Thursday 10th July 2025
Blog Page 1373

Houmous Girl – 1st week Trinity

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The first thing they heard about the Oxford sinkhole was a Facebook status update from Tiresome Social Media Finalist. “So there’s a sinkhole outside Worcester! Hope it swallows me up on my way to the library!”

The whiff of quirky self-deprecation couldn’t quite mask the stench of his deep, ineffable smugness. “Sixteen likes!” cried Houmous Girl disgustedly, slamming shut her Macbook. “He’s only put that so everyone knows he’s in the library on a Monday morning in the holidays.”

“The holidays? I think you mean ‘the vac’!” cawed Oxford Fetishist.

“We’re not in Cambridge now!” Everyone snorted appreciatively at this hilarious gag at the expense of England’s other leading university. The only thing funnier than Oxford Fetishist’s jokes about how Oxford was better than Cambridge was when he did his impression of a Brookes student on a night out.

“Do your Brookes impression!” demanded Houmous Girl.

“Yeah, mmm, do,” begged Worryingly Intense Girl, plucking out thick handfuls of her hair in nervous anticipation. 

“Oh, alright then,” said Oxford Fetishist. He quickly changed into a shell suit then developed a hunch back and an expression of utter subservience.

“I’m a Brookes student, innit” he said, while applying for Jobseeker’s Allowance. This piece of searing class commentary had the room in fits of laughter.

“Just out of interest, have any of you ever actually met someone from Brookes?” asked Houmous Girl interestedly.

“Do you think it’s possible that we’re all unutterably self-involved and that Brookes is a respectable institution of higher education fi lled with interesting, well-educated and autonomous individuals?” asked Obnoxiously Opinionated Guy, lighting a rollie by striking a match on his ironic leather trousers. An uncomfortable silence settled. The only sound was Worryingly Intense Girl nibbling her toenails and gibbering.

“Actually, you know what…” said Oxford Fetishist slowly. An expression of confusion briefly flitted across his face. Then he shook his head and the moment was gone, or was it? “Bet some bloody tourists fall into that sinkhole, eh?” he cried with relief.

Copenhagen: an unorthodox tour

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My sojourn in Copenhagen was, you might say, ‘off the beaten track’. Not purposefully, but simply because I had no idea what the ‘track’ was. Booking the fl ights on a whim in the middle of a particularly harrowing essay crisis, I didn’t really put any thought into it until I was on the plane and realised I had no idea where the friend I was supposed to be staying with lived. Or what her phone number was. Or, essentially, anything that is usually a prerequisite when you go away. As it turned out, I’d also brought the wrong currency since I had convinced myself that Denmark used Euros. They don’t. Funnily enough, they use the Danish Kroner. Despite all this, my somewhat naive optimism in completely giving myself up into the hands of a local, combined with the failure to even open the cover of a guide book, did, surprisingly, pay dividends.

Firstly: turns out, the stereotype that all Scandanavians are blonde, blue –eyed and built like models is actually true. I, at least, fi tted the first two categories but was sadly dwarfed in the sea of beanpoles that surrounded me. Even the bike that I borrowed needed me to wear heels whilst riding as, unpracticle though it may seem to bike in serious 70s vogue platforms, it did at least have the added advantage of letting me touch the fl oor. Which came in handy. Aside from my height, my dress sense was also decidedly non-Danish. By this, read: it did not consist solely of black and white with a pair of black nike trainers. In fact, it was so non-Danish people automatically talked to me in English without me opening my mouth. Blending in well.

That the Nørrebro district I was staying in is considered the most ‘ghetto’ place in Copnhagen definitely reflected that Denmark’s overall immigrant community only makes up around 10% of the population. The focal point of this district is the ‘Red Square’— a skate park built in 2012 to celebrate diversity, hence its slightly random assortment of objects ranging from a classic London postbox (seriously, what is the big deal with these) to a brightly painted elephant (sadly not real).

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Generally, Copenhagen has many of the ingredients of Amsterdam just with no red light district, far fewer tourists and generally more interesting (although, after getting back, I did have one friend say it was the most boring place in Europe. After further inquiry it turned out: he’d never actually been there, his Dad went on a business trip, spent a day there and only went to see one of the castles and the statue of the mermaid. Enough said).

One of the areas which you should definitely check out is Christiania, touted in all the guidebooks as the ‘must-see attraction’. Having never opened a guidebook, I had no idea what this place was and was therefore treated to a slightly unorthodox tour. For those of you who, similarly, have never heard of Christiania, it was described to me as ‘the free town’ and is essentially a tiny anarchic community which functions under diff erent rules from those of the rest of Copenhagen – for example, they are exempt from tax. It encompasses around 1000 people and to live there, you must know someone from the community already. Founded in 1971, when a group of people cut a hole in the fence to the military barracks in Bådmandsgade, it slowly grew and is now known for its interesting architectire – most of the occupants build their own houses; eco workshops, galleries and cafes – free living outlook and, of course, its relaxed take on soft drugs.

The bit that really interested me was how the inhabitants feel about all the tourists wandering around. This is, afterall, their home and to have hordes looking around as if its part of a zoo must surely feel like a violation – especially considering the separation with the rest of Copenhagen – that’s enforced. Although measures such as prohibiting cameras help, the simplifi ed tourist spiel of this being the ‘hippy drugs center’ must be something that the community fight against.

Christiana aside, another one of Copenhagen’s prime attractions is its vintage shopping. You can choose between thrift shops (similar to our charity shops) which take hours to rifl e through and you end up with one thing you like but which costs 5p, or the classic vintage stores in which their wares are all on display with the mantra of more really is more. These gems are nowhere near the overpriced fads that are their English counterparts. These are your traditional price-by-weight, take-a-bagfull- of-clothes-for-the-price-of-a-big-mac style vintage stores. It’s really quite excellent. Lining the streets in the Nørrebro and Vesterbro district (described as the meat-packing district, although I’m not sure why since I didn’t see any meat in the slightest), you can also fi nd them in the hidden back-alleys behind the University in central Copenhagen.

Basically, Copenhagen is an amazing city. Go there. Even without guidebooks, a plan or any Danish Kroner, there’s so much to explore and so many alternative places to check out and enjoy. Even if my friend’s Dad didn’t enjoy his business trip, a weekend or more in Copenhagen is a must.

I’ll defi nitely be going back. Next time, though, I’ll remember to adapt my wardrobe and grow some legs.

New Term, New You

1. Go to the market in Gloucester Green on Fridays. It’s fun and important to support local businesses. Also the takoyaki at one of the stalls is incredible.

2. Stop wearing your school hoodie. I know you never will outgrow secondary school, but I can glean that from our conversations — I don’t need a visual reminder as well.

3. On this note, stop talking about your school. I’m sure it was horrible but everyone else’s was too.

4. Add your local kebab van on Facebook.

5. Stop reading OxStu — it is a horrible, horrible newspaper. Do you remember that story last term about Charlotte Coursier and how no one took her complaints seriously? And how OxStu thought it would be really respectful to put this article next to their latest recruiting campaign: naked editors covered in OxStu newspapers.

6. Come up with a catchphrase. This changed my life but sorry, Hot damn! is taken.

7. Join a society. The more obscure/weird the better. I am personally a big fan of the Tea Appreciation Soc and also the Quidditch Society, but there is always your subject society if you’re boring.

8. Please stop playing me your Soundcloud. There are some things in this world which I do not wish to know about and your musical taste/lack thereof is very high on that list.

9. Delete your tumblr. You are not Molly Soda, nor are you the Social Justice warrior you think you are.

10. But! Respect minority societies as places where people who belong to these minorities can discuss the issues which affect them in an environment in which they feel safe. It is rude and inappropriate to invade these places unless you have been specifically invited or are a member.

11. Remember: You are not Wavvey and you never will be. Please stop trying so hard.

12. Please use regional slang. It adds a touch of interest to your character and it makes you seem way hotter and makes class A chirpsing way easier.

13. Stop saying “literally” and “ah-mazing” all the time. Most often whatever you are referring to is neither of those things.

14. Also, stop saying “private parts” or “vajayjay” or whatever. It’s a vagina, how old are you? Sidenote: giggling at sex in tutes is ridiculously obnoxious.

15. Read your horoscope. Not because you believe in it but because it occasionally has some sound life advice.

Best of luck for Trinity and I hope all goes your way. Hot damn! Have a great term!

Debate: Can UKIP now be viewed as a respectable party?

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Nick Mutch argues that the party needs to be recognised as an increasingly powerful political force.

It is still considered slightly unacceptable to admit any sympathy for UKIP among polite company. However much we may wish to dismiss them as a fringe right wing party, it is time to give up childish gestures such as the NUS’s vacuous “opposition to UKIP” and treat them as a serious and respectable political force, however much you may disagree with their views.

The recent debates between Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg were a watershed in UKIP’s history. The public could see that its leader was someone capable of eloquence, intellectual rigor and who could hold his own with the most experienced of Westminster career politicians. At the very least, it showed him as unafriad of publicly defending his views. The party is also making a concerted effort to clear itself of its peripheries. Fringe parties are often forced to recruit from the fringes, and it is to their credit that they have attempted to cleanse the party of its ugliest elements. The embarrassment of Godfrey Bloom was gotten rid of and the UKIP councillor who blamed Britain’s floods on gay marriage was expelled. We must admit that UKIP’s consistent and principled opposition to the EU has struck a nerve in a section of the UK public concerned not just with immigration, but also with the European Union’s jeapordization of British autonomy. UKIP’s point is not a simplistic platform of “anti-immigration”, although it must be admitted they do pander to the belief that immigration is a job stealing racket. It is that Britain should determine its own immigration policy rather than merely accept European dictates.

Farage has frequently been accused of xenophobic motivation for his opposition to unlimited immigration from the EU. But we should remember if a country is a member of the EU, their immigration rules must explicitly prejudice people based on their nationality. As Farage has said, why should the UK give automatic residency to those from Europe (an overwhelmingly white continent), but not to potentially far more skilled people from India, China, New Zealand or the rest of the world, which is much more culturally diverse? Illustrating this is the fact that Farage was the first major party leader to advocate allowing refugees fleeing the violence in Syria, making the sensible distinction between economic migrants and genuine refugees.

There is so much in UKIP to find issue with. Its record on support for Equal Marriage is very poor. Its economic policy is pure Thatcherite neoliberalism, much to the dismay of anyone who would vote UKIP as a “protest vote” against the “mainstream status quo.” Little discussed but also ominous is the prevalence of climate deniers in its ranks. But the only way to defeat UKIP is to acknowledge their strength, rather than dismiss them outright, lest we find ourselves on the same side-lines they once inhabited. The Left forgets this lesson at its peril.

 

Alice King argues that UKIP remains on the political fringe and cannot be taken seriously.

A recent poll has indicated that UKIP may receive as much as 20% of the UK’s votes in the European elections, and has, in turn, been sensationalised by gleeful right wing tabloids. The alleged step up in support comes in the wake of Maria Miller’s expenses scandal and the “week of sleaze” in Westminster, entailing multiple allegations of sexual assault in parliament. Both of these saw the Lib Dems and the Conservatives take a hit in the poll, with UKIP gaining considerable support.

Some publications have decreed that British citizens are coming round to the party’s far right views, as if it is some kind of revelation, as opposed to a simple reaction to losing a little faith in their government in the wake of two big scandals. In fact, the truth of the matter is that any scandal immediately damages the popularity of the government in power, and that some of their votes  must go elsewhere. Both Miller’s expenses and the Westminster scandal can only reflect badly upon the Tories and Lib Dems, meaning that Labour and UKIP are unlikely to suffer. With one third of Conservative voters in 2010 currently claiming they will now vote UKIP, it’s easy to predict where disgruntled Tory votes will defect to – so while this poll may have shown an increase in support for UKIP, it doesn’t mean that the party has gained said support on its own merit.

I would go as far as to say that UKIP havw given us no reason to take them seriously. Godfrey Bloom last year referred to countries receiving aid from the UK as “Bongo Bongo Land”, slating the “Ray Bans” and “luxury apartments” that he was so sure the money was being spent on. The new year harboured little improvement for the reputation of the party when councillor David Silvester claimed the onslaught of floods was caused by the legalisation of gay marriage. While the majority of the country welcomed in the equal marriage bill in March, yet another UKIP councillor, Donna Edmunds, denounced “iron fist” equality laws that were being put into place. With all the issues that the country faces, surely UKIP can find something more important to worry about than “iron fist” equality.

As one Daily Mail commenter said, “I don’t care if they’re nutters – at least they’re our nutters…” If this is the best reasoning to vote UKIP, as it is the most comprehensive argument amongst the other comments on the website, then there’s no reason to consider them a veritable force in British politics. I personally would be more inclined to vote for them on the grounds that the backlash to Silvester’s weather blunders brought the ever-catchy “It’s Raining Men” back into UK charts after a 30 year absence. However, other recent polls have given no indication of similar support and show UKIP remaining firmly behind the Tories and Labour. Considering UKIP have some of the worst attendance rates for their current MEPs, it’s almost as if they’re not even taking themselves seriously. So ultimately, it’s hard to consider Nigel Farage’s party a respectable force within UK politics.

Could Bitcoin be the basis for a financial revolution?

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While many UK economists recently focused on Osborne’s unprecedented reform of beer and bingo duty, something even more radical has been happening on the global stage: Bitcoin is back. After the recent collapse of MtGox, the world’s biggest exchange of the virtual currency, apocalyptic prophecies of the end of Bitcoin abounded. And yet, to the dismay of detractors who saw these events as a validation of their view of a wildly idealistic and untenable means of exchange, as of late there has been a kind of resurgence. MtGox, which formerly handled 70% of global Bitcoin exchanges, has rediscovered 200,000 Bitcoins in a wallet presumed lost. The International Business Times published evidence to suggest that ‘the crypto currency market [is] as stable as it has been in a long time’, and valued the current investment in Bitcoin at $117m. In one interesting development, the Aite Group produced a comprehensive 18-page report: ‘Bitcoin: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’, which demonstrates how seriously its model is being considered, either as threat or opportunity, by global financial institutions.

It would perhaps be helpful at this point to recap the basic economic premises of Bitcoin. It is a peer-to-peer payment system whose most fundamental innovation is its circumvention of centralized, third-party regulation and transaction fees. Bitcoins are created by ‘mining’, in which computing power is used to discover the coins by a series of complex algorithms. However, there is a finite amount of the virtual currency, meaning that Bitcoins become increasingly difficult to mine. This move intends to keep inflation at a steady rate, because supply cannot be increased beyond certain amount. Its dollar value, of course, is allowed to float and is highly variable.

There are currently 11 million Bitcoins in existence, and the number of those able to be discovered has been capped at 21 million by 2040. As Bitcoin has erupted from a highly niche experiment into the mainstream economy, its political implications have become increasingly contentious. Its potential to undermine the monopoly of global important factor in the 2008 globingly contentious. Its potential to undermine the monopoly of global banks and governmental regulation means that, depending banks and governmental regulation means that, depending on your point of view, it is simply aggressively libertarian venture capitalism or a revolutionary affront to the hegemony of traditional economic models. Those who hold the former view would point out that Bitcoin’s deregulation is a highly dangerous way of shoring up power for a minority akin to the deregulation of our banking systems, now widely held to be the most important factor in the 2008 global crash.

Does Bitcoin therefore merely transfer financial power from the hands of one economically empowered elite to another, technocratic elite? It is telling that, while some in the banking sector are determined to eradicate the threat of the crypto-currency, many of their more forward-thinking colleagues have invested heavily. Bitcoin’s process of ‘mining’ is demonstrably undemocratic, in that increasingly complex systems involving multiple computers are now needed to operate it. However, the critiques which condemn Bitcoin’s attempt to circumvent regulation assume that governmental financial regulation is objective, and distinct from the banks themselves; an assertion which would be extremely difficult to prove in any of our large Western economies.

Bitcoin was released in 2009, developed in order to address the void of trust in governments and financial institutions in the wake of the 2008 crash. In a statement accompanying the release, the elusive ‘Sashi Nakamoto’ asserts that “The central bank must be trusted not to debase the currency, but the history of fiat currencies is full of breaches of that trust.” While the users of Bitcoin are notoriously anonymous, every transaction in the currency’s history is verifiable and accessible, recorded in its public ledger, ‘the blockchain’. There is evidence that Bitcoin is being used to bypass traditional economic middlemen and help emancipate the worlds poorest. A good example is a BitPesa, a digital currency platform based in Kenya which will reduce by two-thirds the transaction fees taken from overseas transfers to Africa – such fees provide companies like Western Union with an income of around 110 million dollars a year.

The Kreuzberg neighbourhood in Berlin, renowned as a centre of counter-culture and vehement resistance to large corporations, currently boasts the world’s highest density of companies which accept Bitcoin: in the words of Lui, a blogger at Simulacrum, “To understand the sometimes slippery ethics of Bitcoin… We have to account for its perceived dialectical opponent, an entrenched and indifferent economic elite. [It is] a transnational community with no intentional barriers to entry, built on collaboration, relative transparency, and a surprisingly resilient idealism.” For a people that saw first-hand the results of strict control over the economy, Bitcoin and its associated Cryptography seem to offer a permanent respite from the censorship and control that has plagued so much of recent German history.

Bitcoin is primarily an ideological move, a thought experiment which has spawned over 100 other crypto currencies, described by enthusiasts in evangelical terms. As Paul Singer said, “When kids wake up to the fact that they don’t need their parents’ help to create a Bitcoin wallet…when they can use Bitcoins for free international transactions, at any hour, in every major city on the planet, then you’ll know that something has changed.”

But many remain unconvinced that Bitcoin is any more than a particularly alluring bubble. The former President of the Dutch central bank called the hype around Bitcoin worse than the Netherlands’ infamous tulip mania of the 17th century. Bitcoin is still in an embryonic stage; no-one could confidently predict its future. However, in spite of all its uncertainty, Bitcoin provides the potential for an economic battle-ground by interrogating the idea of the ï¬at currency itself, and that is what makes it endlessly exciting and corruptible in equal measure. Bitcoin is revolutionary, but only in the hands of revolutionaries.

A Hint of Colour and Texture

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A Hint of Colour and Texture

Issue 7: Hilary 2014

Photographer: Leah Hendre

Models: Merri Leston & Olivia Jones

 

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Merri wears: Scarf – Bank, Top – Topshop, Striped scarf – Vintage

Olivia wears: Jeans – Topshop, Jumper – Zara, Top – GAP

All jewellery from www.facebook.com/LaSelvaJewellery

 

The Week in Fashion

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‘Coming soon to a woman near you’

The Most Newsworthy in Fashion and Trends

Mulberry vs Burberry – the two fashion houses display conflicting price tactics as Mulberry, the well known handbag chain, slashes prices whilst Burberry is raising the cost of their goods. Both moves are anticipated to help bring the brands in line with perceived competition with other fashion houses.

Lorde’s Voice – the 17 year old singer takes a stand against Photoshop, along with other well known celebs such as Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Winslet. Posting two photos of her at Lollapalooza, one with Photoshopped skin and one without, she said: “I find this curious – two photos from today, one edited so my skin is perfect and one real. Remember flaws are ok :-)”

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Mother and Daughter – Victoria Beckham is one of several fashion designers designing mother and daughter dresses for the charity, Born Free. As the mother of her own adorable little girl, Harper, the mini-me collection will be available to purchase from April 23. With endorsements from other big names such as Doutzen Kroes, Karolina Kurkova and Gisele Bundchen, we can’t imagine anything cuter.

Who Noes? – Nose chains: yay or nay? Fashion houses such as Ellera and Ricardo Tisci have taken the trend to the catwalks, whilst celebrities such as Kendall Jenner have worn the item in their public outings. But does it work for the average Oxford student? We’d love to hear what you think!

From Zooey, to Us – Aside from being everyone’s favourite New Girl, Zooey Deschanel has taken her unique preppy style to Tommy Hilfiger in a capsule collection called To Tommy, From Zooey. Having just launched online on both the Macy’s and Tommy Hilfiger websites, the collection features the cutest red, white and blue frocks for summer.

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Interview: Hamish Bowles

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Having worked at Vogue for over twenty years, Hamish Bowles is a treasure chest of ideas and information about the protean world of fashion. “My interest in fashion came out of an interest in costume history”, he explains. As a child, he went to ballet, attended exhibitions at the V&A museum, and frequented the theatre, captivated by the costumes. “It was in my tweens that I started reading British Vogue and I became interested in contemporary fashion”. His first important couture purchase was an early 60s Balenciaga suit, found in a rummage sale, but he tells me that some of his most historically important pieces to date are a 1926 beaded Chanel gown and an iconic 1952 Charles James Lampshade dress.

On 8th May, The Costume Institute’s new Anna Wintour Centre will open with its inaugural exhibition, Charles James: Beyond Fashion. “This is going to be a really fascinating opportunity for people to reassess the work of an extraordinary designer who has become almost forgotten through the years, and who was so significant in his day”, Hamish assures me. “It’s going to be a revelation for people”. Charles James is often described as the greatest American couturier, influencing the likes of Christian Dior and Zac Posen. For Hamish, “Vintage fashion holds a mirror up to its time. It is so potent, and then there is the memory of the women who wore it”.

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The Museum’s Costume Institute Benefit will be held on 5th May to celebrate the opening of the exhibition three days later. One of the co-chairs is icon Sarah Jessica Parker, who has recently brought out her own shoe line, collaborating with George Malkemus, the CEO of Manolo Blahnik. “When legitimate brand extension, like SJP and shoes, is something where you really have a sense of design integrity and the named creator is very much involved, it is an interesting idea”.

Bowles was pictured with the actress at the 2013 Annual Met Gala, about which he says, “It is always extraordinary because it is a real confluence of fashion and celebrity, and extraordinary clothes and entertainment, and really wonderful visuals in terms of the décor. It is an annual high point.” Meeting all of these celebrities must be quite the experience, but does the International Editor-at-Large ever get star-struck? “Oh, constantly, yes! Certainly at the Costume Institute Gala!” What about the first time he met Anna Wintour? Was she anything like Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada?! “Well, when I met her for the first time, I think I was wearing a Chanel suit, so she might have been more intimidated than I was! But certainly, her reputation preceded her.”

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As part of his job, Hamish gets to travel the world, which he loves. “I go back to Tangier in Morocco all the time, and Greece. Personally, I just got back from Qatar, which I thought was a completely fascinating and compelling place. I am always fascinated to go somewhere that I have never been before”. Travelling to such diverse places, Hamish has a good idea about the ever changing fashion world and the up-and-coming fashion cities. “I’ve been to see the fashion scenes in Copenhagan, and I certainly think Scandinavia is interesting. I’m intrigued to see what happens in China; there are already some very interesting people coming out of there. What is exciting is that fashion is so global and that people are so engaged with fashion around the world.” This all sounds wonderful, but, are there any downsides I ask? “Jet lag is a downside, and deadlines!” The latter is certainly something we can all relate to.

English born and bred, Bowles moved to New York in the 90s, accepting Anna’s job offer at US Vogue. “The street style is livelier in London”, he tells me, “There seems to be a lot of young designer energy there. It’s more like Brooklyn than NYC. But I’m also very excited by the Upper East Side groomed fashion that you see here”. He does explain, however, how over the years the differences between the two cities have somewhat eroded, making them more similar in terms of fashion style. I ask his opinion of the Duchess of Cambridge: “Kate Middleton’s style is absolutely appropriate in every way and thoughtfully considered”.

Not only has Bowles made a name for himself in the fashion and interior design industries, he has also found time to act. Appearing in Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette, an episode of Gossip Girl, and the fashion documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, Bowles says, “Acting has been a lot of fun, I’d love to do more of that!” But, if he were doing anything other than working at Vogue, he explains how he would like to design costumes for the theatre or the movies, as fashion design is what he began studying at St Martins. A man of many talents indeed.

Hamish Bowles was also involved in the now infamous Kim Kardashian and Kanye West cover for the April Edition of Vogue. “Well, I wrote the story, so I obviously feel very connected to it. It has provoked more dialogue than any other cover I can think of since I have been here, which is exciting. As a couple, they are a part of the contemporary zeitgeist and it’s important for Vogue to respect that.” When asked whether he thought it was a good idea to put a reality star on the cover of such a prestigious fashion magazine, he responded “This particular reality star and her fiancé are part of the fibre of today’s fashionable world. I think they are both very engaged with fashion and style, and that’s something we celebrate.”

Hamish is currently working on a personal fashion memoir, and says, “I hope to continue to work at Vogue. I’m having a lot of fun doing it!” Well, we certainly enjoy following his fashion journey and cannot wait to read the memoirs.

Charles James: Beyond Fashion Exhibition will run from 8th May to 10th August in the Anna Wintour Costume Center in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

@HBVogue

Instagram: hamishbowles

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Cézanne and the Modern: Masterpieces of European Art

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Cézanne has long been hailed as one of the fathers of modern art; he was one of Picasso’s major influences, and is seen as the precursor to Cubism. Fairly well represented in England, with large numbers of work on display in London, he is something of a house- hold name, due in large part to his still-lifes of apples and pears.

What is particularly exciting about this exhibition is that we see a side of his work which is less familiar, with a large number of water- colour and graphite works on display in the first gallery. One lady’s exclamation of “Oh no, I don’t like that at all!” shows that the works are unexpected. These works have a delicacy and deftness which is absent from his thickly, boldly painted oil on canvas works. Chemin des Lauvres: The Turn in the Road, c.1904-06 is a great example, combining challenging compositional elements with a strong yet subtle use of watercolours.

The first of the rooms focuses on Cezanne, mostly the watercolours, but with notable oil inclusions, such as Route to Le Tholonet c.1900- 1904, an ostensibly unfinished work, which shows his modern handling of paint, combined with traditional method of using under-drawings. Alongside the Grand Baigneuses, Cezanne’s other most familiar motif is Mont Sainte-Victoire, the mountain near his home in Aix-En-Provence, which he painted almost obsessively. The version of this here, in water- colour, presents an interesting variation, with large areas of empty canvas interspersed with thin graphite lines and patches of green and blue paint.

The second room is entitled “Impressionism and Beyond”, with the use of the double height ceiling seeming to open up the scope of what is being displayed. It must be said that the paintings on display can feel somewhat bewildering, with works by Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Courbet, Degas, Daumier and van Gogh, alongside more by Cezanne himself, but it does give one a much broader sense of the context in which Cezanne developed, and the artists he worked with. Manet’s Young Woman in a Round Hat, c. 1877-79 is particularly striking, as is the brightness of van Gogh’s Tarascon Stagecoach, 1888, next to the more subdued Cezanne works either side of it. While these works can all seem very different to one another, their display together does go some way to drawing out the similarities between them, working as they were in the same milieu in early twentieth century Paris.

“Figurative Modernism in Paris”, the third and final room of the exhibition, takes us into another milieu, displaying works by Chaim Soutine, Jacques Lipchitz, and Amedeo Modigliani. Soutine was one of the first artists Pearlman collected, which tells us something of the breadth of his taste. Soutine’s Hanging Turkey, c.1925 and Steeple of Saint-Pierre at Ceret, c.1922 feel rather a step away from Cezanne’s provincial landscapes in the room next door. Unfortunately the lighting in this room does make some of the artworks hard to see, particularly densely painted oil works by Soutine. The sculptural works in the room do not suffer however, and we are presented with interesting contributions from Jacques Lipchitz, demonstrating the variety of styles he is able to accomplish, with Acrobat on Horse, and Theseus difficult to note as works by the same artist. The one Modigliani sculpture, Head, c.1910-11 shows something of the non-European influence that has come to be associated most with Picasso’s work of this period.

On leaving the exhibition one is of course met with the ubiquitous exhibition gift shop, with Cezanne umbrellas, Cezanne fruit-bowl boiled sweets, and watercolour pencil sets, which says something about the expectation for art museums to function as much as commercial ventures as houses of art. However one is allowed a greater degree of freedom of thought in this exhibition that is usual in large exhibitions. Information on the theme of each room is set at the back, slowing viewing of the works and encouraging individual impressions.

Overall the Ashmolean, continue their winning streak of brilliant exhibitions, worthily following on from the highly praised Bacon and Moore. Entry is free for Oxford University students, the beautiful landscapes suit Trinity term, whilst offering relaxation for the vexed finalist, and are just edgy enough to gain one some cultural clout with the tutor.

Oxford cricket scene poised and ready for big Trinity

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With Trinity term about to begin, Cherwell Sport turns its attention to the upcoming cricket season. Last season’s dominance for the Blues in Varsity matches, spectacularly capped by Sam Agarwal’s triple century in the four-day fixture, should provide grounds for optimism in the University arena. The real life-blood of cricket in Oxford however is the College Cricket League and Cuppers competition, which we will focus on here.

The College Cricket League is set to begin in 1st Week and looks to be as hard to predict as ever. Last season’s league was slightly affected by rain, but with a warm summer in the offing the teams will hope that consistency and quality will be more fairly rewarded. The 1st Division last year was a two-horse race between Balliol and Keble which finished in a dead heat, some 44 points in front of the chasing pack. These two teams will be looking ahead to more dominance, although newly promoted St. John’s and Somerville will provide stiff competition and the likes of St. Catz, Univ, and New will always offer a challenge to any opponent.

The lower divisions were fiercely contested last season, with a much smaller gap separating the teams in the top half of both leagues. The 2nd Division thrived, with St. John’s, Somerville and Exeter contributing to a nail-biting finish which would have been all the more thrilling had Pembroke not run out of time to play their ninth and final fixture. As it is the teams dropping down from the 1st Division, Brasenose and Merton, will face a tough fight for promotion as Exeter, Pembroke and Jesus will all be looking to finish in the top two. That is not to mention Trinity College, who as last year’s beaten Cupper’s finalists are my pick to finish first as they bid to follow St. John’s up to the 1st Division. No doubt the match of the season in this league will be the Jesus/Exeter fixture as an age-old College rivalry coincides with both sides’ realistic chances for promotion.

The 3rd tier of College cricket was more interrupted last year than the other two divisions, as a mixture of weather and the inability to consistently get full sides to turnout for regular matches lessened the competitive edge of many contests. Nevertheless Lady Margaret Hall look to be the team to beat this time around, having gone unbeaten in their four games last year and missing out on promotion only because Oriel and Magdalen got through more games. Linacre should also challenge for the title along with former 2nd Division sides Teddy Hall and Wadham, who failed to win a game in last year’s competition.

The Cuppers competition begins in 2nd Week, with the 1st Division teams looking to redeem themselves after two 2nd Division colleges, St. John’s and Trinity, competed in the final last year. Victory for St. John’s capped a successful season for the team, who also gained promotion and look well placed to mount a serious defence of their Cuppers title. The competition should see some all-round quality cricket played, as the colleges will have the freedom to select their full complement of Blues and ‘Tics players, something not allowed in League fixtures. This could potentially alter the prospects of some of the lower ranked teams; not least in the case of Lady Margaret Hall, whose star batsman Matt Winter is a mainstay of the Blues middle order and over the winter gained a place in the MCCU squad. Elsewhere last year’s 2nd Division whipping boys Wadham will be hoping that the availability of Jack Kelleher will boost their chances in Cuppers if not the league. The competition will be stiff however as 1st Division stalwarts Worcester and Balliol can also call on University players for their cup fixtures.

With an action-packed season in store for all the teams involved, cricket at Oxford seems to be in rude health. Although the ultimate victors in all levels of competition remain a mystery, what is incontestable is the tension, excitement, and passion that will accompany quality cricket across the university. Keep up with all the twists and turns with Cherwell Sport.