After this we poked them in the eyes to make them miserable

Starting off in our neck of the woods, long clothing was born in the markets of East London by two boys in pursuit of no-nonsense clothing that matched their tastes. Fed-up with over-complicated designs, their signature ‘Long’ shirt was born – simple yet effectively dramatic over sized t-shirts. 
 
On interviewing these guys, I found them not LONG-winded in the slightest – no bullshitty pretence about inspiration being drawn from 80’s leisure wear or current designers. Instead, they draw inspiration from their own instincts and whatever catches their eye; be it a fox’s head or simply a message promoting peace. 
 
How to pull off the ultimate ‘long’ look? The boys leave it up to you; “Our whole brand works around simplicity and individuality”. This is your moment to hang loose in those hungover baggy t-shirt days and push the boundaries at the same time. Go crazy and most of all, have fun with it. Rock it BITCHY-style with tights and kick-ass shoes or biker boots. 

In terms of the future, their hope is for Long to become a brand that people can really ‘live.’ suggesting a lifestyle choice, a simpler way to life that is encapsulated in their designs. They have a wild side too of course as you can prepare to party all night Long as they launch their own club nights to ‘become more than just a conventional brand.’ 
 
They grasp the unconventionality that is London street style itself. A distinct look that I have grown to recognise in my travels around Australia; there is a raw edginess about the people of London that others in all the major cities just can’t seem to accomplish. Those at Long add that a void has been filled since their emergence on to the market and their brand ‘sums up what is going on in London right now’. As a final note from the boys on future plans, they wittily contemplate world domination… I’m thinking a future slogan of ‘Long live Long’ strewn across one of their fabulous Tees. 

Attached some out-takes from our hot new cover shoot
Photographer – Ish Sahotay DUB LDN
Art Director and styling – MARION Bitching and Junkfood
Models: Performance Artist Rupert Philbrick, Portrait Artist Chloe Henderson, Make-up artist Love Tickelmouse and Actress Laura Helen Greenwood.
Chief eye poker – Marion

Written by  contributing blogger Sarah Whadmore.

Mac make-up artist Love Tickelmouse workin killer cheekbones

Eye poking and freezing the models works.

Andre and Manaboutworld

A question asked by most people across East London over the last couple of weeks. A mystical creature of 6′1″ in heels and a gamine size 8, Andre J. stepped off the plane on August 18th and hit the party circuit over the bank holiday weekend. Visiting from YC Andre’s, doe eyes and rose-bude red framed smiled command a “who is that?” reaction everywhere he goes . Possibly the prettiest bearded boy you ever did see, Andre also has a fine pair of catwalk stomping pins which made Caroline Murphy’s look distinctly average on the cover of French Vogue.

Introduced by BITCHY BESTIES make-up artist Love Ticklemouse and stylist Melanie Thomas, we had the pleasure of getting to know him a little better when we bestowed a BITCHY fur upon him for his London Festivities…

Andre J who are you and where have you come from?
I arrived in London on Aug. 18.Later that evening I also went to hear Larry Tee NYC’s Hottest DJ play at a party and ended up at Butt mag party.

I am from NYC Babes(New York City Babes)However I have been travelling the world for 8 months now. Vienna, Austria-Antwerp, Belgium-Paris, France now London.

What brings you here to London?
What brings me to London the creative energy and I want a TV show on BBC or Channel 4. The Andre J. Show (Fashion, Music, Art, Entertainment, Lifestyle). I met stylist Sascha Lilic in Paris. Aug. is very slow in Paris everyone goes to the South of France and he suggested I come to London. I took his advice and one week later voila! The energy is very high in London and I adore that. I feel that the creativity is very fresh and Londoners are movers and shakers and thats another thing I admire so much about the culture. All things are possible here. It reminds me of the energy NYC used to have. London is on Fire and I am glad to be a part of this REVOLUTION.

What have you been doing since you arrived and what has been the highlight of your visit so far?
Since I have been here in London I have been learning the culture its very important to get into the community and experience the people. I have been seeking representation by agents, and agencies to fulfill my dream here in London. I have been to the showrooms Purple and Blow to name a few because I will need garments to wear for events. My first week here I had an opportunity to see Chicago featuring Michelle Williams of Destinys Child and hung out with her so, immediately, I am here to WORK. So to my readers out there if YOU NEED ME CALL ME (very Diana Ross) but keep in mind its ALL ABOUT THE POUNDS!!!!! The highlight so far is the family circle that I have acquired. I have really great support around me and we all share the same vision. Positive thinking,speaking,energy. We are aware of the POWER of the WORD. So we speak everything beautiful into existence and the rest is for another interview

You dress like a perfectly preened woman but you still have a beard which clearly identifies you as a man suggesting you are comfortable with both sides of your sexuality. The beard is almost a trademark in itself, how long have you had it and what made you decide to keep it?
I hear this question often and I always enjoy answering it. I love my beard it simplifies INDIVIDUALITY. I have had my beard now forever its a part of who I am. I am GENDERLESS. Our bodies are composed of X and Y chromosomes and I utilize both male and female.

French Vogue

You made it to the cover of French Vogue pushing boundaries for both black models and transvestites, two birds(pretty bearded ones) one stone. How did that make you feel?
The cover of French Vogue made me very happy yes for many reasons. It also changed my life in a good way. It allowed me to express the Andre J. that I have always been prior to the cover. It also showed me and the world if you LOVE YOURSELF, and STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF you will ATTRACT all things and more because LOVE is ATTRACTIVE, ATTRACTING, IRRESISTABLE and that’s exactly what I am. I AM LOVE.
My response to the Blogs are THANK YOU!

Do you dress like this all the time or is it for parties and performances only?
I dress like this all the time coming through airports,grocery stores etc.

Who are your favorite labels and design inspirations?
London
Christopher Kane
Jonathan Saunders
Giles Deacon
Vivienne Westwood
Lanvin
Brioni

Paris
Xuan Thu Nguyen
Sonia Rykiel
Balmain

Belgium
Margiela
Anne Demeulemeester
Rick Owens

NY
vintage
Marco Hall
Jose Duran
Catherine Malandrino
Vintage

What’s important to you when choosing clothes?
Comfort and feeling good in my SKIN. My feet can hurt and its ok but at the end of the day my SOUL SINGS GLORY!!!!!!!:) with a twist of SEX APPEAL.

Describe a day in your life.
Wow thats a good one. A day in the life of Andre J. is realizing and expressing to the world that I am a human being I just look different. As a matter of fact we all look different. INDIVIDUALITY IS THE MESSAGE.

Candy-floss, Fried Eggs, Bananas, Ginger Bread men – when I was little I used to imagine how cool the world would be if it was completely edible. As a lot of you know I have really bad junkfood addiction so I’ve been drawn to Emma Bell with a rumbling stomach drooling at her delicious use of candy tooth-rot colours and motifs. Emma has created a glitter infused. licorice allsort, pick n mix world of fashion.   Her AW09 collection drew on fairytale references with wolves and little decapitated piggies, simultaneously sweet and sinister.

Following her childhood days of playing dress-up in her Grandma’s evening gowns, Emma left her hometown of Newcastle to skip her way into the fashion industry spiral lolly in hand. She worked for Rebecca Taylor in New York and Textile designer Donna Lynch in Londo before launching her own range in SS08.

We caught up with her to find out a little more about what it feels like to live in her lickable fashion  life….

Your A/W collection was like a breathtaking spectacle(more breathless on the dancefloor than “wow look at those mountains)- where did you find inspiration? 

Thanks! I invested so much time into the research and design stage of this collection because I wanted everything to be perfect! I wanted to really create a phantasmagorical collective of techniques and textures so I brought in knitwear, acrylic, embroidery, quilting, painted fabrics….I spent some time travelling in December so I got involved in some textile workshops whilst away and sourced an abundance of exciting fabrics and trims! The inspiration behind the collection included Lord Tennyson poetry, cruelty to animals, South East Asian craft techniques and American quilting.

What’s your favourite piece from the collection? ( I absolutely adore the sleevless, zipped, rose deatailed top with the tassled shoulder pads- thinking Romantic French Acid Trip!)

 My favourite was the dress version of that combo! It took forever but I love it! I collected batiks and woven masks whilst in Asia at Christmas and worked them into the piece! I quilted the batik with woollen embroidery and holographic heart sequins! The dress was called the Ophelia dress and symbolised romantic tragedy!

Ooh I also loved the gingerbread man dress, the pieces were laser cut from perspex and had wobbly eyes and bells, and I worked with my little brother on it!

The ‘How much is that doggy in the window’ intro to your A/W catwalk show was genius- was that your two fingers to the Global doomturn?

In a way yes…especially with it being an AW showcase, there is a lot of expectation that AW should be a plethora of big duvet style coats and sombre colourings so I liked sending someone half naked rocking gingerbread men and jingling bells down the catwalk! Especially with all the talk of credit crunches and the likes, I think it’s nice to mix everything up with a bit of sparkle and optimism. I’m all about creating something that hosts a bit of humour and allows the unexpected!

From the music, to model casting, hair and makeup- a strong sense of personlity oozes from your shows. How important is this to you?

I am meticulous about attention to detail…every tiny element is soooo important so I really focus on getting every single detail perfect….I always strive to create an experience and I want each factor whether it be hair, music, make-up 100% right and perfect and create maximum impact.

You have a penchant for unconventional models. What’s important to you when you are casting?

For me it is so important that the people representing my clothes, understand my aesthetic. I want them to really get it rather than just parading it down the catwalk! I’m always governed by personality when it comes to casting the right models. Most often we have streetcast to find the perfect look and often I use friends as models as I know they are genuine in believing in and understanding what they are presenting. It’s amazing to have enthusiasm from the people supporting me.

What’s your view on modern sexuality?

I think we are living in a society where taboos almost don’t exist anymore and it is increasingly  becoming more challenging to create something that stirs up a bit of controversy. With industries like porn becoming commercially mass market and the likes of Jordan and co whipping their boobs out for the tabloids, we are living in a hugely sexualised movement. As much as I like the idea of old school values when it comes to sexuality; Prince Charming and amazingly coy women prancing around in corsets and frilly dresses, I think it’s way more exciting and interesting that we can live and work in a society that is more forward thinking and straight talking.

I love the fusion of materials in your work ( wool, lace and chiffon juxtaposed with quilted rubber ) – what’s your favourite fabric?

EEEK tricky question….I love so many! I LOVE LOVE LOVE quilting…I have always incorporated elements of quilting into my work, even back in the Uni days! I love wool too, especially fat yarns….the really cheap synthetic stuff is especially exciting as you can find the SICKEST colours imaginable! Last year I went to the biggest fabric market that I have ever seen in my life in China….millions of floors and sections with the most amazing stuff! I love working with plastics and metallics and there I discovered an unbelievable number of beauts!

Many designers retired to a sombre, dark or neutral colour palette for A/W. Thankfully you maintained a decadent plethora of tones and shades. How important is colour to you? 

Incredibly important! Not just in my work, but my everyday life….If I ever rock out in a full black ensemble, it means my spirit has been crushed! I don’t really usually wear black for funerals either…

I love colour combinations and I like disorder and creating the unexpected when it comes to getting colour in the mix! When I was younger someone told me not to wear black and blue because I would look like a bruise….so often colour combos that aren’t predictable prove the most exciting!
It would be too easy for me to follow colour trends which is why I like the challenge of drawing in new ideas in terms of tones.

One colour for life?

Pink….it’s the colour of all things amazing…like Barbie, lipstick, Flamingos and Candyfloss.

Having taken inspiration form things as diverse as £2 Oxfam books, bingo halls, fairground trips, Korean lunchboxes and Dolly Parton- would it be true to say that your creative process has evolved by analysing the magic and mysteries of life?

Yes definitely!! I have kept diaries since I was 9 years old and still forever write my journals and collect everything…receipts, sweet wrappers, everything. I’m always strive to create something that I myself am totally confident in understanding which is why I would say that my muse is life experience. I like to translate my own adventures into my work and I want to create something that has a great deal of personal value to me. That Oxfam book spent a few weeks in my bag trotting on and off buses and sitting in parks and the likes with me! I find everyday life has the amazing ability to trigger ideas and allows new trains of thought!

You’ve spent time working with Rebecca Taylor and Donna Lynch, and you’ve also created a collection for Irregular choice. Do you like collaborating or prefer desiging independantly?
I basically love a challenge and as they say variety is the spice of life (eww proper cheeseville phrase) so it’s great to get involved in lots of different experiences and projects! I love working on collaborations as its great to create something that is a fusion of two different brands or identities, but at the same time it’s great being able to do your own thing!

Tell us about the first piece of clothing you created?

 My first ever dabble with a pattern was when I whipped up a Batik print dress whilst at school….I thought it was the best thing ever, in fact I still have it in my wardrobe as I can’t bear to part with that treat! It is hideous…I get it out and laugh at it every now and then!

Where did you begin making clothes and what’s your workspace like now?

I figure you have to make the most of the space you have…over the past few years I have seen myself cutting out patterns on my bed in a tiny box room to utilising an AMAZING shared studio space in East London to screen printing on the kitchen floor! Most recently I set up live/work space in my flat in Shoreditch which was awesome as I shared the building with superstar hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu so it also meant I got to have rainbow hair all of the time! Next on the horizon is a very exciting venture into a European extravaganza as I am set to move into a great new concept design studio in Vienna as part of an Artist in Residence programme that I have been awarded a place on! So that’s very exciting and the studio is my dream come true and I’m really looking forward to working and living in another country for a couple of months! It’s an awesome space in a creative environment surrounded by museums and galleries, painters, sculptors so it’s set to be a great experience and I’m looking forward to getting involved in some exciting projects there!

What’s your plan for the next collection, and what can we expect to see from Emma Bell in the next year ?

I’ve been working on a load of new craft techniques…I love learning new stuff so I’ve been experimenting with tapestry and working with unusual yarns and resin-ware! I’m really excited about the new collection!!! I like to watch my own progression and I’m constantly thinking up new ways of expressing my ideas. I’ve been researching everything from boxing matches in social clubs to Byron, traditional weaving…..I have a few cheeky collaborations up my sleeve for the upcoming year, including a really exciting handbag project so watch this space!
The past few months I have been involved with a couple of charity projects. I have created some exclusive print designs for clothing with Designers Against Aids which will be sold on their online store (so keep and eye out for that) and I also worked as co-ordinator on the NYC AGAINST HIV fashion event, so it’s great to get involved in initiatives that you are passionate about! So hopefully a few similar projects will unleash this year!

“How much is that Emma Bell knitted fruit dress in the window?’ – would you like to have a store one day?

That’s a tricky one….I would LOVE one day to have my own store, but I wouldn’t like it to take over from the creative side! I’ve had a couple of friends who have set up stores and said that rather than sitting sewing and designing, you find yourself numbercruching, wrestling payrolls and haggling on prices for shop fittings! That kind of puts me off as I would hate to have to take a side step away from the creative side. Also the plus side of having stockists opposed to your own shop means that you can expose your work to a greater audience! At the same time it would be nice to have your dream shop!

As a Sagittarius, do you think you embody the trait of eternal optimism?

 
Totally….I think I’m 100% a true Sagittarian. I don’t really buy into negativity and I like to overcome obstacles and challenge them rather than let them destroy me. I’m not very patient and I get really restless and itchy feet and I LOVE change and progression!

A glittery little birdie told me you’re fond of a glass of gin. What’s your ideal night out?

 Ooh you’re spot on…I love Bombay Sapphire the best! Putting an abundance of eye make up on, having drinks and Britney with my special friends then unleashing out for the party times! I especially like nights that end in a drama for example finding a pram, or cheese plant leaf or not getting your phone stolen!

What annoys you about yourself?

Smoking….I always say I’m going to quit but, I think really I don’t want to because I love it so much! Also I can be really disorganised and messy but I secretly like it that way! Tidy things make me feel a bit weird and sick!

Finally, what toothpaste do you use?

Whatever is on special offer at Tesco!!!

I’d just like to add that I have absolutely no reason why but all the way through this I can see her face, the spiral lolly and her feet in red glittery shoes skipping along the yellow, brick road all the way to super-spangly-stardom. 

www.emma-bell.com

http://emma-bell.blogspot.com/

Graduating with a masters degree in Fine Art from Central St Martins her work can be compared to Cindy Sherman who has used her body to express herself in a series of self-portraits using various media. She blurs the boundaries between Avant Garde and mass entertainment, pop culture and the underground managing to seamlessly entertain contemporary art junkies and trash culture addicts alike .

Just back from filming Ring them Bells at Glastonbury – Britain’s first documentary about about London’s alternative queer scene – we caught up with to probe and poke..

I’m feeling slightly like I’m at seance, am I speaking to Julie or holestar? Holestar here. Julie is the manager.

One word, all too often overlooked – Why? It’s a hell of a cliché but I think I was born with a twisted need to create and perform.

If holestar was filling out a job application what title would they be ticking? Artist.

Can you tell us how holestar has evolved? Holestar is my artist name, BD (before drag).  My work at the time was about sexuality and gender and I got the idea after seeing many a tired old drag act and thought, “I can do that”. It was initially a one off art piece but carried on when I met a DJ whilst living in Vienna who wanted me to MC over his sets. From there it took on a life of its own and five years on, I still love it.
 
I’ve since evolved to singing, acting, performance art, DJing and back to the classic drag tradition of lip synching. I’m still a visual artist and currently making a documentary about The Downlow, the worlds first travelling gay disco.

Holestar in George Michael Video

We all have personas that we hide behind, some people live their whole life as a performer. Do you struggle to separate or are the boundaries quite clear? I have very clear boundaries. There are many performers who believe their own hype and it can drive them crazy. I’m very conscious that any adulation my on-stage persona receives is temporary. You have to come back down to earth when catching the night bus.
 I find it amusing when people who kiss my arse when I’m in drag, completely ignore me out of it. They are engaged with the facade and not the reality.

Why did you decide to be a Tranny with a fanny rather than a drag king? I dress like a man in everyday life so its not saying anything new. I wanted to create something provocative and political while being entertaining.  I’ve done man drag a few times but prefer the glitz and glamour of over the top, elaborate feminity.

When you’ve had a few shandies do you find yourself becoming more camp or slipping into performance mode? Absolutely. But then again, I’m not a big drinker. I don’t like loosing control.

Who chats you up more straight men, gay men, straight women, gay women, dogs, cats, field mice or dolphins? Tranny chasers (who are more often than not, straight men ) though they are often disappointed when they realise I’m actually a woman. Frustraingly, I’ve had my chest and crotch grabbed by people who are confused and want conformation of my gender.

When holestar was 20, how did she answer the question – where will you be in 10 years time? I would have said I’ll be an artist. In another 10, I’ll say the same.

Do you feel quite revolutionary in terms of how you are pushing drag tradition? I hope so. My main inspiration was Blake Edwards film Victor/Victoria and was surprised that nobody was using the basic premise of the film as performance. In San Francisco they have Faux Queens but I’m not fake anything.
My main idea is about reclaiming over the top femininity from drag queens to the female form and to question gender codes and roles.

Holestar with Patricia Field

What is the reaction from the more traditional male drag acts? I’ve had a few problems along the way. Some have had me excluded from events, thought its usually the untalented, insecure ones who have done that. Luckily, I’ve been largely accepted by the alternative drag scene.

Have you had the age old problem of needing to work much harder as a female to be accepted in a male dominated industry?
Hell yes. I’ve come up against a lot of sexism in this business we call show.
I was recently told the reason I didn’t get a job was not based on any talent I may have, but because I’m not a man. People want text book man-in-a-dress drag I guess.  I suppose I’m subverting things a bit to far for some, despite my mantra always about making art and performance accessible for all.

Are you a feminist? Yes. I did some volunteer work in India recently and saw how women are still being treated like third rate citizens. Women in the west still may have a way to go until we get equality but we have no idea how good we have it compared to women in third world countries.
I’m grateful that I am able to be outspoken, opinionated, enjoy sex, be who I want to be and educate myself, something denied to so many women around the world.
 
Which other drag queens do you respect? Divine, Leigh Bowery (though not strictly a drag queen) and my sisters from The House of Egypt.

Your performance art has many layers with quite a dark side do you feel that this is sometimes lost on your club audience? Does this matter to you? Not at all, its all up for individual interpretation. Some only see my work in an artistic context, others see me as a DJ or entertainer. I try to make all my output whether in a gallery, cabaret space or nightclub accessible.

Tell us about your experience as a dominatrix? I’ve been doing it now for about nine years. I took a break while doing my Fine Art Masters at Central St Martins and its something I still genuinely enjoy from time to time. I don’t have any sex with my clients as I like to maintain a respectable distance and only session with people who respect that.

Has this liberated you in terms of exploring your own sexuality and comfort zones? I guess so. Through the process of becoming a Dominatrix, I eventually came out to myself as queer, a title I still maintain. While I may be with a female partner now, I would never say never to being with a man again. Its just that I don’t really desire them sexually but you never know.

Who inspires your style? Penelope Keith as Margo Ledbetter is one of my style icons. I love 80s trashy glamour though I don’t have one particular style . As a larger lady, it can be tricky to find things in my size so I’ve taken to making things myself (though I’m not particularly handy with a needle).

If you had wear to one designer for the rest of your life who would it be? Tricky question. I like the colours of Matthew Williamson, glamour of classic Halston and if they made big girl sizes, Dolce and Gabbana. I do like a bit of leopard print.

Does the costume side excite you as much as the stage performance? Not until I find a designer who wants me as their muse. I have great ideas in my head on how I’d like to have fantastical things made for me but have no patience or time to learn to make them myself. Though I do get very excited by finding something special in a charity shop or market. My favorite item of clothing is a black and white, 80s batwig style dress top with a leopard face and a small train found in a flea market in Vienna. I’ve been offered money for it but its going nowhere though I have seen similar prints of it recently.

What do you like to wear when you’re not performing? Whatever’s comfortable.  I have great admiration for people who create a ‘look’ on a daily basis but I find fashion temporary and performative so only dress up for the occasion. 

I’m kind of confused as your performance layers many questions about gender, roles, female, male and society’s/mass medias perception of people in general. What is your message in less than 10 words? In the words of Viv Savge in ‘This is Spinal Tap’;
 ”Have a good time….all the time”.

Number one make-up tip? Girls frequently ask me makeup advice and I always say  invest in good brushes and practice. Different products and colours work on different faces.

What is your ambition? To be the female equivalent of Warhol, Picasso or Dali. There hasn’t been a female uber artist yet and while it might be overly ambitious, a girl can dream can’t she?

What gets you through? Chocolate and good hugs.

Ring them Bells is being made on a eyelash budget and pounds worth of passion so donations are a must to keep this project buoyant(chicken fillets will not suffice). Is that a tenner in your pocket or are you just pleased to see her…….doesn’t matter, take it out and donate what you can at Welcome to the Downlow.