Mushpit - My favourite duo

Last week I went to Raw Print which is an event in Nottingham that happens the first week of every month, aimed to celebrate the making and publishing of independent magazines. Guest speakers are invited to share their publications with us and explain their process, personal experience, struggles and successes. This week, the magazines were based on feminism and as you guys know, I love independent women that stand for what they believe in. I was intrigued to see how people of such a young age with no funding could create such professional magazines and bring together a successful end product. Charlotte and Bertie, the founders of the magazine “Mushpit” were hilarious and stood for everything I believe in. They had an idea/dream and made it reality! I was fascinated by their story and felt like I could relate to them because they were young girls who went to university, loved to party, were dedicated to their studies and had a mare with InDesign – any student who studies FCP can relate to this, especially me! 

I loved how they didn’t hide their weaknesses, for example they made it clear that they had no funding but they used their creativity to make money and provide clothing for their photo-shoots. For example, they spoke about one of their shoots where they photographed elderly women and then tried to replicate their outfits by using clothing and accessories that they already owned or found in charity shops to then place on a younger model in a different location. They aim to make their readers laugh and even flicking through some of their old issues I can easily say that they have accomplished this!

3 things that Charlotte and Bertie taught me:

1.“Trust your gut” – listen to advice, but at the end of the day do what you want to do

2. Be realistic – we all have bills to pay, spend time on your projects but remember you still need to eat, pay for rent and have a social life!

3. “Know your worth” – Negotiate, don’t let people take advantage

The current issue of Mushpit is sold out but I can’t wait to get my hands on Issue 8 and follow the duo to see how they progress! Good luck girls!

Photo Credit - stackmagazines.com

The Beauty of Birthmarks

The beauty industry is always criticised for using the same type of model, gradually i believe that this will change as the face of beauty is becoming more diverse. I was born with a pigmented birthmark on the back of my leg, as a young child I was never affected by this because it is just part of me and I can't change that. Although I'm not bothered by my birthmark, there are many people that have been born with either pigmented birthmarks or vascular birthmarks who hate them and try to cover them up. I think birthmarks show individuality and people should embrace this. A journalist in Toronto came across a young girl at the age of 16, Chantelle Winnie. She shared her personal experience on youtube and explained the battle she had with her skin condition, vitiligo. Diagnosed at the age of 4, Chantelle struggled with confidence and faced terrible abuse for the way she looked. This is the same condition that Michael Jackson had, however Chantelle was determined to change people’s perceptions of this condition and embrace her beauty.

Winnie Harlow for Diesel

Winnie Harlow for America's Next Top Model

Winnie Harlow for Desigual

The video had over 150k views and one of those viewers was Tyra Banks. America’s Next Top Model lead Chantelle onto big campaigns for brands such as Diesel, Desigual and so on. As a model, Chantelle is refered to as Winnie Harlow, this is her alter ego.People who dislike their skin because of birthmarks or other pigmentations should find out more about Chantelle, she is a role model to those who lack confidence with their identity.

Everybody is beautiful in their own way!

Photo Credit - Google Images

Is Barbie really a good role model for children?

The new Barbie advertisement focuses on young girls and their wishes for the future. Initially, I loved the advert and thought it was so much better than previous advertisements for Barbie. The little girls featured in the advert are dressed as their dream professions and put in front of adults, expressing their imaginations as if they were playing with their dolls at home. The concept behind this advert is very clever and everyone can relate to it. 

What do you think?

The idea of promoting the message that any dream can come true is great for the target audience, however it could also be seen as controversial. Personally, I believe Barbie is not a good role model for young girls. Her figure is unrealistic and promotes obsession with a skinny frame, big breasts and a face full of make up. Although the advertisement captures a lot of attention, is Barbie really the best character to promote this?

In my opinion - No! Everyone is different and a role model for young children should promote this and embrace that everyone is different.

Although dreams can come true, not everyone can look like Barbie.