#notice how no other short film contender is campaigning…..

[whiskeyswifty]

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[northernrainforest]

Budget Cuts

In case you’re too busy reading my blog to follow the politics of the state of Alaska, here’s a brief rundown from an admitted newcomer. Last October when he was up for reelection, Bill Walker, the previous governor and an Independent, stepped down in the aftermath of a scandal involving “inappropriate overtures” made to a woman by his lieutenant governor. That left two contenders. The Democrat, Mark Begich, had been a US senator; Flo actually met him at our local radio station when they were both being interviewed on the same day. Ladybug and I were listening for Flo to come on and talk about university events but Begich talked for awhile before Flo’s segment; I found him interesting, but Ladybug was not impressed.

“Ugh,” she said. “He just keeps talking!” In short, most people’s view of politicians.

I think it goes without saying (does it go without saying?) that I am a Democrat – though my recent move to the “coast” of the Tongass Narrows changes slightly my status as a member of the coastal elite. Regardless, Flo and I were pretty dang disappointed that Begich lost. The winner, Republican Mike Dunleavy, was elected on the campaign promise of restoring the PFD. Allow me to explain – again, forgiving my very rudimentary understanding of the whole thing. The Alaska permanent fund was established in the late seventies, in the wake of the construction of the Alaska pipeline; a lump sum is given to each Alaskan once a year, with the variable amount effectively contingent on the price of oil. This year it amounted to about $1600 for every man, woman and child in the state; in the past it’s been significantly more. (I should note that we won’t receive it until we’ve lived here a full calendar year, which will mean 2020 for the three of us and 2021 for Bronson, I believe – the indignity of having a birthday in early January.) To outsiders, those of us who just moved here from down south and aren’t yet eligible, for example – it can feel like a bonus. But to many Alaskans, it is the thing they wait for all year. A friend here told me that there are people in remote villages who rely on the PFD to pay their bills. The day before the dividends were handed out last fall, I overheard a salty dog of an old man, possibly drunk, talking on the phone.

“I’ll get you the money as soon as the PFD comes through,” he said, like a character in the Alaska version of a gangster film: To Live and Die in Ketchikan.

And it’s not only homesteaders and people living on the fringes. This money is important to people. One of my friends used hers to buy a new oven; they’d been out an oven for eight months, waiting for the PFD. In the lobby of the aquatics center last October, watching our kids practice the front crawl, parents debated about whether to use the money for vacations or household upgrades (middle-class concerns to be sure, but I did notice that none of the people I knew actually used the money for vacations – something else always seemed more urgent.) All that to say, Dunleavy was elected in part on the basis of his campaign promise calling to restore the PFD’s former glory, and to retroactively distribute funds he felt had been taken from the people by the previous administration. Now. I’m not going to delve too deep into the politics of a state to which I have just moved. I really don’t know what the right answer is. I do know this: a budget that allows for Dunleavy to award this money also includes cuts in the billions of dollars to the Alaska Marine Highway system and the University of Alaska. Obviously, the latter of those two would be a real problem for us. If Flo were to lose his job, the life that we’ve built here over the last eight months would be impossible to maintain. We would have to move. As I write this (and “write” should be in quotation marks, since I’m talking into my notes app like an old timey doctor into a dictaphone), I’m walking down Jackson from the top of a high hill, looking out towards snowcapped mountains on Gravina Island with the waters of the Tongass Narrows gliding by below. We had friends over for dinner last night, a chaotic group of kids and babies and nursing mothers, all sitting around eating linguine and clams and talking about hiking. I called Ladybug’s school yesterday to ask about serving on their board. Things are happening for us here – things we like. Bronson was born here. I won’t be dramatic and say that I plan on dying in Ketchikan. I have no idea where or when I’ll die. (Way to bring the mood down, Bolton.) But we’ve been very happy here. And frankly, I wouldn’t even know where to go next. So as it turns out, the looming budget cuts for the state of Alaska, which are probably not even national news, well, they’re affecting us on the most basic of levels right now. I will say, we have high hopes. I could go into detail, but the gist of it is that, though small, the Ketchikan campus features a maritime academy that the governor has toured and thought very highly of. Flo thinks that may be the salvation of the school. Then again: if the marine highway system shuts down, is there any point in a maritime academy at all? Any thoughts of buying a house have been tabled, at least for the moment. All this has gotten me thinking about the ways I inadvertently implement cuts in my own little life. I didn’t go on my regular walk today, the one where I tuck Bronson into the carrier and watch his eyes grow heavy and eventually close. Ladybug stayed home from school, Flo had several meetings at funny times, and the day just sort of got away from me. So it’s evening now, though it’s still light (it’s amazing how quickly the days have started to get longer) and I’m walking by myself. I didn’t start the walk by myself, though. When Flo got home and I handed off the baby, Ladybug chimed in and told me that she wanted to come on my walk. I started to say no. I fact, I did say no. A couple of times. But she was undaunted. My brother and sister-in-law had sent her a super-secret spy notebook today and some new crayons. She put on her shoes and a little stocking hat and grabbed her notebook. Off we set: me slightly annoyed that I wasn’t getting my time alone and would have to slow my pace; Ladybug all excitement.

We did start slowly. Ladybug kept stopping me so she could unbutton her little notebook, pull out a crayon, scribble something, and then reverse the process. She pointed things out, too. “Look Mama!” Ladybug said. “It’s a ketchup and mustard house!” It was true: there are two houses next to each other a few blocks from us, one bright yellow and one bright red, that I’d never really noticed before. “Look Mama!” she said, indicating across the street from the condiment houses. “That house is so cool!” It was a wide house with two levels and a big deck that looked sort of like a duplex but wasn’t; I couldn’t tell you why it was cool, but it was. “Stop!” she shouted, still only three blocks from home. “I have to look at my map.” Ladybug pulled out her notebook and consulted the scribbles she had made earlier. She pointed us in the direction that we should head. She found some berries. She noticed buses. She ran ahead, and lagged behind, and drew pictures and talked and held my hand and laughed and skipped. Eventually she’d had enough so we doubled back, I dropped her off, and I picked up my pace. If having a newborn means falling in love with someone you’ve just met, having a five-year-old when you have a newborn, at least for me, has meant something closer to a marriage that’s headed for divorce. The newborn relationship is a series of meet-cutes: “He spit up all over me and then looked at me so helplessly that I had to laugh!” Parenting the older child now consists of button-pressing and limit-testing, of the building up of micro-aggressions that lead to epic explosions: “She threw a tantrum because I put yogurt, then fruit, then granola, but she wanted the fruit on the bottom and I LITERALLY CAN’T ANYMORE.”

Children always ask if their parents will love them less when the new baby comes along. The parents always say no, of course not, there’s room enough in our hearts for all of you. Which is true. But what we fail to mention is that it’s really easy to love a newborn; it’s much harder to love almost anyone else. When Flo and Ladybug have argued in the past and she’s come to me in tears, I’ve often said to her, “It’s hard to live with other people.“ A new baby is a person, but with respect to Magda Gerber and Dr. Sears and everyone who preaches the importance of respecting our newborns – they are still just barely people. Yes, each baby has a life of his own, and I have immense respect for what what my baby has been through up to this point and the person he already is. But. A baby is also a vessel for all of our dreams, for the things we love about ourselves and our partners; he represents the abundance of life that we have been seeking and, in his shy smile and soulful eyes, have finally found. (We had that time with Ladybug too, I should say, and it was dreamy.) A child, though, is in many ways already fully realized. Ladybug is the most intense version of herself at five, even if that five-year-old self will only exist until she turns six. For the rest of her life she will embody the self that she is at that moment, in that season, and it will be fascinating and thrilling and scary for her dad and me to behold. Right now it’s intense, because five-year-olds can be intense. They can be bullheaded, attention-seeking, and mean. Ha. Sounds like me sometimes – must be my daughter. Which is what the walk reminded me. That this girl with her notebook and her rainbow-colored coat – because “rainbow” is her favorite color – is still the manifestation of everything that has ever mattered to me. The arrival of her brother has made it harder for me to have the patience to remember that, but that doesn’t make it any less true. I’d like to think that I’ll be kinder tomorrow, that I won’t snap at her when she lifts up a table and carries it, haphazardly and seemingly for no reason, directly over the tiny bed in which her brother is sleeping. I can’t guarantee that will happen. I’m growing too. I’m trying to be the best version of myself at this season in my life, and I’m not always particularly successful. But the magic of life and of parenthood is that I’ve made no campaign promises. I have no constituents that are going to send me packing after one term if I don’t deliver. My cabinet is populated by people who cheer me on and commiserate with me and make me laugh, and I can wake up every morning and decide how best to move forward.

So if Alaska Marine represents travel and the university represents education, then couldn’t it be said I’m cutting them out of my own budget by not taking a walk with my daughter, by not learning from her and helping her learn? How can I ask the governor to keep funding these institutions unless I’m funding them in my own life?

Ladybug’s maps were so clear in her own mind; all I saw were scribbles. That’s the way it is sometimes with maps. I’m just going to keep walking and looking for berries along the way, hoping for the best.

[cinemareels-blog]

We’ll Take Manhattan (2012) Review

 Starring: Karen Gillan, Aneurin Barnard, Helen McCrory

Synopsis: We’ll Take Manhattan in a British made-for-television film depicting the true story of the work and love affair of photographer David Bailey and model Jean Shrimpton, as they changed the face of fashion photography during their one-week Vogue campaign in New York in 1962.

 Awards:

Best European TV Drama at the 2012 Prix Europa awards

Acting: 

Aneurin Barnard is incredible as David Bailey, a cocksure, headstrong photographer who aims to challenge the outdated aesthetics held by the bigwigs at Vogue magazine. Originally from Wales, Barnard imitates Bailey’s conspicuous Cockney accent flawlessly, which plays a great role in Bailey’s cheeky character, and makes Barnard all the more convincing. He has proven himself to be a versatile actor, taking on roles such as the timid French soldier Gibson in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, and the dark yet misunderstood Richard III in the BBC series The White Queen. The role of Bailey juxtaposes these wildly, and Barnard pulls it off with flair- the audience soon grows to love his loquacious charm. He is at his best during scenes shared with co-star Karen Gillan, as their onscreen chemistry is so genuine it makes one forget that it is just that- onscreen. The emotion both lead actors put into their roles also makes it difficult to forget that Bailey and Shrimpton are real people and that their affair was, in fact, immoral, as Bailey was married at the time.

Karen Gillan is a wonderful actress- she plays the shy, ostracized Jean Shrimpton with such heart that she is mesmerizing to watch, especially in her moments of silence. Director & writer John McKay said that Jean’s role is one of ‘feeling and being, not of chat, chat, chat.’ Gillan takes this in her stride, using Jean’s quietness to utilize body language to convey her thoughts and feelings. She looks around, wide-eyed with somewhat shrugged shoulders when taking in Vogue’s headquarters, demonstrating her shyness far better than she could have done with words. Previous to acting, Gillan worked as a model, and this benefitted her greatly during filming as, of course, she knew how modelling worked and the kind of poses to strike. She takes the audience on a journey alongside Jean- we see her development from a shy country girl to a confident, headstrong woman throughout the course of the film, her diffidence disappearing as time goes on. She too had to adopt an accent, transitioning seamlessly from Scottish to RP English.

Helen McCrory was the perfect choice to play Lady Clare Rendlesham- a higher-up at Vogue who believes in rock-solid tradition and rejects Bailey’s style, which is all about making the photographs ‘alive’. Lady Clare’s point of view was always important to McCrory, says McKay, and I think this is what makes the character and McCrory’s portrayal of her so rich and dimensional. Lady Clare is steadfast in her beliefs- no Cockney with a camera is going to change that. But McCrory brings a beautiful human element to the role, especially towards the end when her marmoreal exterior cracks and we see her cry, and we then realise just how much her work means to her. And, being female in 1962, she probably had to fight for her high position, and Jean and David are jeopardizing that. We begin to see the events of the film through her eyes, and we realise that maybe Lady Clare isn’t the antagonist, but rather tradition and unwillingness to change are.

 Music:

The score for We’ll Take Manhattan is phenomenal. Composed and performed by a live quartet, the music for this film is totally unique and adds a beautiful, unusual quality to the film. There is more music in this film than most, which I liked because it helped to accentuate the tone of each scene, and made quiet scenes seem more poignant due to the noticeable absence of the usual jazzy tunes played throughout. Kevin Sargent, the film’s music composer, felt that jazz would be more appropriate for the film, even though it was set in 1962, a time when jazz was fighting for popularity with up-and-coming contenders like rock and pop, as David Bailey detested the latter and believed that the 1960s would and should have been more about jazz. McKay describes him as ‘a visionary of the late 50s’, despite being known for his work in later eras. This decision provides an authentic tone to the film, as it seems more fitting with the protagonist Bailey, and is more pleasant on the ears than some of the 1960s’ other music.

 Costuming:

In a film about fashion, costuming is obviously at the forefront of importance. All the costumes in We’ll Take Manhattan are striking in themselves, from Jean Shrimpton’s designer attire to David Bailey’s plain black garb. Both he and Lady Clare are perpetually dressed in black; to me this symbolises how they are on entirely different ends of the spectrum regarding their opinions, but in retrospect are not that different from each other- both put their life into their work and believe what they are doing is best for the vision of Vogue. The costume department for this film did an excellent job in recreating Jean Shrimpton’s original outfits, enlightening the audience to the resplendent clothes she wore, as David Bailey’s 1962 photographs, while nonetheless striking, sadly do not capture the colour of many of the outfits, as they were shot on a 35mm camera, which was unheard of for a magazine of such high stature as Vogue.

 Cinematography:

Perhaps my favourite thing about We’ll Take Manhattan is McKay’s use of the colour yellow. It weaves its way into most scenes of the film, whether in the form of bright lights, an item of clothing or a classic New York cab, the colour yellow is never far from the film. To me, this represents the fresh optimism and sheer force of the vision that Bailey has to change fashion photography, to transform it from dull to bright. During quieter scenes, yellow is still present, but softened to a more buttery hue, showing that his revolutionary vision can be set aside at times, but is always present somewhere.

 There is one specific scene that impresses me most, and this is the scene in which David is shooting Jean in front of the Peppermint Twist banner and replies to Lady Clare’s complaints with an epiphanic outburst that sums up his aesthetic intentions. “It’s not about the poxy clothes. It’s about the street in actual fact, its about the noise, it's about that drunk guy over there…. It’s about the vibe!” This fast-paced rant is paired with short, flashing shots of the city and increased sound effects of New York’s bustling traffic, which accentuates the holistic undertones of David’s speech, and wakes the audience up to the fact that fashion is about more than just the clothes, and this one scene perfectly captures one of the film’s main themes and messages.

The crew did a fantastic job in recreating David Bailey’s original pictures, using greenscreen and CGI technology in such a way that one would not know the setting wasn’t genuine unless told. They went to all the original locations, or as near as them as they could, and the resemblance between the pictures in the film and the real-life ones are simply astounding. The hairstylist working on the film did a wonderful job in recreating the iconic sixties almost-beehive hairstyle, affectionately referred to by Bailey as ‘that bloody hairdo!’

Conclusion:

We’ll Take Manhattan is something of a mini-masterpiece. Its unique style, brilliant acting and engaging cinematography transcend the withering stereotypes often thrust upon television films, which have a reputation for being stiff and badly produced. I liked the trim yet healthy length of the film (1hr 29m) - it wasn’t unnecessarily dragged out or extended with filler scenes and dialogue, every scene made sense and was there for a reason, which is becoming scarcer in nowadays cinema. This is a film worth watching- its gorgeous setting, compelling storyline and its well-written script can engage every audience, whether they have an interest in fashion or not.

[trendyclassicandvintage]

July’s Five Fashion Finds

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels entitled Spool of Purple Thread Near Needle, Thimble, and Measuring Tape.

For this week’s post, I have rounded up my favorite internet finds on the subject of fashion, from this month. I have included an article that touches upon fashion media, a video that sums up a few decades of fashion in a convenient short length format, a nostalgic glance back at the infamous of the show Gossip Girl, a noteworthy ad campaign, and an informative discussion about fashion during the “Space Age” and more. I hope that you enjoy these finds, my takes on their content, and the insights provided by the creators of the content discussed here.  

1. Chantal Fernandez, “How Hearst Makes It Work,” published by The Business of Fashion on July 23, 2019.

           In this article, Fernandez breaks down the many challenges that print publications are facing today, and strategies that may be used to contend to these issues now and in the future. Ultimately, I do feel that both digital and print media can co-exist, because both offer benefits to consumers. Below I have weighed the pros and cons of each form of media.

Photo by Bia Sousa from Pexels - entitled Woman Wearing White Coat Holding Books

Benefits of Print:

In my opinion, print still possesses traits that cannot be replicated in the digital experience. Personally, I have noticed that when I read articles purely online, I can tend to forget about what I have read. I comprehend and remember news stories better when I am physically holding the printed material. Online there are many distractions such as pop ups, videos that automatically blare once you get onto a page, and links to other articles, that I feel interfere with the comprehension and the focus on the material. Online articles can be convenient, but I feel it is harder to recall specific online articles we have read because the internet is very saturated. Personally, I tend to recall only those that have some form of analysis, such as those I read in The Business of Fashion, that require the reader to mentally take part in the article, so to speak.

Benefits of Digital Content:

           However, digital content also has benefits, despite these cons. Digital content from many sources is easier to manage, because you can have so many different sources stored on one portable device, which I will admit does save one’s back from carrying around too many books and magazines. Additionally, the various forms of media within the digital realm makes it more multi-dimensional, which can hold a reader’s attention. Finally, related links that pop up, while sometimes an annoyance or a distraction, can be helpful if one wants to find related articles to read afterwards, which can enhance one’s knowledge of a particular subject.

2. Zoe Hong- Fashion History:1900-1920

I personally am a huge fashion of fashion history related videos on YouTube. I was surprised and glad to see that one of favorite YouTube fashion content creators published a video on fashion history. I find this video to be a brief, but highly effective summary of fashion from the  1900-1920. I particularly liked that Hong drafted a timeline for the content she discussed. I feel that it can be difficult to sum up more than one decade of fashion in a short video, but based on my experience of being in a fashion history course, this video really touched on all of the important people and significant developments. I also  highly recommend the books that she featured within this video, which she includes in the video’s description.

3. Lynn Yaeger, “A Vogue Editor’s Guide to the Best Fashion on Gossip Girl,” published on Vogue.com on July 22nd, 2019. (Edited by Anny Choi).

           When I think about what may have inspired my love of fashion, there are a few things come to mind. For one, I had a penchant early on for dress up, and I was one of the more extreme appreciators of this activity. Another factor that I feel contributed to my love of fashion was the film Titanic, for which the costumes held my attention just as much, if not more than Leonardo Dicaprio. Finally, one of the biggest influences on my love of fashion was the television series Gossip Girl. While the drama on the show was fascinating, the clothes to me were the centerpiece. I particularly felt drawn to the wardrobe of Blair Waldorf. I loved the mix of modernity and classic pieces in her wardrobe, and seeing the playful or strategic styling of her looks. I will forever be influenced by her more ladylike looks. Lynn Yaegar of Vogue.com discussed her favorite fashions, and those of her fellow editors, from the original series, on the heels of the announcement of the series having a future reboot. Additionally, the article then features a curation of modern pieces that can emulate these original GG looks.

4. Gucci’s Fall 2019 Ad Campaign

To  begin, Alessandro Michele always has fantasy, over the top, entertaining qualities to his work for Gucci, as discussed by Alyssa Vingan Klein on Fashionista.com. The shoot highlights the construction process of garments, as detailed by Vingan Klein. A fashion presentation within a fashion presentation, is also part of what makes this advertisement, as Alyssa Vingan Klein describes, a “...somewhat educational-- story through it’s ad imagery….” Mekita Rivas of Refinery29 explains that this presentation depicts the fashion industry, prior to the ambush of fast fashion and the influence of content from the digital realm, with specific focus on following the ready-to-wear industry “... from the 1950s to the 1980s….”

          Additionally,  Rivas details that in a Gucci Press Release, the brand states that part of the goal of these advertisements was to help gain appreciation for the processes that go into making a collection. Personally, I feel that this campaign is an important reminder that fashion is a serious business that like any involves a lot of players, steps, and attention to detail in order to function and fulfill tasks. For an industry that is often not recognized for its significance, and the hard work that goes into its finished products, I am glad that Gucci has created a campaign with this consideration in mind, as detailed by Rivas and within the brand’s press release. I also feel that this advertisement campaign reminds consumers that while the designer’s are often the ones credited with a fashion product, there are many people involved in making garments. In today’s world, where online shopping is common, consumers may forget how many are employed in making the garments they wear.

Source: YouTube, Gucci’s YouTube Channel

5. Dressed: The History of Fashion podcast, “Space Age Fashion: an interview with Sara Jean Culbreth,” published on July 23rd, 2019

On this podcast episode, hosted by Cassidy Zachary, April Calahan, and featuring Sara Jean Culbreth, there is a discussion about fashion during the time of Space Age excitement. Pierre Cardin is a major player included within the discussion of this contest. Additionally, there is a major component of the discussion that revolves around the transitional phase of the coexistence of haute couture and ready-to-wear. It is interesting to ponder the significance of each and the tug of war between the two. For another work that goes into discussion about haute couture and ready-to-wear, check out the book The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History by Robin Givhan.

Source: Cardin, Pierre. Dress, 1968, France, steel plates that were polished and wool crepe in black,. The Museum at FIT- Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, The Museum at FIT Collections, The Museum at FIT.

         Note: To view and read the contents detailed here, click on the linked contents (in bold) within each example’s title or content (example 4).

Works Cited:

Example 1:

Fernandez, Chantel. “How Hearst Makes It Work.” The Business of Fashion, 23 July, 2019, https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/professional/how-hearst-makes-it-work, Accessed 27 July 2019.

Example 2:

“Fashion History: 1900-1920,” YouTube, uploaded by Zoe Hong, 21 Jul, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViNDmCX3DOw&t=223s, Accessed 21 Jul. 2019.

Example 3:

Yaeger, Lynn. “A Vogue Editor’s Guide to the Best Fashion on Gossip Girl,” Vogue, Condé Nast, 22 July, 2019, https://www.vogue.com/article/best-gossip-girl-fashion-vogue-editors-favorite-looks?verso=true, Accessed 27 July 2019.

Savage, Stephanie, and Josh Schwartz, creators. Gossip Girl. 17th Street Productions and Alloy Entertainment, 2007-2012.

Titanic. Directed by James Cameron. Performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Billy Zane, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, and Lightstorm Entertainment, 1997.

           Example 4:

Vingan Klein, Alyssa. “Gucci Tells the Rich Behind-the-Scenes Tale of its collection for the Fall 2019 Ad Campaign,” Fashionista, Breaking Media Inc., 15 July, 2019,  https://fashionista.com/2019/07/gucci-fall-2019-ad-campaign, Accessed 27 Jul. 2019.

Rivas, Mekita. “Gucci’s FW ‘19 Campaign Is a Tribute to the Heyday of Ready-To-Wear,” Refinery29, 15 July, 2019 , https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/07/237900/gucci-fall-2019-campaign-ready-to-wear, Accessed 27 July 2019.

“Gucci Prêt-À-Porter: The Fall-Winter 2019 Campaign,” YouTube, uploaded by Gucci, 15 July, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqOQBsikFts&t=61s, Accessed 27 July, 2019.

           Example 5:

Calahan, April, Cassidy Zachary, and Sara Jean Culbreth, narrators. “Space Age Fashion: an interview with Sara Jean Culbreth,” Dressed: The History of Fashion, iHeartRadio, 23 July, 2019, https://www.dressedpodcast.com/podcasts/space-age-fashion-an-interview-with-sarah-jean-culbreth.htm.

Givhan, Robin. The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History. New York, Flatiron Books, 2015.