Strand Magazine - March 2024 Issue

MARCH 2024

Sofia Coppola • Female-Owned Wineries • Le Bal des Débutantes Women‘s History Month Safe Spaces for Women in London • Sapphic Poetry

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief: Talia Andrea

Film and TV Editors: Martha Knox, Oisín McGilloway

Deputy Editor: Barney Nuttall

Gaming Editor: Gio Eldred Mitre

Treasurer: Leah Perkins

Food and Drink Editors: Fathima Jaffar. Trisha Gupta

Head of Social Media: Stefi Komala

Literature Editor: Lara Mae Simpson

Print Design: Govhar Dadashova, Tahmim Reza

London and Beyond Editor: Faye Elder

Events Coordinator: Clara Goilav

Music Editors: Lucy Blackmur, Akane Hayashi

Art Editor: Samuel Blackburn

Photography Editor: Quince Pan

Essays Editor: Natalie Cheung

Sex and Relationships Editor: Noor Hatimy

Fashion Editor: Megan Shears

Theatre Editor: Georgia Gibson

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the Strand Magazine’s ‘Women’s

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how I feel about

History Month’ special edition - and what a

the 2023-24 term of the Strand coming to an

special issue it is! This marks our final print

end. I feel optimistic about the sudden spike I’ll

edition of 2023-24, and it’s packed to the brim

have in free time, although I’m sure I’ll miss the

with coverage of some of the most exciting

hustle and bustle of putting all these projects

women on the arts and culture scene. Whether

together! It prompts me to think back to my

you’re looking for a roundup of London’s safe

interview with Kayleigh Noble within this issue,

spaces for women (from swimming pools at

where she told me why she called her album

dawn to club nights after dark), to exclusive

‘Just A Girl’: “I didn’t want to tie myself down to

interviews with the women revolutionising the

one thing. It’s about all the emotions I went

international wine industry, you’ll find it all

through, not all of which were sad”.

here.

So, in keeping with our theme of Women’s This also marks the final print edition of my

History Month, this edition really is all about

career at the Strand, which has been a

what it means to be ‘Just A Girl’, and all the

whirlwind from start to finish. It’s been a

emotions associated with it. Whether you

privilege to work with so many incredible and

laugh or cry while you’re reading the next 22

talented people during my three years at the

pages, we, as always, hope you enjoy them -

magazine. Each of the Strand’s issues this

and

year has only been made possible thanks to

September.

our

next

committee

will

see

you

in

the boundless creativity, talent and resilience of

the

Strand’s

staff,

all

of

whom

are

volunteers (and as it happens, 79% of whom are women!).

With love, Talia Andrea Editor in Chief

4-5: The Girls of Sofia Coppola 6-7: Campione dei Colli Briantei: In Conversation with Italian Winery Owner Barbara Biraghi 8-9: The Best 'Safe Spaces' for Women in London 10-15: STRAND Showcase Spotlights: In Conversation with Mara Liddle, Kayleigh Noble and FLEUR ROUGE 16-17: Katherine Philips: The Sapphic Poet of the English Civil War 18-19: Crowns, Couture and Commendable Young Women: A Look Back at the 2023 ‘Les Bal des Debutantes’ 20-21: Taking ‘Girl’ For Granted 22-23: KCLSU Women’s History Month Events

4

Maaya Karuppiah

Sofia Coppola is slowly but surely establishing herself as the voice of girlhood in a world that has long misrepresented this phase of life. Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) in the eponymous film, The Lisbon sisters of The Virgin Suicides (1999), and Nicki Moore (Emma Watson) of The Bling Ring (2013)—Coppola captures these characters in the unique state of ‘girl’. Media is inundated with skewed, fantasy, or teeth-grindingly censored versions of what it truly means to be within some of the most terrifying yet wonderfully imperfect years of a woman’s life.

Sofia Coppola offers a breath of fresh air, and a feeling of restitution to those who have watched girlhood massacred time and time again.

My first encounter with The Virgin Suicides was when I was around 12 years old. I stumbled upon the film whilst browsing and was immediately hooked by both the title and the whimsical image of Kirsten Dunst on the cover. Upon watching it, I found myself drawn to the surrealism with which Coppola portrays the Lisbon girls, in particular Lux (Kirsten Dunst).

She became the object of my obsession, much like she did to the neighbourhood boys. Her air of effortless cool had enchanted me, and I was baffled as to why Trip Fontaine (Josh Hartlett) would not fall at her feet. It was only upon watching the film later in life, once I had aged out of all five of the girls, that I fully understood the intention of Coppola’s direction.

The dream-like representation of all the girls, including Lux, was the lens of the boys who cared not for the true plight of the sisters, but only for their beauty. The close-up shots of Lux were her as imagined by the boys, and my trust in the narrator had been shattered. The overhead shot of Lux alone on the school field began to hold a new meaning as a mature viewer—Trip Fontaine had left Lux there because his only motivation to be with her was his lust. Coppola includes his somewhat remorseful confession in a flash forward to the future, but this only serves to emphasise that his feelings do not change her present or her fate. Lux is forever suspended in girlhood and never makes the transition to womanhood. Her beauty could not save her from the solitude that moving from childhood into girlhood holds—instead it doomed her to fall victim to the clutches of man.

Girlhood signifies a transitionary period between childhood and adulthood—a purgatory before the mind can fully develop.

Coppola’s films depict the ways in which this defining period can be derailed and take a fast-track journey to adulthood, no matter what measures we may try and take to avoid it. Her most recent release, Priscilla (2023), is once again a testament to her skill of representing girlhood whilst acknowledging that perhaps adulthood inevitably sabotages the state of ‘girl’.

Jacob Elordi towers over Cailee Spaeny, emphasising the imposition of adulthood on 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu as she enters into a relationship with Elvis (Jacob Elordi). Coppola carefully frames Priscilla as the story of a girl who enters into a relationship as a child, starstruck and with no power, and comes out as a woman; she reclaims her autonomy after years of being defined by the adult she looked to as both a partner and guardian. The entire biopic allows the viewer to be immersed in the mind of Priscilla herself as she grows from a girl into a woman and takes away their own conclusions after ‘experiencing’ it with her.

Upon viewing Priscilla at the London Film Festival, I began to think: what defines Coppola’s presentation of girlhood? What exactly makes it so enigmatic, yet universal, appealing to such a variety of women? Perhaps it is this: the girls in her films are like dreamscapes, beautiful fantasies, yet their struggles are so very ordinary in many ways. Despite Lux’s beauty, the fact remains that she suffers at the hands of a man when for so many years girls have been sold the lie that beauty would solve all their problems. The youngest Lisbon sister Cecilia (Hannah R. Hall) is consistently belittled by the narrator, who seems to believe that her attempts at suicide were nothing but a cry for attention because she couldn’t have the boy she wanted.

Lastly, Priscilla, whose adolescence is defined by activities built for someone twice her age, is stripped of any influence from her own age group. These harsh tales are representative of the common threats to girlhood—men, and often the media—yet they simultaneously allow an appreciation for the wonders of growing up as a girl through sisterhood and the novelty that comes with teenage years. Shrouded in a facade of lace, pink, pointelle and perfume, the girls of Coppola’s films are far rawer than many characters seen in other more realist media. Priscilla is the perfect example of Coppola’s dynamic ability to switch from the dreamscapes of The Virgin Suicides to a biopic format and concoct the perfect mixture of impeccable casting, narrative and beautiful visuals to tell a story that most of the world has yet to hear.

5

6

ELEONORA FUMAGALLI

CAMPIONE DEI COLLI BRIANTEI IN CONVERSATION WITH ITALIAN WINERY OWNER BARBARA BIRAGHI While parts of the “Bel paese”—or “beautiful country” of Italy—have been holiday hotspots for decades, the lush hills of the northern countryside have recently garnered heightened appreciation and attention following the success of Luca Guadagnino’s renowned Call Me

By Your Name.

Name. Hidden in this northern greenery is a family-run wine-making company— Campione dei Colli Briantei—which I had the privilege of visiting. Speaking with the owners and oenologist, I came to better understand and admire this project full of personality and character.

These conversations primarily focused on why and how the company started, and what a wine-making company looks like from the inside out. Speaking with the inspirational female business owner, Barbara Biraghi, I learned that Campione dei Colli Briantei (Campione for short) was born with the goal of rediscovering and utilising a territory that had been dedicated to vine cultivation long before the 21st century. 600 metres high and situated between Milan and Lake Como, the company enjoys a particularly apt climate for vine cultivation. Furthermore, the terracing is entirely south-facing, benefits from a constant northern breeze, and the soil has never been intensively farmed—consequently brimming with essential minerals and biodiversity.

Barbara’s role as manager of this little Eden is to take care of the overall development of Campione. She explained to me how it all started as a “beautiful dream,” and mentioned how “every day, looking at the soil terracing made with incredible effort by Cistercian monks in the past,” she simply “couldn’t throw away all their labour.” Consistently “hearing talk about climate change, decimated bee populations, aggressive agriculture, and polluting pesticides,” she subsequently felt that if she “had the privilege to live in this small paradise,” she “had the duty to properly preserve it and make it thrive.”

tsome companies in Italy which produce excellent red wines at even higher altitudes.”

When discussing the next steps for the company, Barbara explained to me that the first four harvests have demonstrated “the potential of this wine.” The Merlot proved to be of great promise from the start, but the first bottle has yet to be finalized as Barbara wants it “to be a truly great wine, not a trial.”

The company is a tight-knit one, and Barbara the

explained that “when I organize tastings in the

subsequent industrialising phase that the Po

cellar, I involve the whole family with the experts.”

valley went through, most farmers had left the

She discussed how the wine unites the entire

countryside to work in factories.” Although these

family, and she hopes that it will continue to do so

farmers included those in Campione, Barbara

for future generations. Although she states that

explained that thankfully, “the last years have

she “still can’t spoil” or reveal the label, she did say

seen a widespread rediscovery of agriculture,

that it will include numerous familial elements and

especially by people like me, who intend to carry

that “an animal I particularly love will become the

out a responsible form of farming, with special

symbol of the company.”

Barbara

explained

attention

to

the

to

me

“that

environment.”

with

Campione's

attention to sustainability is evidenced by the

The oenologist described himself as “the first

company’s goal of being certified as organic and

interpreter of the vision of the family, which needs

Barbara's

of

to be shared for the project to be carried out in the

introducing hives on the property to increase

best way.” Regarding Campione, he “immediately

biodiversity. She excitedly remarked, “today, we

fell in love with the land” and “with the people, who

also produce amazing honey, without the use of

exuded their passion for those territories.” He went

any chemicals!” Having tried this honey, I too

on to explain his goal of creating “a wine that is an

proclaim its undisputed greatness.

expression of the land of which it is born” that will

commendable

side

project

ultimately “bring to the glass the passion and This is not to say, however, that it has been

enthusiasm of the people.”

smooth sailing. Barbara explained to me that the most difficult hurdle she faced was having to

Immersing myself in this little piece of heaven, the

“recover the terracing, which was completely

passion and dedication with which it is cared for

covered in brambles and low-value woodland.”

was

This was a particularly labor-intensive step due to

Campione will surely be a project to keep an eye

Italian bureaucracy, which Barbara described as

on. The special attention given to environmental

“tricky” due to the abundant “bodies constantly

sustainability, mixed with the intimacy that only a

investigating, verifying, and inspecting.”

family-run endeavour can have, will undoubtedly

tangible.

Hidden

in

fairytale

greenery,

produce a unique and delicious wine, and it was Thankfully, she persevered, and during mandated

wonderful speaking with such an inspirational,

historic research, Barbara found “a 19th-century

empowering, and resilient woman business owner.

land registry showing the territory had been cultivated as a vineyard for a long time.” Despite this, I learned that, unlike the Tuscan countryside, the Brianza hills are not known for wine. However, Barbara explained to me how since these hills had been dedicated to winemaking in the past, she considered

bringing

vineyards

back

to

the

territory a “natural choice”. She went on to further discuss how “the easier choice would have been to make white wine,” as the high altitude made red wine production risky. Despite this, because she and her family enjoy red wine, the family decided to take the risk since “there are already

THE BEST ‘SAFE SPACES’ FOR WOMEN IN LONDON

8

BY FAYE ELDER Us women know all too well how hard it is to truly feel safe in London. A night out can quickly turn sour, and simply walking home at night can be a terrifying experience, where we’re constantly looking over our shoulders for danger. But fear not: there are safe spaces out there for us ladies. From nightlife to casual events, here’s the inside scoop on some of the best places for women and non-binary folk to hang out in a safe environment, starting with one of the biggest concerns for women: feeling safe on a night out. Now, this is not to say that you shouldn't still keep your wits about you (same rules apply for getting home safely) but these are some great spots to feel safe, meet new people and enjoy a great night out:

Sexy Lady Massive (@sexyladymassive on Instagram) host ladies-only raves in London and Bristol every couple of months. Having been to a few of their events myself, I’ve certainly always felt safe here. And it’s not just a rave as you can find a variety of pop-up stalls at each event, ranging from tooth gems to tarot card readings.

Even if you fancy going alone, they have a group chat to organise meeting your fellow female ravers beforehand. Sexy Lady Massive forefronts safety with an all-female team (including security) and the location for each event is emailed to ticket holders on the day. Keep an eye on their Instagram to find out when their next event is.

Lick (@lickevents on Instagram) is another female-only club night with events in Manchester and London. Their events are geared more towards Queer women, but allies are certainly welcome as well! They also keep the location of their events private, revealed only to ticket holders. LICK sometimes imposes age restrictions, so check their Instagram beforehand to see if the event is for you.

G.IRL (@g.irlevents on Instagram) are another collective who host events in London for women and non-binary folk only. It’s a great place for a boogie and to enjoy your night if you’re searching for somewhere without men. They also hold a singles mixer for Queer individuals, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their Instagram to see when they’re next event is coming up.

PXSSY PALACE (@pxssypalace on Instagram) is, as their Instagram bio states, a proudly “BIPOC club night for queer women, trans, non-binary and intersex babes”.

Aside from the great music on offer at their club nights, PP clearly put a huge amount of thought into their attendees’ wellbeing - from their Taxi Fund and PP Support Team to their ‘Sanctuary’: a safe room with calming activities at all of their shows, which you can take a break in at any time if you’ve partied a little too hard. Their next club night is on 29 March and more information can be found on their social media.

FEMMESTIVAL (@femmestival.uk on Instagram) is aimed at countering the lack of female artists at festivals and concerts. With female-only lineups, their events celebrate women in the music industry. Although men are welcomed to enjoy the music on offer, FEMMESTIVAL takes a no-nonsense response to harassment and will ensure you can feel safe whilst watching some amazing female artists. The next showcase (at which we’ll be launching this print issue!) will be held on 2nd April, and more information can be found on their Instagram.

If nights out aren’t your thing, or if you just want to find some cool places to hang out during the day, there are also a great variety of safe spaces for us girls and non-binary folks to hang out.

The Vagina Museum located in Bethnal Green is a free museum dedicated to educating and destigmatising the anatomy of women and those with vaginas. This is a great place to brush up on your biology knowledge and contribute to the education and celebration of all things vagina.

King’s has a variety of societies that celebrate women or offer a way for women to be more represented in regards to fields of study. Some honourable mentions are the International Feminist Society, Women and Politics Society and the Black Women’s Society. These are a great way to immerse yourself in university life and make some new friends. Many more societies can be found on the KCLSU website.

Kenwood Ladies Pond located in Hampstead Heath is a great outside natural bathing pond if you feel like going for a swim. Be mindful that it is recommended only for those who are strong swimmers, given that the ponds are deep and cold, but it’s a great place to go alone or with friends on a warm summer day in London.

The Lonely Girls Club (@lonelygirlsclub_ on TikTok) hosts events for women to meet each other and make new friends. Their events range from brunches, to friendship speed dating, to karaoke – there's certainly something for everyone! Be sure to head over to their socials to keep up with their upcoming events and to make some new friends.

Whilst this is not a comprehensive list of safe spaces for ladies and non-binary individuals in London, we hope we’ve given you a great variety of spots to check out.

From huge parties to smaller initiatives, they all do a great job at empowering women, and creating spaces for us to feel safe and welcomed with like-minded people.

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10

STRAND SHOWCASE SPOTLIGHT IN CONVERSATION WITH...

BY TALIA ANDREA

11 Up-and-coming pop princess Mara Liddle describes her own music as “spray-painted in pink and packaged for the TikTok generation”. After being named one of BBC Introducing’s ‘Big In 2023’ artists last year, Mara’s been on a meteoric rise since - and her next stop is none other than our upcoming FEMMESTIVAL X STRAND Magazine showcase on 2 April.

Before the big day arrives, I decide to check in with her to hear more about her journey so far. We start at the very beginning. “In 2022, I released some acoustic songs on Bandcamp. I recorded them all on my phone; it was very DIY. “Soon after I recorded the acoustic tracks, my dad got COVID. I had to self-isolate with him for a week, which meant I had a lot of time and nothing much to do, so I made electronic versions of some of the songs. I started aiming for a more hyperpop or upbeat pop sound. That kickstarted the creation of my EP, which I made with a producer called JB Thomas.”

Mara cites her musical inspirations as the likes of Pinkpantheress, Charli XCX, and Shygirl. “I wanted to make something that I could enjoy listening to myself, and enjoy dancing around to during live shows,” she tells me.

Speaking of performing live, it doesn’t escape me that like the other two artists on our lineup, Mara also isn’t originally from London. Hailing from Stoke-on-Trent, she actually hasn’t performed in the capital yet, which makes it feel extra-special that our showcase stage will be the first she’s taking here. “With it being such a small city, everyone in the music scene knows each other, so it's quite a tight-knit community. It’s nice in a lot of ways, because it gives you some really good local connections and opportunities, but it's also hard to break out of if you want to play elsewhere.

I've been trying for ages to get gigs out of Stoke, and I’m excited to finally have the chance.”

As for what we’ll be hearing her perform, her debut EP Stalemate, released just last November, is bound to be on the setlist. A feminine, hyperpoppy offering which features slippery vocals (‘Oversharing’), peppy garage drumbeats (‘Be Alone’), and dreamy sonic landscapes (‘All Over The Place’), it’s sure to be a set which will start our showcase off right.

“It wasn't planned to be an EP at first,” Mara admits. “We made one single at a time, and they just ended up coming together really nicely.

“The lyrics are all about my own experiences,” she continues. “‘Oversharing’ is a song about when I had a year out of university and came back, and wanted to try and resocialise myself but wasn’t sure of my boundaries. ‘Hide and Seek’ is all about trying to maintain a relationship while being away from each other, and ‘Facebook Official’ is about how social media influences relationships these days. It all captures how it feels to navigate being in your early 20s, and I think it’s been a good outlet for my emotions.

“That’s also why I’m particularly drawn to bright colours and patterns for my visuals. It’s a way of clinging onto a sense of childhood innocence and fun; it encapsulates my reluctance to ‘grow up’ in the same way my lyrics do.”

Nevertheless, Stalemate isn’t all we can expect from Mara’s performance. I ask her what else she’s got in the pipeline for 2024. “I recently made a bunch of new songs. I headlined a local festival last year, called Cable Festival, and we realised while preparing for the performance that I didn't have enough material for a headline set. So we made five songs in five days, all of which I think are really cool! They need a little bit more development, but hopefully they'll be released at some point soon, along with some other songs I’ve been working on.”

New music isn’t the only thing Mara’s been working on either - her live setup has recently been upgraded to feature more fun effects, including live autotune, I’m told. On top of that, “I also like to dance and get the audience involved if I can,” she says. “When the audience is having a good time, I always feel more empowered to add to my performance and dance around more! I hope it's gonna be a fun time for everyone.”

We’re sure it will be, with such a superstar lineup in store. Mara agrees. “It’ll be fun! I'm especially looking forward to seeing the other artists’ performances, since I think they’re very cool. I'm nervous too, of course, but overall very excited!”

IN CONVERSATION WITH

KA

BY TALIA ANDREA

Y

n

Le

b o

i

g

h

e l 12

Kayleigh Noble joins our Zoom meeting room all the way from Dublin, Ireland. She tells me the music scene has been thriving there lately, and it’s easy to see why with someone like her taking stages across the city.

A genre-fluid artist who has racked up impressive credentials on stages and on streaming services alike, Kayleigh’s next destination is FEMMESTIVAL’s live music showcase in London on 2 April.

Nevertheless, it’s not the first time she’s come down to England’s bustling capital to perform. “I lived in London when I was 18, to study vocal performance at university, but I soon dropped out,” she tells me. “I used to leave class to go and record music with my friends. We used to rent a looper pedal and play around with it, layering our vocals with harmonies. We thought it was way more fun than being in class, and so we decided to just leave and pursue music outside of university!”

“It was actually very impulsive — I probably should have thought it through a bit more,” she admits, laughing. “I remember lying to my mom as well — she asked me, ‘How’s class?’ and I said ‘Oh yeah, it’s amazing’. At that point I wasn't even in college anymore, I was working full time in a bar!”

I ask her what drew her to first pursue music.

“Although I didn’t realise it at the time, I’ve always used music to vent how I felt. For example, I came up with my first single ‘Stay’ while sitting on a bus in Amsterdam. I had a huge crush on a guy I knew at the time, and I wrote the lyrics about him! Making music is a very therapeutic process for me.”

The emotional intensity of her projects has clearly carried over into her later music, including her debut album Just A Girl, which Kayleigh released on 19th October last year. With its thrillingly dynamic array of songs — T from the bumping bad-girl anthem ‘duh!’ to the heartrending collection of recorded voice notes on ‘Hot Mess Interlude’ - the album tracks everything it means to be ‘Just A Girl’ in the world. “I started writing a lot of the songs while I was still in my last relationship. Interestingly, all of those songs were really heartbreaking and sad, which was my first sign that maybe it wasn’t a good relationship for me.

“That relationship turned into a shit-show soon afterwards, and once I left that situation, I just wrote about my whole experience. That was when the album started coming together.”

Nevertheless, it wasn’t all “I hate you, you make me sad, I'm so lonely”, as Kayleigh puts it to me. “There was a turning point as I wrote some of the other songs, like ‘Flirtin’ W My Dealer’, ‘Duh!’ and ‘You Make Me Sick!’. which were more about bouncing back from the relationship. I feel like the album followed me through every stage of the breakup, from leaving the relationship to the aftermath, and I liked that there was that contrast across the album.”

That contrast also influenced the title of the album.

“There’s a song on the album called ‘Sad Girl’ and I thought maybe I’d name it after that. But then I decided to call it ‘Just a Girl’, because I didn’t want to tie myself down to one thing. It’s about all the emotions I went through, not all of which were sad.”

I find it inspiring to hear her push back against the boxes which the music industry so often wants to place women neatly into. I soon find out her sound isn’t the only area in which she refuses to be pinned down — so is her image. “My image changes as I change as a person.”

“For example, for Just a Girl it was all about a very delicate time in my life, so we went for a kind of ‘doll’ aesthetic for the music video and branding.

Our concept was the idea that ‘to be a woman is to perform’. It was very white, soft, and angelic.

“Whereas for the new music I’m working on now, it’s the opposite of that. I'd like to say it’s ‘Maneater’, but it’s not even ‘Man-eater’ — it’s just ‘Eater’!” She laughs. “It’s a lot more fierce. To put it another way, it’s like the reference has gone from Just A Girl to a woman.

“I would never narrow my image down to one thing — it’ll always change as I change, and as my music changes. I feel like sometimes people don't really get that, but I don't really care what they think!”

Kayleigh also takes an admirable approach to uplifting other women in music: from start to finish, she ensured that Just A Girl was almost exclusively worked on by all women, in areas including artwork, photography, styling, creative direction, production and mixing. This makes her an even more perfect ambassador for the upcoming all-female FEMMESTIVAL showcase, where she’ll be sharing the stage with fellow firecracker artists Mara Liddle and FLEUR ROUGE. With a glint in her eye, she tells me she’s already curated a setlist for the occasion: “I have some good songs lined up!”

Does that include any new ones, I ask? “For sure!”

She says. “I’m working on some new music at the moment. I have a three-track release coming out in May, which I can’t wait to share. I also have some remixes left to release from Just A Girl, which are so sick.”

I can’t wait to hear Kayleigh’s soundtrack to girlhood (and pending ode to man-eating womanhood) performed live — but of course, with just a few weeks to go before the big day, I want to know how she’s feeling about it all. “I’m so excited! I love performing in London! My best friend, and all my other friends from college, live there. The fact that I've known them all since I was 18, and now they can come and see me play a show there, is such a nice feeling.”

IN CONVERSATION WITH

F L E U R

R O U G E

BY TALIA ANDREA

14

The final STRAND showcase spotlight of this season is with FEMMESTIVAL showcase headliner FLEUR ROUGE, and while she’s last on our lineup, she’s the furthest thing from least. The half-French, Londonborn singer seems to be a firm believer in ‘more is more’, flaunting her femme-fatale attitude proudly both on and off-stage.

Fleur’s full EP is set to launch in late 2024, which is a date (well, season) we’ll be marking in the calendar. Her mention of pre-released single ‘God Complex’ reminds me of an Instagram reel she posted explaining the story behind the song: a three-hour date with a guy who wouldn’t stop talking about himself.

“I’m absolutely a feminist,” she tells me when I first ask about her musical style. “But it’s not about bashing men. I want my music to empower women, and when they’re listening to it, I want them to feel like a bad bitch!”

“‘God Complex’ is a way of poking fun at the men who love themselves too much, while also touching on the misogynistic aspect of it. I’ve definitely been on dates with men who have acted like they're God's gift to everyone around them just because they're a guy.

“I wanted the lyrics and the production of my music to make sense in terms of that goal. A ‘future pop’ sound that's industrial, and hard-hitting, feels very sassy to me. It's a ‘zero fucks’ kind of energy.”

Listen to any of the tracks from her latest EP, What Makes U Think I Care?, and you’ll get that impression straight away. The lyrics of closer ‘Cold Feet’ accost their (male) target — “What are you crying about?”, Fleur asks two seconds in. “I just wanted you for the count / You don’t need to ask the amount / You were the fix that I needed for now,” she states cooly above a cutting electronic instrumental, full of tunneling synths and razor-sharp drums.

“I worked on that EP with my ex-boyfriend,” she tells me. “We spent a long time thinking about the direction we were going to take it in. We decided on a much harder sonic space than my first few singles. It's got a similar vibe to GIRLI, or July Jones.”

Songs like ‘Vices’ also hint at her French heritage, with bilingual lines like “J’ai toujours envie pour the late nights, the white lines … Je suis comme ça, tu ne me changeras pas.” [“I always want the late nights, the white lines … I’m like this, you won’t change me.”]

The show already promises unreleased music from the other two artists, and FLEUR ROUGE is no exception to this rule. “My new EP is currently in progress,” she relates. “There are going to be 6 tracks on it. Two of them are already out: these are ‘Trust Fund Baby’ and ‘God Complex’.

“The next song I’ll be dropping is called ‘Lost Cause’. I wrote it about being in a relationship with somebody who was also in the industry. It’s about the feeling of being with someone that you care about, but no matter how much you try, the relationship won’t work out. It’s almost a ballad, but not quite, since it’s got some strong drum sounds and it’s quite heavily produced. It is a sadder song in terms of the melody, but beautiful nonetheless.

“Then I’ve got another song coming out after that, called ‘Scumbag’, which I wrote about a friend who was cheated on by her boyfriend. It’s got a very Billie Eilish energy to it. I’m excited to share both of them.”

“I just wanted a song where girls could poke fun at the situation without it being nasty, because that's not the vibe I wanted at all. We dropped the music video for the song a week ago and we used a green screen for some really funny moments.

There’s a scene where I’m holding the guy in my hands and I'm shaking him like I'm King Kong!”

If that description doesn’t make you want to drop everything and watch the video immediately, we don’t know what will. The King-Kong-inspired music video storyline aside though, I want to know how the real experience ended. “The guy I was on the date with was just so irritating. He didn’t listen to a word I said. At the end of the date, he was like, ‘Do you wanna go somewhere else?’, to which I said I’d rather watch paint dry.”

I wonder if he’s heard the song, I tell her. She laughs. “I don't think we follow each other anymore, but it would be funny if he did. He'd probably skim over it, and think there was no way it could be about him!”

Although Fleur’s date made a terrible impression, Fleur herself is all about making an impression when she performs her songs live. “I'm always moving around — my performances are very dynamic, and I love crowd interaction. I try to make them as exciting as possible for the audience — I want to give them the full experience!

My drummer also has an interesting setup which is split between a live drum kit and an SPD drum pad. I think our set at the FEMMESTIVAL showcase will give the audience some nice surprises.”

And how is she feeling about headlining the whole night, I have to ask? “I think it's really cool to be part of an initiative representing female artists.

The music industry can often be a very sexist and frustrating one to work in, and it feels like it often pits women against each other. So, when we have the opportunity to get together as women in an empowering space, I'm all for it! I can’t wait.”

15

KATHERINE PHILIPS: THE SAPPHIC POET OF THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR

BY ANNA MOWERY O my Lucasia, let us speak our Love, And think not that impertinent can be, Which to us both doth such assurance prove, And whence we find how justly we agree.

‘To my Lucasia, in Defense of Declared Friendship’ Conversations about pre-modern sexuality

When

she

have

married

to

rarely

included

the

women

who

was

sixteen,

James

Philips

Katherine

was

(1624-74)

and

contributed to the period’s queer landscape.

moved to the small town of Cardigan in

When sexuality is on the table for discussion,

Wales. Katherine wrote a handful of poems

most often people bring up the works of male

for her husband, but they describe their

writers of the period. Shakespeare’s sonnets

relationship with a relative coolness that

addressed to a young man, the accusations

emphasises her duty to him as a wife over

against

for

any romantic feelings. Her most intimate,

homosexuality, and so on. Rarely do we hear

Christopher

erotic verses are reserved for her friends

about

who

Mary Aubrey and Anne Owen, both of whom

addressed a number of intensely passionate

were members of Philips’s literary coterie,

love poems to women. Her poetry earned her

which she called her ‘Society of Friendship’.

Katherine

Philips

Marlowe (1632-1664),

recognition as one of the best-known woman poets of the seventeenth century. Yet as

To each member of this society, Philips

time wore on, she fell into almost obscurity,

assigned

a

only recently being rediscovered by scholars

pastoral

romances:

interested in studying women’s poetry and

Antenor, Anne Owens was Lucasia, Mary

queer narratives.

Aubrey was Rosania, and Philips assigned

name

inspired her

by

French

husband

was

herself the name Orinda.

Under the name Orinda, Katherine Philips became one of the most acclaimed women poets of the seventeenth century for her poetry about love, politics, and friendship— especially passionate female friendships.

The intensity of emotion and the erotic images in Philips’s poetry all suggest that her

feelings

towards

these

women

extended far beyond just friendship.

Her lyrics are often charged with erotic images and metaphysical conceits that one would expect to find in the rather lascivious poetry of contemporary male writers like John Donne, Andrew Marvell and Robert Herrick.

16

Mary Aubrey was one of Philips’s oldest

Many contemporary male poets such as

friends and the recipient of nine of Orinda’s

Thomas Carew, Richard Lovelace, and Henry

poems. In December of 1651, Mary Aubrey

Vaughan (who was part of Philips’s literary

married and began to distance herself from

coterie) also wrote extensively about this

her relationship with Philips. Philips wrote

kind of spiritual love in which two friends’

about their separation as a type of death:

souls

become

emphasised

one;

that

however,

this

bond

they

occurred

between men. Philips was one of the first writers to describe this type of love, the

’Tis now since I began to die Four months, yet still I gasping live; Wrapp’d up in sorrow do I lie, Hoping, yet doubting a reprieve.

Adam from Paradise expell’d Just such a wretched being held.

Neoplatonic

ideal,

specifically

between

women, making her work particularly unique and innovative.

Philips

often

complimented

these

passionate depictions of the Neoplatonic ideal of love with erotic imagery. She drew inspiration from other contemporary poets.

‘To Mrs. M.A. Upon Absence’ is one of many

Most

poems where Philips expresses her longing

Donne’s

and love for her friends as they gradually

Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’:

famously, ‘stiff

Philips

twin

borrowed

compasses’

John

from

‘A

distance themselves from her. It is unclear if there was a formal falling out between Philips and Mary Aubrey, but her poetry

The Compasses that stand above, Express the great immortal Love; For Friends, like them, can prove this true, They are, and yet they are not, two.

reveals how intimate she perceived their relationship to be and the devastation she experienced after it ended:

Sapless and dead as Winter here I now remain, and all I see Copies of my wild state appear, But I am their epitome.

Love me no more, for I am grown Too dead and dull for thee to own.

The last two lines of this excerpt are a very obvious reference to the concept of two friends’ souls melding into one through their union of friendship. By juxtaposing Donne’s metaphysical (and erotic) image of lovers with the Neoplatonic union of friends’ souls, Philips

Philips later became enamoured with her

creates

a

homoerotic

moment

reminiscent of Sappho’s poetry.

friend Anne Owen, who she frequently visited, and wrote nearly twenty-one poems

As scholars make an effort to reintroduce

addressed

Philips’s poetry to the canon of English

to

her.

She

describes

their

friendship as a holy union of souls, two

Literature,

halves

made

Philips

poetry

has

found

a

in

each

other.

special place in queer literary spaces. Her

Emblem,’

which

Philips

representation of passionate love between

addressed to her ‘dearest Lucasia’ (AKA

women was revolutionary in its time, and

Anne),

‘Friendship

in

begins

whole

thus

Philips’s poetry stands as a reminder that

intermixed speak / A Love that no bold

queerness is not a recent phenomenon. The

shock can break / For Joyn'd and growing,

poems

both in one / Neither can be disturb’d alone.’

charged with an intensity that is absent

The mixing of hearts and souls is a common

from those she wrote for her husband,

thread that runs through many of her

leaving us with enough evidence to affirm

poems

the

that Philips did indeed experience romantic

intensity of the passion infused into this

feelings for women. The proof is in the

about

with

‘The

friendship,

hearts

affirming

relationship.

17

poetry.

she

addressed

to

women

are

THE NEW AGE OF

There’s something significantly universally sexy about a suit.

and

I’m not quite sure if it’s the James Bond influence that plays to one’s fantasies. Maybe there's something about how Bond's suits, clean-cut and tailored to perfection, never manage to stay that way throughout the films: especially not once he gets his hands on a feisty villain, or seduces a lonely widow. Whether it's covered in blood or ripped apart, the suit still manages to look incredibly powerful… But enough of such trivial fantasies.

Time and time again we have seen the suit used throughout history to showcase authority in politics and the workplace, as well as among iconic TV and film characters, whose suits convey their personality or the historical context of the show. We might think of Patrick Jane in The Mentalist, Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders, John Luther in Luther or Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton.

The suit seems almost unbeatable in terms of its appeal and effect on the masses, but a woman in a suit? Now that’s some seriously fun power play.

For historical context, tailored menswear can be traced back to the 19th century, when it emerged as a status and social stratification symbol. During this period, the suit grew to represent the standards of authority, professionalism, and masculinity, mirroring the social norms of the day. By the beginning of the Victoria era, men of money and prominence would typically dress in a three-piece suit, consisting of a fitted jacket, waistcoat, and pants. This ceremonial attire served as a way to demonstrate one's rank and authority in the social and professional domains, in addition to generally looking elegant.

THE EVOLUTION OF WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT THROUGH THE POWER SUIT MEGAN SHEARS

18

The interwar period saw the emergence of the "power suit" as we recognize it today. For men, because of the rise of corporate culture and the expansion of white-collar professions, the suit became the uniform of choice for businessmen and executives. These were characterised by tailored jackets with padded shoulders, straight-legged trousers, and conservative colours such as navy blue and charcoal grey. The power suit conveyed an image of authority, competence, and control. This is where us girls start to get involved, all thanks to the work of none other than Coco Chanel. Her Chanel Suit, according to costume historian Harold Koda, allowed women of the time to “de-sex” their feminine look and have a more masculine appearance, encouraging them to be accepted as equals in the professional sphere.

The power suit remained the mainstay of men's fashion throughout the middle of the 20th century, only quietly changing in terms of detailing and silhouette. At the same time, it began to acquire increasing popularity among women in politics, business, and entertainment, despite early opposition from the mainstream. All of this was largely thanks to trailblazing individuals like Diana Kelton and Katharine Hepburn, who embraced the power suit as a declaration of confidence and independence. Nevertheless, it wasn't until the second half of the 20th century that women started to question the conventional wisdom around power attire, and make an effort to openly contradict this in environments where men predominated. The goal for women now wasn’t to fit in with men, but to stand out.

Women's fashion thus saw a radical change during the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, when ladies eschewed constricting clothing in favour of more useful and empowering options. The pantsuit, the female equivalent of the men's suit, was adopted and quickly became a symbol of equality and emancipation, upending conventional gender norms and questioning deeply ingrained ideas of femininity. It was also in the 1980s that the term “power dressing” was coined as a style which enabled women to establish their authority in a professional or political environment dominated by men. It is also when designers like Claude Montana were praised for contributing shoulder pad designs onto many of the blazers of power suits. (That said, as someone who was forced to wear padded blazers for school, I can safely say they are not something I would indulge in by choice… But nonetheless, they remain influential and iconic.)

In more contemporary history, the power suit is now a staple for the average women’s wardrobe.

We’ve seen female political figures donning the attire: Hiltary Cilton’s Pantsuit, Margaret Thatcher's Iron Lady Suit and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's White Suit are amongst the few. Most of these feature statement characteristics, including the aforementioned padded shoulders to signify a sense of dominance, or significant colours such as white or bright, feminine tones, as both a nod to the feminist movement of the suffragettes and to a future which was much more female.

As time continues, the power suit continues to serve as a symbol of resistance, as designers and activists push the boundaries of gender and authority in fashion. Modern interpretations of the power suit feature diverse silhouettes, colours, and fabrics, reflecting the evolving attitudes towards gender and identity. Designers such as Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, and Virgil Abloh have championed gender-neutral fashion, blurring the lines between masculine and feminine aesthetics and challenging traditional notions of power dressing.

Ultimately, the power suit serves as a powerful symbol of resistance against patriarchal norms, allowing women to assert their presence and demand recognition in political and social arenas (as they should). Given how history has been so dictated by patriarchal norms, and how our society is often still constructed and dominated by the opinions and decisions of men, I get it. The power play hits hard in a power suit, and I think all women should feel that level of dominance at some point in their life… And if the suit gets ripped apart on the way, that's just part of the fun.

19

bb yy

Growing up, painting my nails made me nauseous.

Shiny liquid spilling into my cuticles made me feel uncomfortable, ugly, even ashamed. It was a childish, melodramatic reaction to say the least, but my currently colourless fingernails show the remnants of this discomfort. I can hear what you’re thinking: “it was internalised misogyny!” But I don’t think that’s quite right.

After all, I never worried about the coloured fingernails of other girls. My bedroom walls were pink and sticky plastic butterflies decorated their borders. I had Barbies and Polly Pockets and made them get married. I begged for sparkly dresses that made me feel like a princess. I worshipped happily ever afters, I craved praise, I longed to be good and special, all those things that toy stores and films package as ‘girly’. I had no issue embracing ‘girlhood’ in all its stereotypical Western forms. While all this may be true, none of those things meant that my seven-year-old self craved being a ‘girl’.

Because, what is a ‘girl’? If scholars still struggle to define it, then seven-year-old me had no chance.

More importantly, I never needed to. ‘Girl’ was the given.

I think that was my problem with nail polish: I simply didn’t like it. Painting it on felt like an unnatural act, yet it was taken for granted as a symbol of ‘girlhood’. Friends at sleepovers and women at parties would ask if I wanted my nails painted, raising an eyebrow when I didn’t say yes, and certainly not expecting me to run to the bathroom and sob for reasons I could not understand at the time. The idea of painting my fingernails made me feel as if I was pretending.

Images of Disney Channel girls flashed through my mind and my pasty fingers suddenly felt like a monstrously unfeminine fit. It felt like locking the door to a cage that I hadn’t even noticed I was in, semi-permanently imprinting an identity that I couldn’t just take off like I could a toy-tiara.

gg ee

oo

o

s

rr ii d g g ‘ e tt aa k i n gg ‘ t k i n n f o r g r a

n

l ’

20

gg

b ii b

ii aa g rr g

It wasn't until a decade later that I would understand why this distressed me so much.

So, why were sparkly fingertips such a threat to my childhood self-perception? Without knowing it, I was beginning to negotiate the tensions between social markers of identity and my place in the world. It’s worth noting now, if my phrasing hasn’t already made this obvious, that I am a white, cisgender ‘woman’. Maybe it had been the first time that a visual part of identity misaligned with my inner self-expression. Which is, of course, a tiny taste of a much deeper experience that many people of colour, transgender and non-binary people have been forced to grapple with for centuries. A more appropriate article title may be: “white girl discovers mild gender dysphoria and freaks out”. But, for those who have taken ‘girl’ for granted, it is worth putting girlhood under the microscope.

Luckily for us, Emma Heaney provides a fascinating analysis of gender that argues "we're used to thinking of cisness as an identity: ‘one is cisgender if one is not transgender’ [or nonconforming [...]] But I'm arguing that cisness is more accurately understood as the ideology that sorts us into these two categories”. What Heaney means is that society has been programmed to see ‘cisgender’ as the default, therefore the personal attributes of everyone are assumed to be linked to their biological structure. That is, unless they deviate enough from those gendered characteristics to be deemed ‘transgender’.

Most importantly, Heaney highlights that gender under this lens is not natural, but socially produced, and everyone therefore deviates from the male/female binary in some way. Heaney’s language allows space for nuanced discussion of gender discomfort within cisgender experiences, melting the barbed wire of my cisgender girlhood into liquid metal brimming with potential

I am cisgender in the way that Heaney describes it. The socially constructed nature of gender categories may explain my disconnection from the term ‘girl’, but I’m still aware that in my daily life I don’t stray too far from the constructed gender category assigned to me. I can slip into the normative model of cisgender womanhood without too much resistance. I can take gender for granted, as my life goes unscathed whether I paint my fingernails or not. I was mistakenly taught that I liked pink because I was a girl and that my cousin liked trucks because he was a boy, and that those who questioned those assumptions were ‘confused’. I am really a ‘girl’ because I was raised to believe in ‘girlhood’. I am now faced with the task of untangling the knots those messages left behind.

The visual identities that I can afford to play with are the same that oppress trans and nonbinary people, and which are used to strategically de-feminise and dehumanise women of colour. My experience therefore does not claim to be universal and certainly not original, but instead intends to acknowledge the absurdity of this ‘feminine’ reality. Really, I ought to shut up about fingernails. I’m writing to challenge the girl who takes girlhood for granted, who thinks that feminism still concerns whether or not she ‘chooses’ to paint her nails or put on makeup. For the girls who still think that “girlhood” is natural, and not an imposed, albeit oftentimes beautiful, construction. I am trying, in my tiny way, to poke holes in my own ingrained cisgendered version of reality.

I’m humbly part of a history of womxn who have negotiated their womxnhood. But, for better or for worse, I am also a person who likes pink and was actively raised as a girl. Writing for Women’s History Month cannot exist without the acknowledgment that this celebration has always included me; my status as ‘woman’ has always been assumed and taken for granted, in both privileging and stifling ways. If we’re talking about women’s history, we cannot do so without recognising those whose womanhood had to be fought for.

For now, I’ll put down my pen and probably still won’t wear coloured nail polish. Yet, this time it will be because I can’t be bothered maintaining it when it chips, and not because it threatens a flimsy, performative sense of identity. Happy Women’s History Month to all those who take ‘girl’ for granted, and to those who put it under a magnifying glass. *Statistics from UN Women UK and Open Access Government. **Emma Heaney is an author, theorist and professor at William Paterson University. The ideas paraphrased in this article can be found in an interview with Heaney on QMPoliticsIR’s Youtube Channel.

I take for granted being able to wake up each day and play with the person that steps out the door. It’s a luxury few have. The idea that I saw nail polish as a mark on my otherwise nonpermanent body reveals how naive I have been to the passivity of my own white girlhood. The fact that I saw painted fingernails as an obstacle to my identity is a testament to how embedded in cisgendered ideology I’ve been, and how many gendered ideas of identity I still need to shed.

But I guess what I take from all this rambling is a sense of how confused I now find myself to be called a woman. How queer it is to see gender reveal parties and finally realise that — in a world where gendered violence results in over 70% of U.K. women having experienced sexual harassment in public* — raising a child as cisgendered is not an unpolitical or neutral decision at all. I’m late to this party, but now that I’m here I can’t look at another blue-or-pink cake reveal the same way again.

21

Women’s History Month Events This edition of the STRAND Magazine was made possible thanks to funding by KCLSU’s Women’s History Month fund.

The SU have an exciting range of activities lined up to celebrate Women’s History Month 2024, all centered around the theme of “Beyond Boundaries: Women’s Voices, Diverse Choices”. Teaming up with Women’s Network, KCLSU has curated a series of events to highlight

female

voices

and

open

safe

dialogues

among

our

community. From a Grrl Zine Fair takeover workshop at Science Gallery London raising awareness about the exclusion of trans people and women in healthcare, to two spin classes hosted by KCL Women’s Handball to raise money for charity, this month is packed with empowering and entertaining events. Be sure to check out everything on offer, and have a great time celebrating the community of women in your community, in London, and around the world!

All dates listed on this double-page refer to the month of March.

Shifting the Paradigm in Surgery - Conference

Looking after your hair the Sunnah way

22

Film Screening: Queen of Katwe

Women’s Spin Class

Beyond Boundaries Panel: Womxn in STEM

WHM Painting Session

Cult of Beauty Exhibition Visit

Book Swap and Friendship Bracelet-Making

Women in Wilderness Medicine Workshop 23

To our Readers, We wish you a very Happy Women’s History Month!

From the designers of this issue: Talia Andrea, Barney Nuttall, Tahmim Reza, Govhar Dadashova And the rest of the Strand Magazine team

www.strandmagazine.co.uk