Death Drawing (the new incarnation of the Swallows and Amazons drawing salons we have bigged up so heartily in the past) is back after its January debut with an artistic alternative to all the Clintons cards cutesy-ness that’s going on at the moment. So, if you’re London based, love-lorn and of an artistic nature, then this is most likely your perfect way to spit in the face of Saint Valentine!
Death Drawing aims to bring ‘a lethal injection of theatricality, curiosity and the macabre’ to the traditional life-drawing salon, and this month’s anti-valentine’s themed session is no exception. Taking place on the 15th of February at East London’s Victoria pub, the event promises participants a very bloody Valentine’s with plenty of broken hearts to inspire their scribblings. Guests are even invited to exorcise their heartache by bringing along old love letters and unwanted Valentine’s cards to add to a shrine to romance.
The salon starts at 8pm and costs £8, with all art materials provided for you – Just make sure you reserve a place because it’s bound to be packed! All the details are handily laid out for your perusal on this here Facebook Event Page. Lovely.
Tonight sees our favourite London life-drawing salon, Swallows and Amazons, looking to Japanese art and culture for inspiration; presenting models playing with stereotypes of Geisha and Samurai and encouraging artists to get creative with traditional inking techniques and Manga styles.
Get yourself down to The Victoria Pub, Mile End, from 8 o’clock to join in the flexing of creative muscles – Full details are here. Entry is just £6, which includes all the artistic materials you will need, and every penny goes towards Ladyfest Ten!
Personally, I don’t think I’d be able to fit all my thoughts about feminism onto a postcard (if that was possible, this blog wouldn’t exist!) – let alone make said postcard aesthetically pleasing and worthy of being put up for auction! Hats off, then, to the 38 people who have done just that for tonight’s Feminism in London Postcard Auction.
Raising funds for this years Feminism in London conference (taking place on the 23rd of October) the auction will include works from artists, writers, activists and feminists – even musician Kate Nash has got in on the action with her cut-and-paste commentary on the way women are treated within the music industry.
My personal favourite is Hayden Kaye’s take on toilet door signage (always an interesting starting point when looking at social gender construction) and I’m glad to see one of my favourite illustrators, Julie Verhoeven, is on board too. The whole thing has been curated by the anarchic and witty Sarah Maple, who has been declared as ‘The heir to Tracey Emin’s throne’ by The Independent on Sunday.
The auction starts tonight from 8pm at East London’s Aubin Gallery, but you’ll want to get there a bit earlier to secure your entry (for £7) and get your mitts on some free drinks! All the details are here, happy bidding!
(Hurray for UK Feminista for bringing this event to my attention, and also the The Guardian for covering it so extensively!)
When it comes to jewellery, I don’t ‘do’ girly or glitzy (dahlink!) – for me, chains have to be chunky or it just feels all wrong. To my mind, there’s just something a bit inauthentic about the glittery, flimsy chains and glued-on diamantés that flood our high-street stores. I long for something a bit more robust, a bit earthy… Which is why I have always loved fair-trade jewellery brand Made’s gorgeous pieces.
I should, of course, be telling you that the reason I love Made jewellery is because it is an inspirationally modern business project that works with East African artisans, paying fair wages and providing support at every level, with the aim of bringing disadvantaged communities out of poverty through a ‘trade not aid’ ethos. This is true; this is, indeed, one of the reasons I love Made. But I think the fact that they create genuinely great, clunky, charming jewellery pieces is just as important. If they didn’t, if their range was lack-lustre and un-inspired, then the whole thing would fall flat… and where would that leave those that they support?
To keep things fresh, Made team up with a host of collaborators to design one-off ranges. Big design names such as Jamie Rubin, Brian Crumley and even starlets such as Alexa Chung have had a hand contributing directional pieces in the past… so when it came to visiting the Estethica exhibition at London Fashion Week this month, I naturally made a bee-line to Made’s stall to check out the talents they had enlisted this season.
Central Saint Martin’s trained jeweller Hattie Rickards is the new designer in the Made fold. Her collection (some of which is shown above) draws on the natural world, casting from fish bones, shark teeth and seed pods to create a colourful, magpie-like pick and mix collection. I expect her pieces won’t drop until spring, so we’ll just have to wait with baited breath until then.
The big name on board for September is Laura Bailey, who has created some incredibly covet-able pieces that trip along a fine line between delicate and sturdy, simplistic and elaborate. More importantly, she has become a great ambassador for the company – having written a piece for The Times on their work and putting her fine features into the frame for the campaign.
After spending far too long salivating over all these new designs (making me late for the next show, oops!) I was very lucky to be presented with a lovely freebie – a collection of beaded bangles. True to the Made design ethos, they are simple, striking and have that personal feel (you can see the lathe marks on each metal disc, the idiosyncrasies in each glass bead) that makes sure your mind will turn to the good work that Made do whenever you wear it. Whilst this little freebie really made my day, it’s great to think that Made are making lives, one day at a time, for those involved in and supported by the project.
Whilst New York creates the classics, Paris is chic and Milan has the glamour, London Fashion Week is all about pushing things forward… and when it comes to sustainability and responsibilty, boy does the fashion industry need a push! Thank goodness, then, for Esthetica – now in its fourth year at London Fashion Week.
Sponsored by Monsoon, this showcase of ethical design talents started out as a small initiative designed to shake up things at fashion week and get industry folks thinking about their ethical commitments. Going from strength to strength with each season, the trade exhibition has now grown to house 36 fair-trade and environmentally responsible designers working in ready-to-wear, jewellery and accessories.
Favourites of mine include Lu Flux, Ada Zanditon and, of course The Environmental Justice Foundation (who have featured in Uplift rather a lot for their fab designer tees) but this year I was able to add a few new favourites to my list! I’ll be blogging about them soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
Estethica is always a joy to peruse at fashion week; It’s inspirational and encouraging to see how different creatives are tackling the problems that lie within the process of garment creation. As you can see from the diagram below (by Burak Cakmak of Gucci Group and www.made-by.org) there are plenty of places to slip up! But it’s great to see designers take up the challenge and work at making fashion fairer for all. Let’s push things forward!
Just a quick note to say that this Thursday (the 23rd) Pages of Hackney will be hosting two fabulous feminist authors, Catherine Redfern and Kat Banyard, to discuss ‘The New Feminism’. Touching on issues covered within their books (Reclaiming The F Word and The Equality Illusion, respectively) the duo will assert that feminism is alive and well, and as vital today as it ever was.
Entrance is just £3, but these events tend to be well-attended, so RSVP to David at info@pagesofhackney.co.uk to ensure your place. The event begins at 7 – all details here!
Another day, another exciting Ladyfest Ten project to get involved in! This time, those creative types at Storm In A Tea Cup are hoping to get women (and men) from all over the world to participate via the medium of snail mail in their Postcard Project.
Whilst Ladyfest Ten, as an event, will be taking place this November in London, the aim is to celebrate ten fantastic years of the grass-roots female arts phenomenon that is Ladyfest. Since Ladyfest has been celebrated all over the world, it seems only right to invite those it has touched to contribute in some way. This particular artistic global outreach aims to bring together those Ladyfesters from around the world in a huge support of this very unique female focussed fest.
Feeling inspired? Well, before you starts scribbling away please bear in mind that there is a theme and that theme is ‘X’. As well as being the roman numeral for Ten, it is also the kiss sign… and in Norse mythology is the letter for GIFT (you really do learn something new everyday!)
Submissions can be in any medium- as long as it still passes for a postcard and fits through a letterbox then the rest is up to you! Perhaps even adorn your creation with one of these Women of Distinction stamps, shown above, for extra feminist brownie points… Just make sure you get it to the Ladyfest Ten team by October 15th – address is here.
If you want to improve your fitness whilst doing your bit to promote women’s rights, then One World Action have got the perfect challenge for you! As part of their More Women More Power campaign, One World Action are inviting female fitness fanatics to run, jog or walk the Women’s 5K challenge in Hyde Park this Sunday 5th of September.
Participants will join the More Women More Power campaigners and Women’s Rights Champion Heidi Alexander MP on a walk (or run!) of ’solidarity with our sisters around the world who are fighting to be heard’. It should prove to be a fun and sociable opportunity for supporters and campaigners to meet, and raise the profile of international women’s rights.
This week is your last chance to sign-up to participate, so get a move on! You can register your interest here and the More Women More Power team will be in touch.
I’ve just heard word of yet another fabulous fund-raiser for Ladyfest Ten!
Have Your Cake And Eat It is the love-child of two of London’s top creative organisations, Diy Womp and Storm in a Teacup, so a good time is practically guaranteed! Taking place this Saturday at East London’s George Tavern, the event is yet another in a fantastic string of shindigs that raise funds for the very good cause that is Ladyfest Ten.
Personally, I’m already sold on the cute Russian Doll flyer, but if you need any more persuading to attend then here’s what to expect:
Unique art-works (all around the the theme of influential women) created specifically for the event by the best up and coming artists in and around London.
A bargain at £5 on the door, the event kicks off with some genteel art appreciation at 6, with bands taking to the stage from 8. Need to know more? Click here!
After getting all excited about the TEDWomen lectures in the US later this year, I reminded myself that I should really fill you all in on a fabulous debate I attended last month right here in London town!
Intelligence Squared is a global forum that believes in ‘knowledge through debate’ and hosts fantastic evenings of contest and conversation. I attended their Fashion Maketh Woman debate at Westminster’s Methodist Hall, full of excitement and nerves (had I worn the right thing?) and not knowing what to expect.
The title was a bit baffling, and I was baffled further still when I was accosted by a woman with a clip board as I entered. “Are you FOR or AGAINST the motion?” she asked, to which I felt a bit too stupid to be in attendance as I muttered “Err, I don’t think I understand the motion.” Of course (ahem) it was all just a question of semantics; “Do you think fashion makes women what they are?” the helpful woman spelt it out for me, “God no!” I answered and hurried inside to find out I was in the minority; the pre-vote showed 335 For the motion, 318 against and 256 ‘Don’t Knows’.
Paula Reed, looking exquisite in pre-collection AW10 Oscar de la Renta, was the first to take to the stage. Arguing in defense of fashion (well, she is Grazia’s style director after all!) she put it to the audience that “Fashion is the clearest expression of all the most fundamental things in life” and that it is “A delicious relief in a dirty world.” Speaking of her humble background and wide-eyed delight for all things fashion, Reed came off as very like-able and relate-able - quite different to how she has appeared at times when judging on Project Catwalk!
Describing those who focus on the negative elements of fashion as “Purse-lipped puritans” she went on to say “They set themselves up as high-minded – and often as feminists – but there’s a hint of misogyny in there, I think.”
Still, Reed did accept that fashion isn’t always without fault; “For the rise of ‘porno-chic’ fashion, fashion editors have come under fire” she said. Also, on the topic of fashion’s relationship with eating disorders, Reed talked about how she had sat on the board of a recent model health enquiry and that all she was sure of was “how many different opinions” there were on the matter and that thin models will soon be going “the way of the padded shoulder”. I admired her bravery for addressing these areas of concern, but it still felt like Reed missed the point somewhat by pointing to the rise in obesity as proof that fashion imagery doesn’t affect how people see themselves.
Ultimately, Reed reminded us that fashion can be a joy and, whether we choose to partake in trends or not, we are always making our own satorial statements. “Looking around this room,” Reed said, gleefully, ”I see lots and lots of Grazia fashion pages from over the past 6 months… you’re looking good, by the way.”
Up next was Stephen Bayley and, although he was arguing against the fashion industry, I just knew I wouldn’t enjoy his speech quite so much.
This is because Bayley is the author of Woman As Design, a book that angered feminists (including Germaine Greer) upon its release last year due to its portrayal of idealised and objectified women. Now, I may have been tempted to pick up the book (if it didn’t cost a whopping £50!) because maybe, just maybe, it might offer an interesting glance at how women’s bodies have influenced design and how beauty standards have transformed over time. I lost any inclination to do just that, however, upon reading Bayley’s Guardian rebuttal Why My Book Is Not Sexist in which he seriously described Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour as ‘a sexist ghetto’ and asked why there was no Man’s Hour. Pssch.
As an intelligent and eloquent speaker, Bayley came out with some cracking quotes (most of which have been included in the ‘best bits’ IQ2 video). He expressed his bemusement at an industry that demands innovation without need and asks people to imitate it without reason. This “cycle of utter folly” also adds to the confused gaze in which we view women’s bodies, Bayley asserted; “Some moments parts of the woman’s body are sterilised and at other times eroticised.”
Still, any great points Bayley made became tainted upon his argument that, whilst the fashion industry says “Buy this and you will look more attractive”, most women would actually look more attractive if they “got a tan, trained for a marathon and lost 30 pounds.” Sorry, Bayley, but you lost my vote right there.
Finance executive turned fashion designer Britt Lintner was keen to tell us how her clothing range for career-minded women has aided them in their professional lives; “We wanted women to celebrate their differences and their individuality,” Lintner said, “Whether a size 6 or a size 16, we’re all about real women.”
She went on to tell the audience, through the aid of Power-Point and a rather fun collection of old photos, how she had used clothing to help her compete as her career evolved. “The psychological impact is undeniable,” Lintner said, stating that clothes give you “the confidence to strive for whatever you want.”
Good points aside, Lintner did herself no favours by pulling out a quote from Margaret Thatcher to back up her points. Good though the quote was, you could almost hear the clenching of teeth in the auditorium as Lintner described Thatcher as “the greatest working woman in the whole world.”
As I had expected, Turner Prize winning artist Grayson Perry was a fantastic speaker. Passionate to the point of anger, Perry brought up many good points about the waste and exploitation ingrained in parts of the fashion industry. “Fashion maketh woman?” Perry all but spat, “I don’t agree with that… Fashion maketh money, fashion maketh waste, fashion maketh carbon, fashion maketh lazy!”
Talking about trends, Perry stated that “The world’s biggest industry is set up to make you dissatisfied with what you’ve just bought” and he wondered whether trend-followers ever actually considered what suited them. He also speculated whether “If this machine of power didn’t exist, would people be more creative?”
Wearing a dress designed for him by a CSM fashion student, Perry lamented the speed at which fashion runs; “It hoovers up ideas and then spits them out half chewed.” He also touched on the throw-backs to colonialism that fashion seems to parade around every so often like an embarrassing souvenir; “This year we’re doing Tibetan…but what if you’re actually Tibetan?”
Lastly, Perry likened the Hot or Not pages of fashion glossies as “The judgement of the playground” and went as far as saying that the fashion industry as a whole is the industrialisation of playground cool; “And cool,” Perry chided us, “is the new straight.”
Madeline Levy, editor-in-Chief of fashion and arts magazine Bon International, was last to speak about the merits of fashion. Throughout the debate speakers on both sides of the fence had agreed that, whilst fashion can come under fire, style is all-well-and-good. Levy, however, put it to the audience that style doesn’t push boundaries or move aesthetic levels in the same way that fashion does. Fashion, Levy said, is an “art form which concerns us all” and it can even allow us to dress up and above the positions we were born into.
After Perry’s attack on the fashion industry, Levy came back with the statement that “The pharmaceutical industry is pretty corrupt but that doesn’t make medicine bad.” She also agreed with Paula Reed, saying that those who hold disdain for fashion may also hold disdain for women; “When men are passionate about something it’s a hobby. When women are passionate about fashion, they’re vain.”
I had been really looking forward to hearing Susie Orbach, author of Fat Is A Feminist Issue, speak against fashion – but her melancholy, emotionally centred speech didn’t really sit well after the passionate demonstrations, peppered with facts, that had gone before.
“You’re ten years old,” Orbach started, “your breasts are little buds. You check out your pose in the mirror, just as you’ve seen Mum do. You’ve seen her sigh in the mirror when she doesn’t quite fit. Still, she’s your yummy mummy.”
Orbach’s imagining was based in the realities she had collected for her latest book, Bodies, and yet the approach felt rather ill-at-ease in a debate setting. I much preferred her speech which followed on from the personal intro, as it felt more effective. “Ask a woman what she’d like to change about her body and she will have a list,” Orbach stated, “Ask her what she likes and she will struggle.”
After all speakers were heard and we were called to vote again, there was still confusion as to what we were actually voting for. If we are FOR or AGAINST fashion, are we talking ‘Fashion’ as an industry (and all that entails) or are we talking clothing, style…fashion as art?
I know that I would like to see the fashion industry grow in more ethically and environmentally friendly ways; it needs scrutinising and it needs to take responsibility. I also know that I welcome it as a creative and empowering force on an individual level. But ‘Fashion Maketh Woman’? I don’t think so. It’s not that gendered – everyone is affected by fashion and trends! Plus, women aren’t one dimensional – it takes more than fashion to make a woman!
A new final vote was taken with the results of 293 For the motion, 468 Against the motion and a nervous 44 ‘Don’t Knows’… how nice to no longer be in the minority! Still, if it had come down to voting only on the basis of speakers, I would have voted for the fashion clan! They came off as much more positive, open to change and eager to confront fashion’s problems, whilst all the while being non-judgemental and fun!
Watch IQ2’s Best Bits from the debate here and find out more about their Autumn season of debates here.
To mark the first annual Anti Street-Harassment Day, Dearbhaile Kitt reports on a growing movement that is aiming to put a stop to this most anti-social sexist practise.
Stephanie Phillips, of Don’t Dance Her Down Boys blog, went along to the launch event for UK Feminista to see what prospects the site might hold for the advancement UK women’s movement.
