#I took a great pragmatics class once - the first week of which was titled ''what does 'mean' mean?''

[peregrineggsandham]

But that’s wrong? Someone can say “Its raining”, but that doesn’t mean the other person hears or even understands them, even if they speak the same language. It means nothing.

I mean, we can just talk about the sequence of sounds that we can write out phonetically as /ɪts ˈreɪnɪŋ/. And yes, those are inherently meaningless. It's just a bunch of noises! As I said, nothing iconic, or even remotely evocative of rain.

But meaning is formed around that sequence of sounds by those who create and hear it - speaker and listener alike. And that meaning is predicated on a wonderful mix of speaker intention, listener bias, historical context, shared cultural knowledge, and a host of unspoken conversational maxims and patterns.

I was definitely focusing on the meaning as interpreted by the listener in that last post, so I'm sorry if that confused things. And I was sort of assuming that the listener and speaker were in an ongoing conversation and understanding each other. But even if they weren't, even if the listener couldn't understand the speaker, that doesn't mean the utterance itself "means nothing". If said with the intent to communicate, then it definitely means something at the very least to the speaker! Like you said - someone can say it! And there lies a full half of the meaning.

Conversation is inherently a collaborative act, but it starts with the speaker's intent behind an utterance. They're taking a complex idea - the concrete "rain", the more abstract "-ing" and "'s", the somewhat idiomatic "it" - and turning that combination of ideas into the movement of a stream of air, following a strict set of patterns and rules that developed organically over thousands of years. That's neat!

If the listener doesn't speak the language, or mishears, then they may not pick up on that meaning. It could just be sounds, to them. Or they may even misunderstand, and pick up an unintended meaning. If they lack some of the required context (e.g. by not knowing a word), or if the speaker is flouting one of those unspoken maxims (e.g. by being sarcastic) and the listener doesn't realize it, the meaning may be warped.

The utterance of the sounds /ɪts ˈreɪnɪŋ/, the writing of the phrase "It's raining", you're right that these aren't inherently meaningful. If the sequence "itsraining" happened to appear in a randomly-generated string of letters, I wouldn't personally assume any meaning to it. And since this train of thought did start on the topic of magic, I'll say I find nothing particularly magical about a string of random sounds or letters either.

(Now, if you did see meaning in that random string, I think you'd effectively be practicing some kind of divination, by believing that there was intent behind the randomness. That the universe or whoever or whatever produced the string was actively trying to communicate with you. That's a pretty common idea when we talk about certain kinds of "magic". I think it's interesting that words, symbols, and communication from some unseen "speaker" are so integral to our understanding of it, and I think there's something to be said there for seeing language itself as an inherently "magical" thing regardless of whether your interlocutor is just your next-door neighbor or... whatever you personally believe is at the other end of an alectryomancy session. But dammit Jim I'm a phonetician, not an occultist.)

Point is, in conversation, in the context of a person speaking to another (regardless of whether it's understood), an utterance (or any sequence of symbols) is meaningful because of the intent behind it. Not the sounds themselves, but the very act of turning ideas into symbols - and back again.

...

I apologize if I'm repeating myself a bit - it's quite late and the question of "what does it mean for a utterance to have meaning" is actually a really interesting and complicated one, anon!

I'm admittedly being more flowery and less technical about it here because in the end my other main point is just "Isn't language really astoundingly neat?", but this is the stuff from which journal articles are written. (Usually involving a surprising amount of predicate logic.) It's an important line of inquiry because it can help explain a lot of where communication goes right and wrong, how misunderstandings happen, and how to effectively convey ideas to others.

That said, to be fair this isn't my specific area of expertise - I'm in the phon/phon corner where we ask people to make noises and stare at spectrograms all day, this is more the sem/prag corner where they put lambda calculus and philosophy in a blender.

@cryptotheism Ach, look what you made me do, I'm rambling about sounds.

#linguistics #semantics & pragmatics & semiotics are entire fields of study for a reason! people can and do spend years talking about this very issue. #I took a great pragmatics class once - the first week of which was titled ''what does 'mean' mean?'' #for instance - if a speaker says ''it's raining'' aloud to -themself- without intent to communicate with a separate listener #is it still a meaningful utterance? #it doesn't add things to any kind of conversational common ground #but it may still serve a specific purpose to the speaker in helping them organize their thoughts #and it isn't a random string of sounds said for the sake of making sounds #so we can argue that it does indeed still have meaning #magically speaking I'd jest that the speaker is casting a one-person spell of 'remind myself why I picked up that umbrella a second ago' #now... could a random string of sounds said by a person with the sole intent of making meaningless sounds... have meaning? #it may convey information! that information being ''I am making some meaningless sounds.'' #it's not really -language- but does it -mean- something? #does it -mean- something in a different way from how 'it's raining' -means- something? #and from there you get into a couple different definitions of the word 'mean' #the specifics of which I don't remember though now I sorta want to track down the paper we read that first introduced it #it was super interesting and a bit of a mind-bender #sam says stuff sometimes #sam says... a lot of stuff apparently - whoops #I'm sorry anon I didn't intend this to turn into a small essay

[laurapora]

Afterglow - {Spock} Pt. 1

Orbit -  A sphere of activity, interest, or application.

Stifling a yawn, Mina Sulu entered the Botany laboratory and settled down behind her desk with a cup of herbal tea. It was approaching 1800 hours, and while most of the crew members aboard the Starship Enterprise were winding down, she was just getting started.

The twenty-six year old junior science officer had been assigned to work night shifts, which she personally took great enjoyment in. Peace and quiet were both rare instances on the ship, and she nearly jumped out of her seat at the prospect of attaining the position.

Working into the early hours of morning didn't bother Mina at all, she had always been something of a night owl, and more importantly it allowed her to avoid times of peak activity on the vessel. Not that she didn't appreciate a little excitement now and then, but her idea of a good time had more to do with microscopes, and alien flora than it did Phasers or planetary exploration.

After completing a routine check of the current specimens in the lab, she eagerly began inspecting the newest finds that the field officers had brought in. The room was silent aside from the whirring of machinery as Mina ran diagnostic tests on the foreign plant life, taking extensive notes with a PADD.

Despite being heavily immersed in her work, Mina kept a book open on her desk and would occasionally stop to scan a page, her dark eyes absorbing the content with notable interest. She was so absorbed in her routine that she failed to notice a figure standing in the doorway.

Their presence was preventing the automated door from sliding shut, and they took advantage of this fact to observe Mina's actions for a minute. Then, stepping into the lab, the man cleared his throat softly.

She glanced up quickly and saw that her brother, Hikaru Sulu, had stopped by for their usual evening chat. An occurrence that Mina simultaneously dreaded, and enjoyed. The two siblings were very close, but that often meant Hikaru stuck his nose where it didn't belong. Growing up, he had assumed the role of being her protector, and it was something he had a hard time relinquishing even now.

She offered him a smile, and resumed her work hoping he would get the hint and leave sooner rather than later.

Hikaru wandered over to Mina's desk, attempting to keep a casual demeanor, but his attention was trained on the book he had seen her pouring over. Gazing down at the pages, he frowned.

"You're still studying Vulcan?"

Mina sighed, she knew that tone all too well, it was his 'I don't approve of your decision' voice.

"Consistency is typically how one achieves progress."  She responded evenly.

"Progress towards what? There is only one Vulcan aboard this ship, and he speaks English perfectly well. There would be no practical reason for you to address him in any other way."

Mina bristled, her agitation growing with each second. "Can't a woman have a hobby?"

"It's never just a hobby with you, Mina." Hikaru said quietly, and stepped closer to his sister.

"You've got that same look in your eyes. I've seen it enough to know that you're fixating again, and on your senior officer, no less. It's a waste of time, and you know it. There's just no getting through to him."

Mina took a step back, and shot her brother a dark look. "I appreciate your concern, Hikaru, but must inform you that your fears are completely unfounded as I am perfectly capable of discerning fact from fiction, and therefore have no ulterior interest in Vulcan culture beyond intellectual stimulation."

She moved away from him, and crossed the laboratory to silence a machine that had completed a scan to identify possible unknown biological entities in plant composition.

"And besides that, I don't think it's any of your damn business what I read, or enjoy."

Hikaru let out of a frustrated groan, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

He waited, but Mina gave no response, and Sulu turned to exit the lab.

"Good night, Mina."

"Good morning, Hikaru."

__________

One of the most irritating things about working with her brother was that he knew her too well. Hikaru hadn't been entirely wrong when he mentioned Mina's tendency to fixate on things, sometimes to the point of obsession. She'd been that way her entire life, although, her control over it was far more refined these days.

Still, it hadn't stopped her from developing an interest in a particular first officer. Out of all the humans and humanoids aboard the Enterprise, Mina had to set her sights on the one who was, quite literally, emotionally unavailable. She didn't need anyone to tell her how ridiculous the notion was, but it seemed the laws of attraction had a twisted sense of humor, as Mina was undeniably captivated by the pragmatic, and ever logical Lieutenant Commander Spock.

Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, she frowned and attempted to regain focus on the current situation. This proved useless, however, because moments later the door of the laboratory slid open once again.

"If you've come back to question more of my life choices, I don't want to hear it." Mina announced, not bothering to check who had entered.

"I have no intention of discussing anything pertaining to that subject." A cool voice replied.

She gasped, and spun around, cursing inwardly as her gaze fell upon the pointed ears, and impeccable posture of the Vulcan commander.

"My apologies, sir." Mina clutched the PADD to her chest, heat rising in her face. "I thought you were someone else."

Spock arched an eyebrow, "Yes, that is quite clear."

"Is there something I can do for you?"

There was a brief silence, during which Mina was painfully aware of her constricted breathing. She felt like a fish who had been suddenly thrust from calm, comfortable waters into the stark and unforgiving air.

Spock gave no indication that he noticed her discomfort, his keen eyes assessing her as if they were meeting for the first time.

In a way, that was true. Neither of them had yet made direct contact before now due to Mina being reassigned only one week ago. She had taken comfort in that anonymity, and having it ripped away so quickly left her floundering, for lack of a better word.

"I thought it would be beneficial for both of us to be formally introduced. As Science Officer it is my responsibility to evaluate the performance of all those who work within the Sciences Division aboard this vessel. This includes conducting intermittent progress reports to ensure that your work is satisfactory."

"Right, of course. I was just finishing up diagnostics on alien flora collected from the latest expedition to the class L Planet that was charted yesterday."

Spock nodded, "Please continue, I would like to monitor your procedures first-hand."

Mina gulped, and a shiver ran through her body. No pressure.

She clutched her stylus tightly to hide the tremble in her hands, and resumed documenting the results of each lab test as it was completed. It was hard to tell whether or not Spock could sense her unease, but he had the decency to at least give her some space while she worked.

About ten minutes passed before he spoke again, causing Mina to jump slightly as his confident voice broke the silence.

"You are attempting to learn Vulcan."

She threw a cursory glance over her shoulder, and saw his tall figure stooping slightly to read the book she had left open on her desk. Her eyes widened, but she tried to remain calm. There was no reason for Spock to draw any rash conclusions as her brother had.

"Yes, I've always found language to be an integral part of cultural study, and I'm already fluent in four languages, so I figured why not add a fifth?"

Mina cringed as her statement lingered in the room. She hadn't meant to sound so pretentious, but her thoughts never seemed to translate very well into spoken word. One of the many reasons she loathed small talk.

Spock tipped his head to one side, eyes curious. "Cultural studies is a topic more suited to someone interested in Communications. Is it possible that you intend to one day join your brother as a member of the helm crew?"

Mina grinned in spite of herself, and chuckled softly.

A slight crease appeared on Spock's brow. "I was not aware that my question could be perceived as humorous."

"No, no it wasn't so much your question as..." She shrugged, "to be honest sir, just the thought of working alongside my brother is laughable. I can assure you I'm perfectly happy where I am. Learning about other cultures is simply a pastime I enjoy."

Confusion flitted over her commander's features, but he quickly resumed his neutral expression.

"Very well." He paused, glancing down once more at the book. "If you find yourself unable to understand an aspect of Vulcan linguistics, you may refer to me as a guide. I would be most interested to hear your thoughts on the structure and syntax of the language as it compares to the others you've studied."

Now it was Mina's turn to be confused. If it wasn't for the blood pounding in her ears, she could have sworn that Spock just admitted to wanting the two of them to carry out a casual conversation.

"Oh, that would be great, thank you." She managed to say.

He bowed slightly, and spun around towards the exit. "Good evening, Officer Sulu."

She frowned at the use of her last name, it reminded her too much of Hikaru.

"Actually, sir, you can call me Mina."

His head turned slightly, eyebrow arched. "Is your title an insufficient way to address you?"

Realizing her mistake, Mina quickly shook her head, "No, of course not, forget I said anything."

She faced away from his inquiring gaze, and busied herself with a machine, letting out a relieved sigh when the door finally slid shut.

#spock #startrek #sulu #starship enterprise #fanfiction #love #romance

[basia2002ib]

Profile & summary of my CAS

Learning outcomes

All in all I can say I achieved all learning outcomes. 

1. I identified own strengths and developed areas for growth. I got involved in activities that based on my prevailing skills but opened new ways to develop. Language can be deepened without limits; although I have got a certified C2 level in German I can still develop my skills and I continued to do so throughout my CAS.

2. I have undertaken a range of challenges, for instance passing a C2 exam in German seemed outlandish at first but then I got used to the idea and focused all my efforts to pursuing this goal. And I did it, even though it might seem abstract. I wanted to challenge myself to spice up my life a little bit and grow personally from the process. Now I can see a difference - my German language skills developed to such degree that when I am reading literature in German now I see an immense difference - now I can easily spot nuances and extract the deep meaning.

3. I initiated and planned CAS experiences thoroughly. I am a pragmatic person who tends to stick to the plan because it gives direction. CAS stages came naturally to me, I did not have to force them because they are inherent parts of planning process. My intellectual challenges undertaken in German - 2 competition and one language certificate required detailed planning for adequate preparation. Also my internship in the foundation required planning and time-management skills as I had to combine it with my various initiatives and rigorous IB programme. CAS stages were useful to plan my CAS project as well - I was in MUN staff, which means I coorganized WawMUN 2019.

4. Commitment and perseverance are prerequisite for success. I understand it therefore in every action I take these factors resonate. Otherwise I would accomplish my goals such as honours in German, I would not be able to play volleyball in the first-line up or I would not fulfill my demanding duties throughout my internship effectively. These are only examples of actions where I used my commitment and perseverance to succeed.

5. I saw benefits of working collaboratively during the WawMUN 2019 conference, which I organized as my CAS project but also in my internship in the foundation and my service as a student goverment vice president. In the student government we need to rely on one another and have each other’s back. We do share responsibilities to make sure nothing is neglected. We help each other and in case of emergency may replace one another either during a debate or while discussing issues with the head mistress. Throughout my internship I served as an assistant therefore I needed to adjust to the current responsibilities. I was instructed by more experienced employees all the way and assigned tasks. WawMUN conference is the biggest MUN in Poland therefore the organization process is complicated and required the division of tasks. If we did not trust each other and if we did not share responsibilities, the effect would not be so spectacular. The results showed the benefits of the team work from its best side.

6. I engaged with issues of gloabl significance throughout my CAS project which was co-organizing the MUN conference. Practising debating skills is crucial in today’s world and new generations of politicians have a chance to challenge their capabilities on the conference. The topics discussed in individual commitees touched upon issues of global significance. It is great to give my peers a chance to gain skills, delve into controversial subjects and defend their position. Some of them would probably pursue politics further in life; MUN conferences are truly inspirational in this respect.

7. One of the ethical issues I adressed during my activity as a student government vice president was the animal consumption. To relieve the environment, make my own step to reduce cruelty against animals, at least at the local level, I negotiated with the canteen supervisor to introduce vegan food. Unfortunately it was not possible to serve vegan dinners because of technical diffuculties but vegan sandwiches appeared in the canteen soon after our proposal. This is the way to satisfy needs of people on a plant-based diet but also a way to promote environmentally friendly food, with no associated cruelty.

Creativity

I love literature and foreign languages. Throughout my CAS, I combine this two effectively to follow both of my passions simultaneously. I read and write a lot in German and do far beyond what is required in my school. My goals in German are wide-ranging and not confined to my German B classes, but I challenged myslef to take part in competition and to read German literature. Once I have read “The Sorrows of Young Werther”, “Faust”, “The Visit”, “The Trial” in original and it commenced my relationship with German literature. I was captivated by it to such extent that I made a German classic “The Magic Mountain” the center of my Extended Essay. I also chose “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka to use in my oral exam. Thomas Mann and Franz Kafka are one of my favourite writers of all time and they allow me to trace different nuances of German language. Close analysis of these works of art should involve in my opinion delving into the original work. A valuable experience might be to compare it with the translation, which I did throughout my independent study.

My tangible achievements in German (the evidence for my skills) were: a C2 certificate in German, a disitinction in the translation contest “Juvenes Translatores” organized by the European Commision and a finalist title in the National German Olympiad. I reached my aforementioned goals in 2020. They involved CAS stages. 1. I investigated the area I wanted to deepen my skills in and specific aims I wanted to pursue and these were competitions in German. 2. I prepared my strategy, researched the most respectable competitions and exams I wanted to take part in, signed up for them and planned preparation which was necessary because of huge amounts of school work and limited free time. 3. I took specific action, exposed myself to the language days before the exam and throughout multiple months I was doing practice papers, reading and watching a lot. 4. I realized that by pursuing my passion in German and going beyond the curriculum I freed myself and could really delve into the language. The experience provided me with the sense of purpose - my life was not only concerned with my Diploma syllabus but I could get acquainted with literature and recognized the power of translation in terms of its strong influence on the reception of foreign texts. 

From then onward I worked to maintain my German on the same high level. I should not take it for granted - I am not a native speaker. My accomplishements required huge amounts of work and also talent but might disappear if not cared for properly.

Activity

In the course of my CAS journey I have been active in many disciplines. Sport is one of my few ways to unwind and stop stressing about reality. I think that the limited possibilities to practice sport were one of the major obstacles during the pandemic. I was deprived of my only way to switch off and relax. Before the pandemic I used to swim and play volleyball in a school team every week plus I attended 3 Physical Education classes per week. Now my prefered activities are not possible to pursue because of lockdown which entailed school, sport halls and swimming pool closures. Moreover I am concerned with the virus. At the start of 2020 we managed to take the fouth place in district-wide volleyball competition. My team and I wanted to improve next year but the pandemic unexpectedly shattered my plans. I am grateful, however, for having been given a chance to represent my school in the first line-up. Moreover, I would attend volleyball practice every Saturday.

My PE classes give me a chance to play volleyball, football or do fitness. I enjoy almost every activity that is physically demanding. And I am also great in sport which boosts my motivation. Beyond school, I used to exert myself a lot in swimming and have difficulties to find enjoyment in it. However, I am a really good swimmer and it strengthens my determination, improves posture and health.

Throughout the pandemic, I have been practising sport independently, as it is an extremely important part of my life. However, in the first lockdown in the spring I used to overexert myself doing long and intensive workouts every day on an empty stomach to the point when I got health problems. I had to give it up and switched to another physical activity, less demanding but equally fun: walking. Never before have I taken walks so often as during the pandemic. Now, in the winter lockdown I also go for a walk sometimes.

Service

I began my CAS journey in 2019 with giving tutoring to a primary school student from a underprivileged background. Teaching subjects I am comfortable in (English and German) and his improved grades were reasons for my satisfaction. It required a lot of patience and perseverance as it was extremely difficult to teach him something because firstly he lacked motivation and secondly he had difficulties memorizing. This made it a huge challenge but turned out to be rewarding.

The second half of my first IB year (2020) I sacrificed for my internship (voluntary work) in a foundation.  My scope of activity consisted in the cooperation with the Fundraising Director and the Spokeswoman of the foundation; I had duties related to fundraising and media such as: preparing summaries of the reports from humanitarian missions for fairs in Dubai, translating posts for English social media profiles, collecting data for media reports, translating official requests for the sponsorship, gathering contact details of potential sponsors i.e. big companies and Presidents of the biggest Polish cities, monitoring press mentions.

Throughout 2020 I have also been fulfilling duties of the student government vice president. My team was elected in February 2020 and until now (beginning of 2021) I hold this position. I resolve current problems with the head mistress, co-organize and participate in events e.g. open days, control social media, coordinate logistics. In March we attended an event for student governments across Warsaw. I also tried to organize the Physics conference with my 2 friends in my school but it was cancelled last-minute due to imposed school closure, one week before it was scheduled to take place. Everything had been arranged with lecturers and we had to cancel feeling miserable.

My wide range of CAS activities - other examples

Apart from my core activities which I described, I got involved in numerous other CAS experienced described on this blog. One of the most enriching ones was my participation in the process of creation of a book. I wrote my own essay to a book published this month by my former class teacher. I entitled my work: “School is people: about sparking authenticity and breaking patterns”. I also cooked a lot and published some of my recipes on the blog, wrote to my school newspaper, took part in environmental protests, wrote some poems, some diary entry, practiced Frech, including writing, took many beautiful photos on my trips abroad,... 

I also co-organized WawMUN2019 conference as my CAS project.

[jessicakehoe]

From the FASHION Archives: The Meteoric Rise of Stella McCartney from the September 2001 Issue

Since its launch in 1977, FASHION magazine has been giving Canadian readers in-depth reports on the industry’s most influential figures and expert takes on the worlds of fashion, beauty and style. In this series, we explore the depths of our archive to bring you some of the best fashion features we’ve ever published. This story, originally titled “Stella’s New Groove” by Tim Blanks, was initially published in FASHION’s September 2001 issue.

If a multi-million dollar deal for backing from a global fashion conglomerate could possibly be construed as a return to one’s roots, then Stella McCartney’s the girl to prove it’s possible. Following her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 1995, she borrowed a little money from her parents and launched her own label from her basement flat just off Portobello Road, keeping it small, keeping it real. Now, following four years as designer for Chloé in Paris – four years which have seen her become one of the best-known designers in the world – it’s McCartney’s name on the label once more. This time, the financing is coming from Tom Ford and his Gucci Group, but she is still planning on keeping it small and real – for now at least.

That’s going to be tricky, given that McCartney’s Gucci-backed debut in Paris is probably the most eagerly awaited collection of the Spring 2002 season. It will be keenly scrutinized, doubly so because it’s both her solo gig and the first fruit of Gucci’s most high-profile joint venture to date. That’s a lot of reputation resting on one show.

Following her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 1995, she borrowed a little money from her parents and launched her own label from her basement flat just off Portobello Road, keeping it small, keeping it real.

But this kind of pressure followed McCartney around for most of her life. There was always a prevailing sense that she was part of a much bigger story: her father’s band, her parents’ love story, their place in history and all the other baggage that swirls around a living legend and his offspring. In such situations, the family name can be as much a curse as a blessing. As McCartney herself so memorably complained in January 1999: “I’m so sick of this ‘my parents’ thing. It’s not my fault. It’s been that way my whole life. When I would make a good drawing in primary school, it was because my dad was famous. Or if I got a part in a school play, it was because Dad was a Beatle. What do I do? Do I become a smackhead and live off my parents’ fortune or do I have my own life?”

Just what McCartney was up against was inadvertently made clear in March 1998, after her second collection for Chloé. The fashion industry isn’t exactly renowned for poignant moments, but the sight of Paul and Linda McCartney holding each other and singing along to The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” as their daughter took her bow undoubtedly counts as one. The reviews, however, were bad. They re-aired the accusations about family connections greasing wheels for McCartney, about her not being up to the job. Then, a few weeks later, Linda died from breast cancer. This double whammy – professional and private – would have knocked anyone less grounded for six. But for McCartney, it seems to have posed a challenge that her subsequent career has risen to meet.

In such situations, the family name can be as much a curse as a blessing.

First, she has done her mother proud. McCartney continues Linda’s activism as a patron of The Vegetarian Society, a member of PETA and a vehement anti-fur and anti-leather campaigner. “I will never do leather,” she insists. “Nothing dead ever walks through my door.” She recently had a go at British Airways for using leather seats in the first-class cabins, which betrays a pragmatic activist’s understanding of the fact that people listen when money talks.

And second, McCartney saw off the naysayers during her years at Chloé. The label’s sales doubled after she took over in 1997. Industry sources estimate profits grew to more than $35 million last year. It’s quite an achievement when you reflect on the expense and the specificity of the Chloé look while McCartney was in charge. Or maybe it’s not so surprising. She has said, “The one thing I have going for me is that I’m exactly the age bracket of the person who buys my clothes.” And there’s nothing like knowing your customer.

“The one thing I have going for me is that I’m exactly the age bracket of the person who buys my clothes.”

It certainly hasn’t hurt that and of course, Madonna, the rock chick de nos jours. She showed up at McCartney’s basement flat years ago, paid retail and became a firm friend and client. McCartney designed The Wedding Dress.

Add Gwyneth in her wannabe rock-chick mode and pop chick Britney and you’ve got a good cross-section of the spotlight-hogging, trend-setting clientele that will follow McCartney to her next gig. No wonder Tom Ford enthuses that “her clothes have an enormous appeal to women around the world” (Kate Hudson’s unfortunate Oscar outfit aside). McCartney has snared their affections with her signature combinations of modern and vintage, hard and soft, masculine and feminine. At Chloé, that could mean a severely tailored 30s-inspired suit worn with a wispy camisole top, or the leanest, meanest jeans paired with an air-brushed zodiac T-shirt, or flirty tea dresses and the raunchiest denim hot-pants on the same catwalk. What looked tacky to fuddy-duddy fashion observers would invariably turn out to be just what the rock chicks craved. Those diamanté-studded aviators? Couldn’t get enough of them! That “Keep Your Bananas Off My Melons” T-shirt? Gone in a flash! All because McCartney’s sense of cool was juiced up with a playful girlish sexuality that older and/or male designers couldn’t even dream of. Compare McCartney’s corsets from her last collection for Chloé to those of her new business partner Tom Ford. Where his were darkly fetishistic, vaguely threatening, hers were prettily beaded and beribboned, begging for boyfriends with nimble fingers. “I happen to think corsets are foxy,” she said at a panel discussion. “And they make your tits look great.”

The addendum is pure McCartney, blunt and inarguable. She deals with cynics in the same way. Like, for instance, the people who wondered how she could ally herself with a business as fur-and-leather-based as Gucci. What she did was offer an irresistible option in her last show. “All that fake fur,” gushed Liv Tyler. “And it feels so beautiful, so real – and it’s not. So many people are wearing real stuff that it’s really good for them to see it’s so easy to make it not real and look just as good.”

“I’d rather get out of this industry if that’s what it is going to be like and work in a vegetarian restaurant.”

Or, as McCartney puts it, she’s going to prove to Gucci there is a kinder, gentler way of doing things. As she told Women’s Wear Daily earlier this year, “I have a vision for the way I want a woman to dress, perhaps because I’m a woman and I know what I like to wear. So many people are forgetting about what women want to wear. It just seems like the industry is working for the industry now which is, like, yecchh! I’d rather get out of this industry if that’s what it is going to be like and work in a vegetarian restaurant.”

The post From the FASHION Archives: The Meteoric Rise of Stella McCartney from the September 2001 Issue appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

From the FASHION Archives: The Meteoric Rise of Stella McCartney from the September 2001 Issue published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

what makes Barcelona vs. Chelsea so special

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/what-makes-barcelona-vs-chelsea-so-special/

what makes Barcelona vs. Chelsea so special

Barcelona vs. Chelsea isn’t a “European Clasico” simply because every time they meet, the pitch is decorated with some of Europe’s most sumptuous talents. For a fixture to truly sizzle and fizz in the days and weeks before it is played, there needs to be some degree of a revenge or bad-blood narrative, a rivalry that turns an infrequent continental match-up into the kind of “must win at any cost” derby like Milan vs. Inter, Rangers vs. Celtic, Manchester United vs. Liverpool or Madrid vs. Atletico.

This one has all that and more, a fact that can be traced back to an overnight flight back from Moscow to London in early November 2004.

Jose Mourinho’s “Blue Machine” had just guaranteed qualification for the knockout round after only four months of his reign and four straight Group H wins. This was when the Special One truly was special. He had back-to-back European trophies with Porto while Chelsea had tripped up, inexplicably, on the verge of the Champions League final the previous season.

Jaunty Jose had the Midas touch, in word and deed. Earlier that night, Damien Duff had set up Arjen Robben for the 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow that guaranteed Roman Abramovich’s new European force would reach the last sixteen. Duff, a huge admirer of the modern Barca school, takes up the tale.

“Right from the first moment, Mourinho wanted the draw to pair us with Barca,” recalls the brilliant Irish winger. “We were flying back from winning in Moscow and the lads were all just having a bit of fun with Jose.

“We knew we were going to top our group so we were saying: ‘Who do you want in the next round boss?’ He immediately goes: ‘Barcelona!’ Our instant response was: ‘Are you for real?’ But Jose just told us: ‘It’s simple: We stop them playing and they let us play.’ Simple as that as far as he saw it.”

Mourinho knew two things. Barcelona, although on the rise, were still the wobbly-legged Bambi of European football. Reborn, but shaky on their feet having not won any trophies for five years and no UEFA title since 1992. They were ripe for a football predator to rip into them.

Secondly, Mourinho knew that in 2004, there was still an ideological war being fought within the Camp Nou. Nominally, Joan Laporta, fueled by his ultra-Cruyffist beliefs, was in charge. But the president had enemies within his board, most notably vice president Sandro Rosell and current president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Those latter two, among others, wanted Barcelona to be pragmatic, mirroring Chelsea by signing big, strong, athletic footballers and to dump Frank Rijkaard so that (future Chelsea coach) Luiz Felipe Scolari could take over.

Mourinho viewed Rijkaard’s Barca, where the Ronaldinho-Samuel Eto’o partnership was young but promising and Andres Iniesta had recently been the subject of a hugely fierce debate about whether he should be played or loaned out, as not quite ready to repel his brand of footballing fire and fury.

Sean Dempsey – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Essentially, Mourinho was correct. The desire that this quixotic, remarkable, talented and ruthless man has had to inherit the good life as Barcelona coach stemmed from the coaching duties he undertook as understudy to both Sir Bobby Robson and Louis Van Gaal in the late 1990s. And it was evidenced most starkly in the “clasico wars” of 2010-11 when he was Madrid coach in opposition to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

But the first time Mourinho caught a whiff of him being able to power his way past a “Cruyffist” Barca and potentially leave himself as the top candidate when the job became vacant was when this rivalry took bitter root back in Spring, 2005.

What followed over the next four matches was a flow of simply extraordinary events, landmark in fact, which set the tone for years of battles between the new, emerging Barca philosophy and the modern Premier League ideal which blended traditional English football beliefs with many of the best imported coaches, players and ideas. A battle that will rage again this week.

Back in 2004 the tone, belligerent and streetwise, was set immediately. Before the match, one Catalan journalist goaded Mourinho about his past as “merely a translator” at the Camp Nou under Sir Bobby Robson and he “bit his head off,” nailing what was, quite clearly, a false reputation. Then Mourinho offered to finish the press conference in remarkable style: by naming all 22 players who’d take the field the next night.

First he (correctly) listed the Barca XI before carrying on, “giving away” his Chelsea starting lineup. The move was aimed at taking charge of the pre-match psychology, to tell Barcelona’s staff and players “you have nothing I’ve not anticipated: I’m the boss.”

It was fun at the time but better still in the knowledge that he actually fooled his own players.

“I remember Mourinho telling me I was definitely starting but then he played a few ‘mind games’ with the press,” said Duff. “He’d taken me aside and said: ‘You are in the team tomorrow but I’m going to give them a different lineup in the press conference. I think he announced Eidur Gudjohnsen was playing instead of me.

“When I saw him name the team on TV, I started believing it and had to wait 24 anxious hours to discover that, lo and behold, I was in it.”

Of course, the fun stopped there. Chelsea significantly out-strategized Barcelona: Duff forced Juliano Belletti’s own goal and also crossed the ball for the moment when Didier Drogba’s challenge on Victor Valdes brought a second yellow and, thus, red card. Eleven men duly beat 10 but Mourinho’s accusations of collusion between Rijkaard and referee Anders Frisk led to death threats for the Swedish referee and his retirement out of fears for his family.

The return leg epitomized two schools of football. Barcelona, still delicate and pretty rather than streetwise and the steely competitors they’d become, were blown away by one of the most superb 25-minute power-plays you could ever wish to see.

“Barça were world-class even then but not a patch on what they are now,” said Duff. “We gave an incredible performance and it was down to us believing Mourinho when he said that we cold stop them playing.”

What about the unpenalized foul Ricardo Carvalho committed on Valdes so that John Terry could head home the winner from Duff’s cross once Ronaldinho’s hip-shaking goal that shook the world had put Barca in a winning position on away goals?

“Just a little nudge. The dark arts we learned under Mourinho,” is Duff’s verdict. The fact that Chelsea merited going through back then isn’t in much dispute.

Sean Dempsey – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Exactly one year later, when paired again, the story was different, but similar. Barcelona had wised up. In winning 2-1 at Stamford Bridge they gave one of their most determined and most impressive away performances ever. Asier Del Horno’s horrific lunge with studs extended hasn’t prevented Lionel Messi seeing the birth of his third son this week, but it might have done. It was that badly judged, as were Mourinho’s words about Messi’s reaction being “theatrical.”

Then there was born the genesis of what makes Wednesday’s tie important not just to discover which previous winner (three of the last seven) emerges, but because it will form a new part of an epic modern dynastic rivalry.

Barcelona and Chelsea had four ties between 2005 and 2006 with two red cards, three own goals, one of Ronaldinho’s all-time sublime moments of creative invention, the birth of Messi as a great European power, Mourinho goading the Spanish media and Barcelona as a club, the ultra-controversial retirement of a top quality referee, a total of 14 goals, an owner (Abramovich) who coveted the admiration that went hand-in-hand with beauty of Barcelona’s play and Camp Nou board members who coveted the “bigger, stronger, faster” ethos when it came to Mourinho’s transfer market outlook.

We, the neutral football lovers, are the beneficiaries of the way this meeting of two ideals has become a European clasico. But I’d also argue that Barcelona have benefitted from Chelsea repeatedly being a thorn in their side.

Can anybody really argue that, over the years, Barcelona signing Eidur Gudjohnsen, Thierry Henry, Eric Abidal, Gerard Pique, Yaya Toure, Seydou Keita, Zlatan, Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez hasn’t been evidence of the Camp Nou club trying to blend what they cherish most — technique, passing, control — with what they fear most, namely pace, power, height, competitive aggression?

Roll up, roll up, roll up: On stage on Wednesday night, the umpteenth episode of a bitter, intense but beautiful and thrilling European clasico. Don’t miss a moment.

#Football

[jasminekentsmith]

The statement behind the “Statement Tee”

Investigative feature written to brief.

“We should all be Feminists.” This was Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first battle-cry as she let her army of models down the Dior catwalk this show season. The stand-out garment, being in pragmatics a simple white t-shirt with text, held a great semantical responsibility as it pushed Chiuri’s ethos as Dior’s first Creative Dior to the forefront of fashion week calendar. What can we learn however, from her use of not only a t-shirt but from the message she so deliberately yearned to express. Should we all, as women of sound mind and a moral compass, too fill our wardrobes with like-minded clothing and emblazon our beliefs across our chests?

 “The moment is significant not only because Dior is a byword for style that has currency all over the world, but because it’s a house that symbolises womanhood itself. Since its very beginning, with the nipped-in silhouette of the post-war New Look, Dior has represented femininity as surely as Chanel has stood for chic.”, summarised The Guardian in retrospect, encompassing many of the thoughts left with those who watched on as Chiuri took her first foray into the shoes of the great Raf Simons and his predecessors as a sign of a new dawn of Dior. As Broadly Journalist Zing Tzjeng questioned in a Dazed & Confused articled titled, ‘The revolution will be feminised’, “What does a world run by women look like? What does art made by and for women look like?” Perhaps, now we are one step further to finding out with a new commander-in-chief in the fashion frontier.

 So - the girl gang. An unavoidable phrase this year, in a culture shocked politically, and disheartened democratically. The power of the feminine figure united for Hillary Clinton during the presidential campaign and in all manners of celebrity endorsed manners. Politics aside for a second, take Taylor Swift for example. Taylor this year has been ever accompanied by her talented troupe of gal pals. Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne and Lena Dunham being notable names. But why? And why under this alias of high school solidarity? "The sort of feminism you see celebrated in the media is very one-way - it's hetero, white, middle-class feminism” muses activist Beth Siveyer.

 I approached journalist and blogger Amelia Perrin for her take on the meaning behind such a public exposure to a tribe-like sisterhood, never quite in the average woman’s reach. “Basically in the last few years, feminism and its buzzwords ('girl gang', 'girl squad' etc. etc.) have been plastered over everything. It spreads the word, it shows solidarity, sometimes the clothing item is even for charity…. (however) half of me thinks this aestheticized, exclusive, capitalist/consumer based feminism is literally the opposite of what was intended?”

 It’s true, as mentioned previously the question of ‘who runs the world’ plays on the minds of the conscientious within the creative industries and blogger Hoda Katebi played particular attention to sustainability issues surrounding one of the charity garments in question. The Emma Watson, U.N Ambassador endorsed t-shirt, the centrepiece of an Elle cover shoot with the script, “This is what a Feminist looks like” like a medal of honour across the chest.

 These t-shirts were not made in Britain however, but rather an impoverished state, an environment as regrettably not as ethical as ethos would suggest. Hoda wrote about how the, “women in their factories are being treated in a way counter-productive to the clothing's suggested message…it also directly contradicts the goals and purposes of feminism as a means of empowering and encouraging women.” She goes on to pose the all-important question, “Does feminism, as a movement, only extend to white, American women? As a feminist, is it not your responsibility to take into consideration the message your money is sending to fashion companies' mass exploitation of marginalized women around the world?”

 In 1984, fashion designer and notable British lady-about-town Katharine Hamnett did just that. She made a political statement that will forever bond fashion and the political climate of the time. Choosing to wear an oversized, t-shirt dress to meet then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the statement she so wished to make public was “58% DON’T WANT PERSHING” in unavoidable blank font. In protest against the, “proliferation of cruise and pershing missiles across Europe and the UK.” To this day, the images taken and the controversy that followed remain examples of the way fashion can be gripped and harnessed to further political means.

 Back to the House of Dior, and the t-shirt described by Vogue as, “instantly becoming the most Instagrammed moment of the entire show. The fact that Chiuri is the first female artistic director of the Dior maison was a much-discussed fact in the lead-up to her debut—and clearly one that she took to heart. The show notes also made a point of explaining how important feminism is to Chiuri: ‘Feminism is a recurring word for her.’” and drawing comparisons to everyone’s favourite girl boss Beyoncé and her take on the phrase through the use of song. Vogue continued to gush, “The rest of the show rang of feminism, too, from the flat sneakers paired with gowns to the images of female strength depicted through both tailored suiting and flowing dresses. Still, to those really trying to get the message across—and quick!—we’d recommend going for the tee.” Her choice lexical framework? A powerful speech title by activist and writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who in fact, was at the show itself.

 Speaking in depth about the subject is writer and actress Sarah Akokhia. As we sat down to discuss all things feminist, including her idol Chimamanda, an influential fellow Nigerian woman, the topic once more turned to Dior. “As long as there is still a passion behind it and a reason behind it and a real sentiment behind it, which I think there may be with Dior. If I remember correct, I think they’ve got like one of their first female creatives kind of behind this campaign, I’m not sure about that. Then, I think it’s a good thing. Like, bring it on. Let more people know about it, let more people hear about it.”

 She went on to express, “If it gets the message out there I don’t think I mind which way it goes, I guess y’know I’m more inclined to say listen to Chimamanda’s TEDxtalk then I am to wear the t-shirt, but that’s me personally. If a woman walking down the street wearing that Dior t-shirt gets her message out, that message out that way? That’s not a bad thing – it’s a positive message full stop.”

 Today alas, fashion week is over and reality has once again usurped the mystic and wonder of the catwalks. The lights are off and the models have fled leaving us, ultimately with what is statement that needs to be addressed at this point in time. No longer shall this discussion be delayed, like Sarah said, the message is out there and Dior know this. Now, with the rise of social-media, globalisation and a desire to reach out and share your stories, it is more important than ever to support the woman. Through taking advantage of arguably the simplest fixture of the modern working wardrobe – a plain white t-shirt, what has been done this season and what has been done throughout the history of fashion as a political statement, is form a talking point.

 We, you see are discussing this. Instagram was discussing this. Once again, through using the mundane to express a social-cultural gender standpoint; it made sense to us. We are a society that covets the ordinary but loves to be loved. We can easily translate the trend shown here into our high-street friendly budgets but it’s above that, more important than that. Women deserve to feel empowered, albeit through haute-couture or a logo, as society is letting the side down by never quite fulfilling femininities full-potential. Women are still losing out in the work-place, in politics and beyond, therefore forming a #squad is a new-age way around an old-age concern. So, next time you see a statement t-shirt in the stores, another article about Taylor et al, or a successful woman in industry not getting what she should, make like Beyoncé and remember – who runs the world? Girls.

#blog #style