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Being a woman on the internet is well known for its dangers. As a space where those who identify as women have freedom of expression, more often than not, they become targets of those who might oppose such freedoms. Continue reading How to Cultivate Positive Online Spaces where Women can Support Women
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As a mixed-race woman whose tight afro curls are more than unruly, I know a little about what it means to be made to feel other as a result of something you cannot change. What I’m only just starting to learn is that these feelings aren’t misplaced or trivial; they are important and worth writing about because countless others are feeling the same way. Continue reading Hair Discrimination: How Work and School Dress Codes Discriminate against Afro-Textured Hair
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When you think of 90s fashion, what first comes to mind? Cycling shorts, baggy sweatshirts and high-waisted jeans? Oversized blazers, scrunchies and tiny shoulder bags? If you’re thinking that sounds like a rundown of what you’d see walking into Urban Outfitters, you’d be correct. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a revival for all things vintage – and no-one exuded 90s cool better than Princess Diana. Continue reading Why Princess Di is still at the Forefront of Fashion
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In the wake of the recent global Black Lives Matter protests, discussions surrounding racism within the workplace have been bought to light, with individuals and former employees finally finding the courage to speak out about their experiences of discrimination. As a result, many industries and companies have come under fire for their problematic attitudes towards their non-white employees and their consequential lack of action, with the fashion industry being one of the most revealing. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the fashion industry lacks diversity, with runways and fashion campaigns featuring predominantly white, thin models, and constant instances of cultural appropriation seen on the runway and in collections. However, recent years have shown a development in the diversity seen on the runway, with South Sudanese model Adut Akech winning model of the year at the 2019 Fashion Awards. Whilst this improvement cannot be said for every fashion house (just look at the Dior AW20 campaign), the inclusivity seen amongst models is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. One well-known luxury fashion brand that has been hailed for the diversity of their models is Jacquemus. This French fashion house, founded by designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, is most well-known for its stunning runway show backdrops, the Le Chiquito mini bags and also inclusivity of models of all sizes, races and genders, with Vogue even congratulating the brand for their “gorgeously diverse casting”. Whilst Jacquemus has been praised for this diversity, recent revelations prove that this inclusivity goes no deeper than surface level. Continue reading Performativity and All-White Workplaces: The Racism that Happens Behind-the-scenes of the Fashion Industry
If you haven’t spent significant time in lockdown on TikTok, either you have been living under a rock or simply have better willpower than the rest of us. What began as a platform for lip-syncing videos (musical.ly), has now become a popular social media app broadcasting diverse content from short travel videos, daily lifestyle vlogs, challenges, trending dances, and different memes. Especially with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, … Continue reading Beautiful Bodies and Damaging Diets: TikTok and Body Image
During the early stages of lockdown, when I still had a dissertation to write and exams to sit, I was able to keep the boredom at bay. Even though it was hard to motivate myself to do work, at least I had something to aim for. Once I was finished however, suddenly I had all this time on my hands with nothing to do. All of my summer plans were cancelled, jobs and internships were postponed, and I had to find something to do to fill my days – so I wouldn’t go completely mad! Continue reading Creative Corner: NinaValentine Designs
On Saturday night, I walked into Unit 1 at 6:45 (truly the earliest I think I have ever set foot there), excited for a night of fashion. The main dance floor had been filled with chairs, set up to include a runway right through the middle. We took our seats, second row from the front – the front rows were reserved for the designers responsible for the garments we were about to see grace the runway (this was the moment when I felt like I really was at a real fashion show). The Re:Claimed Fashion show, put on by Exeter Fashion Society, aimed to showcase local and student ethical, sustainable brands with a focus on celebrating the diversity and creativity of the sustainable fashion industry. The show promised a celebration of fashion’s creativity, as well as performances from URBN Dance, Pole Fitness, Breakdance, Dance Society and Mishaal Javed. Continue reading Review: Re:Claimed Fashion Show
If you asked the general person what they picture when they imagine a Vogue cover, for many the same portrait would spring to mind: a perfectly shot photograph printed on glossy paper, peeping through the other magazines at the airport or newsagent. However, Vogue Italia has totally shaken up this image with their January 2020 edition, scrapping the photoshoot for one edition only, instead filling the magazine cover-to-cover with illustrations. Conde Nast, Vogue’s publishing company, announced in a press release that the purpose of this move was sustainability. Continue reading Illustrated Vogue Italia: An Environmentally Conscious Approach
You may have heard about Goop’s new candle titled “This Smells Like My Vagina” where the origins of the scent came from founder Gwyneth Paltrow blurting out in the lab “Uhhh… this smells like a vagina”. This came up in conversation while we were brainstorming our SHAG Week (Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance Week) and we asked ourselves the question: if you could choose a … Continue reading This Smells Like RAZZ’s Vagina
There goes the age-old art centric debate; what constitutes nude and what naked? Nudity is often viewed as the artful posing of the naked human form, whereas nakedness is often perceived as more vulnerable, unrefined and bare – in such a sense nudity is often elevated to a higher artistic and cultural standing, with nakedness being largely associated with censorship and stigmatisation. The terms are often used interchangeably, and while this may not be 100% linguistically correct, I would argue that it is important to destigmatise the taboos surrounding nakedness; a naked body is just that, whether it can be perceived as sexually attractive should not be central to the manner in which we address it. As demonstrated, both words mean the unclothed human body, so how did such a differentiation in contextual understanding occur? Art critic John Berger previously argued the meaning of the nude has changed over the years; in his 1972 book ‘Ways of Seeing’ he says that the nude has been continuously utilised to portray the female body in a manner that is sexually pleasing to the viewer, whereas a ‘naked’ piece of art depicts a sitter embodying their own space and pleasure. Whether this is true is dependent on the subjective opinion of the viewer, something that has undoubtedly changed throughout history. Continue reading Arty Nudes
