Stores Encourage Shopping in a Bad Economy

 

By: Margo Hutchinson and Alex Keller

 

 

            For Retailers, this is the most important time of the year.  Stores are organized and cleaned.  Gift boxes are placed in the counters with care in hopes that shoppers will soon be there!  It is that time of year!  The time of joy and stress inducing holiday shopping!  But with the latest talks of a shaky economy, will shoppers be knocking off some items or even a few people from their shopping list?

             “I think the media builds up the issue with our economy too much, I haven’t seen a slow down at all this season” Store Manager of Kay Jewelers Mary Dillan explains.  The National Retail Federation also believes that this holiday season is not feeling the economic pinch, at least so far.  In a survey done after what many retailers like to call ‘Black Friday’ it seems that even more people are out and spending more. “More than 172 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, up from 147 million shoppers last year.” The NRF 2008 survey discovered.  But not only does it appear that more people are out shopping during this time, but the stores are offering deals worth getting out of bed at 3 a.m.  and facing the parking lots that have become a battleground.

            Stores like J.C. Penny, are taking note of the frail economy.  “They are being more aggressive this year with sales, coupons, door-busters, and more marketing.” Says Sales manager Andrew Glatfelter.  “The majority is just sales, ad campaigns, and driving the prices down more.” Glatfelter continued.  Many stores such as J.C. Pennys are lowering their prices to get customers to continue their holiday spending.  And many retailers are remaining positive that sales will increase when it draws closer to Christmas time.  Some shoppers such as Elizabeth Dalton seem to not let the economic downfall give her a ‘Blue Christmas’.  “I wouldn’t say anything has changed this season for us.” Stated Dalton about her family shopping; “I walked to my car just a minute ago to drop off five bags.”  

            Executive Vice President of BIGresearch Phil Rist tells the NRF that retailers should not hold their breath.  "Though retailers should be encouraged by strong traffic and sales over the weekend, consumers are still being cautious.” And Kentucky Retail Federation’s Jan Gould said in a press release that more shoppers are getting gifts that are more ‘permanent’ such as jewelry and electronics such as iPods and videos games. 

             It seems that many others are not really lacking in the flow of customers even the locally owned stores.  For Snap boutique in Hyde Park, when asked by a customer if they have been extremely slow this season, the employee said that they have been quite busy.   Another boutique in Hyde Park called Fetish was having a sale of 30%- 50% off of merchandise.  And locals are even out supporting these local retailers and getting their word across to the other Cincinnati residents.   For those who desire the best deals and like to shop at the local retailers BuyCincy.com is allowing Cincinnati locals to post blogs on their sites to inform other Cincinnatians about great local stores to find unique gifts.  One blog entry talks about the unique stores that are in the Hyde Park community and another entry on the local shopping for those who live within or new the city of Cincinnati.   But to shop at some of these store will must be willing to spend a little over $100. 

            But it seems that no matter the financial situations, the consumers are still willing to face the busy shopping malls and embrace the winter cold to make sure that there are gifts under their tree for their friends and family!

Margo Hutchinson

News writing & Reporting

Gail Towns

Nov. 21, 2008

 

 

Cincinnati Gays Speak Out about Prop 8

By: Margo Hutchinson

 

            On Nov. 4 the state of California repealed the law that allowed same-sex couples to marry.  

            Ellen Degeneres expressed on her talk show that although she was happy about the election of Barack Obama, but when informed that morning about the passing of Proposition 8 she said, “I was saddened beyond belief." 

            Not only has the ban of same-sex marriage upset may gays and lesbians in the state of California, it has also hit cities such as Cincinnati. “Its a stab at so much we had accomplished.” Cincinnati born Amanda who moved to California in hopes to marry her girlfriend and have a family. “Its almost like women’s rights to vote. What if they had taken it away from them as soon as they gave them the right”, Amanda continues. 

            Cincinnati local John Ritter finds that it is ridiculous that the state made illegal a law that was just passed.  “There is no reason that gays should not be allowed to get married. What happened to separation of church and state?” Ritter questions and believes that church and state should be seen as separate. This ban of same sex marriage had many gays feel as if they are no longer equal

            On Nov. 15 Cincinnati went to City Hall where they held a worldwide protest against the passing of Prop. 8.  The local protest was organized by Impact Cincinnati member Cameron Tolle who told the website gaycincinnati.com, “Last week, voters in California, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas allowed hate to infiltrate into our political system and classified the LGBTQ community as second-class citizens.”

            The gay and lesbian community still has hope that once Obama is sworn into office that things will change for the better.  John Ritter remains confident by saying, “You know what, in my lifetime things will change!  Obama said so!  It is the same thing that happened in the 60s or so blacks and whites were not allowed to marry people need to get with the times be more open minded.”

           

 

 

Margo Hutchinson

Advance Writing and Reporting

Gail Towns

Nov. 4, 2008

YOUTH

 

America’s Young Voters

By. Margo Hutchinson

 

Many have said that this 2008 election is the most important election in our history.  As for young voters, it’s a chance to improve their future. 

            College student Steve Goldfuss feels that this election is important to 21-year-olds such as him and younger voters.  “After four years, I will be in my mid-twenties and I want to vote for someone who I think is fit to secure the future.”  But are the young voters truly more involved in this election than the previous election? An article by Susan Mulligan on Boston.com expresses that this election has the youth more involved than previous campaigns.  Younger voters are even willing to get involved with the campaign if asked.  More reasons that have younger voters involved in this election are the due to technology such as the Internet.  The candidates use sites such as Facebook and Myspace to interact with the students and get them more interested in voting.  Throughout the Election Day, students donated their Facebook statuses to support the candidate of their choice. 

            Though in the past elections, younger voters were usually ‘missing in action’.  When the 26^th Amendment was passed in 1972, it allowed Americans 18 years of age and older to vote in the elections.  The American University in Washington D.C. stated that 55% of possible voters between the age of 18-29 voted and it’s the highest the percentage of young voters has ever been.  Young voters are seen as being apathetic towards the campaign and who is running, but many believe that this election will change that perception. 

            The younger voters are interested even more due to the shape the economy is in and want to know which candidate has the best plan to help get America out of these bad times.   Also what the next president will do about the war in Iraq, which is one of the top concerns of young Americans.  It seems that the younger voters are more interested with this election because it concerns their future.  And during the primaries the amount of young voters in that showed up increased.  And many voters, young and old, have faith that the young voter turnout will go down in history along with this election. 

            But this election has the older voters excited for the increase in young voters.  A political science professor Dr. Michel Kinney told The Daily Decatur that he noticed that a large amount of his students were registered to vote.   He decided to take a poll in his class to see how this election affected his students.  He told The Daily Decatur that “They're interested in the opportunities in education”. "They're also interested in taxes, believe it or not, and who's going to be paying for programs." 

            And the teen organization known as ‘Rock The Vote’ has 2.3 million voters registered for this years election which beats out the over 1million from 2004.  Basically, to be honest, the young generation was left with a mess and they want to make sure the find the right person to help clean it up not only for this generation, but to have hope for the next. 

           

 

Margo Hutchinson

Adv. Newswriting & Reporting

Gail Towns

10-31-08

FIVE

 

 

Issue 5 in the hands of voters November 4

By: Margo Hutchinson

 

            Election day is only a few days away and soon voters will decide on who they want in office and what issues get the ‘yes’ and ‘no’.  When it comes to the issues on the Ohio ballot, it seems like Issue 5 is one of the most prominent issues in this election.

            The House bill 545 passed a law in the summer detemining how money lending companies place interest and lend to customers.  Due to a referendum the law is placed on the 2008 voting ballot to be voted on by Ohioans. To many this bill is more of an issue and if passed it could cost around 6,000 jobs.

             12 News interviewed Bridgette Roman, Ohioans For Financial Freedom:  who told the news station "Frankly, the business model cannot work, and how do we know that? Because 150 pay day lenders have already turned in their licenses. Just last week, I talked to a woman from Stuebenville who operated five stores. She has closed her stores, turned in her license and terminated all of her employees. The business model just can't work at that kind of limit.”

            If the law is voted “no” payday lenders are able to resume to they way they do buissiness.  If voted ‘yes’ on payday lenders must abide to the law that the government had put into action.  If voted ‘yes’  lenders maximum amount to lend to client is $500  and the borrower has 30 day to repay the lender with an interest rate of 28%.   Before the  Issue 5, lenders could lend clients a maxiumum of $800 with no particular amount of day to repay the lender and a interest rate of  391% interest rate. 

            But it seems that this issue confuses more voters than anything.  Many say yes because it saves jobs and that it keeps the government out of the buissiness, but other see that payday loans cause more borrower to pay more money in the end.  To repeal a law or to keep it will be determined on election day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B28wkI0UE1c <>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azPp-CC76kw < Vote Yes video

Margo Hutchinson

JOUR 216 Adv. News writing & Reporting

Oct. 2008

LAYAWAY

 

 

A Layaway Christmas!

By: Margo Hutchinson

 

            The credit crunch putting a little damper on your Christmas shopping?

            With Macys stores throughout the sates putting up there Christmas trees in the chill fall of October, it reminds the American people that there is only 61 days left to do your Christmas shopping.  But with the economy in such a poor state, how will parents fulfill the Christmas wish list of their children? Consider the Layaway!

            Layaway, popular during the Great Depression in the 1920s, is being resurrected to help the Christmas shoppers in 2008.  A Layaways is when a customer wants a particular item but is unable to pay for it in full at the time so they have the store hold it for them until they are finished paying for the item. 

            To put a gift in layaway you must pay a five-dollar fee upfront and to cancel the layaway will cost from 10 to 15 dollars. The payment plans allows customers to pay every two weeks, and once the item is fully paid off the customer is allowed to take the purchase home.  

            Stores such as TJ Maxx and Burlington offer the option of layaway and Kmart has offered this option to their customer for years and with the economy on the rocks, Kmart is now advertising it their plan more this year.  You also have the option to layaway item online.  Kmart’s website tells you step by step on how to put something on hold.  Kmart’s layaway payment is over an 8 week period and if you miss a payment for 7 days, you item will be put back on the sales floor for another customer to buy and you are refunded you money minus the activation fee. 

            Though it seems that only a few stores are offering the Layaway option, retail expert Neil Stern told Dorothy Tucker of the CBS2Chicago news that, “given this season we may see more and more retailers, big and small, pick it up."  So it seems like if you chose to shop the layaway way Christmas shopping starts now!

           

 

 

 

Ohio Votes Early

Margo Hutchinson

JOUR421

Gail Towns

VOTE

 

College Students Chance to Vote Early

By: Margo Hutchinson

1-1-1

Two vans sit outside the University of Cincinnati Recreation Center to take college students to the Board of Educations to register and to vote in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Since the Sept. 30, Ohio residents are allowed to go vote and though their has been speculation that this early voting will benefit the Democratic party the most, Vote Today Ohio just wants everyone, no matter if they favor the Republican party or Democratic party candidate, to make sure that they have a part in the decision of America’s next leader from now till November 4.  Vote Today Ohio is a non-profit organization that was started a couple of weeks ago to make sure that every citizen has transportation to be involved in the election and encourage all to fill out a ballot. 

“I feel empowered when I go vote”, stated Cathie Glover who is apart of the Vote Today Ohio organization, and she wants others to feel that same empowerment in the voting booth.  Cathie Glover and others are on campus to make sure that college students are able to have the opportunity to make it to the polls early the prevent from standing in line on election day whether it be in between classes or on their way back to their dorms.  Two vans wait outside near the Engineering Building and the Recreation Center the transport students to register and vote for the candidate that they feel is fit to run the country.  “Students tend to be apathetic,” says Cathie Glover when it comes to students

Voting on Election Day.  With the country in a facing hardships economically and politically, it seems that this election, compared to previous elections, is crucial for the well being of America and it’s Citizens.  Cathie feels as if the political system has the same people over and over again in congress and has hope that college students and others who do not have the opportunity to vote will make it to the ballots.  Not only are

College students given the chance to take one of the two vans to the Board of Education, but people who reside in homeless shelters and residents who live in low-income neighborhoods.  Cathie explains that in order to vote, you must have the address of where you live to write down on the registration, which made it difficult for the homeless to vote, but now they can use the address of the homeless shelter to register.  

 

Vote Today Ohio is on University of Cincinnati’s campus until Monday October 6, the deadline for voting registration

###

Lisa Ling gives UC Students a World View

By: Margo Hutchinson

 

            On Tuesday May 27^th at 7 p.m., the seats slowly fill in the Great Hall of Tangeman University enter with adults of various ages, as jazz music plays from the speakers.  The audience awaits the arrival of the speaker who has quite the story to tell.

            Lisa Ling has been in the world of journalism since she was 16-years-old starting on Scratch, a well-known show in California for teens.  Soon Lisa Ling would become a correspondent for the middle and high school news show Channel One, which would lead her to the type of journalism work she does today.  She is introduced into the room by a University of Cincinnati student who read a quote from the book Lisa Ling co-wrote called, Mother, Sister, Bride: Rituals of Womanhood.  Ling is welcomed in to the auditorium with applause.  Ling’s appearance dispels ones typical idea of a journalist who reports from the most dangerous places around the world.   Dressed like she just walked off a photo shoot for the clothing store Anthropologie, wearing a mini beige dress with open toed heels and a brown cropped sweater, she opens her hour and a half long lecture answering the questions that she is asked very often from fans.  “ Yes I did like Rosie, I didn’t read Barbra’s book, and not I was not in any of the Charlie’s Angels movies.”

            Lisa Ling has gone to the most dangerous and poor places on earth to inform the American people about what is not typically reported on news stations.  Lisa Ling talks signifigant moments in her life.  One moment she tells the audience was about when she visited Afghanistan in 1994.  At the age of 21, she arrived to Jalalabad, Afghanistan to cover the Civil War for Channel 1 News.  When she got off the plane in Jalalabad, little boys who held extremely large weapons greeted Ling.  When she asked how old these children were carrying the large weapons, one man with her responded, “They don’t know, but if you ask them how to use a bazooka, they know.”  This experience was so shocking to Lisa Ling, that when she came back to America with this story to tell, she was even more shocked to realize that her co-workers were so unaware of what was happening over seas.  “If these stories so shocked me, what about the Americans who are unaware?” she said to the audience.  This was the turning point in her life that inspired her to inform people of these events that go uncovered by news stations. 

            She talked to the audience in the Great Hall about her work and how Americans should have access to the world that lies outside American borders.  She talks about how too often, many Americans and people from other countries grow up to believe that their way of life is the right way of life and in her specials that feature on the National Geographic Channel, she travels to places of danger and strict rule, to show the viewers that there are more layers to a situation.  She showed the audience some clips from her National Geographic show to give the audience a better idea of things like the one child policy in China and what life is like in a prison that keeps the most dangerous criminals

            Lisa Ling expresses how hopeful she is about the young generation, and disagrees with people who say that the next generation has not interest in the current events and the vast state of the world.  She ends her lecture with questions from the audience, which has to be cut short due to the time.  When she was finished she was given a standing ovation from the audience who would leave Great Hall of Tangeman with a different world perspective. 

               

Inked

"You will have it the rest of your life." says the various voices of friends and family when I mentioned that I wanted to add some color to my skin. Tattoos seem to have a bad reputation, but their reputation does not seem to have an impact on many young people.

To some it is a way to memorialize a lost loved one, or to have a friendly reminder permenately on you to remind you of your morals and not to stray. Other just think it would be awsome of have a tattoo. With more and more people throughout the years getting 'inked', many professions and jobs are allowing the hire of people who have visible tattoos. But as for the Hamilton County police station, thier sheriff is not alright with inked officers. Just recently, the police officers had short sleeve uniform shirts added to thier dress code for those hot summer days. Officers who direct traffic and work outside most of the time, are allowed to wear short sleeve shirts to help make the hot summer sun more bearable and keep them from gettin to hot. Sheriff of the Hamilton County Simon Leis stated that he wanted officers that have visible tattoos to wear long sleeve shirts when they are working. "gennerally tattoos are associated with motocylce clubs, that's not the image of law enforcement." Sheriff Leis tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. This dress code change is not sitting so well with the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Labor Council. The council believe that this dress code change for tattooed officers can have an affect on thier health when it comes to working outside in the summer sun. The uniforms are a dark color and for those who are know fmailiar with thier colors, dark colors attact/ absorb sunlight more than lighter colors (want proof, wear a black outside in 90 degree weather). The 37 officers that have visible tattoos will have to don these long sleeve shirts when working outisde and this new demand of long sleeve shirts will cost over $4,000.

Tattoos are showing up more on the youth than ever before, which leave people questioning if people with tattoos will be able to hold a professional desk job.  For now it seems that the best way to be taken seriously is to cover up.

Margo Hutchinson

JOUR215 Newswriting & Reporting

May 21 2008

THRIFT

1-1-1

 

Cincinnati, Get Thrifty!

By: Margo Hutchinson

 

            Rising Gas prices and food prices are taking a toll on American spending.   For the Americans with a budget that want to maintain a style and be fashionable, they are looking outside the mall for unique finds that are not so costly.

             Thrift stores and other resale stores were once just for the people who could not afford the new clothes from department stores.   Now resale stores are becoming a past time for consumers and many of these consumers spend their weekend going to all the resale stores to find some precious treasures.  Cincinnati mom Jennifer Mayhall enjoys these adventures to thrift stores to find new home décor, toys for her sons, and also to give old antiques new life.  Also the experience of finding vintage clothes is something she also enjoys to share with her nieces, which she introduced them to thrift shopping just two years ago.

            With the consumer getting ready for summer, where can the average shopper go to get unique finds that are not attached to expensive price tags?   In the local Cincinnati area, many thrift stores, resale stores, and flea markets are becoming the place for consumers to find a one of a kind garments or accessories. There are different types of stores that sell old, already been worn clothes.  Big stores such as Good Will and the Salvation Army are large stores that people donate clothes, toys, shoes, and other objects.  Other places such as Plato’s Closet are big chain stores that inspect the clothes that people bring in to sell and in exchange for the gently worn clothes they give the customer cash. But stores such as Plato’s Closet do not take just any clothes. Plato’s Closet puts in special lighting, “We have a certain type of lighting lets us see the clothes better to find if there are any stains and flaws to the garment that you can’t notice in regular store lighting.” says one of the employees of Plato’s Closet.  Not only are the clothes inspected, but also they must be something that is in style and someone wants to wear.  The other type of resale store is consignment shops, such as Snooty Fox have people cosign to bring in garments and get %50 of what is sold of what the cosigner brought in.

            The resale store I visited on Tuesday was Sequels, which is a consignment and boutique shop located on Beechmont Ave.  Owner Penni Yannessa and her family own the retail store and she was a fashion design major.  Not only does she own the store, but also she helps customers with garments and helps the customer find the perfect outfit.  There are over hundreds of cosigners for Penni Yannessa’s store who bring in their old clothes and she looks through all of the clothes that are brought in and determines whether the clothes have potential to be bought by customers.

                        I did a little browsing within the store Sequels and I came out with some awesome ‘treasures’.  I got a shirt with shoes on it for $4 and a hat for $5.  I also found a Christian Dior vintage lingerie top for only $10.99.  Though it seems that the younger generation is not getting into the resale stores such as Sequels, the stores are small, relaxing, and are less hectic compared to the malls on a Friday night.  And for a country that strives to be unique, thrift stores give those fashionista’s that chance to buy a great outfit and still have money to till up their gas tanks.

Anatomy of a Hipster 101

" I forget what they call them, but she wears vintage band shirts like the Scorpions." A friend of mine ponders as he gets his hair cut by Lucky, a barber in Mariemont.
"You mean a 'hipster'?" questions Lucky
"That's it!", exclaims my friend and he laughs.



I guess in society we must be labled as something, even if we do not like it. So if i have a group in this label kingdom, I would be apart of the 'hipsterous radicous' family. ( I made that up) I guess I became more in tune with my so called 'hipster' when I lived in Chicago.
For those who wonder what a hipster is, pretty much related to the 'emo' family without the dark broken heart, love starved gene. 'Hipsters' can be found in any place that sells coffee and in thrift stores trying to find a one of a kind blazer and sweater vest. A 'hipster' wears there scares in a form of a noose and it goes well with that thrift store blazer they found. A 'hipster' is often smart and dabble in the arts and a is hard core liberal in every way.

Of course there are some different traits that I have apart for the 'perfect' 'hipster' such as the love for jazz and books with big words (I just wear fake glasses as a subsitute for the lack of wit). But I do maintain the other qualities that define or I should say label me as a 'hipster'. One is that i listen to funky music and underground bands that do not play on the radio such as Death from Above 1979, Bloc Party, and of crouse the poster boys of 'hipster' Ben Gibbard and his band Death Cab for Cutie. I do have a big love for coffee shops and coffee along with wandering about thirft shops to find some rad sweaters from the 80s.

I thought it would be fun to talk about this because I read a book last year called "Everybody Hurts: The Essential Guide to the Emo Culture". It was a funny, intesting look into who one can identify a emo and how to be one yourself from the movies, to your MySpace page. It was a fun book to read because it gives an example on how our society uses labels and how no matter what we do, and no matter how many 'Don't Label Me' shirts Hot Topic sells, we will always have labels. I hope that this is not confusing for a blog report, but I think labels are funny and interesting on how they develop. Labels are made by people who are outside that world, for example, punks did not decide to call themsevles punks, but someone described them in that word, and it just stuck.

It shows that there are groups of people who love similar things, and it is nice to know others who love Donnie Darko as much as you do. So labels are our way to idenify peole in the world, they are not the best way to label, but it is a part of our social development as humans that we must accept that it will always be there. I am called a 'hipster' but it does not bother me because I am similar to those people who like the same things I do, but I am aware of who I am and what I like and isn't that all that matters? So call me a 'hipster' I will wear my noose-tied scarf proudly and insult you for you taste in music. (sometimes)

A Man Named Marc

Hi, my name is Margo Renee Hutchinson and I love Marc Jacobs.   When one gets to know me they would find out that if I had to chose a role model for me in the fashion world, I say before one can finish the question; Marc Jacobs!  

So when I read that there was a documentary done on the designer I immediately tried to track it down through the internet.  The documentary was first featured on french TV and is now being sold on DVD.  The problem is that it was not easy to find, it was only being sold on the internet.  Luckily, Barnes & Nobles was able to order it to their store for me to pick up, and within 3 days and $30 bucks later it was in my hands.  As soon as I made it home after work, I settled down in bed, laptop in lap and got to see the work before the runway.  

Marc Jacobs I think loosened the corset of fashion.  He gave the elegance a rebellion and he loves to idea of making things look worn and old just like I do.  He is the only fashion designer that plays The Dead Kennedys "California Uber Allias" as his model walk down the runway and at another show have Sonic Youth preform as models paraded around them.  He not only creates his for label, but he works as creative director for Louis Vuitton.  He is the Chanel of out time and he loves what he does and with all the sucess his has had, his ego has not gotten to big.  

"If I continue to do what I love then I am sucessful" he says to an artist in Tokyo as they sit and talk about their views on life are thier work.  To see one man work to two labels is amazing because it seems that he is so in tune to what he is doing and never gets to overwhelmed.  He also realies on others opinions such as his assitant Joeseph who helps bring his creations to life.  The enviorment does not seem cold and like a sweat shop.  It is all done by hands in both of the lines he works for and you get to see Marc himself on his knees pinning fabric and pressing fabirc (vocab lesson: Pressing in the fashion world and sewing world means ironing the fabric. )

The director behind this documentary is frenchman Loic Prigent gives the viewer a fun and funny view of Marcs work and how different the Marc Jacobs label it from Louis Vuitton.  In Marc's own label, it is more laid back and a smaller enviorment where people are close and mark can be seen wearing cargos and a Fleetwood Mac shirt to a zip-up that says 'look better naked'.  As Marc's label is in New York, Louis Vuitton is in France and the enviorment is more protected and strict where mark i dress a bit more formal.  

Not only does it show the fun creation of Marc's clothing, but it also shows the more extreme side when outfits do not work out and that within the last day or two before the show.  No one is sleeping and everything is so hectic that even as i watched them race the clock and make sure to get a jacket done only moments before the show, I could feel the aydrenaline rush and wised I was there and under that type of pressure.  Marc has become such a big deal in the fashion world and it is obvious why.  He work is somewhat rebellious compared to the other works done by designers.   

His work is inspired by other artist such as Steven Sprouse who collaborated with Marc on a graffiti LV bag and also Takashi Morakami on a bag with the colorful LV logo.  The best thing to see in the documentary is an idea to take all the LV bags from the past and put them together and make one bag called the 'cubist' bag.  To watch the back go from a bunch of material on a paper to a real bag is so amazing and the hard work it took to make a bag from various materials (they broke some of thier sewing machines to make the bag)

Marc Jacobs is a pure joy to watch work and to see his mind work and get to know what a life is like for a fashion designer.  

Margo Hutchinson

JOUR 215 Newswriting & Reporting

May 5 2008

CLOTHES

 

Cincinnati locals sell Eco friendly fashion

By: Margo Hutchinson

 

            The University of Cincinnati started off the month of May with the celebration and awareness of our environment.  And from what I have found out, is that it is indeed greener on vine st.

Over the weekend of May 2-4, the University of Cincinnati had Worldfest, which was an event that was developed to inform students about the many ways they can become more aware of our environment and what they can do to keep our world green. 

            In the Tanngeum University Center, where the event was held, there was a station where students could relax on Amish made couches and chairs and stools and a table made of old bicycle wheels.  Not only is it relaxing place to get some free coffee and mingle with other students, but one can also do some shopping.  A boutique called ‘Park and Vine’ was at the university event to show off come organic goods for the body.  The store is owned by Dan Corman and he looks for local and organic goods to sell and his finds are quite amazing.  “Our goal is to get as many reasonable local materials as we can.’ explains John an employee at ‘Park and Vine’.  Most of the clothing that the store tires to sell is made from local retailers and all is organic and environmentally safe.

             With the price of oil rising the store wants to find local clothing brands which will save on the cost of shipping to the store without the high price of shipping.  Thought they do sell some out of state and country goods, they still support the evnviormentally safe cause that Mr. Corman wants to promote.

Margo Hutchinson

ORGANIC

-2-2-2

 

The clothes that were presented by ‘Park and Vine’ were made from materials such as bamboo, organic cotton, or corn fiber.  Also the reuse of billboard paper to made tote and messenger bags made by a brand called Actif, which is not a local brand.  They also sold shirts that were printed with strong messages of change in our environment.  Shirts that are made by American Apparel, which is a brand that uses, organic cotton to make their shirts. 

            The clothing though mostly local is not cheap because the use of raw materials is not cheap as using chemicals and un-organic materials.  Many of the clothes and bags featured are 50 $ and some ranging near 100$.  But the bags by Actif are very durable and can last a long time. Also featured totes to encourage more people to reduce their use of plastic bags, which will not put a huge dent in your wallet.

            Some of the brands featured were Pursuit of Harmony, Suutron, Sam Underneath, and Of the earth. The store 1109 intersection on vine and parkway.   

Remember My Forgotten Man?

"Remember my forgotten man? You put a rifle in his hand.

You sent him on his way, you shouted "hip hooray!", but look at him today....."- Joan Blondell, Gold Diggers of 1933.  

The song was set in a time when life was poor and soldiers were just faces, is it still true for the men and women who give up their time ans lives in the 21st century?  

As i watched the movie Gold Diggers of 1933, with all of its comedy and romance, it was the finale of the movie that grabbed my attention so much that I watched it multiple times;

The character played by Joan Blondell walks the streets in a pencil skirt torn to pieces at the end and gives her lit cigarette to the poor man who scoured the ground for a already lit one that a man just tossed over his shoulder.  The finale goes on as extravagant and strong as any movie musical done by Busby Berkeley.  This scene ran through my head over and over and my mind would repeat; 'remember my forgotten man?'

My brother is an army soldier of the 101st airborne and is currently stationed over seas, and he with many others, are the forgotten men.  Maybe not to the wives and mothers who lie in their beds wide awake in the morning, hoping to hear their phone ring or the husband and fathers who proudly show off their child and talk highly of their dedication.  It is the higher power that I believe have truly forgotten these men and women who would rather sit by a bon fire with their near and dear friends and family rather than in a desert that is dry and vacant.  It seems that the men and women who are dedicated to fighting are the ones who get the bad deal and it does not sit well for many, especially for someone who had walked along side a soldier.  

On YouTube, a father of a soldier posted the conditions of North Carolina's Fort Bragg.  Pictures that makes a fraternity look like a 5-start hotel.  The father expressed his anger that the conditions and was quoted by CNN, " This is embarrassing ,  it;s disgusting, and it makes me mad as hell."  After the publicity of the conditions on YouTube, the fort is now receiving the attention needed to improve the living conditions of army troops.  This is only one of the fort, but what about the others?  For Ed Frawley, he was not pleased with the lack of comfort and lack of hygiene that is son had to come back to after being stationed in Afghanistan for over a year.  

100 year Dame

The 2008 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Cirticism was Boston Globes' Mark Fennery who is being reconized for his reviews and praises of the arts and film.  

The articles that were listed of his on the Pulitzer Prize were all interesting from his talk of the DVD box set of the legendary films by Stanley Kubrick and the photographer Leibovitz, but the one article that stood out was the article on film legend Barbara Stanwyck.  On July 16th 2007 would of been Miss. Stanwyck's 100th birthday.  

What appeals to me about this article at first is that I myself have a love for the movies that were created before even my mother was born.  There is something so appealing about these old moives from the 1930s and 40s that keeps my televsion on Tuner Classic Movies.  It is a love for these old moives and legendary actors I developed from my father.  

I have to be honest, I have not seen many films with Barbara Stanwyck, but from the tribute to her by Jennifer Jason Leigh and the article by Mark Feeney, she was a talented dame.  She played women that were somewhat the same, but the type of women that did not need to sex appeal to get men to fall to their knees.  She was a smart woman as well as beautiful.  She was Ruthie Stevens from Brooklyn before she became Barbara Stanwyck.  She was the type of woman that died in the world of Hollywood moives. 

That is another reason this article attracted me.  These screen legends are forgotten in my generation that praise more on the ones that are famous but not talented.  That when I tell people that one of my favorite screen legends is Katharine Hepburn they respond, "Oh, yeah she is in Breakfast at Tiffanys!" (no offense so Audrey Hepburn I adore her also!)  That women who did not need to be half naked to get a man to fell in love with them.  They did it with thier eyes and walk.  These actresses and actors just brought something to the screen and there personal lives never interferred.  

Its something i cannot explain about these old moives that have kept me from the theaters for such a long time.  Its the mystery i think that i am so attracted to.  That when you watch these moives, you see a character and you are can easily be dragged into the moive from start to finish.  To read Mr. Feeney's article on Miss. Stanwyck makes me happy to know that these legends are not totally forgotten.

Tote Friendly

Everything is a bit more green these days.  Al Gore has informed the world in his' well known documentary that our earth is slowly going into apocolyptic mode.  Leonardo and various other A-listers are using there status to make the world a more eco-friendly world.  The Eco-bug has bit almost everyone and everything in out media and cultural atmosphere.  But what about fashion, can something be fashionable and also eco-friendly?  It turns out that eco-fashion is the newest trend.  There have been amazing developments in fabrics from the use of organic cottons to bamboo (yes, panda food!), and plastic bottles are resurected into a pair of jeans.  And totes, yes totes are getting a makeover and can be used for more than just hitting up the grocery store.  Totes can not only carry out day to day items, but are being created to encourage people to use plastic bags less.  In the April 2008 Issue of Nylon Magazine, the magazine features some totes that are cute and friendly.  John Liberson and Ethan Trask are graphic designers behind the totes Helicopter which feature, a helicopter on the tote.  Another company is Loyalty and Blood owned by Maggie Dolye and David Denosowicz.  Everything they create is created in Brooklyn.  Their totes rang around $26-$22 and feature nature images printed on the tote.  So do your share and bring your own bags to the grocery store! 

Check out the sites here:

www.hellochopper.com

www.loyaltyandblood.com

The CBGB Spirit Lives on Thanks to Varvatos

Afros with sideburns, the suit that just will not wrinkle known as the leisure suit, and disco balls.  The 70s a time known mostly for all the dreams of love and peace when one is not dancing to the BeeGees feeling high thanks to certain substances.  A time that one can understand when they watch the 1973 movie Godspell; that people were high on more than just the holy spirit.  With all this love one another going on; where could the young adult filled with rebellion and a taste to smash things and people?  Something that was not the popular but meant something because it refuses to be tainted by the mainstream.  

Punk music became a cultural uprising in the 1970s and many say it was born in a little venue in Manhatan, New York called CBGB.  CBGB, which means Country Blue Grass and Blues, was a place where the young teen filled with angst could go and listen to some bands who were unsigned and sang about anything but love and peace.  CBGB opened in 1973 and was to feature bands that played Country and Bluegrass but then became the place that introduced Patti Smith, Blondie, The Dead Boys, one of my favorites Sleater-Kinney, and the more infamous band The Ramones.  A place well known not only for their music, but the atmosphere that had walls covered in Graffiti and posters.  A landmark for the culture of punk that had to shut its doors in 2006 because of the increase in rent.  

Manhattan now does not have the same vibe it once did back in the day.  A place where all the hip underground kids would hang, is now a place where the uptown kids can shop for top designer duds.  With the vacant CBGB having this upscale atmosphere built around it; will it lose its historical value to a SoHo-like shop?  

In 2007 fashion designer John Varvatos bought the CBGB space to open his new store.  John Varvatos made sure that the history of his place would not vanish.  Varvatos preserved the walls from the graffiti right down the a cracks and holes it he walls.  The posters that once advertised the bands that were to play there are now framed in the store along with a drum set and guitars.  The store has old Victorian furniture that looks like it was picked up at a flea market and the floor is dark hardwood.  The spirit is brought back not only in the store decor, but in the clothes as well.   In the Ads of John Varvatos' 2008 summer collection is long time rock band Cheap Trick that have preformed on the CBGB stage.  

John Varvatos clothes feature worn out leather jackets so you can be just like Johnny Ramone.  Worn out jeans and a hoodie that looks like it has been in a tub mixed with water and chlorine.  Also some nice V-neck shirts that make you look like you don't spend to much time finding what to wear just how men are known to look.  Varvatos also maintains a more sophisticated look with his blazers and dress pants that reflected his days working for Polo Ralph Lauren and Clavin Klien.  The only thing that makes this store blend in with its upscale surroundings is the price tags on these vintage-like garments.  A leather jacket that has that worn out touch can cost around 2,000 dollars.  So it is not at a punk kids price range who rather scour a second hand shop.  

Though Mr. Varvatos clothes that are sold at all the Big Department stores such as Nordstorm and Saks Fifth and small boutiques, they are not in the budget of a college student who works a part time job who wears their clothes over and over again until they go home where the laundry machine does not require quarters to function.  But one thing that is affordable for a college student who adores the works of this winner of the CDFA designer of the year award, are the shoes he made for Converse.  Converse, which celebrates it's Centennial this year, had joined forced with John Varvatos for a few years and he designed some converse shoes that can be purchased on the Converse website.  

John Varvatos' work with Converse is interesting because Converse shoes are the shoes that are essential for the grunge rock and punk attire.  Famous punk band The Ramones matched their Converse shoes with their worn down leather jackets and grunge king Kurt Cobain also wore the converse shoes and both bands have preformed on the CBGB stage before they were mainstream.  A man who respects and love the footwear of these bands also respects the place that they preformed when they were just an unknown band.  No other designer would do this old rock place justice like Varvatos did.  A designer that respects the space that shunned the fashion world and that the fashion world was inspired by.  It is true what they say, that fashion trickles up as well as it does down, and Mr. Varvatos preserves a culture where fashion and music are hand in hand. 

 v To check out the boutique click that v

  http://www.johnvarvatos.com/#/shop/john_varvatos_boutiques/

The Designers Point of View

"Fashion, I mean I'm the first to encapsulate this realistically, nobody needs it.  We need clothes, but do we need fashion? No. Fashion, when it's good, it comes out of a context that's societal, cultural, historic and economic and political, so it's of a time and place." ~ Tim Gunn

"Fashion and Importance should never be used in an conjunction" ~ Marc Jacobs

It seems out culture makes fashion a threat to the people of the world.  We have TV personalities and stylist on TV criticize what people wear and how it is not the right way.  People seem to find fashion a thing only the wealthy can afford and have so why should a teacher of a middle school bother looking good?  The world seems to be more engulfed in fashion more than ever it seems, and you are either sit around the cool kids table and you sit amongst the cool kids.  To talk to one that loves fashion is one thing, but to talk to one that designs fashion is a whole other point of view.

I myself know what it is like to take an outfit from mind to mannequin and it is a feeling that is pure ecstasy.  It is a story come to life and I think that is what people do not get when it comes to couture and high fashion.  We often listen to the people who have never touched a needles in their lives say what is good and what is not, but what baffles me is how they can define what is good and what is not, especially in the world of couture.  It is like they are the Principal and they discipline us if we do not wear the proper uniform.  I could go on about this whole what is fashionable, but i would probably start to contradict myself.  

I think it is best to express what I see when it comes to fashion and what a designer sees.  The people who design fashion know that fashion is not essential to survive, but that it can explain a culture and a history.  It can tell what type of economic life a times was in, for example World War II when women when from silk stockings to nylon because silk was used to make the parachutes for the army.  Also another example is post World War II when Christan Dior celebrated by using a lot of fabric to make extravagant skirts and dresses.  It is something that can be good and can be bad, but that is up to the buyer.  After all, many of us don't know art, but we know what we like.  

I think was gets me annoyed the most is when people think that fashion is for the people of "champagne wishes, and caviar dreams".  Nylon magazine begs to differ, as they created a book of regular people who dress stylish, but do know have the stylish bank account.  They went around the world and asked people who they thought dress well where they go to shop, and most of them were thrift shoppers and wore vintage duds.  Marc Jacobs , one of my idols and famed designer of his own line and creative director behind Louis Vittion, was shown in a documentary of him finding a old purple sweater and reviving it.  

Fashion Designer i have met thrive of vintage finds and know how to create stunning outfits with out maxing out the card, after all, all designers start out as a staving artist.  They see life in 80s sweaters and 30s dresses and if you notice the next time you walk into a Forever 21, that what is fashionable now is a update to what to grandmother wore when she was you age.  I always think of what the most loved fashion icon Coco Chanel said; "Fashion fades, but style always remains."

I guess in the end of this who rambling, that i adore style after all.  I love to see people who are not afraid to wear something that is not known as the normal attire.  I love to read about people who have a pure passion for the art of fashion.  They create things for themselves and for their Friends, not for the people of the 'fashion police'.  They take something old, and make it something new.  To sit and embroider a dress is something that takes patience, but means so much more in my opinion because it was done by hand and it was done by someone who lives for this type of art.  

So style is what one wears to define their own selves when words are hard to find.  Style is confidence and a way to definitely grab some attention.  To look beautiful just for yourself and those on lookers.  Style is in the eye of the beholder and that is something i want people to remember.  To not be farad of stepping out of the over size T-shirt and jeans for a while.  True there are those things that i think that should never ever touch another body again, but i think we all have those list in our heads.  I applaud those who are daring with their wardrobe and love to talk with other designer and see their works, because when they talk of what they do it is never boring.