Colour! Bow ties! Frilly socks! Fingerless gloves! Yes, fashion can be a lot of fun when we want it to be. But I am not here to discuss frivolous things like fingerless gloves, or those cute scarves that have little pockets at the ends that you can slip your hands into on a chilly morning…
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The Good Wife has put a fair bit on our plates issues-wise. And amongst all that tightly written wit and too-clever law talk, this season offered up a new tech miracle capable of solving crimes and protecting women – the humble personal safety app. The question of ‘safety’ of women in party or date situations…
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Bemusement Park started rather curiously with the announcement of the winner of the Olympic 400m sprint. The gold medal holder was, of course, Frank Woodley who entered the stage in head-to-toe Lycra à la Cathy Freeman. He then proceeded to take the body suit off in a moment reminiscent of Mr. Bean taking off his…
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Scottish-Indian comedian, Danny Bhoy looks 21. But he talks with the wit and wisdom of a 50+ year old (that’s meant to be a compliment by the way). And in reality he falls somewhere between the two at the humble age of 38. The Messenger (Please Don’t Shoot) Extended show at the Enmore was a…
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I’m a 22 year old virgin. Shocking, I know. How inconceivable it is to think that in this day and age, with our over-sexualised culture and flippant approach to the values of yore, someone as ancient as I could still be on their V-plates. Apparently, I’m a dying breed. At least, that’s what my peers…
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mali: women’s rights set back 50 years Mali is a strongly patriarchal society where women need to ask permission from their husbands just to leave the house. Feminist groups have been campaigning to change the laws of Mali to enable women to get basic rights and make educating all girls an attainable goal. The…
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True by Finnish author Riikka Pulkkinen is a tender and heartbreaking examination of secrets families keep from each other, and how even if we try to file it away, the past always informs our present. The novel centres around a family who gather when the matriarch, Elsa, is dying of cancer and wishes to live out…
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In Elizabeth Gaskell’s famous novel, North and South, Margaret Hale provokes outrage when she takes to the streets of industrialising Manchester. Her perambulations through the poor areas of the city to deliver food to a struggling family receive the condemnation of her male relatives and acquaintances, each absolute in their opinion of the extreme risk…
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Craft and community are intertwined concepts, but both are under threat. Our affection for all things handmade has not been enough to preserve the fringes of arts education during tough economic times. Artist Jasmine Targett noticed this, and from it sprang a sprawling, delicate project that brought countless crafters together. What emerged was her series…
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For Bella Gray, working with Noel Fielding, flamboyant co-creator of The Mighty Boosh, still seems like a surreal dream. Employed as a buyer and costume assistant for Fielding’s latest television show, Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, Gray dashed around London, collecting aluminium foil, glitter and neon coloured fabric – anything to support Fielding’s absurdist visual humour….
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In theory, The Last Holiday is an autobiographical account of the concert tour which resulted in legislation to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a public holiday. Author Gil Scott-Heron did a huge 41-city tour, supporting Stevie Wonder throughout America. The tour promoted Wonder’s Hotter than July album, which included the song “Happy Birthday” – a…
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Old = patriarchal wedding traditions New = consumerist ‘bridezillas’ Borrowed = societal pressures from bygone days Blue = feminists!!! For those who have decided that a “married feminist” is not an oxymoron, it’s time to reconsider the meaning behind those wedding trappings and discard some of the traditions from an act that is so, well…
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Here at lip, we’re used to talking about embracing and loving ourselves. Positive body image is at the forefront of unlocking our true potential, for flaunting (tastefully) who we are makes for one less challenge to overcome in a world full to the brim with challenges. I wrote about Jetta Vegas and her Positive Mental…
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Music, particularly good music, can mean many different things to different people. Too often it’s relegated to the role of simply background noise or something to groove to, and while there is certainly a place for this kind of enjoyment, so much is overlooked when we don’t take the time to scratch below easy lyrics…
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