Sunday 26 June 2016
Autumn/Winter 2016 project: runway response
Saturday 25 June 2016
BBB- Brexit from a Brit in Brussels
There are A LOT of B's in this blog post title... I actually considered adding a few more and calling it Becky Burns' Brexit opinion of a Brit based in Brussels... but I though 5 was a little too much!
For those who don't like reading lengthy blog posts turn back now- this one is about the Brexit.
In the lead up to the EU referendum, I chose to keep my political views off social media. I was still undecided and like to have all of the information from both sides before forming an opinion. I have never before been so torn about what to do, as you could probably tell in my 'to Brexit or not to Brexit' blog post. The EU referendum was brought forward from 2017 to avoid clashes with French and German general elections (http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/11/david-cameron-european-union-referendum), personally I felt this was a mistake. I would have felt much more comfortable making a decision on the EU after finding out who would win the American presidential election and how the EU was going to change in reaction to the refugee and various monetary crises.
Since the vote results were revealed I have been so shocked and, quite frankly, appalled by the response of those who voted remain. Never have I seen so much anger, intolerance and resentment on my facebook news feed and for a group of people whose recent campaign motto was #strongertogether it seemed ironic that they didn't want to apply this notion to their own country, the abuse I observed was mainly coming from the remainers. I have included some photos of my news feed below to demonstrate the strength of emotion. I have also blurred out the names and photos as I don't want to name and shame anyone- that's not what this blog is for. Apologies if you read this and I have used you as an example, feel free to message me if you want the status removed.
If you choose to live under a democratic government, sometimes you have to accept that your vote might not represent the rest of your country. That's democracy. if you want a democratic government but only if that means your opinion is the popular one then that is the beginning of an autocratic dictatorship. I was so disconcerted by the people who openly voted remain on my feed and their response to the referendum results calling 52% of the country racist, stupid, 'little Englanders' without giving them any opportunity to speak.
One of the major problems I came up against in the referendum build up was with the people voting remain trying to persuade me into a remain vote and effectively telling me that if I had an opinion contrary to their own I was simply wrong. I would like to take this opportunity to point out that an opinion can NEVER be wrong. It is a personal viewpoint and if you presume to tell someone that their opinion is subservient to yours I think that represents an entirely different problem in the UK.
Many people were shocked at the referendum results, myself included, and I think that comes from the fact that those who voted out and those who voted in represent completely different groups of British society. This is a huge problem, if we want a united country(in the EU or outside of it) there should not be this level of dissonance.
I am still unwilling to engage in online conversations about my vote, if you want to know you can email me or message me on facebook and I will be more than willing to discuss. The deciding factor, for me, was my answer to this question- If the UK wasn't already in the EU, would I vote to join?
All I can say is that, regardless of your opinion of the referendum, I think we, as a country, need to avoid further discord and address the problems that the EU referendum has brought to light. Why is there such a gap in political opinion in the UK? Why did we let Britain get to a stage where so many people are so frustrated with the establishment and so sick of hearing the 'informed opinions' of people seemingly superior that they voted so unexpectedly? 72.2% of the UK turned out to vote compared to a low 66% for the general elections in 2015. There is a deep rooted problem here that needs to be properly addressed by whoever take over David Cameron's position as Prime Minister.
I don't believe that not being part of the EU will be as alarming as people think. I have spoken with many of the non-British friends I have met while living outside of the UK and, if their opinions represent those of their countries and their countries governments, EU member states' view the Brexit with sadness rather than resentment. The EU was formed as a solution to the unrest in Europe and as a prevention from any future European wars, we are now all so closely interlinked that I think the idea that the UK would be isolated with sanctioned trade and no allies is unfounded.
Yes, the uncertainty is scary.
Yes, there are negative economic implications of leaving the EU.
BUT(I was always taught never to start a sentence with but, but here it is necessary) we should view this with optimism and hope. not despair, anger and nostalgia. Maybe we will go into an economic crisis with hyper inflation, reduced trade and no allies, but maybe we will embrace our new status of independence, retaining our trade links with the EU while forging new alliances with countries outside of Europe. We really don't know.
The current situation reminds me of some advice my parents used to give me when I was younger. As a child I was forced to go to piano lessons and I really hated it, I was no good at piano and a general theme in my life is that if I realise I'm not good at something, I stop doing it. Anyway, whenever I used to reach moments of despair and frustration I would loudly claim "I can't do this", I was always met with the response "not with that attitude you can't". I know I'm simplifying things hugely here, but I think this is the attitude the UK should now adopt. Regardless of your chosen vote, we need to unify and look to the future with a 'can do' attitude. The future is uncertain regardless of our status in the EU, that is the only certainty.
It will definitely be extremely interesting to see how things pan out in the relationship between the UK and the EU over the coming months. I am particularly interested to see how negotiations around the Article 50(the article to decide the terms of the separation)pan out, let's hope and pray that we can have an amicable divorce. I also extremely interested to see what happens in October as a president will be elected at the same time as we get a new Prime Minister, which is interesting to say the least.
For those who don't like reading lengthy blog posts turn back now- this one is about the Brexit.
In the lead up to the EU referendum, I chose to keep my political views off social media. I was still undecided and like to have all of the information from both sides before forming an opinion. I have never before been so torn about what to do, as you could probably tell in my 'to Brexit or not to Brexit' blog post. The EU referendum was brought forward from 2017 to avoid clashes with French and German general elections (http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/11/david-cameron-european-union-referendum), personally I felt this was a mistake. I would have felt much more comfortable making a decision on the EU after finding out who would win the American presidential election and how the EU was going to change in reaction to the refugee and various monetary crises.
Since the vote results were revealed I have been so shocked and, quite frankly, appalled by the response of those who voted remain. Never have I seen so much anger, intolerance and resentment on my facebook news feed and for a group of people whose recent campaign motto was #strongertogether it seemed ironic that they didn't want to apply this notion to their own country, the abuse I observed was mainly coming from the remainers. I have included some photos of my news feed below to demonstrate the strength of emotion. I have also blurred out the names and photos as I don't want to name and shame anyone- that's not what this blog is for. Apologies if you read this and I have used you as an example, feel free to message me if you want the status removed.
If you choose to live under a democratic government, sometimes you have to accept that your vote might not represent the rest of your country. That's democracy. if you want a democratic government but only if that means your opinion is the popular one then that is the beginning of an autocratic dictatorship. I was so disconcerted by the people who openly voted remain on my feed and their response to the referendum results calling 52% of the country racist, stupid, 'little Englanders' without giving them any opportunity to speak.
One of the major problems I came up against in the referendum build up was with the people voting remain trying to persuade me into a remain vote and effectively telling me that if I had an opinion contrary to their own I was simply wrong. I would like to take this opportunity to point out that an opinion can NEVER be wrong. It is a personal viewpoint and if you presume to tell someone that their opinion is subservient to yours I think that represents an entirely different problem in the UK.
Many people were shocked at the referendum results, myself included, and I think that comes from the fact that those who voted out and those who voted in represent completely different groups of British society. This is a huge problem, if we want a united country(in the EU or outside of it) there should not be this level of dissonance.
I am still unwilling to engage in online conversations about my vote, if you want to know you can email me or message me on facebook and I will be more than willing to discuss. The deciding factor, for me, was my answer to this question- If the UK wasn't already in the EU, would I vote to join?
All I can say is that, regardless of your opinion of the referendum, I think we, as a country, need to avoid further discord and address the problems that the EU referendum has brought to light. Why is there such a gap in political opinion in the UK? Why did we let Britain get to a stage where so many people are so frustrated with the establishment and so sick of hearing the 'informed opinions' of people seemingly superior that they voted so unexpectedly? 72.2% of the UK turned out to vote compared to a low 66% for the general elections in 2015. There is a deep rooted problem here that needs to be properly addressed by whoever take over David Cameron's position as Prime Minister.
I don't believe that not being part of the EU will be as alarming as people think. I have spoken with many of the non-British friends I have met while living outside of the UK and, if their opinions represent those of their countries and their countries governments, EU member states' view the Brexit with sadness rather than resentment. The EU was formed as a solution to the unrest in Europe and as a prevention from any future European wars, we are now all so closely interlinked that I think the idea that the UK would be isolated with sanctioned trade and no allies is unfounded.
Yes, the uncertainty is scary.
Yes, there are negative economic implications of leaving the EU.
BUT(I was always taught never to start a sentence with but, but here it is necessary) we should view this with optimism and hope. not despair, anger and nostalgia. Maybe we will go into an economic crisis with hyper inflation, reduced trade and no allies, but maybe we will embrace our new status of independence, retaining our trade links with the EU while forging new alliances with countries outside of Europe. We really don't know.
The current situation reminds me of some advice my parents used to give me when I was younger. As a child I was forced to go to piano lessons and I really hated it, I was no good at piano and a general theme in my life is that if I realise I'm not good at something, I stop doing it. Anyway, whenever I used to reach moments of despair and frustration I would loudly claim "I can't do this", I was always met with the response "not with that attitude you can't". I know I'm simplifying things hugely here, but I think this is the attitude the UK should now adopt. Regardless of your chosen vote, we need to unify and look to the future with a 'can do' attitude. The future is uncertain regardless of our status in the EU, that is the only certainty.
Just a little political humuor to lighten the mood of this post! |
It will definitely be extremely interesting to see how things pan out in the relationship between the UK and the EU over the coming months. I am particularly interested to see how negotiations around the Article 50(the article to decide the terms of the separation)pan out, let's hope and pray that we can have an amicable divorce. I also extremely interested to see what happens in October as a president will be elected at the same time as we get a new Prime Minister, which is interesting to say the least.
Wednesday 15 June 2016
The first installment: Autumn/Winter 2016 runway print report
From a print style perspective I couldn't really identify a definite theme among the catwalk florals for this season as there was such a huge variety. This being said one obvious trend emerged, dark ground florals dominated the design collections.
I particularly loved the collections where the designers paired the dark ground floral trend with a sheer fabric as shown at Valentino Red, Cinq a Sept and Etro.
One interesting thing I noticed in the A/W16 collections, which I will talk about in further detail later in this post, is how designers seem to be experimenting with texture and surfaces a lot more- both Kenzo and Etro painted floral prints onto black leather and I absolutely can't get enough of it!
At Premiere Vision, in February, one of the trend predictions for Spring/Summer 2017 was micro florals (http://textilecandy.blogspot.be/2016/02/premiere-vision-springsummer-2017.html). I have also had a dislike for mini-florals for most of my life, but these dark ground interpretations with wide spacing between the motifs have just about won me over.
As previously mentioned, not a huge fan of the ditsies. I am yet to be convinced by these colourful mini floral prints but I thought I would include them anyway as this isn't a trend report of the things I like; it's a complete report separated from my opinion.
Unlike mini prints, black and white florals are something I can completely get on board with. I especially love the brushed black print effect on a white ground at Paule Ka and Alexander Wang, I think this could work pretty well on commercial knitwear too which is always a plus.
As in the Spring/Summer 2016 collections the 'As above so below' (an opposite for every print) style continues into Autumn/Winter. For every dark ground floral, there was a light ground counterpart.
Although florals seem to be more popular commercially, I think abstract prints are by far the easier to wear. The abstracts shown on the A/W16 catwalks are no exception to this rule.
As I mentioned in the Autumn/Winter 2016 Menswear runway print report (http://textilecandy.blogspot.be/2016/02/autumnwinter-2016-menswear-trend-report.html), animal has been absent from the catwalk collections for a while. Autumn/Winter 2016 has seen a return of animal print in both menswear and womenswear.
Leopard and cheetah prints are pretty standard for animal prints- I'm much more excited by the deer skin prints at Clover Canyon and the printed fur effect in the Calvin Klein collection.
I'll be completely honest here, I thought pattern mixing would be a more popular trend when I first saw it emerge at Premiere Vision. On reflection I can understand why it might not be as it isn't the most commercial trend. Of the pattern mixing examples on the runway I did find, I don't particularly think any of them were done well. This being said, it IS a runway trend so I have to include it, but I wouldn't necessarily advise anyone working into it too much as it doesn't seem to have that much of a following.
As with the animal prints, photo prints are also working there way back into the collections.
Placement graphics were also quite popular on the runway, particularly images of two facing motifs and one centrally placed image.
Conversationals are also massively on the rise. Perhaps with all the terrorism, political stress and warnings of economic recession, designers have decided to inject a little fun into our lives. Regardless of the reasoning, I love the dark spin on these conversationals.
Normally I would include the next two boards as part of the conversationals and placement graphics boards but there seemed to be just too many birds and cats to ignore.
Now for the slogans. One huge thing I noticed about the Autumn/Winter 2016 womenswear collections was how print styles that have recently been runway redundant have now been re-employed(did I extend that metaphor a little too much....maybe?) A/W16 saw a return of animal prints, photographic imagery, conversational prints and slogan graphics.
Recently I noticed an increase in runway fashion being used as a political platform to voice opinions, often controversial ones. Autumn/Winter 2016 collections took this a step further with designers commenting on sexuality(Hood by air), celebrity culture and the treatment of animals(Elisabetta Franchi) among other things. I have to say that I absolutely love it and think that this is what fashion is meant for- to express opinions and act as a canvas for personality. I'm extremely interested to see how the high street retailers interpret the new political slogans for fast fashion.
Offering a flip side to the seriousness of the above slogan styles, the 'Positive pop' slogans are upbeat and optimistic in bright, exciting colours.
That's all the print categories I have prepared for this section of the report, but I also noticed a few popular print techniques emerging on the runway, which is more of a comment on the fabric/textile techniques rather than the print. Foil/Glitter print, solid sequin patterning and sheer fabrics with printed applique are all fabric styles that create the look of a printed garment without necessarily having to be printed.
My colour and style trend reports will be live on the TextileCandy blog by Friday this week, one again apologies that it has taken so long! x
Tuesday 14 June 2016
To Brexit or not to Brexit- that is the question!
I have been in two minds whether to even write about the EU referendum on my blog as politics isn't really my forte, but that's partly the reason I think that it's important I do write something. We are all entitled to our own opinions regardless of our level of knowledge and how fully formed our opinions are. Like so many others I am still arguing the pros and cons and deciding which way to vote, I now only have two days to decide and I feel like I am no closer to a decision.
I find myself in quite an interesting position as, living outside of the UK, I have not really been influenced by the British media- any propaganda has been ineffective on me as I simply haven't seen it. I haven't watched any TV commercials, read any newspaper headlines and the only information I have is that obtained through fairly balanced sources- perhaps that is the reason I am finding it so difficult to form an opinion!?
I've watched Brexit the movie, YouTube videos for the "remain" campaign and countless episodes of question time to no avail. The only conclusion I have reached is that each side is manipulating the facts and figures to confuse the masses and it's certainly working with me! Politicians and economists seem to have no idea what a Brexit might hold for the UK and many refuse to even speculate...which is more than a little unhelpful. It seems that there is a slight atmos-fear (atmosphere of fear get it hahaha!) in the UK circling around the uncertainty of a future outside of the European Union, but is fear of the unknown a good enough reason to stay in the EU? Are we voting on a 'better the devil you know' basis as opposed to what is best for the future?
In school, History was one of my favourite subjects and as a result of this I always look to the past to help me to fully understand decisions that might affect the future. Cliche as it may sound, it really does feel like this EU referendum is history in the making, this both excites and unnerves me. The decision British citizens make on the 23rd June will decide the UK's future involvement with the European Union, not something to be taken lightly. I feel like in order to make an informed decision I have to understand the initial reasons the UK became involved in the EU, so I thought I'd share my findings with you so here's a brief history lesson...
The European Economic Community(the originally name for the EU) was formed under the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and consisted of 6 founding members: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany(East Germany joined in the reunification of Germany in 1990). It was set up to prevent future war after WW2 and to promote economic integration between countries. At this point the UK refused to join. The UK then changed it's mind and decided to apply for membership in 1961......it was not accepted until 1973....and this is where the British awkwardness kicks in...
In 1975, only 2 years after joining, the UK held it's first referendum where 67% of the population voted in favour of the EU. In 1988 Margaret Thatcher, who many people dislike but I have an odd fondness for, made 'The Bruges speech' some of which I have paraphrased below(to see the whole speech follow this link: http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107332)
" If you believe some of the things said and written about my views on Europe, it must seem rather like inviting Genghis Khan to speak on the virtues of peaceful coexistence.....Britain does not dream of some cosy, isolated existence on the fringes of the European Community. Our destiny is in Europe, as part of the Community......But working more closely together does not require power to be centralised in Brussels or decisions to be taken by an appointed bureaucracy.....Let Europe be a family of nations, understanding each other better, appreciating each other more, doing more together but relishing our national identity no less than our common European endeavour."
After Thatchers resignation as Prime Minister in 1990, the UK relinquished an increasing amount of control to the centralised EU parliament. That's enough of a History lesson though, basically the reasons we originally joined the EU are no longer as applicable as they once were. Yes, we still have a single trade market and yes, we still have peace and integration in Europe through the EU but it now comes at a price, the price being a centralised, unelected government. Which is exactly what Margaret Thatcher and those who went before her sought to avoid in the EEC.
Post history lesson, there are several questions rolling round my mind regarding the referendum:
- How will it affect the UK economy and the stability of the GBP?
- What will be the implications of this decision on small businesses and future start up businesses?
- How will a Brexit affect my ability to work outside of the UK?
- How would Brexit affect UK trade with other countries?
Obviously there are so many more issues in relation to the EU referendum(NHS implications, housing costs, travel abroad) but I have decided to vote based on the topics that directly affect my future career and stability. Despite still having no clue what that decision might be, not voting is simply not an option... I don't want my future family asking me which way I voted in the great EU referendum of 2016 and me having to answer with "oh I couldn't decide, so I went to the pub instead"...which, as a true British stereotype, is the only logical alternative to casting a vote. This being said, I also don't want to make a hasty decision and waste my vote.
Left to right: Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Donald Trump(all such facially experessive humans) |
From what I have seen through independent media, a lot of the 'wackier' politicians and cultural figures/celebrities are the ones who support Brexit. Controversial political figures like Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Donald Trump(not that his opinion really counts as he is not a UK voter) and celebrities like Michael Caine, the UK's most loved woman Katie Hopkins(please take not of the sarcasm there) and David Icke( English write and conspiracy theorist promoter-many of which I am in agreement with). After looking at some of the popular British media sources it seems as though the 'remain' campaign has been using these figures and those choosing to support Brexit to discredit the opposition. When I vote it will be for policies and will not be influenced by the supporters.
Left to right: Michael Caine, Katie Hopkins and David Icke- Some of the 'interesting' characters voting for Brexit. |
The Brexit alternative boasts supporters such as David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyn and Barack Obama. If anything I am more inclined to vote against whatever these figures vote for as I am not a huge fan of any of the above. I think Obama made his opinion of the UK extremely clear in his recent speech- excerpt below.
Here he repeatedly refers to the UK as a friend while reinforcing the fact that the US government cares very little about that friendship when it comes to trade agreements. The US exploitation of the UK's links in Europe masquerading as friendship can be summarised in one sentence:
"Maybe some point down the line there might be a UK-US trade agreement,but it's not gonna happen anytime soon because our focus is in negotiating witha big block-the European Union- to get a trade agreement done and the UK's gonna beat the back of the queue."
Nice Obama....reallllll nice! This clip exploits the true nature America's "friendship" with the UK, where the UK acts as the US's mouthpiece to the EU- the only private members club the US has not been allowed into. I tend to react to everything Obama says as if it were the Newspeak of Orwellian literature, his words are diluted and usually the reverse of his actual meaning.
Left to right: Alexandra Shulman, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Helena Bonham Carter, Hussein Chalayan and Imran Amed. All signed supporting the remain campaign. |
Alongside these political figures, the 'Remain' campaign has an impressive list of over 280 Actors/Actresses and cultural figures in the UK who have signed a letter voting to stay in the EU. Many of them are people I admire and look up to, which leaves me in a position of cognitive dissonance where I am almost certain of my opinion but the new information I'm receiving is leaving me quite confused. Some of the signees include: Alexandra Shulman, OBE Editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Dame Vivienne Westwood Fashion designer and activist, Actress Helena Bonham Carter Actor, Designer Hussein Chalayan and Imran Amed the Founder and CEO The Business of Fashion (follow this link to see the entire list: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36340722).
As I stated in my list of concerns above the effect of a Brexit on the stability of the British pound is something I am troubled by. I currently get paid in Euros but have my savings in GBP so am quite interested to see what effect the referendum will have on the economy. According to an article I read recently on the Business of fashion website (read the article in its entirety here http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/bof-comment/brexit-bad-for-fashion-luxury-european-union-united-kingdom)
"In February, when Cameron officially announced the EU referendum, the pound plunged to a seven-year low against the dollar. If Britons vote “Leave,” its value could fall by a further 20 percent, according to HSBC."
So I guess I'll keep my savings in Euros for now then!? Interestingly enough I was watching a 2011 Ted talk today about business startups in times of recession and how "recessions are great times to start businesses", this Ted Talk and kind of puts an interestingly optimistic spin on the small business startup prospects should the UK vote to leave and end up in a post referendum recession.
One of my main concerns is how a Brexit could affect small businesses. Owning my own creative business has always been an aspiration of mine and is something I would consider doing within the next 5 years. I have been searching relentlessly for an answer to this online but unfortunately there appears to be very little literature on how small businesses might be affected. However, from what I have learnt, while struggling to become better informed about the EU, it is a haven for bureaucrats and large corporations who can afford high tax rates but a death sentence for small independent startups where creativity is extremely controlled and regulations fiercely enforced.
In summary
I still don't know which way to vote. But I don't think voting out of fear is the right way to make a decision. Brexit may cause a recession, but with current global economy it seems like recession is inevitable regardless of our European Union status. I also don't think deciding to stay in because of the single trade market I have heard so much about is a good enough reason, I don't think the EU would refuse to trade with the UK out of spite and maybe we would open up more trade options by leaving.
I agree with the view that the EU is a haven for large corporations and bureaucrats and not so great for smaller businesses. I am also unhappy about the fact that we have no voting power over who represents the various constituencies of the UK in the EU, until moving to Brussels I knew very little about MEP's and the only reason I know more now is because I have met some of their assistants on nights out.
I guess I am leaning more towards leaving the EU but there are still several issues still holding me back. Over the last 2 years I have enjoyed being able to live in the UK, then Germany and now Belgium and the ease with which I have been able to do so. This would not have been the case had the UK not been part of the EU. Recently I have also enjoyed travelling around Europe quite spontaneously (I will write a post about this soon) and at impressively low prices because of the cheap travel in Europe which I would also not have access to without my EU passport. I am also reluctant to vote Brexit as it would have negative implications on my future career and limit the countries I could live in- I wouldn't lose my current job, but I would be less likely to be considered for a position in another EU country.
In the current polls(shown above and taken from http://www.theweek.co.uk/eu-referendum/65461/eu-referendum-polls-vs-odds-what-are-the-latest-brexit-predictions), it is fairly obvious that people don't seem to know what to do but the leave campaign seems to be becoming increasingly popular but I can't help thinking that recent European crises leading up to 2016 have influenced the general public's opinion and possibly influenced their vote. With the economic crisis in Greece, the influx of refugees into Germany and the Balkans and heightened terrorism in Paris and Brussels, it is understandable that the British public might be swayed into thinking Brexit and the closing of the UK's borders is a good idea. Immigrations seems to be the key drive for most of the public voting for Brexit.
So...that's my view of the EU referendum- very firmly on the fence with one day left to make up my mind.
I'd be very interested to hear your opinions on the upcoming EU referendum regardless of whether you can/can't vote in it, it's extremely interesting to hear what people outside of the UK think about British politics. I'd also like to apologise for the amount of youtube video links in this post- they're all relevant though I promise ;)
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