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FEATURED FASHION
White Shirt £30 ASOS Brown Trousers £14.99 H&M Check Top £25 ASOS Check Trousers £42 ASOS
DARK ACADEMIA: PREP-SCHOOL FASHION WITH A GOTHIC TWIST. FOLLOW THIS TREND BY STYLING PREPPY AND SMART CLOTHES IN DARK HUES WITH A MOODY FEEL. ARE YOU FEELING DARK THIS FALL?
White Jumper £18 ASOS Check Trousers £45 ASOS Black Coat £60 ASOS
Black Top £9.99 ASOS Checked Shirt £20.00 ASOS Trousers £14.99 H&M
Surelle: Waistcoat £50 ASOS Shirt £30 ASOS Trousers £45 ASOS
Brown Roll Neck £18 ASOS Black Mens Boots £32 ASOS Brown Handbag £26 ASOS
ACADEMIA, ALL ABOUT FASHION.
When you say ‘academia’ you think of long essays, dusty books and the smell of a musty lecture hall. But what was once a matter exclusive to leather-bound hardbacks has now made the jump from the pages to our wardrobes.
By Issra Ismail
‘Dark Academia’ is a fashion trend that started in 2021 but will take Autumn and Winter by force in 2022. Expect to see long coats, Doc Martens, tartan wide legs, tucked-in polo necks and leather briefcases (vegan leather of course).
But what is DARK academia fashion?
The Dark Academia trend has taken the structure of an academic aesthetic (suit trousers, waistcoats, trench coats, white shirts) and pairs this with a gothic twist. It’s classic, romantic and tragic, infl uenced by things like Greek mythology and poetry with existential themes, authors like Shakespeare, the Bronte sisters, and Jane Austen. Modern-day sources of inspiration include fi lms like Dead Poets Society and Sherlock Holmes. Think preppy, but with an edge.
Gen-Z has undeniably infl uenced fashion trends through the use of popular social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Such trends as ‘cottagecore’, ‘fairycore’ and ‘gothcore’ took off after being featured on hauls and try-ons and the ever so popular ‘what I would wear if I was in (insert fi lm, television, book title here)’ and Dark Academia is no different. Infl uencers such as @trangreeny, @lilyjcollins and @naansoutfi ts have all wielded their fashion platforms to showcase the preppy, vintage look.
Where did ‘Dark Academia’ come from?
A higher-education aesthetic has long been a staple of any seasonal wardrobe. Almost everyone has at some point owned a pair of tapered trousers. But the aesthetic doesn’t just loan itself to fashion; Dark Academia was a literary genre long before someone ironed a white shirt and stuck it on under a plaid vest. Donna Tartt’s novel ‘The Secret History’ was published in 1992 and, while it is a murder mystery, what caught most people’s eyes was the Ivy League surroundings and gothic nuances. In 2015, the genre began to grow into an aesthetic on the social media site Tumblr, with the creation of a book club that centred around classic and gothic literature; the aesthetic then grew into a distinct subculture. A rise in popularity within Gen-Z has been accredited to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdown of schools. Who said students hate school uniforms?
How to get a Dark Academia wardrobe
To dress the part, create a capsule collection of tapered trousers, pleated skirts, collared shirts, cosy cardigans, and pairs of chunky loafers. The colour palette mustn’t be too bright (though ‘Light Academia’ is sure to be a Summer trend - keep an eye out for 2023…) so start with blacks, greys, beiges and the odd navy blue piece. Layering is also key to Dark Academia styling. Incorporate different textures with knit sweaters or vests laid over button-downs, skirts worn with tights, and sophisticated outerwear like a trench coat or blazer. This doesn’t need to be expensive. Dark Academia lends itself to vintage and thrifting so you can look Oxford-ready with any budget.
Once you’ve got your crisp white shirt, long trench coat and an air of melancholy, you can pour yourself a mug of bitter black coffee and dust off a Shakespeare. You’re going to Starbucks.
LIFE AS A YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER
Photography is a popular hobby - and with good reason. It’s creative, engaging and can take you to some amazing places, but its popularity can be a hindrance.
By Surelle Momoh
How is a young photographer ever supposed to make it in the industry when there are hundreds of photographers waiting behind and in front of you in the queue?
I found my own way into photography through school. Our school prides itself on its creative offers and picking photography was a nobrainer. I’d already spent Year 7, 8 and 9 getting grips with the camera; now it was time to start using it. My style is very natural and I enjoy photographing nature. It’s always there and it’s always beautiful.
Despite its popularity, photography as a hobby is an expensive one. A professional camera can set you back hundreds, if not thousands of pounds. A good way to start is by using a camera on your phone. Pretty much everyone has a smartphone these days and even your most basic iPhone camera is good enough to take some impressive shots.
Social media is also a great resource for young photographers. Make sure your Instagram feed is full of photographers you love. Pages like ‘National Geographic’ and magazines such as ‘Vogue’ use their pages to show off their photographs. These are useful for your own inspiration and mood-board-making. An Instagram page is also a great tool for showing off your own work and creating a small following that could grow into something bigger. Photography is now a major degree at most universities in England; a career that might once have been seen as unrealistic and too unreliable, is now qualifi cation-worthy. But you don’t have to venture into the academic route if you don’t want to. A quick Google search of ‘photography courses in Manchester’ pulled up 14,000,000 matches. Some of these courses didn’t even cost anything. What’s stopping you?
PHOTOS TAKEN BY: SURRELLE MOMOH
There are plenty of ways to make a phone camera image look professional:
• Panorama Feature
Use this feature for extra wide shots, this could be from a stand position.
• Pano Drive-By
Take a panorama from the window of a moving vehicle.
• Zoom Lens
Use binoculars as a zoom lens.
• Macro Lens
Put a small drop of water on the lens for a macro effect.
• Tripod & Shutter Cable
Reduce camera shake by building a miniature tripod with a few pieces of cardboard. A shutter cable can help you operate from a distance & is great for longexposure shots.
• Underwater Housing
Place your phone in a clear glass to simulate underwater housing.
5QUICK QUESTIONS WITH AN ART TEACHER
Staying indoors during the pandemic has been very diffi cult for most of us. Whether it be falling out of your everyday routine or not being able to socialise with people, we all struggled through these unprecedented times, but here are fi ve things I did to maintain By Kindra Sowah, Precious Famuyiwa, Katie Thompson & Paula OniEro my wellbeing that you can continue to use as restrictions ease:
When you were younger, did you think you would become an art teacher?
So when I was younger, and when I was in school, I defi nitely wanted to become a teacher, I just didn’t know what subjects I wanted to teach. When I was in school, I was probably inspired most by my art teacher and then I got the best grade in art out of every other subject that I studied. So that kind of informed my decision.
What makes art so important to you?
Art is very relaxing. I’m just engaged by all different types of art, so everything around us is art, particularly like modern type of art. So not so much Picasso paintings but more sort of abstracts, colourful, questionable art.
If you could give advice to a young person pursuing art, what would you say?
How does art impact your life?
Obviously, every single day I am in and amongst art and I also quite like the fact that art is linked to fashion, and I’m quite into fashion. I enjoy going into galleries, I enjoy making art as well, in my spare time. I’m also delivering workshops in the Whitworth Art Gallery, so I deliver workshops to university students. So even at the weekends, I’m still around art!
If you could describe art in three words, what would they be?
Inspiring, engaging, and colourful. Don’t give up, because it’s a very tough industry to get into!
(Miss Moran is an art teacher working at Manchester Communication Academy)
CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES
By Leon Liu
Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, is an annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world. It begins with the new moon that occurs sometime between January 21st and February 20th, according to Western calendars, where festivities last until the following full moon. The most common greeting used during Chinese New Year is a simple “Happy New Year” in English or “Xīnnián kuàilè”, which is commonly known as meaning: “New Year’s Happiness”. Additionally, “Gung hay fat choy” is how Cantonese speakers wish you a happy new year; “wishing you great happiness and prosperity.” The two-week celebration includes family and friends, feasting and fi reworks, parties, and parades.
Chinese New Year food traditions are hugely symbolic. Traditions include serving two whole fi sh and saving one for leftovers, to represent surplus in the new year, serving a whole chicken to represent wholeness and prosperity, and serving items like spring rolls, which resemble gold bars and symbolise wealth. Furthermore, Lantern Festivals, also called Yuan Xiao Festivals, are a holiday celebrated in China and other Asian countries that honour deceased ancestors on the 15th day of the fi rst month (Yuan) of the Lunar Calendar. The Lantern Festival aims to promote reconciliation, peace, and forgiveness.
Lions play an essential role in Chinese mythology and express joy and happiness. In general, the red lion symbolises good luck and is mainly seen at weddings, the yellow lion represents fortune and is most regularly used to perform. The green lion represents money and friendship while the blue lion usually symbolises funerals because of its darker hue.
FRIGHTFUL FEMININITY: WOMEN IN HORROR
By Demi-Leigh McCormack
From the cult-classic 2009’s Jennifer’s Body to 1996’s Scream, femininity has always played a huge part in the horror genre. Is femininity something to fear or should it fear us?
The plot of Jennifer’s Body takes place after a devil-worshipping indie boy band attempts to sacrifi ce Jennifer in order to gain success, abstractly falling into the ‘behind every successful man is a woman’ trope. This causes Jennifer to be possessed by a succubus, a sex-centred demon, and exact her revenge by killing her male classmates. While the fi lm is labelled a feminist cult classic, its plot devices are questionable. The fact that Jennifer becomes a demon, because of men’s actions, and then seeks revenge by killing her male classmates by using her feminine qualities, demonises femininity, literally and fi guratively.
Next is 1996’s Scream, the typical horror slasher fi lm with the infamous ‘fi nal girl’ trope, a concept coined by Carol. J Clover in 1992. This trope follows of the main female lead being ‘the last one standing’ and the one to defeat the antagonist, usually a male. Furthermore, Clover says that “the ‘fi nal girl’ is deemed “worthy” of survival because of some moral high ground she has over the other characters”, specifi cally over other females. This compares women in an unintended yet patriarchal viewpoint as women who have ‘better and stereotypical female behaviour’ are the ones who survive over their more expressive and free female counterparts. Horror’s ‘feminist fi lms’ plots are carried out at the cost of feminity. Jennifer’s Body makes us fear femininity; presenting it as demonic and supernatural for a girl to gain revenge on males by using her body and femininity, something she is entitled to. Scream presents femininity as a rivalry where it’s a privilege to survive because of the patriarchal gender ideology that the ‘fi nal girl’ is ‘not like the other girls’. As Clover says, “She’s virginal. She doesn’t do drugs or consume alcohol. She’s kind and tries to do the right thing.“.
Image Source: 20th Century Fox
HERE’S WHY: HEALTHY EATING MATTERS.
By Precious Famuyiwa
Diet is an important topic in today’s society, and I believe healthy eating is not as encouraged as it should be. Doctors recommend 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men. The human body needs a balanced diet to work properly. Good health involves drinking 6 to 8 cups of water daily and eating the right amount of foods from the different food groups: such as carbs, fats, protein and fi bre. There are apps like ‘My Fitness Pal’ which can track your calories, but be careful because calorie tracking can be harmful at times (‘Nutrition Stripped’ gives 7 reasons why calorie counting is harmful). Estimates say that 28.0% of adults in England are obese and a further 36.2% are overweight. This percentage is shocking however we can improve this by having a healthier diet.
My Healthy Eating Tips:
Healthy foods don’t always have to be bland and tasteless, healthy foods can still be tasty! To maintain a healthy diet make sure to: • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables (your fi ve a day) • Cut down on energy drinks with a high amount of sugar • Cook at home and try to avoid fast foods as they have high-calorie content and are higher in fat.
Why not try this tasty and balanced recipe?
How to make an easy fried rice: • Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pan • Chop half of an onion and add to a pan • Crack an egg into the pan and scramble the egg with a pinch of salt and pepper • Add 150g of pre-cooked jasmine rice • Add in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce • Add in a vegetable mix of peas, carrots and caulifl ower
