Jessica Graphic P
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3rd Floor is an insightful, innovative and visually enticing fashion publication for creative profess
Launched in 2008, 3rd Floor is an annual fashion publication funded by Southampton Solent University. Each year, 3rd Floor establishes a fashion concept to produce a fashion memoir that showcases legendary fashion icons, captures current styles and identifies up and coming themes. Offering an informative and intelligent perspective of the fashion industry, the forthcoming issue will be available in June 2011.
3rd Floor; Issue Four The fourth issue of the 3rd Floor publication aims to enthuse its creative readers through thoughtful imagery and intellectual articles that challenge readers to contemplate the world around them. This is depicted through the theme of ‘Inspiring Minds’ where the sub headings of Philosophy, Phenomenon and Psychology will be portrayed. For Psychology we explore the human mind and how it is the epicentre of all thoughts, memories and has ultimate control over the body. We examine the psyche and its functions, exploring and analysing how it can affect behaviour and how this translates into everyday life. Sometimes we are faced with an occurrence or circumstance that is perceptible by the senses but simply unexplainable. In the chapter Phenomenon we have taken the
opportunity to delve into the unknown to se such things.
Philosophy allows one to study the fund existence. Each individual will have various in to analyse a number of angles, to provide a co
3rd Floor; Readership
The alternative themes for the publication s caters for the artistically aware by featuring a fashion editorials. The core reader consists creative students and creative professionals. This might be the clothes they wear, how the in. They are fashion conscious and can be ec within their field. They like to read magazine inform them and educate them. They like to and look at more cultural and social aspects a The fourth edition of 3rd Floor aims to contin target market, whilst creating new, innovativ
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sionals.
earch for the lost answers and reasoning for
3rd Floor; Competitors
damental nature of knowledge, reality and nterpretations, but here we have endeavoured oherent and educated insight.
3rd Floor doesn’t follow, it simply takes inspiration and injects the publication with its own creative identity, an identity that is eclectic, style-conscious and innovative. Publications that may be considered to be our competitors are Twin, WeAr, VS, Ponytail, 8A and Pigeons and Peacocks.
stimulate the 3rd Floor reader’s minds and an array of insightful interviews, features, and of creative individuals that then fringe into They are someone who dares to be different. ey style them or even the topics they believe ccentric and confident to share their opinion es and books which not only inspire them but o look at the deeper issues revolving fashion affecting the world. nue the publications existing brand image and ve and articulate ideas for its content.
3rd Floor; Graphics Modern computerised typography is combined with intricate artwork to increase the complexity of the results. Mixing up directions of type, toying with colour and playing with scale to create visually powerful graphics. These are enhanced with splats of ink, bringing a subtle splash of colour to the palette. The customised typography is seamlessly integrated into our distinctive artistic aesthetic representing psychology images and adding a sinister playfulness capturing the emotion of the topic. The inks run throughout the publication bringing it together as a whole. The representation of inks for psychology is shown through the Rorschach inspired inks, for Phenomenon the vibrancy of colour and for Philosophy the fluidity of time and looking to the future.
07947928728 Jessica.lara@live.co.uk
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raphics: Two fonts have been used for the headings throughout the fourth issue. These are Robo and Taller Evolution which I have the license for. I then edited them in Illustrator and Photoshop to make them fit the theme of the publication. Robo has been used for the bold headings and Taller Evolution has been used for the more artistic headings in the style of the inks. The inks would be brought through into the bold typography of Robo by being placed in odd letters to add a flash of colour. The colours that run throughout the fourth issue are mainly monochrome with hints of coral, orange, grey, blue and green. The colours were chosen from the Spring/ Summer 12 predicted colour palette so that the publication would still appear to be relevant in at least a years time. Third Floor is all about looking to the future and creating something worth keeping. Following the theme of inspiring minds, the titles within these are Psychology, Phenomenon and Philosophy. The graphics reinforce these themes, by emphasising their meanings. For any sub headings and information such as details of editorial shoots the Sans Serif font Georgia has been used. All text is aligned and placed in the same place on each page for information and page numbers. Georgia Bold has been used for the name of a person. Other information such as credits is Georgia regular size 9. The main body of text for features is in Georgia size 10. The fourth issues logo has been spelt out on the front cover to identify that it is a limited edition book. This will be matt foiled to create an aesthetic appeal. The standard style of the 3rd Floor logo has been used on the spine of the cover and on the inside fold of the cover. This font is Academy Engraved Let logo which I have bought the license to. The size of the fourth issue is 240 mm by 310 mm. It has 164 pages. The cover has extended flaps that measure to 100 mm front and back.
The front cover is a heavy 400 Gsm essential silk, and the content of the magazine is 130 Gsm essential silk. The finishing of the book is thread sewn. The properties of silk ensure that light doesn’t reflect off the page so that the content is readable and the photography is still shown to its best quality without the ink seeping into the page. The content of the fourth issue is broken up in each chapter into sequences of 8, 12, 10, 8, 10. The first 8 pages in each chapter are features, the next 12 is a 12 page editorial shoot. This is followed by a 10 pages of features, an 8 page editorial shoot and then 10 pages of feature. This is exactly the same for each chapter so that editorials are sat in exactly the same place. This reinforces the consistency throughout the publication.
“I love the exchange between individuals, across generations, passionately discussing ideas, challenging assumptions and sharing creativity. This was my experience in meeting the team at 3rd floor. Fashion is a powerful communicator to women about their bodies and identities...Diversity remains king!” Debra Bourne
“Its great to see a new fashion publication, that is full of vibrant photography, creative new styling ideas and interesting article coverage.” Bruce Montgomery
Issue 4 2011
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Melting Wax Flowers courtesy of Gary James McQueen
3rd Floor is an insightful, innovative and visually enticing fashion publication for creative professionals. 3rd Floor fashion publication offers an informative and intelligent perspective of the fashion industry. 3rd Floor doesn’t follow - simply takes inspiration. Injecting the publication with its own creative identity, an identity that is eclectic, style-conscious and innovative.
ÂŁ10.00 ISBN: 978-0-9563140-2-4
Third Floor Front cover with fold outs.
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Barbara Kruger, a pioneering contemporary artist, explores methods of addressing political and social issues through her work. The relationship between her artwork and the culture of consumerism is prominent, and highlights the extent of the irrepressible conditioning existing between consumerism and the subsequent formation of identity.
BARBARA KRUGER “Untitled” (I shop therefore I am) 111” by 113” (282 cm by 287 cm) photographic silkscreen/vinyl 1987. Copyright: BARBARA KRUGER, Image courtesy: MARY BOONE GALLERY, NEW YORK.
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oney can buy you love; Kruger has no complaints except for the world ... Barbara Kruger is one of the world’s most influential artists of this century, having made a tremendous impact on several key areas of contemporary art, such as graphic design and installations including film, projection and large silk screened vinyl panels. Through her art, Kruger confronts consumer culture, economic and social issues that touch on power, pleasure, misogyny, cruelty and love, ultimately depicting the characteristics of a person and the influences these have on the decisions we make. Kruger’s creativity flows from her childhood influences. She grew up in New Jersey, surrounded by poverty and racism. The constraints of everyday life, such as control, hierarchy and marginalisation, influence her art, where she uses typography to express her views and opinions. Kruger’s distinctive strategy is to seduce then intercept the viewer (Linker, K., 1990, p. 17). Her aim is to raise social and political awareness through strong statements – In violence we forget who we are – in the hope that her message could potentially change someone’s perspective. Kruger encourages individuals to realise their own potential rather than being confined to certain stereotypes or allowances – ‘be all you can be’. Freedom of speech should not be restricted in any way; however, we live in a society where those in power take control and impact on making us who we are (Poostchi, B., 2010). It is her work to do with money and consumption that reflects the consumer behaviour of society today. Kruger’s art from the 1980s, such as Put your money where your mouth is, confronts the power of money, and how manipulation through advertising and society can make us feel we need to buy things that we don’t necessarily need. Needs are split into two categories: utilitarian needs and hedonic needs. Utilitarian needs are things that we need to survive, for example, water. Hedonic needs are emotional needs, such as an expensive fur coat to keep us warm in winter, it has equally aesthetic appeal to convey a luxurious look (Solomon & Rabbolt, 2004). Kruger describes the market as an ‘inescapable condition of contemporary production’. In the western world, advertising is all around us. Consumers are constantly in the presence of things that they are encouraged to buy, the products on the shelves, new trends coming into stores tempting them to replace what they already have. Theorist John Berger explains this in his book Ways of Seeing (1972, p. 131), saying that publicity ‘proposes to each of us that we transform ourselves, or our lives by buying something more’. This is what Kruger is trying to express through her work. Buy me I’ll change your life underpins Berger’s theory. ‘This more, it proposes, will make us in someway richer.’ Therefore by buying something new, it will in some way change our lives, we will become more enviable people, and appear more prosperous. Berger continues his theory by explaining that, ‘The state of being envied is what constitutes glamour and publicity is the process of manufacturing glamour’ (Berger, J., 1972, p. 131). Millions of consumers take part in the lottery each week, hoping a win can provide a shortcut to excessive wealth. Automatically they would live a life of happiness, never having to worry about anything, buying and consuming whatever they wanted. A small win, such as £10, is pleasing
in red (Linker, K., 1990). It is not just advertisers who are to blame, we as consumers demand the latest products. Our current relationship with things is not inevitable. We earn money to spend leisurely, and shopping has become an experience, a hobby, a desire (Jobey, L., 2001). Even more so, spenders now identify personal happiness with material possessions. According to The Times newspaper, pressures on children to have the latest gadgets can make them depressed. If they can’t afford these items, they may be seen as ‘uncool’ (Solomon & Rabbolt, 2004). Unless consumers change their spending habits, then Generation Z could be at risk of growing up unfulfilled, constantly demanding something new to give them love (Bennett, 2008).
Words Jessica Kelly
BARBARA KRUGER “Untitled” (Money can buy you love) 120” by 144” (305 cm by 366 cm) photograph 1985. Copyright: BARBARA KRUGER, Image Courtesy: MARY BOONE GALLERY, NEW YORK.
but ultimately remains unsatisfactory ... ‘If only I had won 100 times more’. Consumerism does have its bonuses: it gives us aspirations, hopes and dreams to strive for something better, and this is what drives us to live (Rudd, A., 2004). It is when these possessions start to have more value than those around you (known as materialistic) that we realise consumerism has enveloped and taken over our lives (Rudd, A., 2004). The bold typography of Kruger’s Buy me I’ll change your life is of a bug-eyed toy grimacing at the viewer. The toy doesn’t have appealing aesthetics and so it is ironic that consumers would want to buy it. However, Kruger has done this on purpose. Her art is humorous; she places forceful statements over selective imagery to grab the viewer’s attention. This particular theme runs throughout her art. Kruger’s powerful statements are expressed using the font Future Bold, which she thought would be an effective eye-capturing way to reach out to people (Poostchi, B., 2010). I shop therefore I am is another of her famous art works. This statement is aimed at consumer consumption. Consumers buy certain things to highlight their identity, personality, style and attitudes (Linker, K., 1990). This is known as ‘non-verbal’ communication, where our possessions speak for themselves (Solomon & Rabbolt, 2004). If the purchaser buys the latest designer handbag, people may perceive them to be wealthy , rendering them stylish and classy. In reality, they may be broke, having just bought an expensive bag to achieve this look (Berger, J., 1972). Consumers buy things to convey themselves to those around them. This is supported by Jean Baudrillard who is quoted in Love for Sale: ‘consumption ... defines precisely the stage where the commodity is immediately produced as a sign, as sign value, and where signs (culture) are produced as commodities’ (Baudrillard, J., 1981, cited in Linker, K., 1990, p. 73). This means that consumers buy things for their aesthetics, for satisfaction, rather than as something they desperately need. Baudrillard also talks about advertising. Advertising can spellbind its victims into thinking that a certain product will improve and enhance their own aesthetics to the point where the consumer feels they need the product. If they buy a certain product they will look like the celebrity or model in the advertisement and therefore attain for themselves a more luxurious lifestyle (Baudrillard, J., 1987). Kruger has said that a woman’s passion is the search for objects that enhance her image and complete her look to ensure that she fits in with the stereotypical role of a beautiful woman. She captures this relationship with the advertiser and viewer through her art. Using statement innuendos, the viewer is captivated with large oversized typography highlighted
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The expertise with which to create an idyllic masterpiece to adapt any architectural form lies with Stephen Jones. His imagination and spectacular skill of incorporating innovative materials within his designs secures him the title of leader in British Millinery.
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ne of the most respected milliners in British fashion, described by Italian Vogue’s Anna Piaggi as ‘the maker of the most beautiful hats in the world’, Stephen Jones has worked alongside some of the most profound fashion designers, including John Galliano, Ozwald Boateng and Vivienne Westwood, to create beautiful headwear pieces. In a recent interview with the milliner, Stephen Jones discusses the exploration of hat making, his love and respect for British fashion and his excitement about working with Ascot Racecourse. Based in the heart of Covent Garden sits a tall Georgian townhouse, home to Stephen Jones’ idyllic studio. Exploring the art of hat making wasn’t originally what Stephen had decided on for his career, it was something that happened. It was the late seventies when Stephen first studied as a student at the prestigious Central St Martin’s, where fashion then was about expressing your individuality and style. It was the people and the life that first attracted Stephen to become a milliner. He became one of the era’s ones to watch – his individual style stood out from the crowd, never without his own designed headpiece to accompany his attire. This exciting concept grew from there and the milliner became ever so irresistible to anyone who wanted to make the latest headlines. His love for fashion leads him to take inspiration from various sources that come into his everyday routines. “I never really stop designing in my head and there’s always something going on which I can then translate into a hat. It might be a telephone conversation, it might be a film, it might be a painting and it might be running for the bus.” His talent to translate any concept into a design could act as a passport to a different place or personality for the client, allowing the wearer to feel optimistic and have a great time wearing the piece. Jones states that architecture has also been a strong influence within his designs from a very young age, commenting: “Hats are a building that you can place on your head.” His inspiration leads him to adapt his designs and concept to compile his work to suit certain individuals. A muse is not something that Stephen requires to kick-start
his vivid imagination; someone with a strong point of view can act as his inspiration tool. Stephen likes that his hats are specifically designed to suit a required person; it offers something of a sense of uniqueness to the client. Despite difficult times, Stephen speaks about his love of working with designer John Galliano and expresses how extraordinary he is to work alongside. Other designers including Marc Jacobs and Comme des Garçons are also close associates of his. Stephen Jones has the opportunity to work with some of the best designers in the industry, and celebrates that he is lucky enough to work with the crème de la crème of the business. The most enjoyable thing when designing is that working, as a milliner does not result in working to boundaries; you are in fact able to be as creative as you wish. As a milliner you have fewer boundaries to work towards than a fashion designer would. So what is it that makes Stephen Jones’ millinery such a success? The millinery is recognised as taking the most light-hearted approach with the clients, to make them feel good about themselves. The team pride themselves on the fact that “there’s not much that we can’t do”. Their creative and inventive approach to materials allows for the most idyllic and detailed approach to design. Variations of different materials are used, ranging from fabrics and plastics to metals, and even the more interactive approach utilising moving objects and lighting. Most Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) fans will know that Stephen Jones created an exhibition back in 2009 called Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones. The exhibition displayed 330 hats handpicked by the milliner himself to present the diverse talent in his designs. In the heart of the main four walls covered top to bottom with headpieces was a replicated version of the milliner’s studio. The studio was cluttered with tear sheets, all swamped with ink creating beautiful sketches, mannequins half presented with the base for a design and a pair of Disney’s famous Mickey Mouse ears: “This replica was a mirrored exhibition of my studio when I first started; however, my studio space has grown! There’s not only one chair, nowadays the studio is home to about 16
chairs and tables.” With the exhibition now touring the world, Stephen admits how proud he is! “Last year we showed in Brisbane, Australia. We were supposed to have 100,000 visitors but instead this grew to a quarter of a million.” The millinery can only complete one exhibition a year due to all of the objects having to be placed in the dark to reset between each show. Next on the agenda is to showcase his daring and delicate hand-crafted sculptures of design in New York, soon to be home to the exhibition from September 2011. Stephen, born and bred British, expresses his love and admiration for British fashion. “British fashion is really unique. There’s nothing quite like it in the rest of the world.” He compares French and Italian fashion and states that there just isn’t enough young fashion in the rest of the world; instead he feels that in France and Italy, it is about making clothing for the parents, whereas in Britain, we have the reputation for making clothes for the younger generation and normally creating or embellishing our own pieces too. This can be explained by the up-and-coming generations becoming increasingly creative and unique within their approach to design. Inspiring future generations is important to Stephen as he feels that each generation has a very different point of view. He has a strong focus to encourage people, which has led him to teach others about the skill of millinery. “I have taught at a few foundation colleges, which will hopefully inspire people to think about things in a three-dimensional way and to understand the importance of decoration.” Perseverance, talent and luck would be the three most important key considerations that he would use to encourage a new designer. Luck being the most important, but everyone can additionally make their own luck. Stephen admits that he loves learning about new emerging talent, Mary Katrantzou being one of his favourite designers of the moment. He praises the designer for “having a zest for life and having a fabulous time while she is creating the designs”. His favourite young milliner is Piers Atkinson, due to his great sense of humour and his skill of technically being really good. Royal Ascot is one of Stephen’s favourite events to work on. The crowds love a
b i g extravagant hat, just like the milliner. “When I work on a show at Ascot, it really transfixes people as they are in the mood for formal dressing and constantly love the difference in design and ideas.” The recession has meant that people no longer have the disposable income to attend formal parties and dinner dances. Furthermore, changes in society mean that a casual sense of style is considered acceptable for day and evening wear. This is why Royal Ascot happens to be one of Stephen’s favourites, due to the formal dress code. As it is the 300th year of Ascot, Stephen discloses that he plans to create some one-off pieces to represent this. “I am going to create objects that look like they are from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.” Additionally Stephen will showcase some pieces from his current summer collection and, as is usual for Ascot, he will add a few archive pieces. Of course, it wouldn’t be customary not to place a bet at the races. When asked, Stephen replies, “Yes, but only ever small wins [laughs], not enough to retire!” One of the greatest challenges facing Stephen today is the fast pace of fashion. “The fashion business is quite cruel. You are only as good as your past six months, so my biggest challenge is to design a great collection each season.” Adapting and developing the company is another priority on Stephen’s list. The business is becoming increasingly involved in social media, with a big launch to promote the New York exhibition – a whole new marketing strategy for the business. Another aim is to work internationally. Stephen is interested in promoting the hat strap world and designing more specialist ranges of hats for a wide range of clients and personalities. His current collaborations include further work with Dior and the possibility of a cruise collection. Throughout the interview, Stephen has repeatedly stressed the importance of “Having fun whilst working”. Creating extravagant and unique designs is his number one passion, but what attracted him to this line of work in the first place was the people, the life and the fun. Words Laura Nicol
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Photographer Kimberley Langstone Stylist Sophie Doros
Cropped jumper and rolled up dress: Martina Spetlova
The power of the mind. Ever used the method of reverse psychology in order to get what you want? One should be wary and cautious when resorting to mind games- it may not just be someone else’s head your messing with..you may end up forever looking over your shoulder in a state of paranoia..
Is the concept of ‘sex sells’ within advertising in any promotional industry becoming too extreme? Why is nudity in fashion acceptable and how does it contrast with the nudity of the Red Light District in Amsterdam? Dr. Linda Papadopoulos shares her thoughts.
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he idea of exposing skin has now, more than ever, become the norm in society. Industries such as fashion, advertising, marketing and music are exploiting nudity to a greater and greater extent. Two recent International Business and Management reports, Gifford (2007) and Preston (1998), highlighted that ‘sex appeal’ is one of the main advertising tools employed in shaping public demand. Further proof of the extent to which this is the case was demonstrated in a recent TV show, ‘Sex Education Show: Stop Pimping Our Kids’. The host, Anna Richardson, launched a campaign to raise awareness of the explicit nature of images in the media. Episode 3, aired on 21st April 2011, focused on sexual imagery within pop videos and advertisements. Images were mounted on cards and shown to members of the public on the street. Asked to identify whether the images were ‘pop’ or ‘porn’, more than half of those surveyed wrongly identified as ‘porn’ images which were actually ‘pop’.
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Images courtesy of Geoff Pugh for On|Off
Is the concept of ‘sex sells’ within advertising in any promotional industry becoming too extreme? A recent trip to Amsterdam
has led the author to investigate whether there is a difference between nudity used within fashion and nudity displayed on a daily basis within culture, and also to question whether particular forms of nudity have become more acceptable than others. London Fashion Week (LFW) is home to the UK’s most extraordinary talent. The fashion catwalk has become a theatrical event, a chance for a designer to make an impact and attract press. French-born designer Charlie Le Mindu was the talk of London Fashion Week in September 2010 when his models strutted down the runway showcasing his trademark hairpieces teamed with little else but patent pink boots. The collection swamped the London tabloids, with many mixed opinions on whether the audience saw a display of art or fashion. For his third LFW appearance, he entered the On|Off showspace, displaying the theme of ‘slaughtering pigs’. The show commenced with a nude model covered head to toe in red food colouring, simulating blood, with a headpiece stating ‘violence’. Charlie Le Mindu never fails to shock his audience; he uses the naked body as a canvas, painting and attaching his creations piece by piece on the day. The collections emerging
Copyright Sebastian Cote, Image courtesy of iStockphoto
from LFW are increasingly being treated as ‘art’ with the naked body now a focal point on the catwalk. This is slowly becoming more acceptable in society due to the popular nature of this exposure with designers. The famous Red Light District of Amsterdam is definitely a culture shock. By day, the streets look like an abandoned space, with only a few sex shops and prostitutes at work; however, by night, the streets are swarming with people and colour. The district is tucked behind Dam Square, the main square in the city centre, occupied by retailers, street performers and the famous coffee shops of Amsterdam. Each street is filled with Amsterdam’s prostitutes, homed in small red-lit booths, barely clothed, waiting for their next ‘pay cheque’ to walk through the door. So where does the difference in nudity lie? For both the fashion model and the prostitute, nudity appears to be part of their job description. Both are part of their industry’s culture, but why are some forms of nudity frowned upon more than others? Dr Linda Papadopoulos discusses the differences between nudity as a culture and a catwalk: “I think they’re both a
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different context. I think one could argue that fashion is a culture, so I don’t think that just because it’s not culture as in race it doesn’t have its own kind of cultural rules and beliefs. I guess it’s the dynamics and so I think there are similarities between the concepts. I think to some extent nudity in fashion is acceptable as fashion is a lot about pushing boundaries and looking at aesthetic. It’s also about celebrating a human form in some way, however; sadly there is only one type of body and style that is celebrated.” Differences in the concept of nudity in fashion or culture are barely noticeable, as they both transform into a social influence for culture. Society dictates to what extent nudity is acceptable or unacceptable in advertising. However, with the ever-increasing use of nudity in advertising, an argument can be put forward that the concept of ‘sex sells’ is becoming too extreme. The prostitutes of Amsterdam use nudity to sell their bodies, whereas designers such as Charlie Le Mindu use nudity within his collections at LFW to gain headlines in the tabloids and exposure for his work. Words Laura Nicol, Quote DR Linda Papadopoulos
Fashionable labels want to be stylish and innovative inside and out and Anshu Srivastava, director of MRA Architecture and Interior Design knows this approach too well. MRA Architecture and Interior Design works closely with retailers to design revolutionary store concepts.
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t has long been recognised that consumers respond to more than just the core product or service being offered when making purchasing decisions; they respond to the total product, including the retailer’s in-store interior design, interaction and service. When consumers enter a store, first impressions are everything; it creates the ambience, the character and it even affects the consumer’s mood vital marketing and shopping behaviour. With a greater demand for exclusive store experiences, successful design strategy and consultants creatively come up with the retail concepts. One of the leading companies based in knowing what the UK would be MRA Architects and Interior Design. They are the designers behind the retail customers expect interiors at Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, Hermes, Nike and Marc Jacobs, to name a few. is critical for the Based in London and directed by Anshu Srivastava, the company builds itself around fashion success of the interior retail and its approaches. design. ‘Customers’ moods, Renowned Professor of International Marketing, Philip Kotler created a theory, involvement and expectations ‘using atmospherics as a competitive tool in an attempt to attract and maintain a are key determinants of their specific target market’ (1973). MRA execute a similar philosophy by stating that consumption experiences, their “approach emerges from a desire to: stimulate, engage and delight the satisfaction, and loyalty’ (Kotler, customer, elevate the product and reinforce the brand”. They pride themselves 2000). Retail interior layouts, lighting, on providing a range of services for their clients including full architectural decoration etc can all affect these. Interior service, graphic design and illustration, interior design, space planning designers, architects, and landscapers, and refurbishment. “Clear thinking, bold concepts and expert delivery” however, have acknowledged the extensive typify the MRA approach. MRA Architects inform us about the influence of the environment on behaviour for importance of retail interior design, the trends and its challenges years. Psychologists Donovan and Rossiter (1982) have in an insightful interview. studied environment-behaviour relationships, resulting Unique in-store experiences are becoming an increasingly in a swiftly growing psychological discipline. This discipline popular. Any reputable retailer whether they are an introduces the Mehrabian-Russell (1976) environmental independent indie or an established label, will need psychology model that ‘attempts to predict the collective effect of to consider their in-store design opportunities and stimuli in a particular environment upon different people’s feelings evolve quickly with them. Examples come from: and behaviour’. Upon the realisation of effective interior design, it has popular casual surfwear label, Hollister which become a global phenomenon. has a large screen streaming a live webcam Most luxury labels and established brands have selected flagship of the California coast in every store; eco stores around the world and in order to highlight and justify the reason for it department store Anthropologie which being labelled thus, the interior and architecture is exceptional and innovative. hosts a great tall wall with living plants Havaianas flagship store in Sao Paulo, Brazil was amongst the winners at the as its wallpaper in London; and International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2009 for its interior design and sister brand Urban Outfitters, architecture. Havaianas challenge was to design a space that resembled a public square, which has a similar 2,000 sq totally open to the street, landscaped with a garden and flooded with light. ft vertical garden on the MRA Architects and Interior Design helps its clientele to execute the same level of external walls of its store novelty and originality within their client’s stores, and the repeat work for several multinational in Huntsville, Alabama. brands bears testimony to their innovative product outcomes. Many retailers productively invest Retail interiors in their stores’ interiors due to the demand from consumers to be unique and to stand out from their can be seen as a competitors. Clients have confidence in investing into MRA director Anshu Srivastava’s philosophy: “Eclectic in our sources, multi-cultural in our make-up and expansive in our ambitions, we approach each brief with an open mind and a ready well of ideas.” Anshu Srivastva’s portfolio at MRA is driven and exists only from creativity. You have carved out a real name for yourself. How did MRA start? MRA was established as an architectural practice in 1996 and got its first retail break soon thereafter when we were appointed by Nike to design and implement stores throughout Europe. We completed over 40 stores
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All Images courtesy of Sophie Pycroft Hair and make up: Leanne Wright, Styling: Rachael Anthony, Facial corset: Paddy Hartley
Manipulating and transforming facial features through scientific procedures, fabric manipulation and digital embroidery is what designer Patrick Ian Hartley is recognised for. His ‘Face Corset’ work has been worn by celebrities such as Lady Gaga, photographed by Nick Knight for SHOWstudio and are now exhibited at the V&A Museum. His designs are now embraced as an element that can be the focal point of any fashion shoot.
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Patrick Ian Hartley
Far Left: Image same as previous page Left-Far right: Images courtesy of Sophie Pycroft. All face corsets: Paddy Hartley, Photography, styling, hair & make-up: Sophie Pycroft, Model: Elwira @ Cosmic
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ritish designer Patrick Ian Hartley designs facial pieces, specially tailored to the client. His facial garments have been featured in some of fashion’s most established publications, including V Magazine, Dash magazine, AnOther magazine and Nick Knight’s fashion film for SHOWstudio, Dark Annie. Hartley is best known for his facial distortion and reconstruction within his designs. Patrick discussed with 3rd Floor his interests in
facial transformation and his views on cosmetic surgery. What was your inspiration to change, modify and reconfigure the human body within your work? In the early days, a morbid fascination; it was an interest in medical books and the structure of the body. I was less interested in photo documentation, more the illustrative side. Many older illustrations are recognisable in deciphering out what parts constituted the body; sometimes, however, they were inaccurate or out of proportion. This kind of inaccuracy to a certain degree is what sparked my interest in physical difference and the impact upon a person’s character and personality. My ‘Face Corset’ project came about purely by making the most of an opportunity; I was invited by the V&A to exhibit as part of an event reflecting upon the impact of the beauty industry on wider society and ethical boundaries. Why have you taken such an interest in facial transformation? The opportunity handed to me by the V&A initiated a long-lasting curiosity in the way in which we alter and then ‘occupy’ the faces we sport. The evolution of the face corsets mimicking cosmetic procedures had a natural ‘extreme’ conclusion. There was only a certain number
of facial procedures that I could cover: cheek implants, chin implants and the enhancement of lips. Since resurrecting the project, I like to think that now I am simplifying and defining the garments and exploring their material form. Why do you feel they have kicked off so well in the fashion industry? Your guess is as good as mine, as I’m not the only person that designs material to be worn on the face. As I trained as a sculptor, I make ‘structures’ not ‘garments’. Although Lady Gaga wore the facial corsets, Simon Foxton had been in touch originally to shoot the work for SHOWstudio back in 2004 and also The Times. So it wasn’t originally the celebrity image that caused the corsets to attract press. They have now been embraced as an element that can be the focal point of any fashion shoot. How would we respond transformation in the face?
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Badly – when I first started looking into the ‘Project Façade’ work and at the origins of reconstructive surgery, there is an element of morbid fascination. Making the ‘Project Façade’ work in response to the WW1 facially injured has been a big education for me, to not judge people with facial differences or bodily differences. When I was carrying out my MA research, I questioned whether there was such a thing as disability or just varying degrees of ability. I look at facial and bodily influences as a ‘variation’ rather than a disfigurement and am now drawn to difference. Do you have a philosophy in your designs? The first phase of the face corsets was about facial distortion. The second phase I’m interested in is garment distortion.
I find this fascinating and there are new materials that I am dying to work with. I want to contradict perceptions to see how fabrics may be perceived. I’m not 100% sure whether there is a philosophy – more an enjoyment of experimenting with shape, form, reconfiguration and material contradiction. What have been the most interesting subjects you have addressed within your work? I’ve found myself in places, positions and situations with people that I would have never imagined. I’ve been very fortunate and feel my work is something of an indulgence. However, as long as there is interest in something, there is value. At the moment, I would say it’s material and form. With the ‘Project Façade’ work, I was somewhat reluctant to experiment because of the nature of the material I was working with: medical notes, family testimony – I didn’t want to offend any parties. You designed the face corsets to mimic the results of cosmetic surgery. Will these processes be developed into future surgical procedures? Making, developing and implanting the implants with biomaterials scientist Dr Ian Thompson at Kings College, London came from an evolving aspect of the original ‘Face Corset’ work. I do pinch myself to think that I collaborated with Dr Thompson to create a method of implant production to repair facial bone fractures, some of which have helped save the sight of patients. We were initially talking about developing a very basic face corset as a pressure dressing, but it was pointless as pressure dressings already exist and work perfectly well. So no, due to developed tools being available, this was the natural end of my ‘clinical’ career, but one I’m very proud of.
What was your reaction when Nick Knight photographed Lady Gaga wearing your designs for SHOWstudio? Frankly at the time I didn’t know who she was! It was an odd situation, as somebody so established was interested in my work and at the time I hadn’t put a commercial value on the face corsets. At the time, I was more excited about working with Nick Knight than Lady Gaga. When Lady Gaga came into the studio, she expressed how she was excited to have the opportunity to wear the pieces. The whole experience of seeing a photoshoot on such a massive scale was incredibly valuable. What extensive research have you covered during ‘Project Façade’? It was the ‘Face Corset’ research that sparked my interest in the origins of facial reconstructive surgery. Seeing where the origins of beauty surgery lay: the facial injury and trauma suffered by those fighting in the trenches of WW1. I now have a very strong opinion on cosmetic surgery. However, it was largely the postWW1 US facial surgeons who, with a redundant skill set (due to a lack of patients), brought about the inception of the beauty surgery industry. What have you discovered about yourself when researching into society’s obsession with beauty? I like difference. As far as facial surgery is concerned, we seem to be aspiring to a facial and body ‘blank’. We have seen the era of surgical extremes – big lips, big breasts, big everything – and have settled into aspiring to a face and body with no discernible characteristics. I think it’s sad, as difference is what makes us unique. Words Laura Nicol
Our lives are structured like a building- we need strong foundations to be able to withstand any storm that may come into our lives to test us. Structure is what we strive for and is often what holds together the brave face that we put on, for what has been and more importantly, what may be about to come...
Photographer Kimberley Langstone Stylist Sophie Doros
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Trench Coat and Harness: Tamzin Lillywhite
Break away from convention into a free spirited, feral creature of the night. Unconstrained by rules; open your mind to new possibilities and enter a transitional world. Transform. Merge. Evolve.
Photographer Kimberley Langstone Stylist Maddie Potter
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Leather gillet with ruffle trim: Culietta, Black polo neck body & Two tone eclipse skirt: Sarah Baadarani
The use of colour surrounds our everyday lives to express a mood. One would expect the obvious representations of colour, but here we challenge these meanings and explanations and explore the opposite interpretations, and analyse how this differs from the norm.
Photographer Kimberley Langstone Stylist Sophie Doros
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All Illustrations courtesy of Christopher Robinson
Parachute dress: Rachel Freire, Shoes: Kurt Geiger
Today’s shopping society is more diverse and complex than ever before, along with advances in technology – and online shopping – fashion retail buyers have a growing demanding role.
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ashion retailing has enjoyed substantial growth throughout both the industrialised and the developing world. The increasingly prosperous global society, collectively shared with speedier international communications, both online and offline, has given birth to the certainty of global fashion. We are also witnessing fashion consumers segmenting into minor and more fragmented social groups. Therefore, the importance for fashion buyers to understand their customers is more vital than ever before. Fashion buying isn’t as glamorous as it seems, it is a profession that requires hard work and stamina especially in the current shopping society of fast fashion, where trends are a constant revolving carousel. Deryane Tadd, former buyer, retail guru and owner of the Multi Drapers Award Winning Independent, The Dressing Room explains to 3rd Floor: “Long gone are the days of just buying during certain times of the year – now it is constant.” The role of a buyer is to ensure that products are brought to the shop floor with the retailer and its target market in mind. Their aim is to sell sufficient quantities of everything to achieve a suitable profit margin and ensure the success of the company. In an increasingly competitive market this can be very complex – choice is great, retailers have a powerful online presence and trends are fast paced. As research, for trends and brands to be
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included within a buyer’s retail collection, inspiration will come from catwalks, tradeshows, magazines and forecasting presentations. But this isn’t everything: they need a wealth of knowledge regarding their customer, Deryane Tadd depicts the balancing act between trends and the target market’s needs: “Knowing my customer and what is going to make her feel good are always the overriding factors in choosing a product. Of course, she wants to feel that she is current and just so slightly more in the know than her peers - so trend does play a part in building the collections, as long as it is relevant.” Deryane knows her customer inside out and the importance of tailoring to their needs – the biggest factor in a buyer’s world. Consumers’ purchasing behaviours have to be analysed to understand the products that will sell better at certain times of the year. Consumers often use fashionable items often to make statements about themselves, their taste, their values, their identity, their aspirations – people purchase different goods for different reasons. Buyers buy differently depending on the retailer they work for and the customers they buy for. Deryane has worked for both large independent retailers such as French Connection and small independent retailers such as her current business, which she founded in 2005 “An independent needs to keep the stock fresh and innovative – we have to offer a point of difference to the high
Image courtesy of Kimberley Langstone
street. A larger scale retailer will buy in depth and back the best sellers.” Subject to the season and shopping motives, consumers’ buying behaviours alter and depending on the brand/retailer it is a crucial marketing strategy to buy specific at certain times of the year for example festivals – wellingtons, proms – dresses, Grand National – evening wear and so on. Even though purchasing behaviours change throughout the year, Pure London exhibition 2011 quoted some consistent trends - there is a routine particularly higher end, where businesswomen tend to spend more during one shopping trip but shop fewer times a year. Another common practice is that women buy pieces, men buy brands. Women buy whatever works for them – it’s how they feel. Deryane Tadd articulates the understanding of knowing the equilibrium as she knows her coherent trends: “Younger consumers expect fast fashion, yet more discerning shoppers are looking for quality pieces that will last.” and she examines variation: “This year already we have noticed a shift in consumer purchasing behaviour – they are doing more of their ‘serious’ shopping during the week – weekends have shrunk by 5%. In total, footfall is down, yet average spend and average units per customer have risen.” A great aspect that has affected a shift in purchasing behaviours is not just our current economic climate but also the advances in technology such as the internet. Competition is high for brands online, consumers W or use their hard-earned cash more sensibly ds Li aT now and with rivalry for best prices ow le online they have the ability a n d
availability to do so. This means the pressure is on for pioneering store experiences “Consumers can get hold of pretty much anything now at the click of a button, so you need to make sure that you are offering a complete experience when they enter your store and keep things moving.” explains Deryane. Tina Spooner, director of information at the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) says ‘With the UK fashion industry worth around £20 billion to the UK economy, it is no surprise that this is one of the strongest retail sectors online,’ (fashiontrending. info). Buyers now have the added demands of cheap and fast availability online; therefore they need to be persistently on the look-out for newness to entice their customers to spend. Marketing professors J. Paul Peter and Jerry C. Olson discuss what influences consumer’s purchasing behaviours in their book Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Strategy. They discuss how indirect (for example, observation) and direct (e.g. first-hand communication) social interactions are powerful inducements that dictate consumer buying behaviours. As a society we are always unexpectedly changing our opinions, decisions and wants and needs; this is the exciting yet challenging aspect that every fashion buyer has to keep up with. We are a growing society that takes to alterations and developments, resulting in a great pressure on the buyer – but admittedly stimulating!
Sociologist and Philosopher, Paolo VolontĂŠ conducts research to look deeper into the relationship between the fashion designer and the process of cultural change. An in-depth study has lead Paolo VolontĂŠ to discover major differences in how two fashion capitals, London and Milan, have adapted to contrasting elements of fashion.
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London: Illustration courtesy of Sally Cotterill
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ave you ever thought about the relationship between a fashion capital and its design – or imagined the philosophy behind fashion design in general? When you think of the four biggest fashion capitals in the world, the cities that come to mind are London, New York, Paris and Milan. Social influences and street culture also have a huge impact on the fashion industry, normally influencing trends, advertising and street style. 3rd Floor met with sociologist and philosopher Paolo Volonté who has recently undertaken research projects into the relationship of a fashion designer, considering the shape, transformation of the human form and the difference between the fashion capitals London and Milan. What interested you to complete a PhD in both sociology and philosophy? I have always been interested since my graduation in the problem of knowledge. I started doing my PhD in philosophy to study the fear of knowledge from a philosophical point of view. From a philosophical point of view, knowledge is something very abstract – it’s also interesting to research and study how the social relation and dynamics influence the way we know something. For me, it was interesting to complete my learning mixed with the sociological dynamics of the production of knowledge, which led me to make my PhD in sociology. What has this got to do with fashion may be your next question! We are human beings and are constantly creating new things. When we design clothing, we design instruments to communicate. For instance, to build a communication with one another, we design knowledge based on what does it mean to have a relationship and to communicate with others. This is called material culture for sociologists and anthropologists. This is a way to go deeper within the study of what does it mean to produce findings. What interests you most about the sociology of culture and how do you link this with fashion studies? Fashion studies are already part of the sociology of culture as fashion is a material culture. Clothing is a main element in material culture. I am not really interested in the jet set of fashion; fashion week and the big famous fashion designers don’t interest me. I am much more interested in the clothing of fashion and the sense of how people use clothing to communicate with one another and to manipulate a form to the world in our environment. Clothing represents part of our identity; how do you feel people should feel when wearing fashion? I think people should feel good at any time and in any situation. I think people wear fashion because they want to feel good, as through clothing you can feel better. Fashion gives us a standardised identity, so it’s a shortcut not to be involved in
Paolo Volonté
Existentialist is a philosophical term to express an individualist and someone who dictates there own life, style and approach. With relevance to fashion, is today missing the pioneering style icons that articulate a nonconformist in their dress?
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o distinguish existentialism on the street is to observe a freethinker - someone who dresses according to a unique, self-chosen sensibility. A strong logic of individual style and individual thoughts are evident in the philosophy of existentialism and with a cosmic amount of celebrities under Hollywood’s bright light, surprisingly only a shockingly small number of icons typify the traits of an existentialist. Realisation has struck that the 21st century is deficient in innovatively dressed icons or even just icons that can dress themselves - a stylist is no doubt going to be amongst a celebrity’s entourage, if not the most essential one there. The criticism within media attention seems to have dented the famed’s selfconfidence in styling themselves. Now, it’s in relation to who they are wearing and how they are ‘leading’ the trend that they are in fact following, along with every other famed figure. The majority have become socialites. Existentialism rose in recognition and in popularity during its movement in the 1960’s, happily juxtaposed next to the beatniks, who begat all edgy style movements: punk, grunge, hippie and mods and rockers. The theory of existentialism was originally a philosophy developed by Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir in Paris. Even the black-clad fashionistas of the 1990’s credit their look to Jean-Paul’s and Simone’s philosophy, merci beaucoup! Simone de Beauvoir once described an existentialist: ‘He justifies his existence by a movement which, like freedom, springs from his heart but which leads outside of himself.’ (1963). This translates to fashion when you notice a nonconformist, eccentric in their dress
sense; the socialite look is the antithesis of everything the freethinker stands for. An example of the difference in views of socialites and existentialists would be when British designer Hussein Chalayan once buried his collection in his back yard for a few weeks prior to showing it to the press, while enchanting to the free spirit, this isn’t understood by the socialite. The socialite likes her Pucci’s and her Prada’s where creativity is left up to the designer. You do not need to be wealthy to own socialite traits; she will like a Vuitton bag, real or fake, she is the glamorous girl next door – her career could be
Illustration: Helena Bonham Carter, courtesy of Sally Cotterill
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140 Photographer Kimberley Langstone Stylist Maddie Potter
Lose yourself in a state of somnambulance, allowing mind, body and soul to drift into a dream world populated with beautiful creatures and bizarre situations. Explore the depths of your psyche, embrace the fanciful reverie and float away from reality‌
Dress: Holly Fulton, Vintage lilac leather gloves: Charming Magpies
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saw Perry Curties graduate from Art College. He had initially been striving for a career as a pop star and decided to fund his musical ambitions by indulging in an abstract painting course. Whilst studying, Curties attended compulsory photography classes. Subsequently, he found himself becoming fascinated with the development of the photographs in the dark room, where his desire to create his own imagery emerged from. Following graduation, Curties assisted a number of highly regarded photographers around London and New York. He clearly worked with the right people as his time assisting enabled him to build a name for himself, which is now just as reputable as his contemporaries. When our writer, Lia Towle interviewed Perry, he spoke about how getting into the business has evolved: “I think a lot of people now learn techniques much quicker, as there is more of a rush I suppose, to get out and make a name for yourself. But I think to be in this business a long time you need a lot of background in what it is you’re doing because the industry changes all the time, so I saw all kinds of photography and photographers and saw the mistakes they made and now try to avoid them in my work.” Perry’s unique style of photography focuses on the portrayal of a strong narrative, combining the use of outstanding lighting and understated post-production to complete the desired outcome. He works with a wide variety of clients in commercial and editorial fields, who all value his ability for strong visualisation. Perry also has a strong desire to experiment with different styles and techniques
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within his photographic work. When asked in the interview to describe his photographic style in three words, he answered, “colourful, dynamic and narrative.” Through his experimentation and extensive knowledge of the industry, Curties realised that the allowance for more contemporary styles of editorial photography was rather restricted, which inspired him to launch 125 magazine, a platform for new, stimulating imagery. The magazine is now hugely successful and available in 20 countries. The ethos of 125 was to provide an unbiased space for publishing the work of emerging talent, which it still continues to be. He explains that his vision was to “showcase more avant-garde photography that wasn’t easy to do at that time.” The motive for the title of the publication, Perry confesses is “a bit geeky really - it’s named after the shutter speed 1/125.” Perry continues to produce his own personal photography, as well as imagery specifically for the magazine which epitomises his customary style and flair for creative visualisation. This provides the catalyst for a lot of his bespoke work. Perry describes how his inspiration develops: “A lot of it comes out of experiments in the studio and accidents. We’ll try something one day while we shoot something else that might have gone wrong - I’ll try and recreate that in another shoot on a more controlled level.” He explains that, following this, the idea then evolves into something new, where he spends time perfecting it and describes this as “a journey”. Curties continues: “Inspiration comes from general things I see off the television, films, everyday occurrences, maybe something off the street, something stuck on a wall, exhibitions - odd sorts of bits and pieces.” He goes on to explain that he initially sourced content for the magazine through contribution; Perry would set a theme and work would
be sent in, with the “most interesting stuff” being published. He goes on to explain: “This was the case for the first three issues and as we developed, we started to work in collaboration with many more photographers. We would come up with an idea and ask if they fancied doing it or they would come to us - so this has really developed.” 125 magazine is currently on its 17th edition. When asked what has made the publication so successful, Perry answered, “A lot of perseverance, stubbornness and belief!” He also adds that the team have “a good back record of being consistent and producing great work.” Curties also mentions an important point that, “we enjoy doing it - if we didn’t enjoy it we would have stopped a long time ago. We like what we do, what the magazine represents, so that’s why we are still here.” When asked what projects he is currently working on, he answers: “Working on quite a few different things; a film poster for a movie called Attack the Block which is just about to come
out, just finished collaborating with a big fashion brand and I am also working on a new concept for a fashion film for a designer. That’s the big stuff and in the meantime I do videos, portraits for websites and books, etc. I am always working but there will continuously be three big projects on the go.” Curties is not only a renowned photographer and successful publisher, he also finds the time in his hectic schedule to visit various universities, where he gives lectures hoping to inspire and educate the next generation of creative photographers. By nature, Perry Curties possesses a very charming personality and has a very down-to-earth quality, making it irresistible for one not to be swept up by this charisma - as well as his raw talent, inspirational determination and genuine desire to direct budding new artists.
Interview Lia Towle, Words Maddie Potter
All Images courtesy of Perry Curties
Perry Curties – a man of many wonders. Not only an extremely talented photographer, but also a publisher and all round inspiring person; his passion for what he does just oozes from him.