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Jason Wu Fall/Winter 2021 at New York Fashion Week

Ayana Torio
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Jason Wu Fall/Winter 2021 at New York Fashion Week

Jason Wu presented his contemporary FW21 collection during New York fashion week. The show did have a limited number of guests, which brought us back to a little bit of normality. Wu’s collection takes on a new approach to how fashion should be representing the moment of now.

“After the year we had in 2020, it felt like it wasn’t just my duty as a fashion designer to show pretty clothes — we all love pretty clothes, but I also think it needs to be a representation of what’s going on right now. Fashion has always been on the pulse of what’s going on culturally. When we’re talking about a very divisive country, I thought it was very important for me to represent all forms of beauty and be as diverse as possible on the runway.”

The theme for the collection was cooking. Due to the pandemic, we have had more time to cook more and create dishes as Wu shows on his Instagram @mrwueats. The set was in Mr Wu’s general store, the fresh produce seen at the show was later donated to City Harvest, a food rescue organisation.

The collection itself expresses the different stylings you can take from and incorporate into the everyday style such as mix and matching prints, wearing a pop of colour, styling with chunky jewellery and having statement boots. It shows us the fun smaller details such as the fringing on some clothing pieces but mainly the abstract floral print and the unmissable Coca-Cola print, which Wu had partnered up with for the collection.

“Our ‘going out’ now is going to the market. I wanted it to feel like chic strangers walking amongst this utopia of a beautiful general store,” Wu

Watch here for the full show.

Monse Ready-to-Wear Spring 2021

Ayana Torio
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Monse Ready-to-Wear Spring 2021

Notable luxury label Monse took an innovate approach to their Spring 2021 Collection. Due to the pandemic, both founders Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim decided to take a sustainable route repurposing and combining leftover materials and samples. The collection takes the direction of creative and sporty looks with its innovative, distinct layering of colours and materials integrated into the outfits. The collection is quite fun; it mixes their typical style with striking elements, combining a hoodie with an asymmetrical tulle skirt or mixing half of a blazer with a tulle top and cycling shorts. The styling of these outfits keeps up with the trends of now and comfort whilst remaining stylish.

Interview: COOL BOY

Modestas Mankus
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Interview: COOL BOY

COOL BOY, the genre-shifting moniker formed by Zach Zono, progressed well since his debut release back in 2018. Starting 2021, COOL BOY released two singles which followed up to his new EP Classic Charm, Pt.1 bringing out more euphonious synth-pop music to our ears. To talk about the EP, he joined us for an interview.

Firstly, how are you, and how is your 2021 going?

Hey there, I’m doing super good. My 2021 started off slow, which was nice, but I’m excited it’s slowly starting to pick up, I’m always finding something to do now. I always think I’m more productive in February than January, it’s my favorite month, but I’m also turning 22 next week, so I’m not too sure how I feel about that. 

If someone asked what type of music you make, how would you describe your music in the form of an elevator pitch?

Hey, I’m COOL BOY, but you can call me Zach. I think there is something for everyone in my music, but it definitely falls under the genre of indie pop. 

You released your new EP Classic Charm, Pt.1, how did the idea for it come about and what was the process like putting it together?

I made Classic Charm when I went back home to Cape Town last March just when lockdowns started to happen. Even though it was such a surreal time, leaving London and not really having a plan on when I would be able to go back, I was really grateful to focus all the unexpected time on my music. I split the project because I felt like there were two distinctive experiences for the listeners and I wanted them to be heard individually before they were heard together. A big part of ‘COOL BOY’ is the visual aesthetic my brother and I try to create for each album. I think Classic Charm is no different and if not my favourite so far of everything we’ve created, it feels most me of all my music so far.

With it being a part one EP, how do you feel it will tie in with your wider discography?

I want my music to evolve and change with me, so I don’t really think about how my new music will fit with the old. I mean, I probably do subconsciously, but the reason I know it will always tie together some way or another is because it’s me, there’s no crazy list of writers and producers, it’s just me and my guitar hahah as cheesy as that sounds.

For the EP, did you utilise any new techniques or ways of making music? Do you feel you have developed on your sound?

I made the whole album in the first lockdown, when I was back home in Cape Town. I have a little studio setup there in my room at my parents house. It felt pretty surreal making this EP back where I started when I was 16, after being in London for three years, so I think the environment definitely impacted the songs. I had a routine; wake up, take the dog for a walk, eat, then make music. I tried to keep some structure in my little world, as everything else in the world kept changing. 

What do you hope the EP will bring to your listeners?

I really hope when people listen to my EP that they can find something they like in every song. I think the reason I enjoy the process of making music is the thought that maybe someone who is listening to my songs, can relate to it in one way or another. 

Lastly, do you feel the current COVID-19 crisis has made you think differently about music and how you present it?

100%. Everything I knew about releasing music has changed, for starters, no one is touring at the moment. I would always think how a song would sound live when I was making it, but now with this new EP I didn’t focus too much on that. So covid-19 has definitely changed how I think about making a track now. 

Classic Charm, Pt. 1 can now be streamed via Spotify.

Excellent Spotify playlists for learning

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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Excellent Spotify playlists for learning

There are good individuals out there who have a piece through a perfect playlist that suits academic study. This article brings you a cool compilation of an excellent study playlist for you to enjoy your reading. Now, the remaining thing is for you to focus on your studies as you enjoy this cool collection. This collection ranges from electronic to instrumental to classical to pop genres. Besides, the playlist will create an excellent auditory environment for your scholarly success.

Studying in silence has excellent benefits to readers. However, it can be challenging to get a truly silent place to study. Libraries have their fair share of its distraction, such as the analog clock ticks, the occasional sneeze, and the random paper shuffling. Let’s take a look at the list of playlists, crafted by MyPaperWriter.

Spotify has a huge collection of music in its repository. It is a challenge to throw in a playlist to yourself when you are studying. While studying classical music is a great way to keep company; however, you will be at pains to choose a suitable song if you have limitations in locating composers. Ambient noise sounds good when reading. Wait until you stumble on the wrong sound bite and mess up your reading experience. You can attempt to search for the best song of the week and end up choosing a dance song in the study room and jeopardize your academic work.

Study with Piano Guys

Its origin is Utah. It is for students who desire to listen to music they know.

Study Vibes

This playlist is for an electronic-tinged collection. Beats run high while you are still calm. It is great if this your method for interacting with academic material.

Study Soundtrack

Soundtrack playlist helps students wean off from binging TV shows while reading by giving them their theme song. This collection includes a wide selection of video games and movies.

Study: Classical Concentration

Babies get smarter when they listen to Beethoven, so this makes a good playlist for students. This collection is good for elevating both senses for education and fanciness. It includes music from Ludwig to Wolfgang.

Pop Study

If music without a message bores you, then a pop study playlist is for you. This playlist features hits such as Billboard rather than piano compositions. You will get collections such as God is dead.

Peaceful Piano

The peaceful piano playlist has many followers, and the most curated study music playlist by Spotify. It offers what most students expect from a study playlist, such as good 8 hours of great soothing harmonies to cool the brain.

Just Focus

This playlist’s objective is to create an environment of relative silence and isolation, thus creating a good study bubble.

Instrumental Study

It is an option for those who like a relaxed environment. The instrumental study provides a good collection of instrumental sections. Some songs in the collection will have you on a piano, while others epitomize “look through the window and pretend you are in a movie.”

Chill Lofi Study Beats

You will get this playlist on YouTube, thanks to the Spotify team. These tracks’ low-fi structure adds extra while noise components to the music that help keep our brains to focus on the difficult task.

Brain Food

This playlist is for students whose brains crave various sound bites, much as their brains crave knowledge. This playlist features electronic mainstays such as Aphex Twin, What So Not, San Holo, and Disclosure.

Album Review: The Staves, ‘Good Woman’

Conor Lochrie
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Album Review: The Staves, ‘Good Woman’

We’ve not heard from the English folk trio The Staves since 2017’s The Way is Read, a collaboration with the New York chamber music ensemble yMusic, but their absence, unfortunately, was not without reason. In 2018, the sisters’ mother – the person who had inspired them at an early age to pursue music – passed away; the following year, one of the trio, Emily, became a mother; a horrible breakup also disrupted their lives. It’s why Good Woman feels like an exercise in catharsis, a means to process the deep emotions of these events, a record for the sisters as much as anyone else.

The tight-knit group have truly mined their personal lives for the material on Good Woman. It’s an honest and mature reckoning with womanhood, love, and the patriarchy; they recently lost a good woman, they gained a new one, and they freed themselves of an unsuited ex-partner. Good Woman starts with strength in numbers on the title track: lots of female voices gather in the background, including that of their mother and grandmother. “I cover my mouth and I straighten my back,” is the sardonic acknowledgment of staid gender roles. They’re similarly self-deprecating and acerbic on ‘Failure’: “I’m a failure now/ No one wants to sing with me,” is the hyperbolic admission.

More often though, they are open and serious. “When I’m late out, I can hear your keys in the door/ I wanna believe it,” they sadly sing on ‘Sparks’. “All the kicks in the ribs/ But they can really make you weak,” they sigh during ‘Careful, Kid, reflecting on the realisation that a relationship was abusive. ‘Nothing’s Gonna Happen’ is the gorgeous heart of the album, a tender and plain folk song that captures the tension of post-breakup existence: “Nothing’s gonna happen with your back against the door/ Could I be the only one still waiting/ I can wait some more.” Surviving a difficult breakup is about the tug-and-pull of our fears and emotions; we want to give them another chance, a little more time, but we know that it’s really a futile endeavour. It’s why the sisters juxtapose their awareness of the folly of waiting with the assertion that they might do it longer anyway.

Although mostly self-produced, the sisters recruited the acclaimed producer John Congleton to assist them, and his efforts were both a blessing and a blight. He encouraged them to write more honestly and directly about their emotions, which can be felt throughout the album. At times, however, he also overwhelms the tracks with production that recalls his work with more exuberant artists such as St. Vincent and Sharon Van Etten but doesn’t entirely fit the intimacy of the group’s harmonies. ‘Careful, Kid’ is slathered in pounding drums and gritty guitars. ‘Sparks’ and ‘Best Friend’ are loud and uptempo indie pop (the latter an ode to high school memories). The melodrama of ‘Devotion’ and theatrical ballad ‘Satisfied’ sound more befitting of a HAIM record.

The Staves’ intertwining voices are, of course, too beautiful and well-honed at this point to be dominated too much though. A quiet track like ‘Paralyse’ is when the structure is at its best and their voices most prominent, a simple lo-fi acoustic ballad of aching romantic notions. “Don’t snuff me out/ I used to be magic, I used to be rage/ Uncontained,” the sisters fire at the unnamed ex. It’s direct and meaningful and unburdened by any domineering production.

The album closes, effectively, with the piano-led song ‘Waiting On Me To Change’. It’s a melancholic ending but a confident one: after admitting that the ex has consistently implored them to become a different person, the sisters cry “I’ll change when I want to.” Four albums in, The Staves are certainly doing that; there aren’t as many with as consistent and individual a catalogue in folk music as them in recent times.

Highlands of Iceland by Alex Strohl

Gerda Krivaite
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Highlands of Iceland by Alex Strohl

Alex Strohl’s photo series Highlands of Iceland captures the country’s breathtaking scenery, from black sand beaches to glacier-cut fjords. Originally from France but currently based in Whitefish, Montana, Alex takes great pleasure in travelling and translating the beauty of various corners of the world into photos for everyone to enjoy. Strohl himself has called Iceland the “creme de la creme for anyone who is drawn towards places where the ocean meets jagged mountains and cliffs”, and his appreciation for the country is far from invisible.

Browse the landscape photos and lose yourself in the fog, deep turquoise water and untouched fields.

Check out more of Alex Strohl’s photography here or give him a follow on Instagram.

Netflix Releases Trailer for ‘Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell’

Modestas Mankus
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Netflix Releases Trailer for ‘Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell’

In Netflix’s latest project, we are following the life of one of the biggest Hip-hop icons The Notorious B.I.G. The documentary directed by the well-renowned music video director Emmett Mallo tells the story of Notorious B.I.G in the wake of his landmark induction into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell follows the intimate life of Biggie through rarely seen footage which filmed by Biggie’s friend Damion “D-Roc” Butler and also includes interviews with Biggie’s closest friends and family. The film is executive produced by Sean Combs, Voletta Wallace, Mark Pitts, Stanley Buchthal, and Emmett and Brendan Malloy.

Watch the trailer for Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell below.

Is Social Media the New Networking Strategy for Online Gaming?

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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Is Social Media the New Networking Strategy for Online Gaming?

Today’s online gambling industry is worth billions of dollars in revenue globally and is destined for success in the years to come. In the previous year, 2020, the online gambling sector experienced tremendous growth due to the covid 19 crisis that saw the closure of land-based casinos. As a result, gamblers had few options other than to play in online casinos.

The internet has significantly revolutionized the gambling sector. It has opened it to a new audience that wants to play their favorite games at their convenience. While online casinos such as the Sloto Cash online casino are the perfect platform for punters to win money from their favorite games, these brands are not behind either when it comes to social networking.

Given the large number of users that social media has, casino operators have many reasons to use it for their benefit. That is to connect and engage with the users hence boost their businesses. Lets us look at how online casino operators use social media for marketing their brands.

To attract new players

Every online casino aims to expand its player base, and social media offers the best way to achieve that. Posting adverts and casino offers on social media platforms is an excellent way to convince new players to sign up and play. Again, a casino operator can track social media marketing to analyze how successful it is in converting engagements into new players.

One of the most enticing casino bonuses that appeal to social media users is the first deposit bonus that gives a new player a chance to win without using money. Studies have shown that online casino adverts appeal more to men, while online bingo is the most popular one with females.

For brand exposure

In the highly saturated online gambling industry, brand exposure is very crucial for any online casino. Posting content that can be shared on social media is one of the strategies online casinos use to get their name out there. Many online casinos have to spend thousands of dollars creating and launching social media marketing campaigns that portray their brands as modern and witty.

That is because they acknowledge the power of social networking to expose their brand to a broad gambling audience. Exposure on social media also means that they attract more gamblers to their land-based casinos.

Sharing guides and tutorials

Every player is always a beginner at some point. For online casinos to win fresh punters, sharing playing guides and tutorials is one way of achieving that. For instance, when a random social media user comes across an instructional guide on playing classic table games, it triggers them to give the game a try and win some money.

What makes this strategy unique is that it is not easy to share guides and tutorials in land-based casinos. Landbased casinos attract connoisseurs in gambling more than fresh players. Social media platforms such as youtube and live streams help online casinos achieve organic traffic through sharing.

For customer support

Have you ever tried to contact a company’s customer service to no avail? Well, that is overly frustrating. However, many savvy online casino operators are using social media to connect to their players and offer customer support. Many players always check the customer support option before they sign up to play in an online casino.

If the customer service supports engagement using different social media channels, the better placed the online casino is. Online casinos use social media to provide all-round the clock player support. Apart from emails, phones, and live chat, social media is an excellent platform for online casinos to offer customer support.

To manage customer reviews and feedback

Operating an online casino is very tricky. Any negative review about an online casino can be a turn off to potential players. The fact that players trust the online casino with their money is reason enough to be too keen when selecting an online casino to play at.

Online players check online customer reviews before they sign up to play at any casino so, the reputation of a casino matters a lot. The ability to respond to issues quickly and professionally is vital to uphold the casino’s reputation. The benefit of using social media to manage customer feedback and reviews is that it drives a positive message about the brand.

For instance, online casino operators can retweet positive customer feedback to show how good their brand is to win more players. Many people use social media to get in touch with brands, including casinos. That also allows casino operators to monitor what players are saying about their competitors.

Advertise new games

Social media advertising is free unless you are launching a paid social media advertising campaign.  Online casinos use social media for advertising new games tailoring their marketing strategies around their target audiences. For instance, modern slot games are designed around different niches such as pop culture, movies, music, etc. Online casinos can tailor their advert messages to bespoke audiences depending on their game interests.

The bottom line

Online casinos have acknowledged that social media is beneficial to their business as a tool for networking with players, advertising new games, rewards, and deals, which earns them fresh players. Online gambling is now more socially accessible than before.

How To Get Started As A Vlogger

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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How To Get Started As A Vlogger

When it comes to being in the spotlight, there are so many things that you can do to help your career. As an artist, you’ll want to get as much publicity as you can get. However, what happens when you’re not really sure how to do this? It’s always going to be important for you to promote what you do – and there are a range of ways for you to do this when you use social media. But there’s also one medium that could be perfect for you.

YouTube is an incredibly popular platform. And even if you’ve never had any experience with video at all, you can still learn. Sometimes, promoting what you’re doing on YouTube and via video can be just what you need to do. Sharing promotional videos of your work can be good, but that’s not all.

Vlogging could be exactly what you want and need to do to grow and get more traction with what you’re creating. Let’s take a look at how to get started.

Research

To start with, you might want to do some research so that you feel like you know everything you need to. From how to upload videos to where to find the best cinematic music for your videos, there’s so much to take in. But don’t spend too long on this. Of course, you want to figure out what you need to do to get videos up, but don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good!

Start Recording

And then, you’re going to want to just start recording. Don’t plan it too much and don’t worry about how it looks. You’ll learn and get better with time. Just start to film your day-to-day life, what you’re doing behind the scenes, and try to get as much footage as you can. This is the sort of stuff that people love to watch and take in. So just start to feel more comfortable recording and you’ll get the hang of it.

Get Used To Editing

You’ll also want to start practicing your editing as well. This doesn’t have to be hard either. There’s a wealth of video editing software that you can try out as a beginner. And the more you do things, the easier you may find it to get used to editing and improving your technique.

Be Consistent

Above all else, be consistent. If you know that you can only commit to posting twice a month or once a week or whatever it may be, you need to stick to that. It can seem like a lot of work to do, but it’s the consistency that will help you to grow.

And Don’t Forget To… Enjoy It!

Finally, you will want to make sure that you actually enjoy the process of vlogging too. It can be really fun. And sure, creating the videos can be a lot of hard work. But they can work to help you promote what you’re doing and get more people interested in what you do!

Fashion Trends to Follow at the Cheltenham Festival

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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Fashion Trends to Follow at the Cheltenham Festival

Horse racing and fashion go hand in hand. Events like Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood are attended by celebrities and socialites from around the world, all sporting the latest seasonal garments.

Many will assume that, when the mud starts flying during the National Hunt racing season, that fashion becomes less important. On the contrary, selecting the right outfit for the Cheltenham Festival is vital.

Known as “the greatest show on turf”, the Cheltenham Festival is the flagship event in British National Hunt racing. The best hurdlers and chasers from around the world make the trip annual pilgrimage to Gloucestershire in March. Punters and party goers join them in their droves, and four days spent at the Cheltenham Festival is truly unforgettable.

Obviously, in March, the British weather can be rather inclement. The weather forecast plays a huge role in what outfit racegoers will wear each day, so practically should be at the forefront of your thoughts when planning your ensemble.

The stands at the Cheltenham Festival often look like a sea of tweed. Tweed is the chosen material of most racegoers, as it’s warm, traditional and aesthetically pleasing. Men tend to combine a three-piece tweed suit with either a paddock coat or a cashmere jumper. Women usually opt for softer woollen tweed, brocade or crepe. Some form of scarf is a must if the weather takes a turn for the worst.

Hats are an important accessory for female racegoers during the summer, and it’s no different at the Cheltenham Festival. Percher and Pill Box are the most popular selections during the week, and many add either a feather or a veil to their chosen headwear. Cossack hats are also a popular choice, especially if temperatures are due to be low during at the week, while fashion conscious men often opt for a sophisticated trilby.

If you plan on spending most of the afternoon outside, then a pair of gloves are an essential accessory. Those lucky enough to hold entry into one of Cheltenham’s many luxury boxes will want to layer up, combining a stylish coat with a lighter outfit geared more towards comfort.

When it comes to footwear, over-the-knee boots are very fashionable, while heeled shoes are worn with skirt and tights. Brogues are the most popular footwear with men, with stylish loafers another common sight in recent years.

So, when it comes to fashion at the Cheltenham Festival, traditional and practical is the order of the day. The exception is Ladies’ Day – day two of the meeting – where guests are encouraged to wear more colourful outfits, and prizes are handed out to the attendees who turn the most heads.

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