#spring/summer collection 2017

[fugengulsen]

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Live 1972) (Official Video)

Meaning Behind the Mythical Led Zeppelin Hit, “Immigrant Song” 

By Jacob Uitti-April 14, 2023

 If the battlefield had a theme song, it would be Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” From the band’s 1970 album, Led Zeppelin III, the track has transcended the band and stands on its own as the howling, brooding, repetitious representation of mythical conflict.Appearing in movies like School of Rock and, of course, in the trailer for the 2017 superhero film, Thor: Ragnarok, the song is simply a part of pop culture.But where did it come from, exactly, what’s the meaning and what is Robert Plant singing about? Let’s dive in.

What is Norse Mythology?

It is a way of understanding the world through stories of gods. In Norse mythology, which Plant references in “Immigrant Song,” there is the thunder-god Thor and other beings you’ve likely vaguely heard of. There is also the concept of Valhalla, where the god Odin rules. Half of those who die in battle go to Valhalla. Of course, the belief system is much more complicated, but that’s the source text from which Plant gets his concepts for this 1970 hit.

Sings Plant, as if on a battleship preparing his fellow troops for war,

We come from the land of the ice and snow

From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow

The hammer of the gods

Will drive our ships to new lands

To fight the horde, sing and cry

Valhalla, I am coming

When Did the Band Write the Song?

In the summer of 1970, the band wrote the song while touring Iceland, Bath (England), and Germany.

The group’s string of shows began in Reykjavik, Iceland, of which Plant said in the 1994 book, Led Zeppelin, “We weren’t being pompous … We did come from the land of the ice and snow. We were guests of the Icelandic Government on a cultural mission. We were invited to play a concert in Reykjavik and the day before we arrived all the civil servants went on strike and the gig was going to be cancelled. The university prepared a concert hall for us and it was phenomenal. The response from the kids was remarkable and we had a great time. ‘Immigrant Song’ was about that trip and it was the opening track on the album that was intended to be incredibly different.”

In a way, of course, a rock band is at war, too. With their own inner fears, with the possibility the audience may boo. It’s metaphorical and artistic, but true.The band pl #ayed the song live for the first time during a show at the Bath Festival.

The Song, Itself

With bashing percussion, the song hinges on the repetitive guitar riff for Jimmy Page. It’s a heartbeat, a collective one. It belongs to the soldiers. It’s also their feet running over land, axes above their hands. Then Plant’s voice comes in like a war cry, a battalion of banshees.

Led Zeppelin all of a sudden becomes an army of Vikings. And we join them.

# Vikings  #  Immigrant Song  #  Led Zeppelin

[sgiandubh]

What happened with Barbour ?

Dear Barbour Anon,

My favorite kind of Anon, even if I know the question has recently been asked again and not in this corner. Never mind, I think it's time to talk about it, too.

I bought my first Barbour (entry-level, so olive) Bedale wax jacket 25 years ago, from their (long gone, now) shop on Boulevard Raspail, in Paris. It was a mandatory clothing item to own if you wanted to properly mingle with the law school crowd (it still is) and it ended up being one of my most prized possessions, possibly a part of me. I still have it somewhere, back home. Two more followed, along with a fetishist array of shirts, scarves, beanies and even one of those sturdy crossbody bags you can fit half a house in. So you can imagine my absolute thrill when I found out, very very late, that S had had a rather substantial collaboration with them, from 2016 and until 2019.

I am very bad with timelines, as you probably know and possibly even cackle about, but still: S was appointed as the company's first ever Global Brand Ambassador on July 16, 2016. His mission statement was very precisely defined by the brand and for some reason we'll analyze a bit later, this is important:

(Source, heh: https://www.astonbourne.co.uk/is-barbour-a-luxury-brand-unraveling-the-mystique-of-classic-outerwear/).

A shirt and vest signature collection followed in 2017 and 2018, with the contract being renewed. Advertisement was absolutely gorgeous and designed to shape a very positive image, both for S and the brand. Last autumn's SS Gin promo retained some of that irresistible aesthetic DNA and I discussed it at length.

See for yourself, Anon. The fandom endlessly discussed the first long clip (with the chocolate labrador), but I have no idea if these two have been seen, let alone debated. If they did, let that be my nostalgic mistake.

Spring/Summer 2018:

Fall 2018:

And then disaster stroke, with S's trip to Ha-wa-wee 1.0, in the spring of 2019. A short reel, featuring a rather agglomerated boat trip, was posted on socials. Unfortunately for S, it also featured an allegedly horrifying scene involving the 'traditional' bludgeoning to death of a tuna fish. Emotions ensued and as it often happens here, they spun out of control. Many people, including some of the most vocal S haters, tagged Barbour in their diatribes, filled with environmentalist indignation. They suggested this guy (who did not participate to the savagery and I would be even unsure he realized what was going on) was, by no reasonable means, a proper 'embodiment of the brand's identity, values and aspirations' (remember that mission statement?).

Tone deaf as ever in the midst of a serious PR crisis, S put friendship above anything else, and publicly praised the boat's owner, calling him 'the heart and soul of the island', if I remember well. I still would like to think he has no idea what the hell exactly happened. And then, when somebody finally (August 2019) asked Barbour on Insta about their collaboration with S, they got this politely dry, but clear answer:

"We don't have any plans for a collaboration with SH in the near future" means, in my book and to my understanding, "we are never going to work with this guy again". Truly, some people in here who dare to give morality lessons to others, should be proud of themselves: they did it knowingly and in a very organized way, using multiple sock accounts, to give the impression of a collective retching reflex. To cut the story short, the dread of any ad campaign on this planet.

The effort was genuine. The result of that collaboration was very good. Take, for example, this somewhat heartbreaking customer review by an American guy who has no idea who SRH is and who bought one of those jackets from a Barbour factory warehouse, in 2021, with a hefty rebate (70% off). Clearly something Barbour wanted to get rid of at all costs - what a pity and really what a SHAME on all those hypocrites who will never admit to a public assassination by the book:

This time, I am absolutely not sorry for the length, Anon. This is something that still makes me boil. Unfairness and cheap nastiness simply disgust me.

(Thank you, sweetheart, for the screenshot, always. You know who you are 😘😘😘).

[newsiesficchallenges]

12/18

Hi! As some of you may know, Truth About the Moon was the last scheduled event for this account! In the spirit of this, I’d like to share some fun facts about it.

This account has been run (in some capacity) since June 2023! It has successfully gained 217 followers. Not bad.

It was originally inspired by

In that time, it has run 18 (18!!!) different events. Three fic exchanges, and fifteen different event weeks. That’s…insane.

Though it is officially run by one (1) (very tired) person, it has had many help out!!! Special thanks to @frogmanfae and @sparkedblaze. Also, to all of the pinch hitters I don’t have the time or space to name. You cannot fathom how much gratitude I have for you.

Through these different events, 118 different posted fanfics have been inspired. I’m going to let that sit for a moment. In a year and a half, we have collectively produced 118 different Newsies-based fanfic stories. For frame of reference: the Newsies- All Media Types tag on Ao3 has 9,484 published works (as of 12/18/24). We created 1% of that in a year and a half. Newsies (1992) has 3,996. We created 1% of that, too. Another 1% from Newsies!: The Musical- Fierstein/Menken, which has 7,103. Newsies: The Broadway Musical! (2017) has 352. 6% of that is us.

Back to our accomplishments- in a year and a half, we wrote literally hundreds of thousands of words. Hundred. The longest was nearly 26,000 words, and the shortest was 685. Absurd.

Your moderator is very, very thankful.

In the spring of 2023, I re-entered the Newsies fandom with a bang. Content, headcanons, published fanfic. Then, that summer, I created a fic exchange, which was, to my knowledge, one of the first in many, many years. You all responded beautifully, and made it extremely successful. And that continued for over a year and a half. I simply cannot express how much joy doing this in those nineteen months has brought me, and how much I’ll miss it. It’s been a good run, guys. Thank you for everything.

[booklovershallway]

Elegantly Black

Elie Saab haute-couture-autumn-winter-2023-24

Paolo Sebastian Once Upon a Dream 2018 Spring Summer Couture Collection

Paolo Sebastian The Nutcracker 2018-19 Autumn Winter Couture Collection

Ziad Nakad Fall Winter 2017 – 2018

[dollsinvogue]

Hi again:)Do you think jinafire's jacket might be a ref to this jacket? you cant see it that well on these pics but they both have the basting stitches visible. Also do you know where its from? Google is no help telling me what year it is from all i get is "Maison Margiela Basting Stitching Blazer"

I can totally see the inspo! Not sure if it’s a direct reference but monster high doesn’t always exactly copy so I can absolutely see this as being the inspiration, great catch!

Also yes it is from the Maison Margiela spring/summer 2017 menswear collection!

[fashionsfromhistory]

Apropriyeyshin

Laduma Ngxokolo for Maxhosa AFRICA (South Africa)

Spring/Summer 2017

The Apropriyeyshin dress is part of the 2017 Spring/ Summer collection, and was one of the first dresses to be made by Ngxokolo. With this collection Ngxokolo wanted to address cultural appropriation, but from a positive angle, recognising the way fashion can be used to celebrate different cultures and material traditions. For the collection he combined his staple Xhosa inspired patterns with traditionally western silhouettes, in this instance a form-fitted knitted maxi dress. Ngxokolo recongises that in wearing his Xhosa inspired clothes there is appropriation of sorts, yet he insists that there is a “way the people of that culture feel empowered by this form of expression”, by ensuring the recognition of Xhosa heritage within the collection.

Victoria & Albert (Accession number: T.2431-2021)

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

Colin Firth

My first unhinged project involved watching all of Colin Firth's IMDB acting credits, to see how often he got wet.

Figured I'd make a master list of the posts I made. I didn't make a post on everything, so if there's one without a link you can always request to hear my thoughts hahaha

I also made a post about his hair choices, because he does a lot of period pieces and oh boy do I often have Thoughts

And here's a post about how his trend of getting wet changed our perception of Darcy forever

I ended up making a powerpoint presentation of my data (that I drunkenly presented to my friends, highly recommend) and put it in posts here: Intro Graphs and Data Influence

1917 (2019)

1919 (1984)

The Accidental Husband (2008)

The Advocate/Hour of the Pig (1993)

And When Did You Last See Your Father (2007)

Another Country (1984)

Apartment Zero (1988)

Arthur Newman (2012)

Before I Go To Sleep (2014)

Blackadder Back and Forth (1999)

Born Equal (2006)

Bridget Jones Diary (2001)

Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason (2004)

Bridget Jones' Baby (2016)

Camille (1984)

Celebration (2007)

A Christmas Carol (2009) Intro, Movie

Circle of Friends (1995)

Command (2018)

Conspiracy (2001)

Crown Court episode (1984)

Deep Blue Sea (1994)

Devil's Knot (2013)

Donovan Quick (2000)

Dorian Gray (2009)

Dutch Girls (1985)

Easy Virtue (2008)

Empire of Light (2022)

The English Patient (1996)

Femme Fatale (1991)

Fever Pitch (1997)

Fourplay/Londinium (2001)

Gambit (2012)

Genius (2016)

Girl With a Pearl Earring (2003)

The Happy Prince (2018)

Hope Springs (2003)

Hostages (1992)

Hour of the Pig/The Advocate (1993)

The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

The King's Speech (2010)

Kingsman: Secret Service (2014)

Kingsman: Golden Circle (2017)

Last Legion (2007)

Londinium/Fourplay (2001)

Lost Empires (1986) Intro, Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 4, Pt 5, Pt 6, Pt 7

Love Actually (2003)

Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Main Street (2010)

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Master of the Moor (1994) Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3, Pt 3 Finale

The Mercy (2017)

A Month in the Country (1987)

Mothering Sunday (2021)

My Life So Far (1999)

Nanny McPhee (2005)

Nostromo (1996)

Operation Mincemeat (2021)

Out of the Blue (1991)

Pat Hobby Teamed With Genius (1987)

Playmaker (1994)

Pride and Prejudice (1995) (I didn't make a single post, it got a bit away from me so you can find the collection of links on my Pride and Prejudice masterlist)

The Railway Man (2013)

Relative Values (2000)

The Secret Garden (1987)

The Secret Garden (2020)

The Secret Laughter of Women (1999)

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

A Single Man (2009)

St Trinians (2007)

St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold (2009)

The Staircase (2022)

Stars in Shorts (2012)

A Summer in Genoa (2008)

Supernova (2020)

Then She Found Me (2007)

A Thousand Acres (1997)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Trauma (2004)

Tumbledown (1988)

Turn of the Screw (1999)

Valmont (1989)

What A Girl Wants (2003)

Where the Truth Lies (2005)

The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd (1995)

Wings of Fame (1990)

[taruchisguide]

A3! 8th Anniversary: Revival Token Choices

[A3! 7TH ANNIVERSARY: REVIVAL TOKEN CHOICES]

A visual and text chart of all the cards available in this year's anniversary revival token pool. Earned tokens can be used up until February 13 13:59 JST. Big thanks to @southhillprison for helping me with the acts and proofreading!

Twitter Version Here Bluesky Version Here (Fixed)

↓↓↓ Text version below!  ↓↓↓

🌸 Spring Troupe Revival Token Cards 🌸

Sakuya Sakuma: No SSR, Leader of the Procession (Many Many Candy) (Act 3), Sword of Bonds (The MANKAI Dorm in Those Days: Spring-Summer Edition) (Act 2)

Masumi Usui: Long Slumber (Android001) (Act 3), No SR, Garrison Captain's Determination (EnDgame StuDy Black Turn) (Act 3)

Tsuzuru Minagi: No SSR, Today's Pink Serving (Today's Special) (Act 2), Multiple Choice Quiz King (3,2,1, START!) (Act 3)

Itaru Chigasaki: Greedy ☆ Toppings (SUMMER DELIVERY COLLECTION) (Act 3), No SR, I Come with the Night. (the leftovers of youth) (Act 2)

Citron: No SSR, Waiting is Perfect (Mahjong Fighting Club) (Act 3), A Celeb's Style (Everyday escape) (Act 3)

Chikage Utsuki: Smile Against the Evening Sun (NOSTALGIA) (Act 3), No SR,  Deer Among Maple (Hanami de Ippai) (Act 3)

△△△△△△△△

🌻 Summer Troupe Revival Token Cards 🌻

Tenma Sumeragi: No SSR, My Path Still Continues (Farewell!) (Act 2), The 1001st Adventure Record (The MANKAI Dorm in Those Days: Spring-Summer Edition) (Act 2)

Yuki Rurikawa: A Page from Someone’s Life (BROWN WEAR COLLECTION) (Act 3), No SR, A Hymn That Carries Your Dreams (Gloria!) (Act 3)

Muku Sakisaka: No SSR, Kind-hearted Archer (Thus Begins the Horseback Archery) (Act 3), Attract with a Muleta (CRIMSON MATADOR) (Act 3)

Misumi Ikaruga: With Lightning Speed! Leaping Demon (ONISAN KOCHIRA) (Act 3), No SR, WONDER RUSH (A Puppy's Feelings.) (Act 3)

Kazunari Miyoshi: No SSR, An Invitation to the Mysterious World (World's No. 1 Ohina-sama) (Act 2), Change Into a Totes Adorbs Mouse (Lovely Pink House) (Act 3)

Kumon Hyodo: Exciting Lucky Bag Choice (VELUDO WINTER COLLECTION) (Act 3), No SR, Infinitely Extending Wheel of Fortune (Tarot of Fate) (Act 3)

△△△△△△△△

🍁 Autumn Troupe Revival Token Cards 🍁

Banri Settsu: No SSR, Gangster in the Back Alley (Lawless District) (Act 3), Welcome to Akebono-so! (Searching for a New-World Gourmet) (Act 3)

Juza Hyodo: The True Face of a College Student (Morning Routine) (Act 3), No SR, DEAD/UNDEAD (DEAD/UNDEAD (First Half)) (Act 2)

Taichi Nanao: No SSR, A Stroke of Color (Yummy☆Cosmetics) (Act 3), Rain-bringing Monk's Schemes (Summer Hyakki Yagyo) (Act 3)

Omi Fushimi: Adaptable Estoque (CRIMSON MATADOR) (Act 3), No SR, Enthusiastic Cherry Blossom Viewing (A Short Moment with the Overflowing Cherry Blossoms) (Act 3)

Sakyo Furuichi: No SSR, Fierce-looking Rosticere (RISTORANTE MANKAI) (Act 3), Stress Relief Methods (CHILL OUT TIME) (Act 3)

Azami Izumida: A Few Minutes of Incredible Service (ELEVATOR BOYS) (Act 3), No SR, Power of Courage (Heaven's Arcana) (Act 3)

△△△△△△△△

❄️ Winter Troupe Revival Token Cards ❄️

Tsumugi Tsukioka: No SSR, Fearless Poker Face (MILLION dollar JACKPOT) (Act 2), Precarious Garde Manger (RISTORANTE MANKAI) (Act 3)

Tasuku Takato: Ego’s Ultimate Masterpiece (AUTUMN HALLOWEEN COLLECTION) (Act 3), No SR, A Massive Eggplant Harvest! (YABATAN VEGETABLE) (Act 2)

Hisoka Mikage: No SSR, Excellent Relaxation Time (RELAXING DAYS) (Act 3), Wandering Traveler (Rurōni Hotarubi) (Act 3)

Homare Arisugawa: Illuminate the Darkness (Light the candles) (Act 3), No SR, The Luminous Circus (Fantastic Clown) (Act 2)

Azuma Yukishiro: No SSR, The Charm and Temptation of Lanterns (LANTERN NIGHT) (Act 3), Beautiful Camellia Nymph (Fairy in the Bottle) (Act 3)

Guy: Carrying a Prayer on the Tip of the Blade (Dancer of Rituals) (Act 3), No SR, Stray Devil Blues (Stray Devil Blues (First Half)) (Act 3)

△△△△△△△△

🎭 Other Revival Token Cards 🎭

Isuke Matsukawa: No SSR, No SR, The Prince of April 1st (April Fool's 2017) (Act 1)

Ken Sakoda: The Newcomer Host of April 1st (April Fool's 2018) (Act 2), No SR, No R

Yuzo Kashima: The Champion of April 1st (April Fool's 2019) (Act 2), No SR, No R

Tetsuro Iwai: April Fool's Carpenter (April Fool's 2020) (Act 2), No SR, No R

Kaya Mizuno: The Company President of April 1st (April Fool's 2021) (Act 3), No SR, No R

Madoka Ikaruga: Wizard of April First (April Fool's 2022) (Act 3), No SR, No R

Reni Kamikizaka: Us on April 1st (April Fool's 2023) (Act 3), No SR, No R

Kamekichi: 1st of April’s West (April Fool’s 2024) (Act 3), No SR, No R

[leopauldelr]

The beginner's guide to the Pretty Series

With the recent announcement of the new Pretty Series installment titled Himitsu no AiPri, it's about time the Pretty Series returned after over a year since the Waccha PriMagi! series finale. In celebration of the newest installment, let's take a quick history lesson about the Pretty series.

The Pretty Rhythm Saga (2010-2014) - The Pretty Series saga began on July 15, 2010 with the arcade game titled Pretty Rhythm Mini Skirt. Made by Takara Tomy and developer SynSophia, this arcade game pits players in the role of Prism Stars, performing Prism Jumps, and collecting Prism Stones.

While the one that started it all made a slow start, the folks from Takara Tomy wanted to do more with the Pretty Rhythm saga, and with that, a TV anime titled Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream was made. Aired in TV Tokyo on April 9, 2011, for 51 episodes, this anime is the fruit of Japan-Korea collaboration thanks to Japan's Tatsunoko Production and South Korea's Dong Woo Animation. The TV anime is all about Aira, Rizumu, and Mion in their quest to take on the prestigious Prism Queen Cup.

As Aira Harune's journey to become Prism Queen is completed, Mia Ageha takes the baton as the star of the next Pretty Rhythm story; Dear My Future. Aired in TV Tokyo on April 7, 2012, for 51 episodes, Dear My Future centers on the rivalry between Prizmmy☆ and the K-Pop group PURETTY. Believe it or not, there are real-life versions of the groups as seen in the anime. There's even a live-action segment featuring Prizmmy☆ as well.

As Mia Ageha's road to Grateful Symphonia is well and truly over, Naru Ayase steps to the spotlight in the third and final chapter of the Pretty Rhythm saga, titled Rainbow Live. Aired in TV Tokyo on April 6, 2013, it features an original storyline unlike the previous two. It's about Naru, An, and Ito, who are working together at the Prism Stone Shop while trying to take good care of a mysterious girl named Rinne.

Although the Pretty Rhythm saga ended, the story continues with the KING OF PRISM spinoff films featuring male characters from the Pretty Rhythm saga. They even got a 2019 anime show as well showcasing the rise of the boys who would be Septentrion.

The PriPara saga (2014-2018, 2021~) After the end of the Pretty Rhythm saga,  the folks of Takara Tomy prepped up what it seems to be the second generation of the Pretty series. It's called PriPara and it aired on TV Tokyo in the Summer of 2014 and lasted for three seasons, four if you count Idol Time PriPara of course. This anime series centers on the life and times of Laala Manaka, a little girl who wants to be the best PriPara idol. Together with Mirei Minami and Sophy Hojo, they became SoLaMi Smile and they fought their way against the best idol teams of PriPara, especially Dressing Pafe consisting of Dorothy, Reona, and Sion, Tricolore, and Gaarmageddon, among many others. PriPara is a huge win for the people behind it and such success prompted the show to spawn four movies and outrageous merchandising rights.

In the spring of 2017, the next chapter of PriPara begins with three new main characters penning the final pages of this saga. Titled Idol Time PriPara, it's all about Yui Yumekawa, whose fateful encounter with Laala Manaka changed everything following an accident. With Nino Nijiiro and Michiru Kouda joining alongside, the MY☆DREAM trio made the best closure to this saga.

Although the PriPara TV series is finished, the story continues with Idol Land PriPara. First announced in December 2020, it was originally slated to be released in the spring of 2021 until it became subject to long gestation and delayed launch dates. It was released on August 17, 2023. It is the second official PriPara app game after the defunct PriPuz puzzle app game. This app game also features an original anime series set moments after the events of Idol Time PriPara. It introduces new characters such as Amari Katasumi, Mario, and Pololo, among others.

The Kiratto PriChan years (2018-2021) - Aired in TV Tokyo since April 2018 for three seasons, Kiratto PriChan is set in a world where fame comes from social media just like in the real world. It's about a group of girls who called themselves the Miracle☆Kiratts who are striving to become the best PriChan idols above the rest. For three seasons, we watched Miracle Kiratts taking on big challenges such as heated competition with rival teams such as Meltic StAr and Ring Marry, the jewel idol competition, saving the world, the road to the Queens Grand Prix, and saving the world...again, while they do what they do best; showcasing the world that they're the best PriChan sensations ever known.

PriMagi (2021-2022) - Waccha PriMagi! is the fourth installment of the Pretty Series that revolves around the lives of Primagistas striving to become the best of the best. The show is about Matsuri Hibino, a middle-schooler who dreams of being the best just like her idol, the legendary Jennifer Sumire Sol.

AiPri - After over a year of void, the Pretty Series has returned with the newest installment coming to TV Tokyo this April 2024. Titled Himitsu no AiPri, the new series stars Minori Fujidera as Himari Aozora and Sae Hiratsuka as Mitsuki Hoshikawa. For the first time in Pretty Series, the animation sequences were provided by OLM, the studio behind the Pokemon and Yo-Kai Watch anime series, while South Korea's Dongwoo A&E returned to cooperate for it.

Welcome back, Pretty Series! The world can't wait for the franchise's comeback show this April.

[brian-in-finance]

Twitter

Everything You Need To Know About Standing Ground, the British Brand Making Time-Traveling Garments

Ahead of his London Fashion Week show, the designer offered a look inside his sculptural fashion label, built on Irish mysticism, fantasy classics, and an intuitive approach to craft

Ireland’s standing stones, or dolmens, are the oldest remaining neolithic monuments in the country. For Michael Stewart, the designer behind London-based label Standing Ground, they are portals through time: stoic witnesses to the eons. He recalls taking frequent trips to visit them as a child, enchanted by the centuries-old mysticism buried deep within. “Ireland is a superstitious country, which is a good thing, because the dolmens have been preserved and protected over time,” he muses. “They’re feared in a way, so people don’t dare touch them.”

It’s no secret that Stewart’s spiritual connection to these megalithic tombs informs his brand’s name and modus operandi. Speaking from his new studio at the Sarabande Foundation in East London, he explains that the dolmens possess a transcendent quality, which he projects onto his own statuesque garments: deceptively simple creations that borrow from the futurism of sci-fi and fantasy classics such as Lord of the Rings to imagine evening wear, custom garments, and body ornaments that feel rooted in neither past, present, nor future.

After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2017, Stewart established Standing Ground in 2022, before attracting the attention of Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East incubator program, and making his London Fashion Week debut as part of the Spring/Summer 2023 shows.

Remaining loyal to his source material of neolithic artifacts and figures—images of a dolmen and a Saint Brigid’s cross adorn his spare studio walls—he doesn’t have a mood board or sketches, and freely admits to having done no new research since his master’s degree. Instead, Stewart takes an intuitive, and manual, approach to draping, sculpting, and craft, developing his own lines and patterns by hand to produce alien silhouettes that flow from and protect the body like topographic armor.

Stewart is currently working on his third collection for Spring/Summer 2024, which expands on the dialogue between distant pasts and otherworldly futures. “It’s different to what I would’ve presented last February, which was very beautiful, but not as menacing,” he confesses. “I wanted to take some time to figure out what I was doing, and not pigeonhole myself.”

This collection dials back the clock to pre-human times, focusing on primordial, skeletal, and fossilized forms to create uncanny garments that explore the relationship between objects and their surrounding environment. Imagining a world where ancient objects grow and shapeshift across each collection, the designs suggest a speculative place where humankind and nature are mirrors for each other—or, as Stewart puts it: “seeing the body as a landscape and the landscape as a body.”

Makeup by Machiko Yano / Hair by Moe Mukai / Casting by AAMØ Casting / Model is Nyaueth Riam / Fashion Assistance by Florence Thompson / Makeup Assistance by Krishna Branch-Mackowiak

Cultured

Brian’s Note: Cultured magazine’s story was published last year on 15 September. It mentions “Stewart is currently working on his third collection for Spring/Summer 2024.” Some of the dresses included in that collection are the dress Caitríona wore to the IFTAs and the ones below.

Instagram

Remember… Ireland’s standing stones, or dolmens, are the oldest remaining neolithic monuments in the country. ☘️

[saccharine-dreamer]

Thom Browne 2017 Spring/Summer Collection

[alexinafan]

Alexina Graham brings elegance and allure to life in Barbara Lingerie's vibrant Spring/Summer 2017 collection.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Smithsonian Magazine:

On a sweltering summer day in Madison, Wisconsin, Jade Kochanski wades through a prairie bursting with wildflowers. Insect net in hand, she carefully scans the colorful blossoms. She’s on a mission to capture and identify the bumblebees that live there. If she’s lucky, she’ll discover a rare find—an endangered rusty patched bumblebee, named for the red-brown smudge that workers and males of the species sport on their backs.

Kochanski, a PhD student in integrative biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, meticulously measures the bumblebees she captures and snips off a tiny piece of leg, a common, non-lethal way to obtain genetic material from these creatures. Each sample she collects from rusty patched bumblebees is destined for a lab in Utah to help researchers uncover the genetic secrets critical to the bee’s survival. DNA analysis will help scientists estimate the number of colonies, identify patterns of inbreeding within those colonies, and understand overall genetic diversity and health of the rusty patched bumblebee populations.

Once common across the eastern United States and Canada, rusty patched bumblebee (Bombus affinis) populations have plummeted by nearly 90 percent over two decades due to habitat loss, pesticide use, pathogens and climate change, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Now, they are found in only a fraction of their former range, with scattered populations in the Upper Midwest and Northeast United States. In 2017, the rusty patch became the first bumblebee to be listed as endangered in the United States.

In response to listing, Kochanski joined a network of scientists who began collecting tissue samples from rusty patched bumblebees across its range. The initiative started in 2020 when Tamara Smith, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s lead biologist for the rusty patched bumblebee, organized a meeting with bumblebee researchers in Minnesota. Their goal: to identify conservation tools that could help save the species. “Genetics was the No. 1 question that came out of that [meeting],” says Smith. “We needed to get a handle on what was going on with this species if we wanted to move forward with some of the other tools that would help with conservation.”

Their research was published this past spring in the Journal of Insect Science and provides the first range-wide genetic study on the species. The findings offer key insights that can aid conservation of the species, but also raise questions and concerns about the ability of the species to recover. “Genetically, they’re not doing as well as we had hoped,” says Smith.

The study revealed a surprisingly low number of rusty patched bumblebee colonies, even in places where the bee seems prevalent. “We’ve seen the Upper Midwest as the stronghold of the species,” says John Mola, an ecologist at Colorado State University and lead study author, “but what we’ve seen from the genetic data is that even within these strongholds for the species, they are still far fewer colonies than we might have expected.”

Since only queens produce offspring, bumblebee populations are measured by colonies, not individuals. Each spring, queen bumblebees emerge from hibernation to create nests where they produce non-reproductive female workers that forage, nurse larvae and defend the nest. Later in the summer, queens switch to producing reproductive individuals, including males and new queens, which will form their own colonies the following year. Each colony can contain over 100 individuals. Thus, even if several worker bees are seen in an area, they could all come from just one or two large colonies.

According to the study, having few colonies poses significant risks, including making them vulnerable to local extinction from unpredictable events like fires on the prairies where they live. In light of the study, land managers will need to be more strategic with using prescribed burns for managing prairies within the bee’s range. To assist these efforts, as part of her dissertation, Kochanski is developing burn recommendations that balance the need for prairie maintenance with protecting bumblebees.

[londonandrewsandme]

EVIDENCE 2

I have been hunting far and wide (hard-drives and USB’s) for video screenshot clip, the one that most of these screenshots come from. Because I want to find the moment where London Andrews say, ‘Hi London here…’ publicly. But I can’t find it ! So, I will have to go with what I already have.

First, and most importantly : London Andrews has repeatedly and vehemently denied she has had anything to do with the Naturist Lady, MeWe account and the catfishing, seduction and trouble that this account caused to me in 2021. I was not her !

Next, these events and the screen shoots are from 2022. This was from when I was leaving London alone online, but she would not leave me alone and most importantly was appearing and disappearing, abusing and trolling, at will. And this was before I had revealed the reason for the falling out between myself and London – I only revealed this in the summer of 2023.

Now, lets introduce some new characters, ‘dunder mifflen’ and ‘Even Flow’. These are avatars of the same person, running various porn sharing sites, across several platforms and is also a moderator for Reddit’s older ‘london andrews’ fan page...we will return to this fact later.

In the spring of 2022 the Naturist Lady account reappeared on my London Andrews, MeWe fan page asking for members to share their OnlyFans and Patreon photos with her. Note, I never ever blocked her, she could come and post as and when she pleased. Whereas, London repeatedly blocked and unblocked me, across all different social media, for disagreeing with the Naturist Lady account on MeWe – explain that ?

So, explain the following IF London Andrews had nothing to do with the Naturist Lady, MeWe account ?

1 – The Naturist Lady account publicly reveals that she is London Andrews and asks for members to post photos.

2 – Members reacting to this London revelation.

3 – ‘dunder mufflen’ directly contacts the Naturist Lady account.

4 – Then later the Even Flow account directly contacts Naturist Lady.

5 – Here is dunder mufflen interacting with Naturist Lady.

6 – Here is dunder mufflen confirming he is talking to London Andrews in private and has received subscriptions to London’s Patreon and OnlyFans. Go on, explain that, if Naturist Lady is NOT London Andrews ?

7 – Here, note what London, via the Naturist Lady account, is specifically asking for.

And also the Even Flow is directly contacting her. (yes I have posted this screenshot, but…)

8 – Now, I start to be attacked for not supporting London and supplying the items Naturist Lady requested. And also, here Even Flow denies that he had been asked for London’s photo sets – see screenshot 7 for the fact he had been !

9 – Here I (again) asked a question about why she was asking for her Patreon erotic photo sets.

10 – Following this, Naturist Lady confirms she has rewarded dunder mufflen (Again explain that, if Naturist Lady is NOT London Andrews ?) , while attacking me.

11 – Here Even Flow comes to Naturist Lady’s defence. And at this point, based the way things were going, I was worried I had been wrong and that Naturist Lady was a third-party who was collecting items to pirate them.

Oops ! Got these 2 the wrong way round..

13 – Here Naturist Lady is inconsistent with her story. At first she had said she, ‘..busted a hard drive and lost them.’ That just didn’t make sense to anybody involved, so she changed the story.

12 – So, she changes her story, she now has an issue with Patreon itself. Problem is I checked and her Patreon seemed to be working just fine. She also raised the fact I had promised to return copies of her old SnapChats. London had not saved any of them back in 2017/18.

14 – I then point out that I had long ago, sent her the Snapchats. I had directly emailed them to London...Also, explain how a third party, random stranger who was catfishing me, knew about the Snapchats emailed directly to London back in 2020 ?

15 – And that London Andrews has not downloaded them from the emails cloud storage attachment. Thus proving her to wrong – yet again ! Then Even Flow steps in the defend her, because he can’t deal with the fact I am proving London to be wrong.

16 – This post by dunder mufllen, from slightly earlier, asks why I had not helped London and caused disagreements. First, there is s difference between won’t help and can’t help. I simply did not have the items she was asking for. Next, yes I was cynical in my attitude, the ‘bad blood’ he noticed. I never explained why. I kept the inexplicable personal events between myself and London (Naturist Lady) in 2021, private. Lastly, dunder mufflen again confirms his belief that Naturist Lady and London, are one and the same !

17 – This is a very long attack on me by Even Flow. Why, for again proving what London was saying about me on social media (Reddit etc), to be wrong ! I defended myself against abuse and insults and proved what she was incorrect. That’s insulting and abusive apparently ? Anyway, after making contact with Naturist Lady account here on my MeWe fan page (see 4 and 7), he made London Andrews a moderator of the London Reddit fan site and wrote a glowing introduction to tell all the members about it. Sorry. I don’t have a screenshot of this, you’ll just have to take my word for it. And finally, the entire tone of his message is written from the point of view that he obviously thinks the Naturist Lady account on MeWe was run by London Andrews.

Explain that ?

And there is more to come…..

#londonandrews #londonandrewsmodel #beauty #sexy #beautiful #bbw #curvy #busty #voluptuous #glamour #kinky #curvymodel #photography #art #lingerie #erotica #model #onlyfans #patreon #londonandrewsproject #londonandrewsandme

[puppetshcw]

⸻   STUPID CUPID  :  BRAND AMBASSADORS  ❞ 

active since 2017, yet the members were never announced being the faces of fashion brands until 2022, shocking fans who have been waiting for this kind of news for years!

under the cut, you'll find which fashion brands finally managed to grab STUPID CUPID members!

♡⃗ CHESKA !

the CHANEL family expands as they welcome STUPID CUPID's CHESKA! the leader of the girl group joined LEE SUNG KYUNG, GONG YOO, KIM GO EUN and PARK SEO JOON as korean ambassador of the french luxury fashion house! CHESKA made her CHANEL campaign debut in august 2022 and has been one of the company's faces for a year already!

♡⃗ AIMEE !

in may 2022, AIMEE was chosen as the newest brand ambassador for the luxury fashion house GUCCI. since then, she has represented the brand at various events in seoul and even caught attention at the incheon international airport, slipping into a stunning outfit from GUCCI’s SPRING 2023 collection! this announcement never surprised the fans, as they expected that someone like AIMEE would fit as the face of GUCCI the most.

♡⃗ TOMIE !

following the announcement of PARADOX INVASION's MIKEY becoming PRADA's new ambassador, it didn't take long before the company managed to snatch the older KANG sibling as well. although with her striking looks and undeniable charisma, it’s no surprise that she has become the new ambassador for the luxurious fashion house. TOMIE became the face of PRADA in november 2022 and continues to do so despite haters spamming the comments of the brand's official instagram account.

♡⃗ JEANNE !

STUPID CUPID continues to rule the world as HERMÈS taps one of its members, JEANNE, to represent the french luxury brand. according to the announcement, JEANNE has been announced as the new face of the fashion house this year in february, right after the group's anniversary comeback! this loveable rapper starred in the recent IMMERSED IN SILK / EMBRACED BY NEUTRALS collections, wearing the new HERMÈS scarf collection and showing off her beauty!

♡⃗ VIVA !

the announcement of VIVA becoming VALENTINO's new ambassador came to light on instagram by the creative director PIERPAOLO PICCIOLI, which was later reposted by the fashion house itself. the photo released by the brand showed VIVA adorned in their most stylish clothes, which were announced for the brand's SPRING/SUMMER 2023 collection. creative director of VALENTINO says VIVA has been chosen as their new ambassador for "embodying the light-heartedness of youth, unique sense of style, passion for her craft and creativity", which couldn't be more right about the maknae of STUPID CUPID!

[onlyswan]

onlyswan year-end survey as i have begun building plans for our journey in 2024 👩‍💻

what is your favorite/s from the drabbles i’ve put out this year (second in which collection)? themes, lines, paragraphs, or scenes that stood out to you? and if it is not too much to ask- who is your favorite character, oc or jungkook?

which year/s would you like to see more of from 2017 to 2023? and which season (spring/summer/autumn/winter)? (yes this is very important) (like very) (no one: ..... me: *writes a metaphor to reveal the season* *clutches chest in distress* oc… must wear… season-appropriate outfit…theyneedtoknow)