Vol. 1 Issue 5
chi zhang unlikely hero
Figaro Pho
an
PRISH swimwear Chocolate, cupcakes and television
- and no, it isn’t Wonka
January 2013
Happy New Year, Maniera readers!
Editor’s Note
Happy New Year! 2012 was a wonderful and exciting year for us at MANIERA. In July we launched our preview edition, which was the culmination of much planning over the previous months. This was followed up by our first full issue in September and since then we have not looked back. In November, we were nominated for a prestigious Digital Magazine Award for Magazine Launch of the Year 2012 (New Format), which was an incredibly proud moment for all of us on the MANIERA team. Seeing our name up there with some of the best magazines out there was really memorable. We did not win the title but nevertheless it was a major achievement for a brand new magazine and COO Juliette Lord represented us at the award ceremony and enjoyed the champagne! Our readership has been steadily increasing over the last few months, and we have a readership that crosses the globe and is, just like our editorial team, truly international. We look forward 2013 with excitement and one of our goals is to get you, the reader, more involved in the content of the magazine. We want to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a feature? Are you a writer and would like to contribute to our magazine or website? Are you an artist or photographer or know one you would like to see in our magazine? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, please get in touch with us with your ideas. We are forever grateful for your support.
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To contribute or suggest a feature, contact me at editor@mymaniera.com. Yours Faithfully,
Thelma Lay
JANUARY 2013
editorial
editor-in-chief Thelma Lay
Read past issue of our digital publication at mymaniera.com/archive
writers Cyntia Aranday, Gabriel Berger, Thelma Lay, Juliette Lord, Sara Lovelace graphic design & layout Sara Lovelace
business
publisher/owner Thelma Lay chief operations officer / promotions Juliette Lord
about us
MANIERA Magazine is a fashion and lifestyle publication owned, operated and published by MANIERA LLC. Any views, opinions or interpretations expressed in columns are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Maniera LLC and its subsidiaries. Maniera LLC will not accept any responsibility for any views, opinions or interpretations expressed in the pages of Maniera Magazine, MyManiera.com or other communications.
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Where fashion and art join together to create something amazing!
Contents
January 2013 | Vol. 1 Issue 5
COVER Fashion designer Chi Zhang |courtesy of Chi Zhang
40
FEATURES Figaro Pho Prish Swimwear Fashion designer Chi Zhang
58 Regulars 28
Publisher’s Note Creative Focus Health & Beauty Mani Style Man Style Int. Travel
4 10 36 62 64 72
Chi Zhang’s Beijing autumn/ winter 2013 Brighton’s Chocolatiers Kitty Victorian and Burlesque University
16 28 38 40 54 58
Creative Focus
The Gallery of Fashion Art features several exhibitions, including “Home.” Upper left, clockwise: Agent Provacateaur 1 by Rebecca Adams; The Scoop by Candace Napier; Somewhere Only We Know by Myrtle Quillamor; The Hex by Regina Yazdi.
For art, fashion and press the lost art of fashion illustration - found Much of our understanding and knowledge about the history of fashion is gleaned from fashion illustrations and sketches. Before the advent of photography, it was fashion art that recorded the designs of the day. From the tapestries of the middle ages through to the fashion plates in the 18th and 19th centuries magazines, there has been an on-going desire to illustrate what people were wearing at that particular time. As we move further into the digital age it may seem that fashion art is under attack. Regarded perhaps as too superficial to be classified as serious art and indicative of a throw-away culture, fashion illustration has not been given the credit it deserves today. Couple that with the increasing use of photography and computer-generated images, and you could almost be forgiven for believing that fashion sketching and illustration has had its day. You only have to take a look at hundreds of fashion illustration blogs online to know fashion art continues to thrive with a new generation of fashion artists. The Gallery of Fashion Art (GoFA) aims to generate interest in this underrated art form by featuring the work of talented, known and unknown, modern fashion illustrators. It is as the name JANUARY 2013
suggests an online art gallery of fashion sketches from a range of fashion illustrators. “This is a way to revive the art aspect of the fashion world and draw interest to the next generation of illustrators,” founder and owner of GoFA Kiara Walker said. “We aim to gauge the interest of consumers. Is fashion illustration still important? We think so.” In addition to the main gallery GoFA runs “Pop-Up” exhibitions based on a selected theme, the most recent being the “home” exhibition. The artists were given a colour direction and an image of an interior space to provide inspiration for a drawing. The illustrations are available not only as prints, which can be purchased from the online shop, but can also be bought as greeting cards, tote bags and iPhone cases. The prints are also available on postcards, which can be purchased as sets by a particular artist. There is also a facility available to commission a work by the commissioned GoFA artists, details of which are available on the website. There are a wide range of artistic styles featured on GoFA: from classically elegant, through sexy and dark, to quirky and cute and the display of talent is a testament to the enduring popularity of fashion art. mymaniera.com | Maniera | 11
more from
The Gallery of Fashion Art “Home”
Clockwise from left - Luggage by Rebecca Elliston; Kerrie - The Performance Part II by Jennifer Madden; Tomorrow by Michelle Macias; Well Have a Smoke Then by Morgan Beem and Large Poster 1 by Elibee 12 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
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Chocolate&Cake www.choccywoccydoodah.com
London . Brighton
Isolophobic Fiagaro Pho created his dog-like robot Rivet for company.
n. the fear of everything
|All images courtesy of Ambience Entertainment 16 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
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Luke Jurevicius, the creator of Figaro Pho, based the main character on his own phobic experiences.
JULIETTE LORD MANIERA STAFF Phobias. The irrational fear of something may seem an unlikely starting point for the hero in a children’s cartoon, but The Adventures of Figaro Pho, a production by Australian company Ambience Entertainment, does precisely that. MANIERA spoke to the Animation Director and Co-Producer of Figaro Pho, David Webster, to find out more. “The phobic hero is actually all Luke’s creation and apparently based on his own phobic experiences,” Webster explained. “The visual look
takes inspiration from the original series, but we really turned it up a couple of notches. Luke wanted to push it, and we had the capacity to do it.” Jurevicius himself is known for a large number of unusual phobias, which include the fear of mint, prickly woollen jumpers and a fast-beating heart. This phobic personality is shared by the endearing hero of the series Figaro, who is plagued with phobias about absolutely everything. The titles to the shows are all the names of specific phobias, including well-known ones such as Arachnophobia (fear of spiders) to the more unusual such
P H O B I A S
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as Reducophobia (fear of shrinking) Transmutasanguivoriphobia (fear of becoming a vampire) and Panophobia (fear of everything). Figaro and his robot-style dog Rivet live in a rundown Gothic-style mansion built precariously on a cliff above the small town of Cogville. The dilapidated house is packed full of things that Figaro is afraid of, but the world outside is even more terrifying. Figaro is constantly being forced to come in contact with it, merely adding to his growing list of phobias. Figaro Pho originally started out in 2008 as a series of one minute shorts that were shown on Australian national television channel ABC. The cute, quirky character of the multi-phobic Figaro proved a hit with audiences and critics alike, winning a plethora of awards including the Australian Film Institute’s Best Children’s Animation and the Award for Creative Excellence in 2009 and Best Animated Series for Family, Best Animation and Best Director at the Kidscreen awards in 2010. The shorts have now been developed into full episode cartoon series, screening on ABC. Ambience employed a team of 50 artists and technicians to produce the animation based on storyboards JANUARY 2013
and concepts that were developed by Jurevicius’ studio Vishus Productions. The script and story team was managed by Ambience and Chocolate Liberation Front (Jurevicius’ production partner) while Jurevicius’s long-term collaborator Deane Taylor (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ren & Stimpy) came on board as art director. Great care was taken to hand pick the artists to work on the animation because they “needed people who could stay true to the spirit of
the original series and Luke’s vision.” Producing a high-quality animation like “Figaro Pho” is a long process. From basic sketches, the characters are taken through several processes until the model becomes a static 3-D mesh. Before this can be passed over to the animators, how-
A final sketch of Uncle Ernesto from Syngenesophobia (Fear of Relatives) episode.
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cleptophobia
n. fear of thieves or of loss through thievery
Ichthyophobia n. fear of fish
thaasophobia
n. fear of being idle, sitting; fear of boredom
“
We used Maya for 3D, Nuke for compositing and we rendered with Mental Ray. - Webster
David Webster working on an episode of “Figaro Pho.”
ever, it needs to be given a system of joints and control handles to allow the animators to pose the model. At this stage the models are known as “rigs.” Once this is complete, further surfacing, texturing, animation, lighting and composition are required to complete the film. One of the noticeable aspects of Figaro Pho is the feature film quality of the overall appearance. “We used Maya for 3D, Nuke for compositing and we rendered with Mental Ray,” Webster tells MANIERA. “It was very important to the whole team that we didn’t
series as people the world over understand fear. “It’s a unique series in terms of its look and feel, and its subject matter,” Webster says. “As the series contains no dialogue, it also has the potential to transcend age and culture. A viewer might be able to see themselves in some of the characters, or just enjoy the theatre of it in their own way.” The Adventures of Figaro Pho can currently be viewed in Australia on ABC3 which is the children’s channel of the ABC network. It also airs on Canal+ in France, and on
cyberphobia n. fear of computers
compromise on quality but at the same time, not over-complicate the pipeline. Using Mental Ray as our renderer was perfect for us in that situation where we wanted filmquality visuals but were working with television budgets. Having said that though, software is only as good as the people using it, and we were fortunate to have some extremely talented artists and technicians working on this show.” The combination of great technology and a creative storyline means that the series appeals to a wide audience. Although it is aimed at children and teenagers, it is easy to see that it could develop a large cult following with an adult audience. It is also an easily exportable JANUARY 2013
Cartoon Network in Latin America and South-East Asia. Distribution deals in other territories are currently being negotiated. “Due to its success, there are plans to develop the series further and there has been talk of a feature,” Webster says. “The team at CLF are also developing a series of games. I must say that the ABC under the guidance of Controller of Childrens’ TV, Tim Brooke-Hunt, have been so supportive of the series. They have supported it from its early days, and continue to do so which is a real credit to their vision and much appreciated by everyone involved on the show.”
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PRISH BEACHWEAR Hailing from Sao Paulo Brazil, beach and swimwear label Prish focus on a combination of top quality design and comfortable wearability. With a range of one piece swimsuits, bikinis, and beach cover-ups in a range of unique prints the Wish luxury collection would make a welcome addition to any fashionista’s suitcase. Designed in monochrome this collection has a minimalist feel and it is easy to mix and match the various pieces. The one piece swimsuits double up as great bodysuits and the bikini tops would go well with shorts or loose fitting pants. Prish beach wear can be purchased online from fashioneye.com.br. IN STORE Pesca 1151 2nd Avenue, NYC 10065, United States Foravi 542 Broadway, NYC 10019, United States Brasil MultibrandStores/ Sao Paulo SUB selection Cartel011 Choix More information on the Prish brand can be found at wishprish.com/prish |photography by GUSTAVO ZILBERSTAJN
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H&B
“Just Hair” |Photography by Rocco Rolls |Hair by Natasha Hall
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To achieve a fabulous vintage look, you need the right hairstyle. Period. This month MANIERA is delighted to introduce guest columnist Natasha Hall from Pretty Me Vintage. If you want to be transformed into anything from a 1920s flapper girl to a 1950s pin-up
then the team at Pretty Me Vintage can help with a complete makeover service. Based in London, England, they are also available for weddings, hen parties, birthdays and film and television work. Now, to get the perfect Victory Rolls!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Curl the hair using tongs or rollers. Section the hair. Choose a middle or side parting. Then section it again from just behind the ears straight up to the top using a comb or just your thumbs. Clip the back section out of the way. You will now have two front sections. One by one take each front section and back comb the base of the hair if necessary. You can do this using a comb or a brush for lighter backcombing. Now brush out the section of hair till smooth being careful not to brush out all the backcombing. This will make the hair easier to roll up and pin.
Roll up the hair and play around with the position of the roll on your head till you are happy with the look. It will now be in place and you will be holding it there with your fingers. The key now is the place the grip where your finger is so that the roll stays in the correct position and doesn’t collapse. Spray with hairspray to hold in place and smooth down any loose ends or fly away hairs. You can then curl the back of the hair or pin up in a bun or roll using the same method.
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Blurring Blurring the the lines lines Edgy Chinese designer crosses international, cultural boundaries JULIETTE LORD MANIERA STAFF Awarded the “Most Promising Talent” by Tatler magazine in 2012, Chi Zhang is emerging as one of China’s leading fashion designers. Born in Beijing, China, Chi Zhang moved to the United Kingdom at 16-years-old to study fashion. He then moved to Italy to complete a master’s degree in fashion at the Instituto Marangoni in Milan,before returning to China to launch his design career. In 2007, Chi Zhang presented his first fashion collection entitled “Rock Spirit” in London, which was extremely well-received by fashion critics and buyers. He went on to present his Fall/Win- Chi Zhang ter 2009 collection in Berlin, and became the first Chinese designer to be invited to the Korea Spring/Summer Fashion Week 2011. His unique look is a mixture of avant garde design coupled with expert tailoring skills which produce striking silhouettes, and although best known for his men’s fashion, he also produces designs for women. His outfits often combine a mixture of fabrics and textures, as well as mixing up a variety of styles in a single outfit,for example an elegant male suit with thigh high leather boots. The Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 collection includes a wide variety of pant styles, from skin-tight leggings to glittery shorts; structured suit trousers to mid-calf capris. These are combined with jackets which range from a military look to transparent pvc and cropped leather. The entire range is exciting and innovative with an edginess that is nevertheless wearable. With China’s economy growing and predicted to become the world’s biggest luxury market in the next few years, we can expect to see Chinese creativity and fashion flair increasingly on display on the runways of London, Paris, Milan and New York. Shanghai and Beijing Fashion weeks will definitely be ones to watch. 38 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
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Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 Chi Zhang @ Beijing |Photography courtesy of Chi ZhANG
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Autumn/Wint Chi Zhang 42 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
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Choccy-Wahky-Wah?
ChoccyWoccyDooDah! Brighton chocolatiers take on chocolate, cakes and... television?!
JULIETTE LORD MANIERA STAFF
|All Photos Courtesy of Choccywoccydoodah 54 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
If Willy Wonka ever decided to make cakes then he would probably be after a job with the eccentric bakers and chocolatiers at Choccywoccydoodah. Located in the fashionable Lanes area of Brighton on the English South East coast, just a few minutes stroll from the seafront, and with a sister shop in in the heart of Soho just off Carnaby Street, London W1, these guys make cakes like nobody else. These stores are like fantasy island but made in cake and chocolate. Brighton is where Choccywoccydoodah started and is still where all its amazing creations are lovingly made by a small group of dedicated culinary artists who are still friendly enough to do guided tour for visitors when time allows. This is not the JANUARY 2013
Inside Choccywoccydoodah.
place for anyone on a strict no-carb diet, as these cakes include a liberal portion of hedonistic pleasure in each slice. Its bespoke cakes are works of art, with incredible attention-to-detail, and they are happy to consult with you on a one-to-one basis to discuss your own unique requirements. Whether you want classic elegance, something funky and modern or something with a more adult appeal, Choccywoccydoodah has it covered‌ in chocolate,of course! Specialist chocolatier florists make by hand from solid chocolate the most astonishing chocolate flowers. This top secret technique is completely unique and does not involve any pastes, fondants or glycerine. Just pure chocolate! Just around the corner from the Brighton store the Bar du Chocolat is the cafÊ version of ChoccywocJANUARY 2013
Choccywoccydoodah Brighton staff pose for a photo outside the English South East coast store.
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Inside
Choccywoccydoodah,
the chocolate flowers are created.
cydoodah specialising in Belgian hot chocolates, homemade cakes, ice cream milkshakes, sundaes and chocolate dipping pots. The Choccywoccyboudoir is an intimate boudoir style space which is available to hire in two-hour slots to enjoy chocolate decadence privately with a few chosen guests. The London store also has a “Secret Room” which can be hired for up to 35 guests. However, they are not just famous for cakes and chocolates - the team at Choccywoccydoodah have become television stars. The first three television series named “Choccywoccydoodah” consisted of 10 30-minute episodes and have broadcasted in the UK on the GoodFood Channel, and sold worldwide to Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Germany and various
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countries in South America. They just finished filming the fourth season of a new TV show which will involve a slightly different format entitled “The great Choccywoccy Challenge,” which will be aired in the UK around Easter. This series involves creating cakes for high-profile people. In one episode, the team meets up with Whoopi Goldberg and take a cake commission for her friend, one of the next New York Mayoral candidates Christine Quinn. In another episode, the team creates a cake for Los Angeles-based author Jackie Collins. Further details about Choccywoccydoodah and how to order one of its fantastic creations can be found on its website: choccywoccydoodah.com. JANUARY 2013
s e c i v r Se
PRIVATE APPOINTMENTS • PARTIES WEDDINGS • PHOTOSHOOTS TV & MEDIA • CORPORATE & THEMED EVENTS
r i a H
QUIFFS, PRETTY BANGS, POMPADOUR CURLS, ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ROLLS!
p u e k a M
MANICURED BROWS, DRAMATIC LINER AND PERFECT POUT!
/prettymevintage @prettymevintage JANUARY 2013
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Pretty Me Vintage images and vintage girl graphics are Copyright © smith design 2012. All rights reserved.
www.smithmultimedia.co.uk.
art of teasing The
an artform. a dance. burlesque.
Juliette Lord MANIERA STAFF
and actress, Lydia Thompson, circumnavigated the puritanical Victorian attitudes towards exposed flesh by wearing flesh-coloured The art of burlesque has expepantyhose and created a storm by rienced a huge revival over the last simultaneously shocking and thrill10 years, and now thanks to some ing their audiences with this illusion amazing performers, like Kitty Victorian, anyone can learn to do it! of bare legs. In 1868 the Blondes, so named Any age, any size, any gender, you do not have to be a great dancer, you because all of the dancers had peroxide blonde hair, crossed the Atlanjust need passion. Not to be contic and arrived in New York and the fused with strip tease, burlesque is not simply about getting naked. It is rest, as they say, is history. Burlesque took off in America and remained more of an entertainment art form based around dance, musicality and, hugely popular throughout the 19th century. of course, the art of the tease. Around the same time at the FoKitty Victorian has a background in musical theatre, but what lies Bergère and the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the French, less conservareally got her hooked on burlesque tive than the Brits and Americans, was the tease. “What really got me interested in were enjoying the can-can, which burlesque is the sexual power found showed a whole lot of leg and without the flesh coloured tights. in the art of the tease,” Victorian In the 1950s with the advent of said. “For centuries, women have the pin-up girl, burlesque experibeen scrutinized for the same sexual enced a resurgence in popularity desires and behaviors portrayed by although it had never really gone men and burlesque brings sexual away. Fabulous acts such as Rosita power and ownership of sexuality Royce with her bikini made from to the performer while, at the same time, combining theatrics and artis- pigeons and Lili St Cyr, in her trademark transparent bathtub, wowed tic talent. And who wouldn’t love the audiences with their unique acts. the gorgeous costumes?” Burlesque aptly enough began in Whilst flying bikinis maybe beyond the music halls of Victorian London. the capabilities of most of us the art of burlesque is not. The British Blondes, led by dancer
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KITTY VICTORIAN performing at a variety show. |carlo pizarro
Burlesque is a matter of passion. Classes are held around the world like the one above from the Burlesque University in Phoenix, Ariz., USA.
“The essence of burlesque is the power of a woman’s sexuality,” Victorian said. “Once a woman can truly find her inner goddess and make no excuses, no apologies and no regrets that is the essence of burlesque. From that comes confidence and that is a woman’s best asset. With that asset one can find power and with that power one can tease that is burlesque.” So the right attitude and mindset is essential to be a good burlesque performer, but clearly there is more to it than that. One is finding the inspiration. “My favorite burlesque performer is Immodesty Blaze in the UK,” Victorian said. “She’s a beautiful person inside and out. But I find inspiration everywhere; fellow performers and artists, in music, in the kitchen and in life!” Learning how to move and developing good sense of timing is also necessary. Surprisingly, Victorian does not consider being a good dancer as a prerequisite, but strongly recommends getting tips from a
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veteran performer. Burlesque classes are held in cities across the globe, but make sure that the teachers are experienced and know their craft. Ms Victorian’s Burlesque University offers PhDs (Pretty hot Degree!) in burlesque. “Burlesque University is a great resource because we have not only resident faculty, but also feature guest professors to provide a limitless supply of new teachings and new opportunities,” Victorian explained to MANIERA. But burlesque is just for the girls, right? Wrong. If anyone thinks burlesque is just for the girls then think again. “Boylesque” is now becoming increasingly popular, according to Victorian. Age is no barrier, either. The oldest student to enroll at the Burlesque University was 62-years-old and went on to perform in the DC Gurly show several times. So if getting fit is one of your resolutions for 2013, why not dig out some tassels and get inspired by burlesque. JANUARY 2013
Click here to find out more about Kitty Victorian’s Burlesque University
Mani Style
The
elegant silhou ette Find the perfect silhouette for the perfect day, evening and event JULIETTE LORD MANIERA STAFF
Peach Girdle by What Katie Did 62 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
Wriggling into a tight-fitting dress can be a soul destroying experience. Lumps where no lumps should be suddenly appear, ruining that elegant silhouette. However, help is at hand in the form of shapewear, undergarments which will give you a flawless shape no matter what size you are. In the ‘70s and ‘80s shapewear was abandoned by the under 50s as being restrictive and oppressive, but since 2000 modern-day shapewear has taken off. This was fuelled in part by Oprah Winfrey declaring her love of the Spanx brand which won Shapewear Brand of the Year 2012 and which have a full range of “tummy taming”, “thigh-trimming”, “butt-boosting” underwear guaranteed to iron out those lumps and bumps. This modern shapewear gives you a fabulous look from the outside and with technological developments the fibers are elastic enough to hold you in but also be relatively comfortable and are perfect for most occasions. The only immediate problem arises however if the evening involves some intimacy. Shapewear, for all the advancements, are not the most flattering of garments, being more utilitarian JANUARY 2013
than glamour. Peeling off that sexy to the style and flair of the ‘40s and skin-tight cocktail dress to reveal ‘50s, but brand-spanking new with something resembling an overthe added comfort of modern fabstuffed sausage is enough to create rics. These pieces are ever so sexy. panic in even the most For an all-over body supconfident woman. port, choose a corselette. There is also the Be wary of too much vexing issue of lace as this can how to get out cause unwanted of the stuff lumps under without tight-fitting breaking stretch fabrics. into an unLook instead dignified for smooth sweat. satin and Vinpowermesh, tage which will shapewear, give you all on the the hold but other hand, with an ultrais likely to smooth silhouelicit gasps of ette. admiration as To trim your you peel off your tummy, opt for a dress to reveal slinky waist-length girdle. With corselettes and highgirdles it is important to Cabaret in both waisted girdles comget a well-designed one black and white by plete with fully fashso that is does not roll WHAT KATIE DID ioned nylons and garter down. What Katie Did belts. So for any night has a fantastic range and, out that may end up in the boudoir, because the company is a specialthink 1940s. You can still buy great ist in faux vintage underwear, its genuine vintage undergarments if employees take the time to not only you know where to look, and eBay design pieces which look fabulous, is a good place to start. Some sellbut also to make sure the garments ers to look out for are (in the UK) do what they say, without rolling boomz10 and cladiadeb and in the or being uncomfortable to wear. USA lovebugvintage and tomtomThey ship items worldwide and have club555. However, not everyone famous wearers including Rihanna, wants to put on pre-worn undies, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Kate and finding the correct size can be a Moss and Naomi Campbell. problem. With Valentine’s Day looming Fortunately, there is a solution: on the horizon vintage shapewear is faux vintage shapewear made true definitely the way to go. JANUARY 2013
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Man Style
Chi Zhang Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 in Beijing
the Megging
JULIETTE LORD MANIERA STAFF Associated with the aerobics and fitness craze of the 1980s - a decade often regarded as a fashion black hole - leggings for women were the subject of embarrassed laughter for 20 years until in 2006 they had a fashion renaissance. Of course, the problem with leggings is they cling to any lump and bump they come in contact with, and most of us have a few too many lumps and bumps on our lower body to do the leggings justice. However, leggings can be the ultimate comfort garment. The secret of looking good in leggings lies in the styling. Rewind back to 2007 and enter the “megging” - leggings designed for men, who let’s face it, have a few lumps and bumps of their own. In January 2007, Marni sent its male models down the Milan runway in meggings made of microfiber cotton and wool. Collections by McQueen and Calvin Klein also featured these skin-tight replacements for pants - but they failed to catch on... until now. Fast forward to 2012, The Givenchy Autumn 2012 collection featured the megging worn with tailored shorts and kilts, and therein lies the secret. Meggings look great when they are worn in a layered look, which draws attention away from the crotch area which can be uncomfortable not just for the wearer but for those in the immediate vicinity. Until codpieces make a fashion return after 500 years in the wilderness, figure-hugging, stretchy fabric JANUARY 2013
pants are best left to sportswear unless you wear something over them. When worn with layers, the megging looks very much like a skinny jean and tucked into a tough pair of leather boots can start to look sexy. Just as with its female counterpart, meggings look better on tall people with good legs. They are very unforgiving on anyone short and overweight. You can team them up with oversized cotton T-shirts or long-fitted jackets. Add a pair of shorts, preferably around knee length or slightly shorter, or if you are brave (or Scottish) a kilt. Add to the layered look by adding scarves, long cardigans over the T-shirt or a waistcoat under the jacket. Piling on the layers is the key to success with this fashion statement. This time it seems that meggings may really catch on. The streets of major cities like New York and London have seen celebrities such as Lenny Kravitz, Justin Bieber and British comedian Russell Brand (always a fan of skinny jeans) wearing them. Meggings are becoming increasingly available and there are several online stores that stock them. For the daring? liquidvinylclothing. com will custom make leggings for men in any of its available vinyl, rubber look, wet look or metallic fabrics. For a more casual look, tights-for-men.com have a range of male leggings available in both ankle and capri length in a range of fabric choices including denim. Finally, for the rock star dekata.com have some really sexy, punky style shiny spandex leggings printed with a Union Jack motif that are well worth checking out. mymaniera.com | Maniera | 65
the infinite shades of
beauty The culture of sunbeds, sun worship and skin bleach
Juliette Lord MANIERA Staff While a significant percentage of Caucasians smother themselves with fake tan or take the risk of developing melanoma by using sunbeds, across Africa people are using dangerous skin bleaching creams, some of which contain corticosteroids and hydoquinone, substances banned for cosmetic purposes in many countries, because over-use can lead to de-pigmentation (white areas of the skin) and hyper-pigmentation (darkened areas of skin) and a very uneven effect, This obsession with skin tone and the willingness to use dangerous products to achieve the desired result is nothing new and for much of antiquity being pale has been the aim. White lead was the poison of choice for Greek and Roman women and men alike, and the powerful concoctions frequently led to disfigurement and sometimes death. The fascination with lead extended into the 18th century with both men and women in the French court using lead-based foundations to produce a true white skin. In Europe during pre-industrial times pale white skin was synonymous with the upper classes. The labouring masses were forced to work outside and develop a tan, and this became an indicator of low status. 66 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
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With the development of factories however the working classes were brought inside and underground to mine coal and tin and as a result they were deprived of sunlight and browned skin was replaced by an unhealthy pallor. Sun-bathing was made fashionable in the 1920’s by Coco Chanel who disembarked from a Mediteranean cruise with a tan. Prince Jean-Louis de Faucigny-Lucigine was later to say: “I think she may have invented sunbathing. At that time she invented everything!” Tans became associated with fitness, wellbeing and athleticism before the links between exposure to UV rays and skin cancer became well-publicised. The obsession with having pale skin was not restricted to the West, and indeed across Asia fair skin remains somewhat controversially desirable. The idea that fair is beautiful has been prevalent in India for centuries, again often linked to the caste system where higher castes were able to stay indoors and in the shade while lower castes toiled in the sun. The situation was made worse during British Colonial rule when lighter skin was regarded as synonymous with high status by the British. In Japan, long before contact with Europeans, white skin was valued as beautiful, as can be evidenced in the exaggerated white make-up of the geisha. But tampering with your natural skin colour often comes at a price. Most skin cancers are caused by long-term exposure to the sun, and the fairer your natural complexion, the higher the risks because fair skin contains less of the protective pigment called melanin, the very pigment that makes skin darker. UVB is the main cause of non-melanoma skin cancer.However, although sunbeds produce far less UVB rays than natural sunlight, ultraviolet light, as used in sunbeds, increases the risk of developing melanoma, a type of cancer which has seen rapid increases in recent years. “As with sun exposure, recent studies indicate a relationship between the use of sunbeds and JANUARY 2013
malignant melanoma as well as non-melanoma skin cancers, such as squamous and basal cell carcinomas,” a 2010 report by the World Health Organisation states. “Thus, the consequences of regular sunbed use may include disfigurement from removal of skin cancers, early death if the cancer is a malignant melanoma, as well as substantial costs to national health systems for screening, treating and monitoring skin cancer patients.” Throughout Africa, the use of skin bleaching creams to lighten the skin has been on the increase over the last 20 years, with an astonishing number of new creams and potions appearing on retail shelves. The use of these creams can have severe consequences including blood cancers such as leukaemia and cancers of the liver and kidneys, as well as a serious skin condition called ochronosis, which is a form of hyper-pigmentation causing the skin to turn dark purple. A report by the World Health Organisation in 2011 identified that mercury is a common component in skin lightening creams, as mercury salts inhibit the formation of melanin which in turn leads to a lighter skin tone. The report concludes that “The main adverse effect of the inorganic mercury contained in skin lightening soaps and creams is kidney damage. Mercury in skin lightening products may also cause skin rashes, skin discoloration and scarring, as well as a reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections. Other effects include anxiety, depression or psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.” A secondary result is the impact on the environment. Using these cosmetics leads to the mercury being discharged into waste water where it enters the food chain as the highly toxic methylmercury in fish. It is clear that attempts to lighten or darken one’s natural skin tone is a risky and potentially deadly practice. Given that beauty comes in every shade it is perhaps time that we all accepted the skin we were born with. mymaniera.com | Maniera | 67
the
human face of
Leila Takayama
Juliette Lord MANIERA STAFF New Years is often a time for reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future. For many of us growing up on science fiction books and films, the future includes robots. Whether it is the gun toting ED 209 from Robocop, the uber-smart Marvin the Paranoid Android from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the almost human C-3PO and his endearing sidekick R2-D2 from Star Wars, Rosie the Maid from The Jetsons or the sexy Fembots with lethal breasts from the Austin Powers movies, robots it seems come in many guises. In fact, from lethal killer to benign house servant, we attribute all manner of human personalities to fictional robots, and we envisage them as humanoid entities, designed for a specific purpose but nevertheless having an integral character 68 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
robotics Making the remarkable ‘unremarkable’ of their own. Human being Leila Takayama, named in 2012 as one of Tech Review’s 35 innovators under 35 as well as one of Fast Company’s 100 most creative people in business, initially trained in the very human subject areas of cognitive science and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, before moving to Stanford to complete a master’s degree and PhD in communication. She now works at Willow Garage, Menlo Park, California, a company specialising in robot design, control and perception and machine learning. It may seem strange that someone trained in human behavioural sciences chose robotics as a career... or maybe not. “I’ve always been interested in seeing how we can use what we know about people to
better inform the design of our technologies,” Takayama explained. “That is why I was drawn toward doing Computer Science research as an undergrad at UC Berkeley; working in James Landay’s lab there was what really set me on a trajectory toward pursuing my own research career in human-computer interaction. “During grad school at Stanford, I went from computers to robots because there is such a wide open design space yet to be explored in robotics. While there is still interesting work to be done in personal computing, mobile computing, etc., there are many more open questions in personal robotics that will require the help of social scientists.” Takayama researches into the ways in which robots and humans interact and explores JANUARY 2013
Hello!
PR2 Robot is a prototype robot aimed at the elderly and those with physical limitations, which has been designed to assist with basic housekeeping tasks such as folding laundry and serving drinks. |photography provided by Willow Garage
ways in which robot etiquette can be improved so that robots can do their assigned job in a more productive and essentially human way. She explains that both the appearance of the robot and the way in which it behaves impacts the way we humans perceive them. For example, she has worked on the design of robot PR2, a prototype of a robot aimed at the elderly and those with physical limitations, which has been designed to assist with basic housekeeping tasks such as folding laundry and serving drinks. The appearance of PR2 was critical because “the static form and appearance of a robot set the initial expectations and reactions to the system. That is why we made PR2’s head more squat than tall; it sets expectations lower for the robot’s intelligence so that we have a chance of meeting or exceeding expectations with its capabilities.” Fictional robots, particularly those in cartoons, tend to have human responses and mannerisms, thus increasing the empathy we have for them. Interestingly Willow Garage decided to hire Doug Dooley, who worked as an animator at Pixar Animation Studios, on films such as Up, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. to make the robots more appealing by incorporating these human responses into their behaviour, such as a resigned shake of their head when they fail on a task. Takayama admits to MANIERA that her own personal fictional favourite robot is MO from the Pixar film “WALL-E.” “He is a delightful character with such a simple and pure sound design, form, and life purpose. Have you ever met a robot with such a passion for cleaning? Roomba does its job, but MO loves his career” Takayama’s work involves teaching robots to adhere to social norms to avoid irritating and disrupting the work of people in its proximity. She recounts an incident in which one robot managed to commit a social faux pas. The context was an an intern challenge in which teams of research 70 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
interns got together to design a robot to serve drinks to a committee of judges and clean up after them. The goal was to deliver the best possible service with the best technical capabilities they could develop in only one weekend. “Larry Page [co-founder of Google]was one of the judges; he was so impressed with the robot that he gave it a tip, stuffing the cash into a slot on its arm,” Takayama explained. “The PR2 was running in autonomous mode at the time so it happened to jerk away, causing the tip to fall to the ground. That was awkward. The PR2 then proceeded to autonomously run over the tip multiple times with its wheels as it tried to pull away from the dining table. That was just plain rude! Of course, everyone there understood what had happened so we got a great laugh out of it, but it certainly got us thinking more seriously about how bad it can be for service robots to break social norms.” Looking to the future as robotic technologies become increasingly useful, Takayama said we will begin to perceive them as not really robots at all. She points to the fact that we are already surrounded by robots, citing the dishwasher as an example of a robot taking on the name and character of its function and use. She is happy to focus on these specific uses but nevertheless feels that robotics does not always get the credit it deserves for these technological developments. She does not envisage robots becoming companions, friends or even pets, but she does consider that we will have a unique relationship with them. She indicates that we already have relationships with our “everyday robots” such as our cars, which make use of several automation technologies such as braking systems and power steering, and that human-computer interaction takes place when we utilise our GPS navigation systems. “That’s what I mean when I say that a great future for robotics will be that they become simply unremarkable,” Takayama said. JANUARY 2013
A close up of the PR2 droid, an assistive living robot.
Travel
H Street Corridor aka
the Atlas District Washington DC
Thelma Lay & Juliette Lord MANIERA Staff When people think of Washington DC a few things immediately come to mind: The White House, the Smithsonian museum, visiting Congress or shopping in Georgetown. With a vast array of historic monuments and museums Washington DC offers endless options for the visiting tourist. But there is one area you may not see on the tour bus and that is one of the best secrets of the United States’ capital city: the H street Corridor, also now known as the Atlas District, is the only area in DC where on any night you may find burlesque, theater, miniature golf and the music of go-go and indie rock bands. Most locals best describe the area as “quirky” and in this town “quirky” is good. NCinDC/http://nabewise.com The history of the neighbourhood has been one of ethnic diversity with German, African- American and Russian among others all working and living together. Even today there is a sense of community here between the residents and local business owners. Like many parts of Washington DC, the corridor was devastated by riots that erupted following the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Revitalization of the area did not occur until almost 40 years later in the mid 2000’s. Today’s H Street still carries the same cozy, quirky neighborhood feel. Next time you find yourselves in America’s capital city, check out the corridor because it is a great place to have a drink with a friend or chat with a local. 72 | Maniera | mymaniera.com
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Rock and Roll Hotel
1353 H Street, NE Washington, DC (202) 388-7625. This is not actually a real hotel but a large live music night club.The decor has been largely influenced by the legendary Chelsea Hotel in New York, and is a popular venue for new upcoming indie bands, as well as large bar upstairs with a live DJ. Details of who is playing and what is going on at the Rock and Roll Hotel can be found on its website. http://www.rockandrollhoteldc.com. The Rock and Roll Hotel is a live music-style night club, and includes bars and decor inspired by the Chelsea Hotel in New York; Meanwhile, H Street Country Club awning catches eyes from the street. |John Shore & Lisa Carey Design
The H street Country Club
1335 H Street NE, Washington DC (202) 399-HSCC (4722) This is not your usual country club. The H Street Country Club boasts three floors of games, including its unique indoor miniature golf game which comes free with dinner on several days of the week. It also has shuffleboard, skeeball and X-box Kinect available in the bar area. The menu at the restaurant is Mexican with over 25 different types of tequila JANUARY 2013
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along with a wide range of beers and award winning cocktails. http://www.thehstreetcountryclub. com
Atlas Theater and Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street, NE Washington, DC (202) 399-7993 The Atlas is a beautiful 1930s art deco-style theater and is one of the original buildings from the early days of the H street corridor. Built by the Kogod-Burka movie chain ,it was one of four movie theaters which once thrived in the area, and while many of the neighbouring buildings were destroyed by fire in the 1968 riots, the Atlas managed to survive. In 2001, The Atlas Performing Arts Center bought the theater to create a multiple venue arts center and provided the catalyst for the revitalization of H Street Northeast. The city got behind the idea in 2003, creating the H Street H-Street at night with the district’s famous Overlay which divided the street into three sections, ATLAS marquee. with the Atlas anchoring the new arts and entertain| Michael Moran ment district. The Atlas’ re-opening sparked the economic revitalization that is now prominent on H Street Northeast. As well as providing a venue for a wide range of performing arts, including film, dance, music and theater, the Atlas run professional training programs in Stagecraft and have a variety of youth courses available. For more details visit: atlasarts.org.
Contact us
MANIERA LLC P.O. Box 15379 Washington D.C., 20003 (202) 294-4147 e-mail