Peachy Magazine Spring 2016

PEACHY

SPRING 2016

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “ THIS ISSUE ISN’T ONLY BETTER THAN EVER, IT’S BIGGER THAN EVER

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Spring is a season of new beginnings and growth. As our second issue, this isn’t exactly a new beginning for Peachy, but I hope that it does represent growth. With 68 pages, this issue isn’t only better than ever, it’s bigger than ever.

I said in our last issue that the aim of this magazine is to promote and inspire creative teens, giving them a platform to express themselves. I’m proud to say that I feel this issue has done just that. We’ve packed it to bursting with articles on everything from personal style to asking why nudes seem to evoke such a reaction, all of them written by teenagers across the globe.

The world is a scary place for young people today and the future can seem bleak; think terrorist attacks and the possibility of Trump as president (see p54). In a world that seems to be getting darker, we need to remember to keep seeing the light. I hope reading this issue will remind you that there is still a lot of good, creativity and love to be found and celebrated.

Love, Ellie Jerome

IN THIS ISSUE…

PAGE 10 BUZZCUT BEAUTY, RUTH BELL We take a look at the shooting success of Ruth Bell the model from Kent who stormed fashion week

PAGE 12 PHOTOSHOOT TIPS All the tips you need to get started creating your own photoshoot, alongside a beautifully quirky shoot by Sophie Kirk

PAGE 16 BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL Amy Lafrankie examines the problem of whitewashing in todays media and film industry

PAGE 24 THROUGH THE LENS We talk to three fantastic photographers and showcase some of their wonderful work

PAGE 38 INEXPENSIVE ROOM DECORATIONS If you need some inspiration on how to spice up your room on a budget, look no further

PAGE 40 DISCOVERING A NEW MEDIUM As an artist, it’s good to change up your work every now and then. Katharine McCoy gives you the pep talk you need to make the change

PAGE 43 MODERN ROMANCE What has the age of technology done to our dating lives?

Olivia Hart investigates

PAGE 32 DREAMLAND AT FENDI We dissect Fendi’s dreamy collections this season

PAGE 38 MOVING TO A NEW COUNTRY Moving abroad is scary, especially when you don’t want to go in the first place. Amy Lafrankie tells you why it will be ok

PAGE 40 BUYING CRUELTY FREE Who wants to look good at the expense of innocent animals? Answer: not us

PAGE 42 WHY ALL THE FUSS OVER A NUDE PIC? Kim Kardashian set Twitter ablaze with her recent nude selfie. Why all the fuss?

GO TO THE BACK PAGE TO SEE ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTORS

FASHION

Peachy Magazine

PERSONAL STYLE Written by Kseniya Lukiy

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Peachy Magazine Personal style is something like a snowflake; not one is identical. But it can be quite difficult to discover your own without lots of practice and experimentation. Style is essentially a mouthpiece of expression and what you like, which has the inevitable ability to evolve with you. It’s vital to embrace the change, the phases, the mood of autumn that sways you to wear crushed velvet and corduroy, or the craving to wear the same band tee consistently to school for a week.

Most importantly, in whatever you may decide to wear, make sure you feel comfortable and confident in it, and don’t let anyone stop you from wearing what excites you.

The following are some tips to make discovering your personal style that little bit easier.

exercise will help you hone in to your innate style, and essentially make room for the new. During your next round at the mall, be aware of what you gravitate towards and ask yourself if you would wear the garment and in how many ways could you style it. And always keep the receipt and tags on in case you change your mind.

Start a fashion blog or photo gallery. If you're really passionate about fashion, starting a fashion blog or an Instagram gallery of personal fashion photos can be a great way to record and watch your style evolve. Through this hobby, you can receive feedback from conscious viewers and even inspire others with your personal style in the meantime. Use your smart phone or camera and have fun with it; your older self will have a ball reminiscing!

Become a curator. The best method to discovering the common thread of your personal style is to begin to curate. Cut out images from fashion magazines to piece together a style board, or open a Tumblr, Polyvore, Villoid or Pinterest account and collect style photos that speak to you. YouTube also has a variety of style and lookbook videos to view; keep a list of your favourites as references to go back to. Having a nook that reflects an aesthetic that naturally comes to you will help in refining your personal style.

Remember that it’s a process. You can’t just wake up one day and expect to discover your perfect personal style and find a wardrobe full of perfectly fitting, colour coordinated designer clothes. It just won’t happen. It takes a long time to build up a style and a wardrobe to reflect it. Experimenting and evolving and getting to the point of perfection is the best part. ◙

Experiment with thrifted clothes. Thrift shopping can be an excellent way to experiment with clothing, in more ways than one. Whether it be trying on a new clothing shape, style, or fabric, or transforming a simple garment into a novel work of art. Some techniques include adding patches or pins, painting or drawing with acrylic paints or fabric markers, distressing denim pieces, or simply cutting some length off a skirt, sleeves of a t-shirt, or something of the like. Who knows, maybe you could come across making a unique, signature piece this way!

Discard the clothes you don't bother wearing. Filter out all the clothes in your wardrobe that you don't love and wear, and determine what it is that made you withhold the clothes you kept. This

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CATCALLING

Peachy Magazine

DON’T KNOW YOU, DON’T OWE YOU Written by Harveen Grewal

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Peachy Magazine A few months ago, I found myself sitting on an old wooden bench in front of my favourite record store in Toronto. It was fairly dark and the air had grown cold; I shivered slightly next to my best friend as we waited patiently for our ride to arrive.

Everything was going perfectly fine- until it wasn’t. It started off when a group of young men pulled up in a black Jeep, windows down and obnoxious music blasting. As Lil Wayne rapped about wanting to sleep with every girl in the world, the men hooted and whistled at my best friend and I, yelling that we should join them and “give them a show”. I rolled my eyes angrily, hoping they were too far away to see my trembling hands. Hoping they couldn’t hear the sound of my heart pounding against the surface of my chest, and the way my frightened best friend whispered under her breath, “Oh god, oh god. Just drive away. Just go away.” The night only got worse when a drunk man in his forties approached us, stumbling down the sidewalk before screaming in our faces. “What are you two young things doing out here? Oh come on, won’t you smile?” In that moment, it was as if I lost the ability to speak. It was as if every single thing I constantly spoke about how we as women should be able to turn to a repulsive cat-calling male and say “get the hell out of my face” - had left my mind entirely. While we ended up getting home safely, that night left me feeling a multitude of emotions: frustration, sadness, anger, embarrassment. Why didn’t I say anything?

pray you will soon educate yourself. All of these myths simply defend street harassment. And more importantly, why does it take such extreme measures, such as recorded videos of real women being catcalled and harassed, for people to understand just how hard it can be to walk down the street to get to work. We should not have to appeal to someone’s emotions by saying “What if it was your girlfriend?

Or your sister?” Women are human beings all by themselves who deserve to be treated with the slightest bit of decency and respect.

Ultimately, the solution to street harassment is simple: Do not cat call someone in the street. Dot shout sexual slurs from your car. I can tell you right now that no one has ever recounted to their children “ah yes, I met your mother shouting “hey baby, nice ass!” at her in the street”.

Street harassment, like most controversial topics, comes with many myths. “Only ugly psychotic bra-burning feminists complain about street harassment.” And, “oh it’s only a harmless compliment!” Or my personal favourite: “Look at her outfit!

She was asking for it.” First of all, people who experience street harassment come from different races, religions, sexual orientations, sizes, gender identities, and so on. Furthermore, if it really is a compliment, (a polite expression of praise or admiration) it’s not harassment. And finally: I don’t care who you are, if you ever utter the words “they were asking for it” you are truly a terrible person and I

If you ever see someone being harassed and they are clearly uncomfortable or frightened, speak up. I know for a fact that my friend and I both would have appreciated someone stepping in or helping us out in any way. Street harassment is like any other issue in the world- it’s not going to stop until people start taking action. Respect the women around you, and remember that if we don’t know you, we sure as hell don’t owe you. ◙

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RUTH BELL

Peachy Magazine

BUZZCUT BEAUTY, RUTH BELL Written by Ellie Jerome If you’ve been keeping up with all the big runway shows or have read pretty much any fashion magazine in the last 5 months, you will have heard of - or at least seen - Ruth Bell. With her flawless buzzcut and strong yet elf-like features, Bell’s face is difficult to forget. Her edgy oh-so-cool look has certainly caught the attention of the fashion industry and Bell has already been the face of campaigns by cutting edge cool French label Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry and the iconic Alexander McQueen. She’s also ruled the SS16 and AW16 fashion months, having walked for Gucci, Versus Versace and Blumarine among others.

So how did the dramatic buzzcut come about? A David Sims campaign for Alexander McQueen of course. Bell explains that she got a call from her agency whilst out to dinner telling her she was confirmed for the McQueen campaign

but was told she’d have to have a hair cut.

“I was like, 'So? Take a couple inches off.

Why are you being so dramatic? It's okay.'

My hair was down to my waist, almost, and my agent just got really silent on the other end of the phone, and was finally like, 'Well, uh, they want you to shave your head.’”, she told Elle.

But, Ruth Bell hasn’t always been quite so punk. She can be seen alongside her twin sister, May Bell, with long flowing locks in campaigns for Urban Outfitters, Topshop and Lazy Oaf. Whilst the two sisters share an Instagram account (@ruthandmay), they do not share the buzzcut. May’s golden tresses can be seen alongside Ruth and her buzzcut in the Burberry Spring 2016 campaign.

After bravely agreeing to have her hair chopped - and donating it to the Princess Trust Charity - Bell’s career soon skyrocketed, and we doubt it will slow down any time soon. ◙

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THE RISE OF PLUS-SIZE Written by Ellie Jerome Photos taken from Beth Ditto SS16 Lookbook Look on any of the catwalks this past fashion month and you’ll be hard pressed to find any models above a size 4 (US). But this isn’t real life. In real life, millions of women are curvier, wider and, yes, fatter than this ideal that seems to be presented by the fashion industry.

clothes up to a size 12 (US), or even smaller. The creation of specific plus-size lines by brands like ASOS and with the help of internet shopping, finding fashionable clothes in larger sizes is certainly becoming easier, but there’s still a long way before every size is recognised as ‘normal’.

To be a woman a few sizes above this ‘ideal’ means finding clothes is hard. In the UK, the majority of shops will only sell

This problem with the gap between what is real and what is considered ‘normal’ or

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Peachy Magazine ‘mainstream’ when it comes to women’s weight and body shape is something American singer Beth Ditto has taken into her own hands. She debuted with her first clothing line at NYFW February 2016. “I always have an event to go to or something to do, and I don’t have the beautiful privilege of being able to walk into a store and be like, ‘that dress, that’s the one,'” Ditto told Refinery29 on the motivation behind starting her own line.

icons. Among them is 19 year old Barbie Ferreira. With nearly 300k Instagram followers (her handle is @barbienox), Barbie serves as an inspiration to big girls everywhere. Frustrated with a lack of curvy models to look up to, Barbie sent in some

Her collection is comprised of 11 pieces in sizes 14-28 (US). Her aim was to create ethically made, good quality, timeless pieces and to make them available to women of all shapes and sizes. “Plus size fashion can and should include curated vintage and embroidery, beautiful silks and soft rayons in custom prints not chosen out of a mass-market manufacturing catalog!”

of her own pics to American Apparel. Fast forward and she has modelled for some huge labels, including the aforementioned Beth Ditto, ASOS and Eckhaus Latta. She also starred in the recent American Eagle campaign for its loungewear brand Aerie, a campaign that took the internet by storm for using only un-retouched photos.

She recently told the Independent, “I try to focus on the positive strides toward body positivity made in the industry today. A lot of what is out there can give you a false sense of what beauty is, and through campaigns such as Aerie's, tremendous strides are being made toward showing body diversity and will help women accept and love who they are.” With any luck it won’t be long before all women love their size as much as they deserve to. ◙

It’s not only the difficulty of finding clothes that curvier women face, it’s the aura of body negativity that comes both from within and from others. Slowly but surely however this mindset is becoming unstuck with the help of body-positive

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Peachy Magazine

PHOTOSHOOT TIPS Written by Maya Caskie Photos by Sophie Kirk

I started my dip into photography in January of 2015 after I bought myself an entry-level DSLR for Christmas and next week marks my eleventh photoshoot.

Quite evidently I am no seasoned professional and I will likely never be, but one does learn a few basic things about photoshoot etiquette over a year, so here are some of the little pockets of knowledge I’ve collected over the last year.

difficult to perfect framing, focus, the model’s expression and lighting simultaneously without a large percentage of the photos turning out sub-par. Don’t take the risk; it’s better to sift through piles of photos rather than having to settle for a grainy image with the model midblink after all your hard work on set.

Secondly, remember to think of your model. If you’re just starting off with photography, it’s probable that you’ll be using your friends who are unlikely to have professional modelling experience.

My most important piece of advice is to take lots of photos. On my first photoshoot I only took 62 photos in total – this may seem like quite a few, but in reality out of those 62 I was happy with approximately five photos. Nowadays, I make sure to always take at least 250 photos per shoot because it tends to be

Having been on both sides of the camera, I know that having people – especially your friends – take photos of you in a more serious environment can be pretty uncomfortable. So talk to them, give them

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Peachy Magazine feedback on their physicality as you go along and give them clear direction – being vague and handing over creative control to your model (“just do what you feel like”) can cause them to become selfconscious and tense.

This third tip is something I am amazed that I didn’t think of earlier in the year.

Edit your photos. It is notoriously difficult to take a shot that is perfectly light and balanced to begin with, and playing with contrast, highlights and shadows is in no way ‘cheating’. Surprisingly enough, this final stage of fiddling with saturation, warmth etc. can greatly elevate the ambiance of the photo. (Little tip: green tint is a nice tone-balancer for orangey over-saturated photos.)

It’s also a good idea to create a bit of a theme or something that makes the shoot that little bit different. Find an airy rooftop to shoot on or buy wigs for the models to

PHOTOGRAPHY mess around in. This is what makes the shoot unique and your own.

To some, these tips are blatantly obvious and that’s true – speaking honestly, I have little idea what I’m doing when it comes to photography. But here’s the thing; I spent two hours of my weekend crouched uncomfortably in the cold half-rain taking amateurish photos of one of my friends in a grim corner of a park while passing people either gawked or smirked, and called it a photoshoot. And not only did I have a great time, but I also love the photos that came out of it. So my final tip to you would be to not let anybody discourage you from wanting to learn new skills simply because your shoots aren’t with a professional model and the most expensive camera in a shiny studio. You can create images that are just as beautiful with your own resources and hard work. ◙

BEAUTY

Peachy Magazine

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL Written by Amy Lafrankie Have you ever mindlessly scrolled through your dashboard when you suddenly come across a title that attracts you and gives a little rush of excitement as you read about your favourite artist or celebrity posing for a magazine photo shoot, clicking on the article and being disappointedly greeted by their skin tone being 10 times lighter than it normally is?

Through over-photoshopping and even leaving out black models, actors and others altogether, the media has created the idea that white skin is the default skin colour and has portrayed white skin as the beauty standard that should be looked up to.

This is not a hateful speech to generalise all white people or to hate on white skin.

This is a speech to point out the lack of representation of POC we are seeing.

Social media has brainwashed the youth almost to the point of thinking that dark skin is a crime, that having skin a tone darker than a spray on tan is ‘unattractive’. Representation matters.

And whitewashing is not helping at all.

Whitewashing and a lack of representation feeds insecurities about dark skin and associated attributes. Young black girls ask to have their beautiful afros chemically straightened, and there are even those who upon seeing the lack of black women hailed as ‘beautiful’ come home from school to look up whitening products.

I look up to idols and artists as many of you do, but when I find unbleached photos of them in their natural glowing skin, I get taken aback by the fact that their natural colour isn’t shown on television or magazines, that their real true colour is hidden behind editing and Photoshop bleaching.

I’ve had my fair share of relatives poking around and telling me to protect my skin from getting tan or dark because they say it’s ‘unappealing’. Even suggesting skin whitening products or skin bleaching. I’ve had friends ask which makeup product would make them look whiter or fairer. It fills me with such frustration that everywhere we turn there seems to be another billboard or poster depicting a white model as the epitome of beauty that it is always a relief and a joy to see POC showing off their beautiful natural skin.

Whitewashing is becoming more and more common; it is becoming this thick dark poison that is slowly etching its way into one person’s brain at a time. And it certainly isn’t helping our fellow people of colour, particularly those who are still in their teens or younger.

Black is beautiful. Melanin is beautiful.

Your skin is beautiful. ◙

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BEAUTY

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I DON’T NEED MAKE UP, BUT I LOVE IT Written by Caroline Hamm The typical everyday life for a teenage girl is coming home, turning on the TV, surfing social media, and flipping through the latest magazine. Everyday life for a teenage girl is also being distracted from these fun forms of relaxation by a brand new makeup ad that seems to grace every

page of the magazine, show up every two minutes on the TV and also manages to worm its way into our Insta feed through a #sponsored post.

There’s always something about Covergirl’s newest, boldest mascara, or about Revlon’s new anti-ageing cream that will make you look

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Peachy Magazine –gasp- 10 years younger! Some girls might nod their heads in consideration, while others might roll their eyes and move on to something more interesting, like pizza. With this continuous barrage of make up ads, it’s understandable why more and more girls are choosing not to wear makeup at all and are going “au naturel.” But there’s nothing wrong with makeup, and there’s nothing wrong with using it as a means to express yourself.

myself included - that wear make up as more of a hobby than anything else.

One of the most exciting things can be hearing about Too Faced’s new eye shadow palette or a new shade of MAC lipstick. Makeup is also a great way to bond with others - sharing favourite foundation brands and experimenting with each other. One of the things I, and others, love most about makeup is that there’s always something new to try, and you’ll always feel different about yourself each time. Sometimes you feel like a goddess with a glowing face and soft eyes, and other times you feel like a fierce badass with eyeliner wings that could kill and lips so lush and plump they call you peach. It’s an amazing feeling to recognise that you don’t need makeup to be beautiful, but it’s also an amazing feeling to recognise that you look gorgeous with it.

I, as a teenage girl, am fully capable of recognising that I do not need makeup to be beautiful. It’s something our moms have told us, our grandmas have told us, and even those straight, white boys you just can’t seem to shake off your back that “just want a real girl” have told us. Truly recognising your own natural beauty comes from within, however and there does come a time, after endless face cleanses, new moisturising creams and several failed make up experiments, that you do come to the realisation that you’ve been beautiful this whole time. I know, crazy right? Natural beauty is a wonderful thing, and I fully support girls who choose to embrace their natural beauty rather than going through the same old makeup routine every day. But there’s also nothing wrong with loving makeup either, despite what some may say, and there are some -

Makeup is a hobby in the same way as art.

You’re always growing and learning in your abilities. There will be people who try to bring you down, but you can remind yourself that your artwork is your own.

No, makeup is not needed to make a woman beautiful or to make a woman feel beautiful, but it can be used as a tool to empower women and all people who choose to dabble in it. Makeup is a beautiful and empowering hobby and those who choose to use it for themselves, while also recognising the importance of natural beauty, are some of the most powerful people you will ever meet. ◙

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FASHION

Peachy Magazine

DIVERSITY ON THE RUNWAY Written by Ellie Jerome

The road (or, ahem, catwalk) to diversity has been a long one with only small steps forward each season. The Autumn/Winter 2016 shows this past fashion month haven’t, on the whole, shown too much of a break with the classic system of a majority-white runway with a few models of colour thrown in.

gesture most commonly associated with the Black Panthers.

The Yeezy models weren’t the only ones to make a statement at NYFW. The catwalk of Zac Posen played host to a whopping 25 black models - a number pretty much unprecedented on the runways of high fashion’s big labels. Posen told Harper’s Bazaar, "We live in a diverse world and it is essential it is represented in the fashion industry — it has always been critical to me, as well as a key component of my collections — whether it's shapes, sizes or skin color — as my customers are global and part of all diverse groups.”

There have however been a few notable exceptions, Kanye West’s Yeezy collection was modelled by a hugely diverse cast and just before the end of the last track on The Life of Pablo - West’s seventh album that debuted alongside Yeezy - a group of the black models raised their fists, in a

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Peachy Magazine As well as designers, black models are becoming more and more vocal in expressing their wishes for a more diverse fashion industry. Only two days after Posen’s show, black model Leomie Anderson called out make up artists backstage for being ill-equipped to make up any skin tone other than white. She took to Twitter to express her frustrations.

“Why is it that black make up artists are

to a professional show when all the other white girls don’t have to do anything but show up?” She continued on, arguing much the same as Anderson, to say “a good makeup artist would come prepared and do their research before coming to work because often time you know what to expect especially at a show!” She then took a shot at the general lack of representation for black models, saying Elyssa Nicole raises a black power fist at Yeezy Season 3 Opposite: Models at Zac Posen AW16

busy with blonde white girls and slaying their make up and I have to supply my own foundation?”. She ended her storm of tweets with a very simple conclusion: “WE NEED MORE MAKE UP ARTISTS AND HAIR WHO ARE COMPETENT WITH ALL RACES BACKSTAGE AT SHOWS.”

“I'm tired of complaining about not getting book as a black model and I'm definitely super tired of apologizing for my blackness!!!!”

It’s certain that the fashion industry has come a long way from where it began, and there is definitely more representation now than there was even 10 years ago. But there’s still a long way to go before models of all races are appropriately represented and accommodated.

Anderson is not the only model to have expressed her frustration with the lack of equipment for models with dark skin tones. Last July, South Sudanese model Nykhor Paul also took to social media to convey her exasperation with make up artists’ unwillingness to accommodate for diversity. In an Instagram post, Paul asked “why do I have to bring my own make up

Overall, Nykhor Paul sums it up - “Fashion is art, art is never racist it should be inclusive of all… Why can't we be part of fashion fully and equally?” ◙

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THROUGH THE LENS

Photography is a constantly evolving art form. Meet the fresh talents we’re loving right now. Interviews by Ellie Jerome.

ELISE MESNER 33-year-old Mesner has been fascinated by photography since the age of 5. Her whimsical still life photos are perfectly composed from foods and elements of nature.

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Where are you based?

I recently moved to Los Angeles from Detroit and I'm really feeling at home here in LA. Los Angeles has so much soul, so much treasure. The city is gushing with fruits, plants, flowers and sunshine. A place to wear a big smile.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I have so many sources of inspiration but the first to pop into my mind are plants, fruits, and everything nature has to share. The shapes and colours of nature are truly refreshing and keeps my melon churning with ideas.

Which photographers inspire you the most?

70s Helmut Newton and so many food, and fashion photographers from that era are super inspiring.

The colours, textures and simplicity in their works are magic.

Do you have a favourite photo you have taken?

I’d have to pick “Sunny Sprinkles” [middle], shot many years ago but still a strong favourite of mine.

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“EACH PHOTOGRAPH IS A FROZEN MOMENT OF TIME THAT WILL LAST FOREVER. I WILL TURN INTO A MUSHY CHEESE BALL IF I DWELL TOO MUCH ON THE BRILLIANCE OF THAT THOUGHT”

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ANNA DI PROSPERO Italian photographer Anna Di Prospero creates striking selfportrait images juxtaposed with impressive architecture, with her friends and family, and with total strangers.

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Where are you currently living?

I currently live in Italy, in a small town called Sermoneta. I love living here because is quiet and very inspiring. My house is the place where I take most of my photos.

What inspires your photography and do you have a favourite photographer?

I’m inspired by feelings and emotions.

Yes, Gregory Crewdson.

What appeals to you about photography and what do you want to create with your work?

The power of telling a story through a single image is what draws me to photography. My intent in every photo is to create evocative images.

What golden piece of advice would you give to people who want to take up photography?

Those who want to become professional photographers must have a super determination! The determination to practice every day, even when you would rather do anything else. The determination to keep going when things get tough and the determination to learn and grow every single day.

Do you have a favourite photo that you have taken?

Yes I do, it is titled ‘Self-Portrait With My Mother’ (top photo on previous page).

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JODI MELODY New Zealand based photographer Jodi Melody creates enchanting analogue images that are, in her own words, “girly, nostalgic and personal”.

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Where do you currently live?

was 16. Pawing over magazines when I was younger, his images always captured the day dreamer in me.

I live in Wellington, New Zealand and I love it. I have moved away many times but always end up coming back, it is the perfect sized city, not too big not too small.

Do you have a favourite photo you have taken?

There’s a photo I took of lake Taupo where I spent a lot of time in my childhood. It was taken at dawn whilst I was fishing with my Dad. It is one of those rare photos that captures what my eyes could see perfectly.

What inspires your photography and do you have a favourite photogarpher?

My photography at the moment is very much inspired by colours. I'll usually start planing a shoot with a couple of tones in mind and from there grow it to a fashion story and location.

What would be one golden piece of advice you would give to people who want to take up photography?

A Wellington Local photographer Sarah Burton inspires me. Her portraits are always beautiful and the way she captures light is effortless. I also credit Tim Walker's work for being one of the initial reasons I got into photography when I

For the first two years or so you will be frustrated. Nobody starts out taking the images they aspire to. Keep going until you see in your own work what you admire in others.

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MUSIC

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ADVANCING Playlist by Kristen Holl At some point in our lives, we go through a rough patch. Our lives seem to appear draining, to the point where our skin doesn’t feel like home anymore. We scratch at the edge, trying to search for a light that will guide us to get out of the darkness. This playlist features ten songs that work to explain the feelings of hopelessness and to help ease the pain that is felt currently. They create a sense of new beginnings and advancing.

Human - Civil Twilight Our feelings and troubles are what make us human, and what propel us forward All These Years - Shivum Sharma Mistakes are to be learnt from Ease - Troye Sivan ft. BROODS A song about reminiscence Smile - Mikky Ekko Although times may be tough, smile. You are blessed with a life that is worth living. #88 - Lo-Fang Don’t give into the consuming power of hopelessness. Let it go.

Keep Your Head Up - Ben Howard Always keep your head up and carry on Heal - Tom Odell The singer’s lover is going through pain, and he longs to heal her Let It All Go - Birdy ft. RHODES Remember to let go of all your meaningless and unnecessary baggage Breathe - RHODES Take a moment to breathe and let go of all of your pain Change For Love - Little Sea A song to remind you mustn’t change for anyone

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

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RECLAIM THE BINDI Written by Sarah Lynn Kearns I was recently scrolling through an endless feed of Tumblr posts when I happened upon something that caught my eye - a photo of singer Selena Gomez sporting a glittering red bindi at the MTV movie awards. The photo was from April of 2013 (a bit outdated, I know) but it immediately sparked my annoyance nonetheless. The bindi is a decorative dot of religious and traditional significance in Indian culture. It is placed between one's eyebrows, resembling the third-eye, aka the sixth chakra. In other terms, it has no place being on the forehead of the non-Indian Gomez in her imitation of an idealistic, tribal-based ensemble. My inner sleuth kicked in and thus began my research on celebrities that have "adopted" the bindi into their wardrobe.

receiving backlash from members of their own fanbase.

The bindi is a religious adornment, not a fashionable accessory.

The #reclaimthebindi movement is designed to speak out against cultural appropriation and give Indian women a platform to reclaim the bindi, as a show of their pride in their culture rather than a festival must-have. It’s rather convenient to “borrow” a piece of culture at your own free will without learning anything about or respecting the culture as a whole, but to treat culture as disposable isn’t ok.

Reclaim the Bindi targets the ornamentation of bindis by nonIndians and aims to end the cultural appropriation of bindis and to restore their initial significance. The bindi isn't “indie”, it's Indian! ◙

In 2010, pop star Katy Perry donned a pale orange bindi at the Grammy awards. She tweeted earlier that day, “Today I’m channeling Indian Betty Paige princess!” She was mildly criticised for doing so, but few took note of the incident.

In 2013, several female stars, such as Sarah Hyland, Paris Hilton, Vanessa Hudgens, and Kendall Jenner, attended Coachella, a three-day music festival in Indio, California. Their outfits consisted of the mainstream festival staple pieces (flower crowns, crop-tops, tribalprinted skirts, etc) and were completed by a bindi. The starlets posted photos of themselves on social media, proudly displaying their bindis at Coachella. They were immediately condemned, even

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INTERIORS

Peachy Magazine

INEXPENSIVE ROOM DECORATIONS Written by Katharine McCoy Photos by Natalie Liao Your bedroom is your place away from the rest of the world, your place to relax and escape. I’ve always found the way my room looks to be important for this very reason. However, I don’t have the money to spend on all of the massively expensive decorations that may catch my eye. Nor do I like the contrived look that I get when I specifically buy things for my room. So, here are some tips that I’ve picked up from decorating my own room over the

last four years that will help you create the perfect (but not pricy) interior to help you escape.

Postcards: These are really cheap. I have postcards from trips abroad, art museums and record stores, but my favourite postcard is one I came across in a store just down the street. Stick them up on your wall to create a big mood board or go more low key and just sprinkle a few

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INTERIORS

Peachy Magazine around your walls. If a postcard costs more than a couple of bucks, then you’re probably overspending.

some of the wonderful places you’ve been and people you’ve met. They also are my favourite type of decoration. There is something so personal about them, and they really make my room a place that I feel happy in. Also, souvenirs are something that I plan and budget for when I go on a trip to keep the memories.

Turning them into a decoration is just a bonus.

Photos: Photos are also really inexpensive and they’re fun and personal to you. Most pharmacies have booths where you can print your own photos directly off of your phone. The photos currently on display in my room cost me a grand total of thirtyfive cents but they look great and bring back fantastic memories. Stick the photos up as with the postcards or string them up with little pegs to make bunting.

Instruments: Of course this is only inexpensive if you already have an instrument (pianos aren’t cheap!). But, if you are a musician then you shouldn’t be hiding your instrument away. Don’t hide your guitar away in it’s case. Leave it against your wall. It adds a devil-maycare touch, and will probably encourage you to play it more.

Flowers and plants: If you’re a fervent nature lover with a green thumb, you’ll probably want to buy real living plants. If you’re not quite as at one with Mother Nature, fake flowers work just as well. I have fake flowers, real flowers, and real plants in my room. I think they all work.

Fake flowers, of course, have the advantage that they last longer than fresh cut ones. Fresh cut ones can also be very expensive if you buy them from a florists.

I buy mine at the grocery store, so they aren’t expensive at all. Farmer’s Markets are also a great place to pick up some greens. Plants can conceivably live forever, so they can be great investment pieces.

That being said, my fern cost me about four dollars, and the oversized teacup he sits in was about five. For so cheap, plants really brighten up the room.

Art: This is especially great if you made it yourself, or if a friend or family member made it for you. It really adds flair to your room, and often art made for you has a greater meaning to it. You want the things in your space to be meaningful. Also, if you make it, it’s bound to fit in with whatever colour scheme you’ve got going on. Plus, it will only cost you what you bought in art supplies. Make big abstract canvases, a wall hanging for above your bed or even a sculpture or two.

Souvenirs: The hat I bought in Quebec City, the dream catcher a friend gave me when I moved, an Evil Eye from a trip into Turkey, a poster from a visit to the Globe Theatre, and an inukshuk made of stones from the beaches of Lake Superior.

Souvenirs are a fantastic way to remember

Clothes: No, I don’t mean leave all of your clothes on the floor. But you can show off your clothes as a decoration. Invest in a clothes rack from IKEA or similar and then get creative with displaying some of your favourite pieces. Not only does this look effortlessly cool, it’s also practical.◙

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ART

Peachy Magazine

DISCOVERING A NEW MEDIUM Written by Katharine McCoy Photos by Isabella Spadone

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ART

Peachy Magazine

The past two years, most of my art projects have been done exclusively in Conté. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a stick or pencil of pigment that has a texture that is a cross between chalk and pastel. They can come in a variety of colours, but I tend to use black and white conté on black paper. I love it because it’s methodical. You apply layer after layer of white or black, and vary the intensity until you get the proper shade of grey. It means my sketchbook is covered in dust and I overuse hairspray to make sure that the smudging is minimal, but it’s worth it for me because I love the medium.

technique has turned out, and I’m so pleased I decided to search out a new medium. In doing so I’ve developed my artistic skills, broadened my experience and created some pieces I’m really proud of!

This has been five months of hard work though. I’m not normally someone who strays from routine, and that includes within my art. I’ve learned a lot about the medium over the three projects. It was during the second one that I really hit a milestone. It turns out I love the wet on wet technique, and once I’d blended it with the intellectual approach of cubism, I was able to really fall in love with something completely new.

This year however, I decided to branch out, and did three of five projects for this semester’s art class in acrylic paint.

Acrylic paint is the exact opposite of conté. It’s colourful, it actually stays on the canvas, and it’s not built in small layers. My self-described acrylic paint technique had been to flail about with it until it looks not horrible. I really wanted to evolve from looking like a seven year old had drawn something on a canvas, to a mature look that implies that the painter actually knew what they were doing.

Conté will always have a place in my heart, but stretching my wings with the new medium was a very fulfilling experience.

Maybe we shouldn’t become too complacent with our art just because we’ve found something that works. There are so many different mediums that artists can use and it’s a shame to paint yourself into a corner and only stick to the one.

There’s nothing wrong with using a medium that you love, but the joy of experiencing a new medium will always be an adventure, and you will emerge a better artist on the other side. ◙

In the end, meaning my final project, I took a page out of Paul Cezanne’s book used a wet on wet technique to try and construct the painting, rather than just colour something in. This pre-cubism approach was a lot harder than I thought it would be, yet I love the way that my

Pictures are Robert Erwin’s Light And Space, taken by Isabella Spadone

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LOVE

Peachy Magazine

MODERN ROMANCE Written by Olivia Hart

Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of Modern Romance, the June 2015 debut book by American comedian/actor Aziz Ansari. For those readers who haven’t heard of him, Ansari is most widely known for playing mischievous Tom Haverford on the hit American comedy series Parks and Recreation, and more recently, as Dev on his own new Netflix series, Master of None. From his standup to his TV performances, the guy can get a laugh from practically anybody, but all else aside: I think Ansari has some of the most important ideas of this decade when it comes to love and technology.

floating around in my head like oil in water.

One of the major points of discussion in the book (and in Master of None, but I’ll get to that later) is that of the existence of a perfect “soulmate”. You can’t tell me you haven’t fantasised about finding that one flawless person; your very own personal Prince/Princess Charming who possesses every single thing you’ve ever wanted in somebody, who sends you good morning texts every day without fail and makes bomb omelettes and makes love seem like an endless walk in the park. This is a somewhat timeless concept, but Ansari notes that the advent of the Internet has warped it. He remarks, “That’s the thing about the Internet: It doesn’t simply help us find the best thing out there; it has helped to produce the idea that there is a best thing and, if we search hard enough, we can find it. And in turn there are a whole bunch of inferior things that we’d be foolish to choose” (p125).

Modern Romance, written in conjunction

by Ansari and NYU sociology professor Eric Klinenberg, is a book about what it sounds like: how modern technology has impacted our pursuit of love, be it through texting, dating apps, or other social media. Not only that, but the book contrasts our current romantic climate with that of previous eras i.e. there are some hilarious and thought-provoking anecdotes from elderly couples discussing courtship back in the early 20th century. I flew through its 250 pages in just a few days, and ever since closing the back cover, the ideas discussed in it have been

Upon further discussion, Ansari compares online dating endeavours with that of finding the perfect place to eat on his day off in Seattle, Washington. After an extended period of searching through Yelp reviews, various best-restaurant lists, and scouring of online menus, he made

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LOVE

Peachy Magazine his decision: a highly-rated Italian restaurant called Il Corvo. In defence of this extravagant search for the perfect pasta, Ansari pushes: “Whether it’s where I’m eating, where I’m traveling, or god forbid, something I’m buying, I feel

people in the modern day seem to share.

compelled to do a lot of research to make sure I’m getting the best” (p125).

Unfortunately, by the time he was finally ready to go and eat, he realised that the restaurant had closed up for the day.

Online dating allows a person to adopt a similar mentality when looking for a potential partner. A woman interviewed in Los Angeles noted, “It’s fun, but it also opens up this door to be more and more picky and analytical. I was exchanging messages with a guy, and he mentioned that he listens to Kevin & Bean in the morning. And it was like, ok, you’re done” (p139). Have apps like Tinder and OkCupid reduced our search for lifelong romance to be the same thing as a search for a product? It’s easy to think that way after reading Modern Romance, but of course, it’s not that simple.

victim to numerous Internet rabbit holes, clicking through my friends’ Facebook profile pictures with their partners and watching cute date vlogs on YouTube. It’s easy to think that these couples are each other’s aforementioned Prince/Princess Charmings (and often they really do have healthy, satisfying relationships), but we must remember that love is not all about the best wedding or the celebratory sixmonth-anniversary Instagram post with the most likes. Half the couples who produced those date vlogs I sheepishly admit to watching have since broken up!

It’s easy to compare your own life and relationships to that of others. This can manifest itself not only in real life, such as Dev’s experience at the wedding, but on social media as well. I know I’ve fallen

I love Aziz Ansari’s ideas because he pushes past those fuzzy, lovey-dovey walls and acknowledges reality. No one has that perfect fantasy person to cuddle up with every night. That person doesn’t exist, no matter how hard you search through OkCupid. Aziz shows us through Master of None and Modern Romance that every single one of us is flawed (no matter how many matches we get on Tinder) but real love can push past those flaws, and that makes it all the more meaningful.◙

In one of the last episodes of Master of None, Ansari’s character Dev attends a wedding with his long-term girlfriend Rachel. Upon hearing the flowery, romantic, “I’m going to be with you forever, you’re perfect” vows of the bride and groom, many of the young couples in the crowd eye each other uncomfortably.

In this hilarious clip, we see Dev’s paranoia about the whole situation, and his murky outlook on true love that many

Master of None is now available to stream on Netflix. Modern Romance available at all good book shops.

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STARMAN

Peachy Magazine

REMEMBERING DAVID BOWIE Written by Olivia Hart At the time of the publication of this issue of Peachy, it has been over two months since Bowie’s death, but for his many fans and millions of admirers, the shock and sadness is still raw.

I’m not a hugely active Bowie fan. There’s nothing much that I can say about it that someone else couldn’t say with a more articulate, personal touch. However, one thing I have been thinking about ever since that morning is that I’ve taken his influence for granted. Bowie’s essence lies within many things that I (and probably many others) have found meaning in throughout my life.

On the Monday morning after his passing, when I went into the kitchen to eat breakfast, the first thing my mum said to me as I entered the room was: “Hey, David Bowie died.” Not so much as a “good morning” or a “how’d you sleep?”. For a few seconds, I was so stunned that I didn’t know what to say, until I spat out: “Well, isn’t that a nice way to start the week?”

I’ve always with outer music. The was Bowie’s

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had a wide-eyed fascination space, and of course, with first music video I ever saw Space Oddity (1969). I

STARMAN

Peachy Magazine remember sitting on the couch with my dad, watching it on the early-2000s skeleton of YouTube, awed by the dizzying shots of audio switchboards that could be mistaken for rocket ship dashboards. I watched Bowie strum his big guitar, lit by ethereal and otherworldly red, orange, and blue lights which made his bleached hair look like it was glowing.

The long, dramatic chords accented by flutes and strings, sharp electric guitars, and futuristic beeps swept me up, and sent my imagination flying into the stars in a glitzy spaceship.

makeup. While his personal gender and sexuality-relating identity remained somewhat murky; according to Vox, Bowie’s “performance helped inspire very real social change for young queer and gender nonconforming people.” I’m very lucky to have grown up now as opposed to those years, in a time where (at least where we live) people like me have relative freedom and access to information meant to support them. While this is due in large part to other role models (like Laverne Cox and Ellen DeGeneres, organisations like GLSEN, and social networking, performers like Bowie helped to form the foundation from which these things grow and blossom today. To be clear, Bowie “didn't invent gender nonconformity, but the infectiousness of his performances helped popularise it,” which benefitted countless people who may have been struggling with their identities.

Flash forward to the end of eighth grade: my final project for English (my favorite class) was to complete a multi-genre exploration of a topic of my choice. You guessed it - I did mine on outer space.

That year had been rough for me, and English class was often one of the only places where I felt I could express and immerse myself in what I loved. I put a lot of effort into that project, and one of the “genres” I explored was music specifically, I reviewed Space Oddity.

Of course, Bowie was far from perfect, and it’s important to acknowledge his faults with as much weight as his positive influence. His death doesn’t give us an excuse to ignore the controversies, but these issues don’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate the influence he’s had.

During the following summer, on a camp field trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, I found myself and a few other kids lying supine on the grass one night, staring up at the sky. Most of us grew up in suburbs with a significant amount of light pollution, and this was the clearest I had ever seen it. I gasped and giggled with the others as I saw my first shooting star, and caught glimpses of satellites lazily floating past. Throughout the hour or so that we spent with our eyes glued upwards, I couldn’t help but hear Space Oddity running through my head.

The other night, I got to thinking about space again, and found myself caught in the dilemma that I so often try to avoid when I approach the topic: Earth is very small and, when you come right down to it, relatively insignificant. If it’s true that there are stars billions of times larger than our own huge Sun, and space is infinite, it can get to feel very lonely. Perhaps this idea makes us so uncomfortable because we recognise it not only in a literal sense, but on a smaller scale too. On this planet it can be easy to feel like we’re universes away from anyone else.

David Bowie was an artist who did the best thing a pop star can do - he pushed the limits. During the fifties, sixties, and seventies, when it was much less acceptable than it is even now for people (especially those assigned male) to be androgynous and/or flamboyant, Bowie shattered traditionally accepted gender stereotypes with his costumes and

Maybe that’s one of the reasons Bowie was such an incredible artist. Through his music and performance, he reminded us that no matter how lonely we may feel, we’re all looking up at the stars together. ◙

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FASHION

Peachy Magazine

A DREAMY SEASON AT FENDI Written by Martina Brancatelli Silvia Venturini and Karl Lagerfeld have been working hard to make haute sleepwear a thing. For the Fendi Pre Fall 2016 collection and the AW16 menswear collection - with an element of it even slipping into the women’s AW16 collection - the duo took inspiration from bed wear with a charming playfulness.

The collections have made our dream of being able to go out into the city in our pyjamas and still being respectable come true.

Another delightful particular in the Pre Fall collection were the slouchy socks paired with a flared candy mini skirt. The range of pieces presented also included slim pants in formidable colours like red brick, brown, baby blue, blush orange and terracotta with touches of the neutral black and white colours here and there.

Geometrical pattern reproduced the roaring 70s’ sense of cool which was only reinforced with large turtle neck vintage milky jumpers and a show stopping silk jacquard dress fortified with organza floral appliqués and jewel embroidery.

Both the Pre-Fall collection and the men’s AW16 collection sent chiseled models down the runway, cosy in dressing-gownesque coats and fur sneakers that brought thoughts of getting home and getting straight into your slippers: chic pyjamas for all of you sleeping beauties who love daydreaming.

The accessories in both collections worked beautifully to embellish and enhance the garments. Beauteous bags in familiar shapes, chubby handbags festooned with cartoon-like fur flowers as well as the familiar Fendi faces and tiny backpacks on backpacks.

The Pre-Fall was a glamorous and high feminine collection that basked in awkward beauty, featuring geometric print hand bags and soft fur applications. The men’s AW16 on the other hand was sleepy yet effortlessly cool, with the playful irreverence that is always ubiquitous at a Fendi show.

An ineffable mood of comfort and sleepiness hung over both shows, warming guests from the bitter cold outside. Fendi’s latest collections have certainly revitalised the wardrobe of a younger generation of dreamers.

In both collections, Fendi managed to make fur the unquestionable protagonist of the season. From the many bathrobe style coats and vests in fox, sable and mink to creeper slippers or patchwork sneakers garnished by blooming coloured laces. Both collections feature cosy robes for a woman who expects to stand out and at the same time being swathed in comfort and for a man who is the epitome of effortless cool.

Clearly these are not things to be worn while cooking some pancakes on winter mornings. These are robes of a luxurious intimacy along with a masculine soul.

Fendi's dualism gives birth to a collection characterised by a gentlemen attitude and romantic details. Luxury, high fashion, comfort and pleasure create a perfect communion within a flawless use of colours and adornments. There's nothing lazy about this collection. ◙

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Fendi Pre Fall 2016

Fendi Menswear AW16

TRAVEL

Peachy Magazine

MOVING TO A NEW COUNTRY Written by Amy Lafrankie

Peachy Magazine Not everyone will be able to stay in their home country for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes there will be reasons and situations where you’ll have to unwillingly move to a foreign place and it’s terrifying.

If you are someone who has or is moving to a new place and you’re scared for your life, here are a few tips and lessons I’ve learned from personal experiences of having to adapt to a new country.

Settle in for the bumpy ride. You won’t be able to adapt to your new home or city in less than a week. It will take months or in some cases, even years to finally be able to be comfortable living in a new place. It will be difficult and you will feel homesick and think it’s the end of the world but be patient and take your time.

No one is pressuring you to love your new home right away. There will be days where you will wish you had never left home or days where you will loathe your new residence. But you will reach the end of the ride it will definitely be a big breath of fresh air.

Adapt to their culture. It’s refreshing and a fun challenge to explore and discover new activities and cuisines if the country you moved into is completely different from your home country. Try skipping out on the cup noodles for once and go out onto the streets and find restaurants and

TRAVEL cafes that have some familiar foods but also some from their own culture.

Research about festivals and check to see if they have fun activities to do on that particular day that you can do with family or friends. *Reminder! There is a fine line between appreciating culture and appropriating it. Be open-minded and aware of this!

Learn their Language. One of the most nerve-wracking things about moving into a new place is if their first language isn’t yours. Don’t rush yourself into learning their language, take your time. Make friends who speak the language and try having small talk with them everyday to get yourself used to pronunciation and enunciating words. Try to listen to artists and watch shows from their country and try to communicate. The quickest way to learning and loving a language is to take your time and getting comfortable with it first.

Make friends. This is important if you won’t be assisted by family or a friend when you move in. Quick reminder: you will be lonely the first few weeks (or months), it wont be easy to make friends with the snap of a finger. It will take time and it will take you a lot of courage to talk to people independently, and that’s ok.

But friends who have been raised and lived in the country are a quick and great advantage when you want to explore around the area without having to feel lonely or anxious. And they will always be willing to help you feel more comfortable with your surroundings. It may take time, but friends will come.

Give time to yourself to adjust. There is no due date to adapting yourself to a new place. Don’t rush and pressure yourself to learn every single detail about your new home. It is within your own time and comfort ability when you will able to finally accept your new lifestyle and call it your home. Take your time and don’t forget to enjoy the whole experience of living in a new place. It’s a huge opportunity. ◙

BEAUTY

Peachy Magazine

GOING CRUELTY FREE Written by Ellie Jerome Illustration by Shae McCruden It’s astounding to think that in the year 2016 there are still so many beauty companies that test on animals: MAC, Bobbi Brown, Avon and Benefit to name just a few have been named by PETA as companies that either test on animals themselves or allow testing on animals on their behalf. There’s not a lot that can be done on an individual basis to stop this testing, but we can make a difference by boycotting such companies and shopping cruelty free.

Suddenly going cruelty free can be a little daunting: “It will be more expensive”, “I’ll have to give up my favourite products” and “It will make beauty shopping even more confusing and difficult”, are all common worries.

However, whilst the transition may be a little tricky at first, it soon becomes an easy habit, and is certainly worth it when you think of all the innocent animals you’ve helped.

One key thing to remember is that going cruelty free doesn’t mean you have to throw away the products you already own.

Throwing away your pricy MAC lipstick that you bought last month isn’t going to help any animals; it will just waste money and make the process of going cruelty free seem more difficult and frustrating than it really is. What it does mean is that next time you want to buy a lipstick, don’t buy another one from MAC. Instead do some research and buy some similar lipstick from a cruelty free company, like KIKO or NARS. Doing your research is central to going cruelty free. If you haven’t done your homework before going out to the drug store you’re more likely to get frustrated looking for labels on products and

figuring out what has and what hasn’t been tested on animals. Instead, do some simple google searches like “is X cruelty free?” and build up a bank of companies you can trust. Websites like PETA and crueltyfreekitty.com have some fully researched and extensive lists of cruelty free companies that you can screenshot and keep in your camera roll for quick reference when you’re out shopping.

Remember that going cruelty free doesn’t mean you should have to go vegetarian or vegan. You might find some vegans on the internet who criticise you for being cruelty free yet still eating animal products. But remember that the two things are very different and any step to a more sustainable and compassionate lifestyle is a good one.

Going cruelty free is not only a great way to help animals but it’s a chance to mix up your make up bag, so don’t forget to have fun with it! ◙

Peachy Magazine

Uniquely flavoured and handcrafted lip balms, lip exfoliators, BEAUTY sugar scrubs and bath bombs All products are cruelty free and 100% vegan

balmbaycollective.com

US POLITICS

Peachy Magazine

AN EARNEST LOOK AT DONALD TRUMP Written by Olivia Hart Illustrations by Shae McCruden

Peachy Magazine If I could put the United States’s current political climate in one expression, it would be: “AAAAAAHHHH!” The presidential race happens every four years here, and it’s always highly publicised. For my whole life so far, I’ve viewed each race from the perspective of someone who can’t vote. I’ve listened to my parents talk about whatever candidates were running, I’ve watched the news, and I’ve seen the Saturday Night Live skits - but all this information came to me in passing. Now that I’m going to turn 18 - thus becoming a legal adult this spring, and will be able to vote in the general election in November, it’s suddenly time for me to look at politics in a different light. I finally have a say (albeit very small) in my country, and with that comes a certain kind of responsibility to make a smart decision. This newfound responsibility can get to be pretty overwhelming! The primary polls (initial statewide elections that determine which two candidates will officially represent the Democratic and Republican parties for the rest of the race) took place in my state on March 1st - or “Super Tuesday” in American slang, because the most states hold primary voting on that day. So many different opinions and conflicting views were being thrown around that I just wanted to sit and go “AAAAAAHHHH!” over and over. Who do I listen to? What should I be aware of? Does my opinion really count?

Personally, I’ve always identified as a Democrat. Most of my friends and I share similar Democratic ideals - equality and basic rights for all, regardless of socioeconomic differences. However, one thing I’ve noticed in paying more attention to this race is that American politics tend to seem very violently split between the Democratic and Republican parties. If you identify as one or the other, you could get smushed in with a bunch of other philosophies and stereotypes that you may not completely agree with. As I’ve grown up, I’ve realised that issues should

US POLITICS never be seen in such a black-and-white way. One person in particular whom I’ve noticed really embraces this stark blackand-white political strategy is none other than Donald Trump, the Republican party frontrunner.

In many respects, Trump is exactly the extreme caricature of Republicans that I have just described. He’s a billionaire entrepreneur (with no prior experience in public office) who flaunts his wealth as part of his persona, and makes short, blunt, and often ignorant blanket statements about many of the issues facing our country today. He’s known for saying such lovely things such as “I beat China all the time. All the time.” He’s vulgar, xenophobic, and often very closed-minded. He’s most famous for his anti- immigration policy, which involves the construction of a “great wall” on the Mexican-American border. So, why on Earth did he lead the Republican polls on Super Tuesday by a long shot? Out of genuine curiosity, I set out to find out.

What makes a meanie like Trump so damn popular?

As we’ve seen throughout history, much of what justifies a political leader with extreme views is a generous dollop of charisma. Adolf Hitler, for example, might have had diabolical philosophies but, he was still immensely popular with much of the German public because he was an energetic and engaging orator. As evil as he may have been, he still filled a stadium with applause.

Donald Trump shares that same quality.

Whether we like it or not, he is able to speak with energy and conviction, even if the words coming out of his mouth are vile. The Washington Post notes, “Trump is often wrong, but what matters is that he always sounds right” (Jeff Guo, 2015). His ideas for solutions to problems like immigration policy (build a wall) and terrorism (build a database for all incoming Syrian refugees, regardless of their religion/potential involvement with ISIS) are overly simplistic and not ready for

Peachy Magazine

complex real-world implementation.

However, in this day and age, we like simplicity. We want the easiest, most straightforward solutions. Trump wraps up problems into snappy phrases and jokes that assure us not to worry. His specific brand of speaking style and attitude set him apart from the rest of the candidates.

Trump is also very popular with Americans who don’t have college degrees. These citizens dislike illegal immigrants because they compete for the same blue-collar jobs, and over the past few decades, the income difference between Americans with and without college degrees has heightened sharply leaving them in the dust. These lower-income Republicans see Trump as a beacon of light who shares their negative view of immigrants in an extreme and unapologetic way. Build a great wall? What chutzpah! Similarly, Adolf Hitler was able to gain popularity in 1930s Germany because the country was then struggling in the Great Depression. People with dim prospects often grab at whatever

US POLITICS

uplifting source they can like moths to a light - but, if they land on the light, they can get singed.

I personally will always be horrified and at least a little bit dumbfounded at why someone like Trump could be popular, but there are many reasons for it I originally hadn’t factored in. I live in a very democratic corner of the country, where most people I know share my views. Some of the country’s best colleges and universities and other booming industries are just down the road from me in Boston, which influences my lifestyle and beliefs.

However, the United States spans 3.8 million square miles and hosts 318 million people, and with that comes a full spectrum of life situations and political views. In understanding the power of Donald Trump, I needed to open my mind to these perspectives that are beyond my own. That ability to be open-minded is a good habit that helps us learn and make informed decisions, but at least one thing’s for certain: I’m still not going to vote for him. ◙

ROOTS

Peachy Magazine

WHERE I CAME FROM Written by Alexis Reaves Photo by Analisa However, after much thought and encouragement from a teacher, I decided to try my hand. Waiting for a decision was excruciating, as I felt that my acceptance and my future were inextricably tied together. After what felt like an infinite stretch of time, my mother received a phone call, and by the look of her half-smile and the wrinkles forming around her watery eyes, I knew that I had gotten in.

The idea of private school has long captured the imagination: boat shoes, polo shirts and old world elitism. Its allure captivated me as well, but being from a lower class family, I thought such a place was well out of reach. For a while it was, until shiny brochures began appearing throughout my house in ninth grade. They were filled with images of mahogany tables, brick fireplaces and gothic windows. Between the photos of the training grounds for the upper echelons of society, I saw something even more enticing: the opportunity to escape my background.

Perhaps my mother saw it too, because it was her idea that I go in the first place. I had always thrived academically, and now there was a chance to capitalise on that fact and change my destiny, which I presumed involved finishing high school and finding a job. Initially I resisted, afraid that I would fail the rigorous application process and further confirm my fate.

On my first day of school, the excitement that had brimmed in my nerves turned into a leaden sense of dread. The long intimidating halls were lined with students who spoke of summer vacations in exotic lands and sailing clubs. I felt like an interloper at an exclusive party, and all the guests were waiting for me to leave.

My shame would often manifest itself as resentment towards my mother, as I felt that I was carrying a burden because she wasn’t more successful. Why did I have to be crushed under textbooks and the expectation to rise out of a situation I didn’t create?

As I approach the end of my high school career, I’ve come to reconcile the conflict between my background and my environment. No longer do I feel the intense shame that once burned throughout my body. I’ll probably end up better off than mom, which is all that she, and perhaps all parents want: their children to accomplish want they didn’t.

Still, I’m afraid to continue on without remembering where I came from. ◙

NUDES

Peachy Magazine

WHY ALL THE FUSS OVER NUDES? Written by Ellie Jerome

58 via @look_at_this_pusssy on Instagram

NUDES

Peachy Magazine Few internet obsessives could have missed the drama that unfurled on, ironically, International Women’s Day this year. Kim Kardashian’s posting of a pre-pregnancy, blonde haired, nude selfie attracted the obligatory onslaught of bitching, slut shaming and catty comments and a very catty Twitter spat.

knows who she is. your nylon cover is cute boo”. The exchange set Twitter ablaze, with many enjoying the drama, but for others the sniping and bitching over a naked photo quickly became uncomfortable.

Disney star Rowan Blanchard piped up with her usual fluency; “Why are feminists mad at Kim K for consensually posting a pic of her own body? I think it’s an awesome thing to teach girls: to be accepting of yourself”. Miley Cyrus also joined in to slam the Twitter feud over the nude; “you ALL are acting tacky AF!” she exclaimed in her usual unapologetic fashion, “can we all put the c*ntiness aside for one f*cking day and love / celebrate one another!”

Kim K posted the ‘offending’ photo on her Instagram with the equally galling caption “When you’re like I have nothing to wear LOL”.

Unsurprisingly, this comment warranted a stream of snide comments regarding the recent news that Kanye is $53 million in debt; Piers Morgan tweeted “I know the old man’s $50 million in debt, Kim but this is absurd. Want me to buy you some clothes?” Kim quickly shot back, telling Piers “Hey @PiersMorgan,’ she retorted, ‘never offer to buy a married woman clothes. That’s on some Ashley Madison type s**t. #forresearch”.

Perhaps a very ironic example of how this slut shaming culture seems to permeate our society is that we could not include the aforementioneded photo posted by Kim because it would havee breached Issuu (our publisher)’s guidelines. So instead here’s a fully-clothed pic of Kim:

Piers Morgan’s comment however was not the worst 140 characters sent Kim’s way.

Aside from all the typical witless comments on her Instagram, she also received snipes from Oscar winner Bette Midler and grown-up child-star Chloë Grace Moretz. “If Kim wants us to see a part of her we’ve never seen, she should swallow the camera,” shot Bette Midler, whilst Moretz wrote, “I truly hope you realise how important setting goals are for young women, teaching them we have so much more to offer than just our bodies.”

It seemed as if everyone had nothing else to do but pile in and criticise Kim for posting a photo of her body on her Instagram account. Nude photos are always bound to induce some negativity and snide comments, but should they really be such a big deal? Why all the fuss?

If a man posted a similar image would it cause a similar furore?

via @kimkardashian on Instagram Kim herself summed up the issue on her website: “I never understand why people get so bothered by what other people choose to do with their lives,” she wrote. “I am empowered by my sexuality. I am empowered by feeling comfortable in my skin”. ◙

Kim did reply to her critics, and certainly didn’t back down in the face of all the negativity. Her reply to Moretz was particularly biting: “Let's all welcome @ChloeGMoretz to twitter, since no one

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BEING TRANS

Peachy Magazine

BEING TRANSGENDER IN HIGH SCHOOL Written by Andy Nouvellune Illustration by Shae McCruden completely different similar: a boy.

yet

somehow

Being honest, I haven’t completely come out yet. Sure, I dress far more masculinely than I used to, even cutting my hair pretty short. To the teachers and a good amount of students, I go by Oliver, a name widely regarded as masculine. It may not be my current name, but it’s a start. I want to ease into this transformation, even if I decide not to fully transition. It’s very tricky, knowing that some people will have very good reactions, and some will be neutral, or even have very negative reactions. And there really isn’t anything you can do to change their minds; once they grow up thinking a certain way it’s very hard to change, so making a bold decision like this is always very difficult.

High school is a scary place--Everyone is changing, both physically and mentally.

People you’ve been friends with since Kindergarten could be completely different from how you once knew them.

They could dress differently, speak, write, talk differently, or they could be a completely new person altogether. A person with a new name, attire, gender, possibly even sexuality.

Even though I worry about how others will see me, even knowing fully well these thoughts are irrational, I know that being someone I’m proud of is much more important than the opinions of others. My happiness when it comes to being myself overreaches that of the words of my peers. It may seem selfish, but if you don’t do things for yourself, how are you going to be happy?

That is me. I grew up with the people in my small town, and before last year, my Sophomore year, I was a girl. A fairly quirky and strange girl, but a girl nonetheless. That’s how people knew me.

That’s how they saw me. This year, though, something’s changed. It’s not something you can explain, really. It’s just a feeling you have--That you’re someone else. You aren’t the girl you and everyone else once knew. You’re something

While I may not be out yet, there are plenty of ways to go about coming out yourself. You can go the same route as me, making slow changes over the course of the year. I told the teachers my new name the first couple days of school, and they thought nothing of it. I can’t be completely sure what their opinions are about transgender teens (or people in

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BEING TRANS

Peachy Magazine

general), but it’s their job to be respectful.

Now, this may just be my school, as it’s a very LGBTQIA+ inclusive school, but yours may not differ as much as you think. Most teachers will respect your decisions and wishes and call you by your new name.

don’t ‘match’, in the traditional sense. You may be a boy that uses they or xe pronouns, or a nonbinary person that uses it or they. It doesn’t have to be boy = he and girl = she. Your pronouns are what you’re comfortable with, and to let people know what they are, you will probably have to tell them outright. You can email your teachers about your pronoun and gender change, but you can’t email every single student.

The students are a different story. They’ve known you for a very long time, probably calling you by a nickname or your birth name. Students are not required to oblige to your name changes. They may not be able to bully or use slurs to your face, but they can think or say whatever they want behind your back. Many won’t bother to use your new name, since it’s just easier to use your birth name. Sometimes I think this is better than refusing to because of personal views, but in reality it’s a very subtle form of transphobia. If they don’t want to take the time to learn your new name, then they aren’t people you should acquaint yourself with.

Once people know, it’s mostly a matter of correcting them. I have a hard time doing that. I don’t want to upset them by correcting them all the time, but I also hate being misgendered or deadnamed.

Someday I’ll have to fortify myself and just tell them, “These are the pronouns I go by, this is my gender, and this is my new name. Please use them,” even if pains me.

My happiness is more important than the laziness of my friends.

Just getting the word out isn’t an easy job.

At the beginning, they won’t know your new name or that you have a different gender than before. How do you tell them that you aren’t the kid they once knew?

Being honest, it comes down to just telling them. If they use pronouns that don’t match with what you go by, then tell them. Say, “Oh, actually, I use [blank] pronouns. Would you mind using them?”

Sometimes your gender and pronouns

As you transition, or don’t, there will be many obstacles. Teachers, students, parents, and even siblings may not agree with your choices and ‘lifestyle’, but you have to ignore them. Your life is your decision. There will people who want to bring you down at every turn, and you have to push past them and towards your future; a future where you are happy, you are yourself, and you are alive. ◙

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ANNA POTTER

Peachy Magazine

iGIRL, ANNA POTTER Ellie talks to Anna Potter, the Central Saint Martins graduate behind Top Girl Studio, who recently released her new creation: iGirl.

Anna Potter is a 26 year old graphic designer who - to save the Harry Potter jokes - works under the name Top Girl Studio. We talked to Anna about her work and her newest release, iGIRL. iGIRL is a satirical publication inspired by the world of Instagram. Drawing from her own experience from social media as well as that of other females, she uses lots of bubblegum pink and witty one-liners to depict what life is like online for girls in 2016.

I currently live in Bournemouth, UK. I’ve lived in London for the past 3 years, so it's definitely a change! Living by the beach is a benefit, but I do miss London.

Have you always known you wanted to be a graphic designer?

I've always been artistic but I actually started off in photography and film. I was never very good at the technical side of photography but I had a good eye and a wild imagination. Taking a photo was never enough for me, to me there was something missing. When I looked back at

Where do you live and do you enjoy living there?

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ANNA POTTER

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ANNA POTTER

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ANNA POTTER

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all my work at the time it was obvious my real passion was projecting an idea out there and pushing it as far as I could.

That's where graphic design came in.

for me social media is so current right now. I think it's more the relationship between the two i'm interested in: people and the internet.

What did you study at Central Saint Martins and how would you describe your time there?

Every page of iGIRL is insanely relatable - is it all based on personal experience?

I actually took inspiration from Regina George in Mean Girls and I like to think of iGIRL as the burn book of Instagram. But yes, it's also a combination of my own thoughts and other people’s. Mostly I just sifted through a lot of comments from people I follow and I found the language everyone was using; 'goals, slay, on fleek.'

I did my BA hons in graphic design.

Central St. Martins was always the ultimate dream to me, so I just took a chance and applied. When I got in, I was humble with a hint of Kanye. It's definitely an experience studying at CSM. Everyone is super friendly but they push you to your limits and beyond, which I loved.

What kind of reaction have you gotten so far from girls reading iGIRL?

You've looked at social media before with your Love Yourselfie series. What makes social media such a good subject matter?

The reaction iGIRL has got so far is mainly positive, which is really good. Women seem to get it. A lot of my work can be seen as 'irreverent' or 'satirical' and as much as I love the work I do, you do

I've always based a lot of my work around people and their behaviours and I guess

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ANNA POTTER

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sometimes worry that people will get the wrong idea and get offended.

are: @badlydrawnmodels @visualpursuit and @pollynor.

It’s true that iGIRL can be seen as quite satirical and almost critical of social media - do you think social media can be harmful?

If you could give a message to all the iGIRLs out there, what would it say?

From one iGIRL to another: your feed is life, your hair is goals and your body is bangin'. You slay all day.

I think we have become very reliant on the internet and google has become my best friend for sure. I guess personally I think we don't connect as much as we should in real life as we do in our virtual one. I think with most things, everything in moderation - too much of something can be a bad thing. But you have to admit that social media is pretty incredible.

Oh, and buy my book please.

Visit Anna’s social media sites to see more of her work: INSTAGRAM: @topgirl.studio TWITTER: @topgirlstudio

What's your favourite social media site and who are some of your favourite accounts?

TUMBLR: @topgirlstudio iGIRL is now available to buy for £25 at

Instagram for sure. I have a twitter account though and i'm still working out how to use it. I love so many on Instagram! A few accounts I jealous follow

www.topgirlstudio.com

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CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief Ellie Jerome Cover Photo Serena Braini by Sophie Kirk Writers Amy Lafrankie Andy Nouvellune Alexis Reaves Caroline Hamm Harveen Grewal Katharine McCoy Kristen Holl Kseniya Lukiy Martina Brancatelli Maya Caskie Olivia Hart Sarah Lynn Kearns Contributing Photographers Analisa (@rackandrouge) Isabella Spadone (@isabellaspud) Jeanne Grey (@thegreylayers) Kaitlyn Hamm (@kaity_modern) Natalie Liao(@natalieliao_) Sophie Kirk (@sophie.jane_) Contributing Illustrator Shae McCruden Featured In This Issue Anna di Prospero Elise Mesner Jodi Melody Anna Potter