overcome. There are factors such as my own health and disability issues, people's complete ignorance about what I as a disabled model represent, constantly trying to open up closed minds, and basically being completely discriminated against by the whole fashion and media industry, whilst still trying to rock my Glamsticks mobility aids and generally being fabulous!

In no way would I class my being a model with disabilities as my high flying career, as I make no money whatsoever out of it unfortunately. I would though say 100% that it is most definitely my love, passion and my drive in life. Like many others I would jump (obviously not literally!) at the chance to have this as a full time, fully paying career, but unfortunately that isn't today's reality.

I became involved with the amazing charitable organisation Models of Diversity a few years ago, and have never looked back. I am now proud to be Assistant Director for models with Disabilities, alongside our director Chelsey Jay. None of this would be possible however without the truly fabulous Angel Sinclair, founder and CEO, who after a career as a model herself realised the distinct lack of diversity within fashion. Momentum and gains multiply each and every year, making us the amazing charity that we are today.

I have been lucky enough to be 'used' by brands for a few campaigns which has gave me a great insight and experience. Although each time it has been a great opportunity to get exposure for myself, representing Models of Diversity and also disability within fashion. Alas each time, no money or contract had changed hands. Does my disability mean I should be deprived of the right to earn from my work?! Which after all is what modelling is, it is a job! It is so disheartening that after being part of some great campaigns, it feels slightly like we have been used as a publicity stunt, like it was simply to tick a box telling others that they have been diverse in their choice of models. If this were to happen with any other diversity of models, or in any other industry, there would be uproar!



At present, we as disabled models unfortunately regularly fall under the radar and are not regularly thought about in regards to fashion in any way shape or form. This is what we at Models of Diversity are so ded against. We want equal rights, opportunities and representation for disabled models within fashion. The more experience I have within the fashion industry, the more I notice barriers which models with disabilities face. Through experiencing them all first hand, it has made me even more determined to help make a much needed change for the future. It is not rocket science in any way, and with the social media crazy world that we live in, a small message can quickly travel, snowball and become a mass message, 'trending' in no time. At Models of Diversity, we are constantly campaigning, striving and knocking on doors to push our message. We have had great successes and have done since day one, but these isolated successes are not enough.... WE WANT CHANGE!!! And this is where our #disabilityfight4fashionright petition was born. We became fed up of being ignored and discriminated against that we have taken matters into our own hands with a government petition asking for representation within fashion for disabled models. Myself, Chelsey and our other two amazing disabled models Katie Knowles and Elesha Turner are going on tour asking for support from the general public for our petition. YOU can help us make this much needed change!!!


Image Credit: James Alexander Lyon

Change will happen and it is greatly needed. In a world when we are trying to teach our children that it is okay to be individual and be unique, the media and fashion still portray the complete opposite to what we preach. So how our the younger generation supposed to learn when all they are seeing is the same unrealistic and non-representative images used in every aspect of our lives. Whether it is on TV commercials, in newspapers and magazines or on billboards, bus stops and in general advertising, we are constantly bombarded.

At Models of Diversity, we believe that everyone should be represented and have a 'face' within fashion. This way, there will always be someone who people can look up to that is realistic and will be able to empathise with. It will simply take an agency, brand, label or designer to have the passion and belief to support models with disabilities and help push us forward into our every day lives. This has happened in the past with the first model of colour, and the first plus size model... when initially it caused a big stir and someone believing in them, to now it being the complete and utter norm, and would now seem strange not to have such models included in fashion.

People often see me in my blinged up wheels (with thanks to my amazing supporter Glamsticks) and will say things like how lovely I look and how well I'm doing and it's good to see me out, (all of which can at times be slightly condescending, but I smile graciously!). Comments like this are just some of those which people feel obliged to say to someone in a wheelchair. Don't let the exterior fool you though, as no one has a clue of what is going on behind my preened OOTD and my on-point makeup.


Image James Alexander Rocking my Glamsticks wheel-blings

Never mind the massive and often painful effort it actually took for me to achieve this fabulousness. After all I'm a Liverpool girl, so I don't really do the whole natural-beauty thing! Most people will just see the exterior that I wish for them to see (MAC is often my saviour!)it becomes my mask, and at times my defence to the rest of the world. It is so much easier to carry on regardless sometimes than it is to actually have the real me on show. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I'm a fake person or anything, when I say the 'real me' I simply mean the side of me that is in constant pain, having anxiety, worrying about the simplest things and on some days even hating the world. And that is my and millions of others lives as a disabled young woman...

For most people (and for me prior to illness) a day would start with a morning alarm, set for work, to which we groan, have a cheeky snooze then jump up and get ready to attack the day. For myself it's a lot more of a battle in the middle of a never ending war. Imagine your whole body with that horrid flu feeling, when every single muscle and piece of your body aches and is tender to touch, combine that with some lovely electric pins and needles and burning sensations known as neuropathy...and that is kinda an excellent day for me! Battles and pain are a constant with me and hinders the simplest of things.

It's difficult for me to even wake up, due to constant fatigue and a small hippo amount of medication. I give myself a few minutes, then attempt the dreaded move, wondering what level of Ouch I will be at today and often what swear words will pop out. Simply sitting up in bed is a mammoth task, which may sound lame, but it is a complete mission impossible on some days. My body is so unpredictable that even the best laid plans could be changed by a rude awakening of an extra unwanted order of Ouchyness! So apologies to anyone reading this who I have had to cancel plans with at all, your honestly better having kinda normal me over the m win complete agony...it's not a pretty sight. Pain is something that is so desperately misunderstood, and I never realised how debilitating pain itself can be before I got ill. Now it's like an annoying uninvited guest, who won't budge, who clings onto the best parts of you and turns up at the most inconvenient times!


Life isn't always sunshine, but gotta keep smiling...

First mini task done, now I would dare to venture out of bed... I have the legs of a wobbly giraffe combined with the shakes of a washing machine on spin cycle and the strength of a piece of spaghetti. So trying to get out of bed is always a barrel of laughs, and I've said hello to the floor often before I've said hello to any human! Showering is sometimes also a white knuckle ride, but at same time can be a nice sanctuary to just sit under the warm water and imagine I'm under a tropical waterfall... then crash back down to earth to carry on with life. After a good hour or so if body allows, I would start to resemble a presentable version of myself. To keep me going I need to swallow a crazy amount of meds and I'll only now attempt to set about whatever my day has in store.

Every day is different for me, not just because of all my physical woopsys, but also how I spend my time. As well as modelling I am also an assistant director for disability section for Models of Diversity, so I spend a lot of time at present spreading word about our petition campaign (which I tend to do a lot as a duvet warrior when the bod won't leave the bed), making contacts, seeking events we can get involved in and generally just hollering about my amazing MOD.



Back in model mode, If I know I have a photoshoot I have to totally prepare ahead of time. Not just meaning the normal model prep of hair, skin, nails, de-fuzz etc, but also prepare my body. Leading up to it, I will literally chill and do as little as possible, which I know people will be like 'Lazy cow', but it's the only way I can function. I sometimes think of my body like an iPhone battery.... When it's charged it's not too bad, but you know it's gonna be drained and there will be no charger points anywhere around!! Over time I have had to learn my limits, sometimes the hard way in physically hitting the wall, or the floor. Although I constantly still try to fight against whenever I can. A simple shoot that to most probably wouldn't even tire out most people's little fingers, would probably wipe me out.

However, I would never ever let photographer etc see that in any way, as I am professional to the end and will always give my all. Even if I am in agony I still more often than not will continue with a shout I have had photographers say I am more reliable, determined and driven. than an average model. Praise is always a good thing to hear and shows that my disability doesn't totally interfere with shoots ( although my pesky body does come between me and a came more often than I would like!). It is after them that I will struggle. 'Earn my pain', has became a little mantra to me, as I am in agony all the time anyway, I may as well do something amazing to earn it!

Being a disabled young woman and model can at times be disheartening. Living a life that is a daily physical struggle is hard-going. Having to think through all the smallest little details before even leave the house is itself exhausting at times. I have to ensure I have enough energy, my pain is controlled enough to do what I'm asking of myself, do I have medical supplies - it's honestly neverending. Thinking about where I'm going, is there disabled access, accessible toilets etc, etc. If I have a casting or a shoot all the same worries apply, they will usually be aware of my disability ahead of time, to avoid the whole awkwardness on meeting (that shocked look on fave when I roll in instead of strutting in has happened so many times!). There is a level of anxiety in meeting new people, as most often people see disability before they see me, and with this make up their own preconceptions about me, most of which are usually false.

I often shock people on shoots, as I will throw myself on the floor out of my chair and scoot round like a dog with worms so I can move about and get into any awkward areas. Honestly I should put together an out takes from shoots so people can see what actually goes into to getting the shots!! People are naturally curious, and I am always telling my story to MUA and photographers on shoots who ask, and we end up leaving as new pals. And always with great images! I fight for disability to have its place within fashion, so I can't let the side down with shoddy half-arsed images now can I!?


Image Credit: Dougie Smith (Flash Bang Wallop), Nicci Cawthorne MUA

I tire quite easily and with tiredness comes more of the big 'P'. I can handle pain most of the time, but like anyone I too have my limits and on those days, life is not all roses and makeup on point. I can easily hibernate in bed fighting with my body to just play nice, waiting to see who will come out on top. Although I have been dealing with all my issues for over four years now, it's only been the last year that I have stopped and admitted to people that I am not handling things as well as I looked like I was. I had been getting on with things but not dealing with them, which is two completely different things. This has came with its own issues which are harder to admit. I came to a point where I had to admit my struggles to save my own mental health. Now things are on the surface I try to deal with them head on,with help from my nearest and dearest. I have learned to accept that, in the words of Jessie J, 'it is okay not to be okay' all the time!

I have days that I will hammer my Models of Diversity commitments, spreading the word and drumming up support. It is a calling that I never imagined I would have, and now I have it, I put my all into it and honestly don't know what I would do with out it. I have been through a truly horrid experience but am here still battling on and genuinely love my life now. I have truly been kept sane by the work we all do at MOD and am now using all the negatives I have been through as much needed positives to bring about a much needed change. We constantly celebrate true diversity within fashion, and we will not stop our campaigning until true diversity happens. The fight may be hard, but as I have a daily battle on my hands just with my own body, taking on another muchly worthwhile battle is not going to put me off in any way. We WILL make the changes we want happen!!!

This February HuffPost UK Style is running a month-long focus on our Fashion For All campaign, which aims to highlight moments of colour, size, gender and age diversity and disability inclusivity in the fashion and beauty world.

We will be sharing moments of diversity at London Fashion Week with the hashtag #LFW4All and we'd like to invite you to do the same. If you'd like to blog about diversity or get involved, email us here.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

---

Brooklyn Beckham Photographing Burberry - Celebs in Fashion is Nothing New

February 2, 2016, 8:01 am

≫ Next: Is My Black Not Beautiful?

≪ Previous: A Day in the Life

$

0

0

As you have probably seen this week, David and Victoria Beckham's son Brooklyn caused some controversy when it was revealed that he had been booked by Burberry to shoot their latest fragrance campaign.

The news divided photographers and fashionistas across the world; some were angry that Brooklyn Beckham has been a photographer for about 6 months and hasn't 'paid his dues' - why should the son of a footballer and a pop star get handed an opportunity that others need to work their whole lives to try and achieve?

But one thing that nobody seems to have noticed is that this isn't a particularly new thing in the fashion industry... after all celebrities have been taking work from models for years now and nobody has batted an eyelid.

Like it or not we live in a world where 'fame' is something of an abstract concept. Fame is no longer gained by what you actually do to earn it... to paraphrase the old adage:
"it's not what you do it's how many people are interested in watching you do it."
People can literally make a living taking scantily clad selfies on social media, others by just playing video games and uploading them to Youtube. You can even find people who are able attract millions of followers by doing nothing other than showing off online how rich they are which, in an bizarrely ironic twist, earns them even more money.

In the modelling industry we've watched as people such as reality TV stars and fashion bloggers have increasingly taken modelling campaigns off actual models for years now. It's surprising that it's taken photographers to get shunted out the way for a celeb to make people actually take notice - then again there is a general belief that models don't actually do anything except stand there and look pretty. Never mind the years and years of training, portfolio building, travelling to castings and general hard work that goes into becoming a working model... or to put it another way 'paying their dues' in order to secure a career as a model.

At Sapphires we have a great list of clients. We regularly work with brands such as Topshop, River Island, Net-a-Porter and ASOS and have found that these clients are intelligent enough to understand that z-list celebs will never replace strong working models and an efficient agency. But we're certainly not immune to what's happening in the world and just like everyone else we realise that a while placed Tweet or Instagram post is worth it's weight in gold.

The world is a different place, modelling agencies adapted to the change so maybe it's time everyone else did too. With the internet being such an integral part of all our lives almost everyone in business is now operating in a global marketplace. Brand building is more important than it's ever been before - as this whole situation shows whether it's a self employed photographer or one of the world's biggest fashion houses, the reach of your brand is more important than ever.

In fact I guarantee that if any one of these complaining photographers had a chance to photograph Brooklyn Beckham as opposed to a male model they would jump at the chance - they aren't naive and they know that a photo of a celeb will help their own brand. I'm not sure why Burberry are under any obligation to think differently; after all live streaming their campaign to Brooklyn's six million followers is a PR masterstroke.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Is My Black Not Beautiful?

February 2, 2016, 9:57 am

≫ Next: Why Fashion Needs a Seat at the Table of Mainstream Education.

≪ Previous: Brooklyn Beckham Photographing Burberry - Celebs in Fashion is Nothing New

$

0

0

I still remember the disappointment to this very day. Before I went to boarding school I had never read a fashion magazine. I grew up on a council estate in London and fashion magazines were a luxury item that weren't even on my mind. The closest I got to a fashion magazine was my cousin's Top of the Pops magazines, where we would learn the lyrics to every song and put posters on our walls. Then I went to boarding school and I was exposed to a very different crowd - one of affluence.

Anyway, in my very first year I shared a dorm space with another girl who would get weekly packages from her mother. And in those packages were a few magazines. I particularly remember Sugar. And every week they would have make up tutorials... How to do the latest looks ... On pale skin, olive skin and dark skin... But the dark skinned woman was Alesha Dixon at best. Fast forward 15 years later, and we're still in the same place.

Maybe I want to try the latest cat eye, or eyeshadow trend? Maybe I want to learn how to strobe and highlight and do whatever else the Kardashians throw at us.

It's not enough. Magazines don't go far enough to be inclusive, and have at least have one model representing every major skin tone. South Asian? East Asian? Mixed Race? Pale? I don't know how, but it would be nice to see more diversity all round. The page could easily be dived to fit even ten girls, showcasing how each beauty trend, looks on each skin tone, and the right shades to use.

All I'm saying is, thank God for YouTube. Thanks to YouTube, we have a wealth of information available to us, with fantastic bloggers such as Jennie Jenkins and Chanel Boateng; both incredible Brits who translate the latest trends onto darker skin tones. When I watch these videos, I somewhat feel like my black is beautiful... at least amongst my peers. That is, until I pop into the local corner shop to pick up some magazines before a long journey, only to find my beauty absent, unacknowledged.

Maybe the problem is wider than the magazines. If Grazia wants to show us how to wear the latest nude, and the headline is 'how to do nude on a budget', and there are no affordable brands that stock products that I can use, can I blame them? I mean, it's not like I can walk into Boots and buy Rimmel foundation?

The thing is, I don't understand why, when it comes to beauty, dark skinned black women seem to be left behind. On the high street, in the beauty shops, we're not present. I've never walked into a Superdrug or a Boots and found the right foundation for me. Ok, fair enough. Not every skin tone will be catered to, and not every formulation will be right, but at least give me an option. No, Jourdan Dunn is not dark and neither is Beyonce! What happened to Estelle or even Jamelia? Is their black not beautiful? Rimmel, No7, Revlon, Maybeline, GOSH, 17... I'm looking straight at you. And that list isn't exhaustive.

We want options. My younger sisters want options. And it just doesn't seem fair. It's hard to pin point who exactly is to blame. If you take a look around the problem isn't only is fashion; it's in music, it's in film and it's on TV. Darker skinned women just aren't represented anywhere, especially not in the UK. As a dark skinned model myself, I have become even more aware of the lack of representation. Quite recently, I asked my friends to name five dark skinned celebrities in the UK. They struggled. You try. Go ahead, I'll wait. We'll be here a while. I widened it to the USA. Between us, after an hour we named five. This is shocking. In the US media outlets have started discussing the issue of 'Colourism'; the discrimination endemic within certain communities that results in the preference of lighter skin tones over darker ones. This isn't isolated to the black community. It is also present in the South East Asian communities. This is one of the reasons for the prevalence of highly toxic skin bleaching creams that can be found in any uk high street, even today. But that's another topic for another day.

It isn't hard to see how the lack of representation affects the self esteem of many women world wide. And magazines are so accessible to young women these days that I feel magazines should be particularly aware of their responsibilities when it comes to inclusivity. Much noise has been about size diversity, but not enough about skin tone diversity. It's time for this to change.

This February, HuffPost UK Style is running a month-long focus on our Fashion For All campaign, which aims to highlight moments of colour, size, gender and age diversity and disability inclusivity in the fashion and beauty world.

We will be sharing moments of diversity at London Fashion Week with the hashtag #LFW4All and we'd like to invite you to do the same. If you'd like to blog about diversity or get involved, email us here.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Why Fashion Needs a Seat at the Table of Mainstream Education.

February 3, 2016, 2:00 am

≫ Next: Barbie Fashionistas Bring Body Diversity and Mad Shoe Game

≪ Previous: Is My Black Not Beautiful?

$

0

0

We have all seen Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk entitled Do Schools Kill Creativity? You know which one I mean, the most watched TED talk of all time, the 20-minute masterpiece whereby the English author poignantly and humorously points out the fundamental flaws in modern education with regards to the systematic quelling of creativity. One piece of this speech that really stood out for me was when Robinson discussed the ranking given to subjects in schools:

"Every education system on Earth has the same hierarchy of subjects... at the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and at the bottom are the arts. Everywhere on Earth. And in pretty much every system too, there's a hierarchy within the arts. Art and music are normally given a higher status in schools than drama and dance. There isn't an education system on the planet that teaches dance everyday to children the way we teach them mathematics. Why? Why not? ... We all have bodies, don't we? Did I miss a meeting?"

He goes on to argue that this is because of the ignorant "you're not going to be an actor, so why prioritise drama" arguments which all of us have heard so many times throughout our education. Robinson's speech says more than I ever could about the disparity between the arts and the sciences in schools. However, I would like to focus more on his mentioning of the hierarchy among the arts. In the decade since his 2006 speech, there has been a change. Drama, for example, has ascended to the level of music and art, with institutions such as the National Youth Theatre and a widespread focusing of the transferrable skills gained in theatre to thank for this shift. Dance, though still not part of mainstream, curricular teaching, is at least heavily encouraged as an extra-curricular even post-ballet, with films such as Step Up and television acts such as Britain's Got Talent's Diversity sparking a generational allure for modern and progressive dance.

Fashion however, still doesn't even have a seat at the table, and this is, in my opinion, a crying shame. Fashion is an art form. Think about it. It all starts off with sketching. The importance of colour combination, symmetry and originality are all plain to see. Is there such a difference between Kate Moss being Mario Testino's muse and Jacqueline being Picasso's? No. Aside from mere aesthetics, fashion, like art, is a means of expression. Coco Chanel said that "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." And she is correct. Why should Picasso's chilling 1951 Massacre in Korea, or just about anything by Banksy, be given more credit for documenting social issues than various figures' support for the LGBT community and Pussy Riot in the build-up to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, or Supreme's stance on racism in the American police and legal system with their Supreme is UnAmerican t-shirt? The answer? They shouldn't. Fashion, both in terms of technical style and zeitgeist meaning, holds its own.

And the world has accepted this: last year's Alexander McQueen exhibition at the V&A received as much media coverage and acclaim as any art gallery did. As celebrated designer Zandra Rhodes told The Guardian, "the same amount of artistic expression goes into clothes, a piece of pottery or a painting. I've founded a [fashion] museum on the basis that I think it's an artistic form that should be remembered." So why is this not the case? I am at Cambridge University, a self-acclaimed leader in liberalism, innovativeness and creativity. Why then, does their Art History course study architecture, but not give fashion a look in? I am also on the committee of this year's Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show (CUCFS), which will take place on the 13th of February. This year's show is only the second ever show of this calibre. It is in aid of Cambridge House, a fantastic charity which focuses on giving education to kids in Southwark, South London. Why then, is money pumped into student galleries, choir concerts and tours to foreign countries, while we struggle to raise enough income (and have to rely on generous, external resources) to put on an annual show? If I asked the bursary for funds to travel to New York or Milan for fashion week, they'd laugh in my face. Why? To borrow from Sir Ken, we all wear clothes, don't we? Did I miss a meeting?

Tradition is a big culprit. Traditionally, fashion has been seen by the world of academia as frivolous, as something which the non-intelligent and less capable divulge in. Also, returning to the Science vs Art debate, throughout history, the two have been pitted against each other as two ends of a spectrum, as non-compatible. You only have to look at how easily you accepted my saying "Science vs Art" just now for proof - this attitude is ingrained. This is the first thing that must change. As comedian Tim Minchin stressed in his UWA honorary degree acceptance speech:

"Please don't make the mistake of thinking the arts and sciences are at odds with one another. That is a stupid, and damaging idea. You don't have to be unscientific to make beautiful art, to write beautiful things. If you need proof: Twain, Adams, Vonnegut, McEwen, Sagan, Shakespeare, Dickens. For a start...The arts and sciences need to work together to improve how knowledge is communicated."

He is right- mainstream curricular education has to focus on a way of bringing together the arts and the sciences, and fashion should be included in this movement. More specific to fashion, tradition is again at fault. The old stereotype of fashion being 'for girls' has of course been broken and rejected worldwide- we are in 2016 for God's sake. But has it been rejected in education? Statistics would suggest not: the 2015 Cambridge Assessment Research Report showed that 90% of students doing Design and Textiles GCSE were girls. This, frankly, is scary: one must only look at the wealth of male designers, from Karl Lagerfeld to Gosha Rubchinskiy to see that the industry is far from a sphere limited to women, and this fact should be reflected in the encouragement of student participation in mainstream bodies of education.

Finally, we need to realise that what I am arguing for doesn't have to be a giant step. I am not saying that people should ditch the ruler for the dress (though rulers are, of course, integral for a fashion designer), or the test tube for the runway. There doesn't need to be a revolution. All that is needed is for GCSE and A-Level Art to include modules that study fashion design, and the history of fashion. This would inform people, spark an interest from a young age, and give a scope for creativity that is not currently present, without forcing people to solely study fashion. I am not putting other arts down, I am trying to bring fashion up to a similar position, and it is my belief that, with these changes in attitude and procedure, this is a very real possibility.


For more on fashion and other things, follow Francesco on Twitter and Instagram

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Barbie Fashionistas Bring Body Diversity and Mad Shoe Game

February 3, 2016, 2:22 am

≫ Next: We Need Honest Depictions of Women of a Certain Age in Our Beauty Adverts

≪ Previous: Why Fashion Needs a Seat at the Table of Mainstream Education.

$

0

0

You never forget your first Barbie. Mine was Crystal Barbie and I'm still obsessed with that shimmery holographic fabric and outlandish Dynasty dresses to this day.

Now, thanks to Mattel's latest major makeover of the iconic best-selling doll - continuing 2015's expansion which added 23 new skin tones, a variety of hair colours and a flat foot so she could ditch those perma-heels - Barbie's enduring appeal just got a little closer to home for millions of kids worldwide.

No longer just tall, thin, blonde and blue-eyes with sun-kissed white skin, the doll has evolved and the new 2016 Barbie Fashionistas range includes three new body shapes - tall, curvy and petite, seven additional skin tones, 22 eye colours, and 24 hairstyles. You can see some of them in my snaps below or check out the full range at www.barbie.com
Continues after slideshow...



I had the privilege of seeing the new dolls up close at their launch earlier this week at a fabulous Barbie Discotheque, at 9am on a Monday no less - let's go party indeed; not going to lie, I found it hard to keep up with the 57 year old - and was pleased to see even the rainbow-haired of us being represented.

That said, the bleach blonde Jennifer Lawrence-meets-Jenna King off Southern Charm doll with the Mohican hairdo, complete with flocked 'shaved' sides was definitely my favourite, with the gorgeously hip-py brunette in the neon kicks a close second, tied with the chick who I'm sure is Dionne from Clueless sans braids... don't you think? Check them out in the gallery above.

For any of you who don't buy Barbies that regularly one thing that really surprised me - and, following an office discussion about it, seems to be the general consensus - is how the dolls only cost £9.99 each. How is that possible? I know they have to keep the cost reasonable given they're intended for kids but I'm sure they cost more than that even in the 80's?? I'm baffled, though obviously in a good way.

One standout feature, amazing body positivity messages and diversity evolution aside, was Barbie's shoe collection. I had no idea but this girl has major footwear game and now that she can wear flats it's well-rounded too. From Rockstud-style studded sandals to Superstar-esque sneaks, Barbie's packing serious shoe swag so why not take a few footwear tips? Melissa is a great place to start for on-trend dolly shoes for adults so check out their own line and designer collaborations at shopmelissa.uk

1 Strips rubber wedges by Melissa, £105; 2 Backless + Alexandre Herchcovitch for Melissa rubber flats, £98, and 3 Christy + Jason Wu for Melissa, £75, all from shopmelissa.uk. 4 Melissa x Jeremy Scott inflatable mules, no longer on pre-sale (they're SS16 but showed at New York Fashion Week in September and were made immediately available) but check Melissa later this season or grab now from online stockists like 10 Corso Como for E.165

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

We Need Honest Depictions of Women of a Certain Age in Our Beauty Adverts

February 3, 2016, 1:36 pm

≫ Next: Valentine's Day: Share the Love - How to Buy Ethical Jewellery

≪ Previous: Barbie Fashionistas Bring Body Diversity and Mad Shoe Game

$

0

0

One of the things that impelled me to launch a makeup business in 2013 with products specifically formulated for older faces was the way in which the beauty industry utterly ignored me as a 65-year-old woman.  Look Fabulous Forever has been stunningly successful because we dare to do things differently from most other beauty brands.

Since the early Sixties when wonderful designers like Mary Quant, Barbara Hulanicki, and Ossie Clarke burst onto the fashion scene, both the fashion and beauty industries have been obsessed with youthful faces and bodies. Before that time, clothes and makeup were for grown ups and even Vogue magazine which is (nowadays) notoriously ageist, was happy to feature Mrs Exeter, a woman in her later years who was in their description of her in 1949, "Approaching 60, Mrs Exeter does not look a day younger, a fact she accepts with perfect good humour and reasonableness."  What a contrast with the last 'Ageless' Vogue cover from 2015 featuring an air brushed 48 year old Stella Tennant looking like a moody teenager!

I am sure that some will point to the use of 80-year-old writer Joan Didion to sell sunglasses for Celine, or those funny little old ladies in the Dolce & Gabbana ads clutching their sparkly handbags or the images of Joni Mitchell in the Yves St Laurent as indications that there is a real shift towards increasing diversity. Really? Are these ads designed to be inclusive in order to attract my generation to buy their clothes or (call me cynical if you wish) to offer an amusing and even shocking contrast between the (beautiful and trendy) clothes and the old people wearing them?

And what about Charlotte Rampling in the Nars advertisements and Dame Helen Mirren in those L'Oreal ads for skin care? Surely they show that  large cosmetic companies are waking up to the power of the grey pound and the fact that women over 60 still want to wear gorgeous makeup and can well afford to? Actually no, I don't think these ads show that at all.  Charlotte Rampling is a very beautiful 69-year-old with trademark hooded eyes. The images of her in the Nars advertisements have been so digitally altered that she is barely recognisable. If I didn't know they were of Rampling, I would assume they were of a strikingly attractive woman aged around 45.

L'Oreal's portrayal of Mirren also bothers me as someone of a similar age. She's lit to look blonde despite the fact that her hair is actually white and they have dressed her in one ad in a black leather jacket and filmed her on a bridge walking past a handsome young guy. Mirren looks into the camera and raises an eyebrow as if to say 'I know I'm still hot - so I'm sure he fancies me.' Is that really why most 70-year-olds do their hair and makeup? To appeal to much younger men and to be thought of as sexy? Again, I don't think so.

The fashion and beauty industries inhabit a world where images are necessarily glamorous and above all youthful and where they are not, those images are either digitally altered or used to shock and provoke.  But, I would suggest, there is another way. At Look Fabulous Forever we have no desire to appeal to woman under 50. We are not obsessed with looking youthful and alluring to the opposite sex. So our images are honest and truthful depictions of women of a certain age looking like the bright, vital and fabulous people that they are.

Tricia Cusden is the founder of Look Fabulous Forever

This February, HuffPost UK Style is running a month-long focus on our Fashion For All campaign, which aims to highlight moments of colour, size, gender and age diversity and disability inclusivity in the fashion and beauty world.

We will be sharing moments of diversity at London Fashion Week with the hashtag #LFW4All and we'd like to invite you to do the same. If you'd like to blog about diversity or get involved, email us here.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.