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Director & Editor-In-ChiefKofi Boamah

kboamah@iamldnmagazine.comCO - Director

Mehmet Alptekin

Company No. 6920738. I AM LDN Limited - All rights reserved. 44 Lower Addiscombe Road, Addiscombe, Croydon, Cr0 6AA. I AM LDN Limited hold no responsibility for the opinions expressed within this magazine. All rights reserved to the producers.

Front Cover: Model: Francesca Parrish, Photographer: Diana Lola Chire, Hair Stylist: Noriko Miki & Creative direction: Kofi BoamahArtists & Writers: Kofi Boamah, Noona Uranta, Kabz Raj, Ola ‘Comedian’ Gbaja-Biamila, Paul Westcombe, Samiat Pedro & Krisha Kops, Photography: Diana Lola Chire, Kofi Boamah, Taku Sugita, Dominic Clarke & Paul Hampartsoumian, Fashion spread – High Fashion Street Watch: Photographer: Dominic Clarke, Model: April Alexander, Stylist: Marie-Claude Lamb (Wardrobe provided by Blow), Hair Stylist: Noriko Miki, MUA: Sophia Danielle, Page 4 - Model: Emily Mah, Photographer: Taku sugita, Stylist: Daisuke hara, Hair: Mina, Clothes: Somarta: www.somarta.jp, I AM Funk - Designer focus – Wardrobe provided by Mr Kabz Custom Designs – Marketing Director: Roopali Sharma, Contributors & Special thanks: First and foremost I would like to thank Jesus Christ, Akosua Boamah (Legal Consultant), Olumayowa Oladapo (Marketing Associate), Henry Amankwah, Amma Boamah (Accounting), family, friends & Daniel Kaluuya.

Contributions:If you want to contribute or work for us, get in contact. The next issue is based on the topic of freedom and expression. Get out and about and get involved!

contribute@iamldnmagazine.com

creditsi am a contributor

CONTENTSEditor’s Letter02 Issue thoughts

I AM PoetryPoem by Krisha Kops

Art FocusPaul Westcombe

I AM PoetryPoem by Kofi Boamah

Ask a ComedianOla The Comedia; “What’s LDN”

TwitterWhat is Twitter anyway?

I AM Fashion TipsFunky fashion tips for the summer

Designer focusMr Kabz. The Street Wear Designer

FashionHigh Fashion Street Watch

I AM InterviewingDaniel Kaluuya

I AM ModelsOut & about LDN

What is I AM LDNThe philosophy

Where to go in LDN?Guanabara

I AM DiscussingExternal vs. Internal Beauty

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what’s up this month?

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experiment. be independent. capture it.Model: Emily Mah, Photographer: Taku sugita, Stylist: Daisuke hara,

Hair: Mina, Clothes: Somarta

the editor’s letter

ph: kofi boamah

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What a monumental start to I AM LDN. Even I was taken by sur-

prise. The magazine has had such a great response and there have been thousands of hits on the website and a lot of attention. The concept of the magazine is something that people like and this has made me particularly proud of I AM LDN. We are promoting a con-cept of trend setting in London and that resonates with our readers. So thanks to everybody who has read and contributed to the magazine over the past few months. The irreverence is at a great level along with the energy of the magazine. From Don’t Jealous Me spoofs to insightful poetry; it is all fun and interesting. I AM LDN is def-initely moving in the direction I had envisioned. So, keep up with us. Any

feedback and contributions you may have for I AM LDN are appreciated; just keep them coming! I AM LDN could be the perfect platform for you and your ideas. Send them in to us via email and stay patient - we will be in contact. Enjoy the second issue and let us know what you think via Face-book, Twitter, Blogspot or just regu-lar old email! Ola The Comedian is back, we have an interview with ac-tor and writer Daniel Kaluuya and so much more. I hope to continue to surprise and excel in what we have started. Throughout the next year we have a lot of things planned; fashion shows, more videos and it all culmi-nates in a festival/ event next sum-mer so keep locked in.

Peace & love.

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i am poetry

Dagger

You are like a dagger in my chestYou are inside my own flesh

Bleeding, you hurt me unlessI decide to remove you but thatWill certainly lead to my death

Krisha Kops

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i am artpaul westcombe

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i am paul westcombe

Who are you? Paul WestcombeHow long have you been creating this art?“I have been doing this new body of work for the last three or four years but, I’ve always been interested”.

What made you start?“Not really sure, I just always remember doing it ever since I was

i am arty

dead young, copying comics and lots of doodles. In relation to my new work I guess it developed out of my situation; coming to London, and studying painting at the Royal College of Art.”

What is your art about? Is there a general theme?“My recent work, in part, deals with the fantasy worlds of the imagination as a means of alleviating boredom and confinement. I started this new work when I was working as a car park attendant in an attempt to relieve the tedium of a 12 hr shift, and I would draw on paper bags and cups. This mechanism of dealing with the situation is a complex part of human desire, this capacity to construct the grotesque and phantasmagorical in moments of sensory deprivation. The cups form part of a practice which involves large paintings on paper, drawing on domestic objects such as mops and travel card receipts and expansive wall painting installations involving architectural elements around it and making books of previous projects.”

What about LDN, what’s LDN to you?“I come from a small town in the highlands of Scotland, so coming down here was a massive change. When I came down here I got in to the Royal College of Art and loved London for all the

massive mixture of folk and the abundant amount of creative types, all doing exciting stuff. Also there’s so much more opportunity in London for artists with so many galleries to visit you’re really spoilt for choice. London I feel has really influenced my work because most of my work comes out of my personal settings and situations. I mean it’s probably quite hard to see it, but in London every thing seems to be in flux, with things getting built and deconstructed. You can see it in the art I create, the art of London architecture seems to almost dissolve into the daily monotony’s like waiting for the tube. But, if you look hard at the hole of the tunnel’s, that is fascinating to me and a lot of my drawings incorporate these black holes.”

Where can we see your art?“At the moment I’m in a group art show called ‘mill’ and in a gallery called Monika Bobinski in Cambridge Heath Road which ends in August. Also later this year or next I should be in a group show at the Saatchi gallery called the ‘Power of paper’, and this month on the 28th, I’m doing an installation in Jerwood space which is near the Tate modern.”

I AM POETRY

11BY THE EDITOR

The Simple Things

People always say, all that glitters is not gold...People always say true joy is in ones heart...

In those simple things?Only through a child’s eyes can you fathom these

Like a painting only seen with infant eyes.

14“my style is very european & kind of funky chic.”

street watch

ldn style

ph: diana lola chire

or how will you know?

i am comedy

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ask acomedian

We asked Ola The Comedian; "What's LDN?" What is this

place all about? He decided to break it down and give us some insights into what each area is all about.

North

North London is the home of Arsenal FC. I won’t even pretend that Tottenham FC

is worth mentioning. I can’t lie, I don’t reach North London much. I once lived in Angel, whilst at university, then subsequently decided that North is too cold for black people. As I passed the Zone 1 mark, I felt geographically closer to Santa’s ends. That’s when you have to stop traveling. Somehow North London has become a holding pen for refugees, however it seems it’s South London they were running from, not Iran.

South

South London is the official London home of crack cocaine. South London has given

us sensational artists like So Solid Crew and Giggs. South London has also given us the horrific weaves that tend to be constructed in Brixton or Peckham. South London has given us girls who aren’t scared to chirpse (chat up) guys. South London has spawned numerous people who turn up in every other part of London, despite the distinctive lack of Tube options in South. They say the only things for certain in life are death and taxes. I’d like to add that if you are a Londoner, it is certain that you are never more than a kilometer away from a South Londoner.

East

Whenever people argue over the roughest areas, East Londoners win hands down.

(This is usually the only time east Londoners are allowed to have their hands down). They have produced some of the country’s finest MCs such as Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and Lethal B. Unfortunately, they also came out with Sniper E and took a few steps backward. No one knew of his “Kung-Fu Style”. East London has been

and always will be the face of London’s poverty, and no Olympic Games will change that.

West

We all know that West isn’t worth remem-bering until it’s time for Carnival. But it

must be said that West London was the loca-tion for hit generational movies Kidulthood and Adulthood.

Northweezy

Northwest has somehow managed to get themselves on the map purely through the

success of one song. Now the song probably got nowhere on the charts (grime doesn’t pay) but we all remember “Where do we come from? NORTHWEEZY!” However, when it comes to remembering their other achievements “It’s NOT EASY!”. Harrow is a breeding ground for Asians who all know each other, then leave the endz to reunite at other locations.

Words: Ola The Comedian

ldn style

street watch

“just casual & easy-going type of style usually.”

ph: diana lola chire

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twitter me this

i am twittering

Twitter the sensationally popular social networking site is on everybody’s lips. Everyone from your everyday business man to the Governator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to P Diddy can’t live without it, apparently. It’s been talked about and marketed so fervently that I felt rather ashamed to have only just gotten round to ‘tweeting’ myself. I hate to mention the competition, but for me Facebook just felt so comfortable, so I was rather reluctant to diversify my social networking portfolio. But, for the sake of investigation I put my anxiety aside and closed my conversation on Facebook chat to divulge into this even newer social phenomenon. Twitter derived from a podcasting company called Odeo. Jack Dorsey an employee at Odeo introduced the idea as a way for individuals to keep their colleagues informed of what they were doing via an SMS service. Originally meant for internal usage Twitter branched into the public domain in 2006 and a company, in its own right, in 2007. Ever since then Twitter has rapidly grown to a point where it’s now one of the most popular websites on the Internet. How do you use it? Why do you need twitter anyway? What is it going to actually bring to my life on a practical level? So many deep and meaningful questions were buzzing through my mind and I was only at the sites interface. What are you doing? This was the question and the answer to all my queries and this is in essence the basis of Twitter. My initial update was: “I’m being confused by this, am I in the matrix?” I was perhaps not in the matrix but I was slowly getting savvy to the concept. It’s like riding a bike. All you do is make short updates answering

the question, “what are you doing?” it’s not that complicated. Updating your status via SMS or the website is called ‘tweeting’ and your friends are called ‘followers’. I think I got it in one? Through ‘tweets’ you’ll know exactly what your friends are doing at all times of the day and you’ll be updated constantly........wait a minute.......do I want to know that one of my friends is eating a biscuit or that another is going to pick his nose after lunch? All of a sudden I was not so sure about this. All my inertia then turned into a state of longing for the f word (facebook),as I wondered around the site aimlessly ‘following’ Kim Kardashian’s updates on Paris Hilton. FYI Fergie told K K (Kim Kardashian) that she looks like the brunette version of Marylyn Monroe. OMG to the max! That was perhaps a sarcastic jab at celebrity more than Twitter itself but, still does the average person live an interesting enough life to sustain the pressures of updating ones’ Twitter’ so often?

“I love it. I’m always on the go so it’s great for me.” – SaidFederico Ashavi a 25 yr old city worker.

That was the thing; I soon concluded that Twitter resonates with a particular type of personality. It’s geared towards those that are excessively busy and highly interesting. Although I can be busy and I think I’m interesting, I’m just not sure if I’m busy and interesting all at the same time. Therefore, I’m not sure I can give Twitter a consistent enough performance to warrant constant updates, as some days the best I can do is: “I should be doing

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something but, I’m on Twitter instead.” Is that a viable tweet? I don’t know. Is there a Twitter oracle in the house? Don’t get me wrong I love new technology. I love the way someone in South Africa can be reading this magazine online and I actually do like some aspects of Twitter. However, you have to ask yourself; is twitter any different to what was on offer before? Well, the answer to that question is definitely yes. Twitters SMS and blackberry capability’s most definitely help build its own niche and after the initial, “why can’t I just do this on Facebook” Twitter is actually quite cool and original. It must be cool to have over a million followers like Ashton Kutcher for example. It’s also cool as Twitter focuses on being as live and direct as possible and it succeeds in doing that. Do we need another social networking site? Sure, why not. Twitter provides a few different options that Myspace, Facebook and Bebo don’t offer. Plus the marketing is pretty ingenious as the speed of its growth is phenomenal, both financially and culturally. If you hadn’t become a member all of a sudden you felt like a leper or a kid who

had no friends at school: left out. Its growth is mostly down to its amazing marketing amongst other things. For example, using celebrities was a masterstroke. But, for now I’m a little tweeted out, if that’s a word. Let me explain; I just feel slightly exhausted by all this constant social networking so I need to take a nap. Update: “I’m going to the toilet then I’m taking a nap.” Was that a good enough ‘tweet’? Who knows just follow us anyway?

Do follow us on: www.twitter.com/iamldnmagazine

i am fashion

the Funk in Fashion

ph: henry amankwah

Fresh SneakersCrisp white sneakers that just came out the box, that are so fresh they still have that smell, are most definitely that summer look. You can match the sneakers with a white top and some skinny jeans. There are some nice pairs out this year. In line with the funky retro style everyone in LDN seems to be obsessed with , I would recommend a pair of high top Nike’s or if you want something a bit unique, go for a pair of Fred Perry’s.

HeadbandsThere’s nothing like a bohemian headband to accentuate your summer look. They can be quite hippyish but the retro revival is back around LDN town with a vengeance. A headband matched with a floral dress and maybe some Ray-Ban’s can be pretty sumptuous and hip. Go get yourself one!

Check shirtsThe check shirt has made a comeback this summer. Loads of celebs are rocking them and they are definitely hot this year. You can wear them with some jeans, a pair of shorts or you can rock the shirt dress alone with some sneakers or shoes depending on where you are going. Combine the check shirt with a pair of Aviators and you are looking good this summer.

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can you keep it funky ldn for me?what is Funk? we ask street designer mr kabz

i am the funk

ph: kofi boamah

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What exactly is the funk LDN? Well, to try and shed some light on the subject matter, the funk is a certain type of cool that plays back to the old skool break dance and graffiti culture. Mr. Kabz’s designs are definitely funky and cool.

But, who is Mr. Kabz?

Mr. KaBz is- An Individual, A Persona, and A Brand. I’m an individual who started creating something out of admiration for my surroundings and a decision to change things.

How long have you been designing this street wear?

I’ve been designing for about 2 years now on and off whilst studying. Though I feel like I’m only just getting started, in the past two years I have really learnt a lot which has helped me to grow as an individual. It’s also really helped my art work and technique and I have also learnt to become more business orientated.

What made you start designing clothes?

Initially, I started because I got bored of being a clone; wherever I went I saw people wearing the clothes which I was thinking to buy or

ph: kofi boamah

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already had. There was no individuality, everyone followed the same trends and styles rather than creating their own. So I decided to make a change, I always had a passion for street art and I thought I could apply my interest of art work onto clothingand then hopefully grab some attention from others too.

What is funk to you?

Funk can be anything; it can be your style, your interests, and your swagger. Funk can be associated with your personality and personal appearance. Funk is showing off, promoting you whether it’s done purposely or not. It’s wearing clothes that make you comfortable which also express a statement to catch the attention of others. It’s all about standing out as an individual.

What about LDN, what’s LDN to you?

LDN to me means home, the place where I was born, grew up and I live my life. I believe London is the city where opportunities are handed to you, provided you can prove yourself and are willing to work hard. It’s a city that’s so diverse and multicultural, oozing with talent, art, individuals, creativity and wealth. Everything in London inspires me from the architecture in the city to the beautiful scenery in the suburbs, there is so much culture in London and you can learn so much. For example, you go to Camden and you get yourself an edgy punk scene, go to Brick Lane you get the Bangladeshi Asian culture with vintage shops and designers, you go to Shoreditch and it’s

full of graffiti and vibrant street statements and there are so many other places, the list really does goes on…..

Kabz Raj – Mr Kabz Custom designerwww.mrKabz.comMarketing Director: Roopali Sharma

i am fashion

photographer: domiinic clarke

model: april alexander

make-up by sophia danielle using mac

hair stylist: noriko miki

stylist: marie - claude lamb

wardrobe provided by blow

high fashionstreet watch

Previous page:Dress: Lufeianna Wang

Heels: TopshopLeather dress: Gemma Slack

Pearl & Claw Necklace: Disaya for Basso & Brooke

Bracelets: Stylists OwnTighs: Aristoc

Heels: Topshop

Jacket: Aminka WilmontDenim Shirt: NobodyLeather Waist Belt: QasimiJeans: Lina OstermannHeels: Kurt Geiger

Leather Dress:Gemma SlackPearl and Claw Neck-lace: Disaya for Basso and Brook

Fur & Snakeskin Jacket: Modernist

Sankeskin Trousers: Lufienna Wang

Silver Necklace: Stylist own

Jacket: Lufeianna Wang

Snakeskin Trou-sers: Lufeianna

Wang

jacket: Lina Ostermannjeans: Lina Ostermannt-shirt: i dream Of WiresheeLs: tOpshOp

Fur & Snakeskin Jacket: ModernistSnakeskin Trousers: Lufeianna WangSilver Necklace: Stylists Own

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DANIEl KAluuYA

i am interviewing

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text: samiat pedro

ph: paul hampartsoumian

Londoner on the rise: Daniel Kaluuya The actor, writer, and North West Londoner – “Camden Town, Born and Bred!” - first hit our talent radar appearing as the poetic ‘gangsta’ Posh Kenneth in the first two series of channel 4’s teen drama Skins (which he continues to write for. Daniel wrote his first full episode at the tender age of eighteen!) Most recently Daniel’s been making us chuckle, whilst feeling just that little bit scared, in the BBC’s hit comedy mystery Psychoville, written by none other than the League Of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Samiat Pedro catches up with the Londoner, talking Psychoville, new film roles and London life. “I’d never really seen The League of Gentlemen,” says Daniel. “What!?” I squawk in surprise, thinking back to the many evenings my brother and I sat glued to the TV, watching the show - truly absurd humour but laugh-out-loud funny. “I haven’t watched a lot of things,” Daniel admits. “It was probably good I hadn’t watched it. I wasn’t nervous at the audition. It was one of the best I’d ever done, then they called me, with the director, and I got the part.” “It was not until after that I saw a list of the top underrated TV shows ever, shows like Arrested Development, and then I saw The League of Gentleman and thought “Whoa, this must be a big deal.” And for those who haven’t seen the show, who do you

play in the series? “Michael Fry. Am I actually called Michael Fry?” he asks aloud. “Sounds like that guy from Futurama doesn’t it? I watched it this morning. This is the first time I realised. “I am on community service for doing certain things in Yorkshire and I have to read to this blind guy [played by The League of Gentlemen writer and actor Steve Pemberton]. The show it so crazy, but that’s what they do best!” You’re character is forced into helping the creepy blind guy on his great quest to find… limited edition a beanie baby!? “Yeah, he (Steve) has this room and he collects beanie babies and there’s only one that he’s missing. We go on travels trying to find it, but there’s all different stories happening with other characters [played by the likes of Dawn French and Dame Eileen Atkinson]. Sounds very fancy…“I didn’t know who she was!” “Not being bad or nothing, I knew she was a Dame so she had to be someone. It was one of those weird moments she was talking about Judi Dench and I was thinking, ‘her and Judi Dench are tight? - that’s crazy’. Dawn (French) was wicked, there is a wicked cast.” “You either love it or hate it and that kind of thing is really missing on television, there’s all this mediocre stuff.”So, moving on to London life. What’s London for you?

“Not going to lie the first thing that came into my mind was the chicken shops! But it’s just the hustle and bustle of it all.”

What’s your favourite place in London town? “When you cross the bridge over the Thames. Never fails to amaze me.”And what made you start out in acting in the first place? “I wasn’t a bad child, just mischievous. I talked a lot, I still do, but because of that someone said to my mum that I should think about acting. My mum’s a normal African mum; when I told her I seriously wanted to pursue acting she was like (he puts on an accent): ‘Oh My God! No way. Do you not want to be a lawyer or something else?’”Taking the creative route seems to have worked out for Daniel with appearances in everything from Doctor Who and Silent Witness to That Mitchell and Webb Look as well as treading the boards at the Royal Court in Levi David Addai’s Oxford Street. Daniel’s certainly been busy. Currently filming new thriller, Chatroom, set in London, directed by Hideo Nakata (director of the Ring films) Chatroom follows a group of teenagers who befriend a guy online. Things start to go horribly wrong when their new found friend starts to lead, one of the group, troubled teenager, Jim, astray and it becomes a thrilling race against time for the teenagers to save their doomed friend. Scheduled for release early next year it’s shaping up to be a home grown hit. 09’s already been a great year with films like Shifty and Hush and not forgetting the mulit- award winning Slumdog Millionaire staring Daniel’s mate and former Skins actor Dev Patel - “Dev’s like the biggest kid in the world. He hasn’t changed for nothing! Everyone’s so proud,” - and 2010 looks set to follow. And a lot more, I’m sure, is yet to come from Daniel.Even though acting has taken Daniel far and wide, filming in locations around the world, he still seems every bit the proud Londoner. “(London’s) everyone from all different parts living in the same city, going to the same school, working in the same building, that’s what I really like about it.”

Catch Psychoville on BBC2, Thursdays, 10pm.

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35

with francesca parrish

photographer: diana lola chire

hair stylist: noriko miki using shu uemura

creative director: kofi boamah

i am models

If you want the opportunity to feature within the magazine, enter our monthly model competition. Both male and females can enter. Just send us a brief overview of your personality, your work, the agency you work for, if you do, and most importantly a few pictures of yourself.

models@iamldnmagazine.com

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wHAT IS I AM lDN?I AM lDN IS A TRENDSETTER, AN INDEPENDENT ARTS MAgAzINE, A PHIlOSOPHY, A fASHION guRu AND A lIfESTYlE. THE MAgAzINE ENCOuRAgES A lIfESTYlE BASED ON KNOwlEDgE, PASSION, HuMOuR AND ONE THAT IS DEEP ROOTED IN lDN’S STYlE. I AM lDN DOCuMENTS OBSERvATIONS Of lONDON lIfE AND SOMETIMES BRINgS OTHER CulTuRES, ARTS AND IDEAS TO IT’S READERS ATTENTION. I AM lDN ONlY juST ARRIvED BuT I AM lDN IS THE BEST. PlEDgE YOuR AllEgIANCE TO THE STRATEgY AND KEEP uP wITH uS.

THIS IS THE uNDERSTANDINg.

i am ldn

ph: henry amankwah

www.iamldnmagazine.com

i am everywhere

street watch

of the month

“i go for something a little bit funky, a little bit sophisticated.”

ldn style

ph: diana lola chire

i am still reviewing

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brazilian sizzle in your summer!where to go in ldn? go to guanabara

Guanabara is London’s largest Brazilian late night venue and I AM LDN recently paid a visit to check it all out. Based in Central London, Parker Street, Guanabara is a bar, club, come restaurant with a Brazilian theme. I AM LDN visited on Saturday 5th July in the evening when the atmosphere was rau-cous, funky and very Brazilian.

The crowd was very eclectic, more so than other clubs in central London. All ages from 19 to 40 seemed to be in abundance. All fashion senses were there too; the smart casual party goers to the extra glam girls celebrating a birthday, anything seemed to go. The only thing that was the same was that everybody was out to have a good time and trying to bust a solid move on the dance floor.

On the night, (and regularly each Saturday), there was a live band singing some soulful samba tunes. As people danced, some sat around on the tables around the floor area, or closer to the bar. The friend-ly bar staff served a range of cocktails you might find in any other bar with prices at around £5-7. Happy

hour is however between 6 and 8pm if you fancy their 2 for 1 offer!

I AM LDN did not get the chance to sample the food having arrived quite late! But the menu looked appe-tizing and filled with some very traditional Brazilian choices.

Guanabara was a fantastic night out. People really can get loose at Guanabara and have a good time. It is fun, energetic and the atmosphere really benefits from the live music sessions. For those of you af-ter a more chilled, laid-back vibe, and fancy sipping cocktails to the sound of Brazilian music, I AM LDN would suggest arriving a bit earlier in the evening – at least before the Latin dancers arrive on stage and the crowd go wild!

I AM LDN would highly recommend it to people who want to taste a little Brazil, dance a little and have a fun time in London this summer.

i am reviewing

ExTERNAl vS INTERNAl BEAuTY

be smarti am discussing

wHO wINS?wORDS: NOONA uRANTA

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Beauty, what is beauty? When I think of beauty, I seem instantly to think of one’s

physical appearance and how attractive they are to me. But why is this? Why is it that when we think of beauty we retreat into a fantasy world and envisage a physically attractive man or woman who has it all? That amazing body, the symmetrical face, and those captivating eyes all seem perfect to us. But is external beauty really a standard of perfection, or has inner beauty become overshadowed by it? Many people swear by inner beauty claiming that they go for people based on their personality rather than their looks, but how true is this? Now, I’m no expert but logic tells me that we are instantly drawn to one’s physical appearance before we even meet them or get to know them. Surely that’s what immediately attracts us to them, right? Right! I hear most of you say. External beauty is the standard by which we first judge people; it’s the way we decide whether we want to get to know them or not. If a person is sexy and attractive and we find them aesthetically pleasing, we then want to judge if they possess those inner qualities that are important to us such as intelligence, wit, charm and integrity.

So, do I believe that we seek out one’s personality in order to assess whether we think them beautiful or not? No, I do not. What I do believe however is that it is possible to fall for a person over a period of time based on their personality without initially being physically attracted to them. Some of you must agree with me here when I say this. I mean come on, have you never felt that special connection with someone who you get on with really well but never understood why or how it came about? You just click, right? Whatever my opinions on the matter, it seems as if this ongoing debate and confusion between inner beauty and external beauty has stemmed from us. When I say us, I mean society, the media and their mixed messages, and us, the consumers of their products, us, the ones who buy into it all. It seems that we are constantly being given mixed messages as to what constitutes beauty. On the one hand, we are being told to embrace masculinity and femininity and be empowered. But what does that even mean? They tell us to ‘be proud of who we are and what we represent,’ yet we are constantly bombarded by the media with images of ‘beautiful’ size zero women who have been airbrushed to what we call ‘perfection.’ Nowadays it seems that fake is the new real, you can find it

caption: beauty in the eye of the beholder?

ph: diana lola chire

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anywhere you go. Fake hair, fake eyelashes and implants available for every part of the body you can think of, the list is just endless. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticising people who go out and buy these things, after all, we have all tried it at some points in our lives, even myself. I am just out to understand why we do it to ourselves and what it means for the word ‘beauty’. Surely it adds a whole new meaning to the word. It seems we all want to have what we can’t have but will stop at nothing to be like the celebrities. We are all guilty in some way of buying into the celebrity culture. We want to aspire to be the ‘ideal’ that has been created by the media and in this way we have allowed ourselves to be used. In what ways you may well ask? Well think about it; the beauty I see when I look around today is commercialised beauty, it is no longer real or natural, but a commodity that we have bought into. It has become nothing other than a way of generating profit and arguably presents a standard of comparison, for it makes us feel we are not good enough and we constantly find ways to ‘improve’ ourselves. I was shocked to find an article on ‘how to be beautiful’ with the words ‘beauty isn’t always skin deep.’ What type of message is this sending

out to people? Surely we should be encouraged to embrace what we already have, not change it or try to make it better? Sadly, this just isn’t the case; it remains a vicious cycle where the quest for perfection just keeps on going. So, what does this mean for external beauty and inner beauty? Well, I stand by my word that we judge a person on their external beauty and as shallow and materialistic as it sounds, unfortunately we can’t escape the truth of the matter, looks come first whether we want them or not. We need external beauty in order to both examine and determine a person’s inner beauty; the two, maybe just can’t be separated. What I do not agree with however, is the way we have been cheated into thinking that we have to fit into an ideal of beauty. Who are they to tell us we aren’t perfect just how we are!

NExT ISSuE: fREEDOM &ExPRESSION

AuguST/SEPTEMBERBY I AM lDN

i am paul westcombe