college tribune entertainment supplement25.9.12

WE

ARE

YOUR

FRIENDS The Siren talks to Enemies

25.9.12

2INSIDE MUSIC

ARTS

FASHION

We are your friends

By Ciaran BreslinPage 4

What the world should hear

By Lisa GorryPage 6

What to watch

By Conor FoxPage 7

It’s all done in the best possible taste

By Lisa GorryPage 8

New releases

By Conor FoxPage 9

Hope: A Tragedy

By Sinead SlatteryPage 9

Go Gaga for Philip Tracy

by Niamh KellyPage 10

Streetstyle

by Lauren TraceyPage 10

Style icon

by Roisin SweeneyPage 11

Fashion en pointe

by Roisin SweeneyPage 11

Music EditorCiaran Breslin

Arts EditorConor Fox (aka Foxy

)

Fashion EditorRoisin Sweeney

Between the Absolut Fringe Festival and Dublin Culture Night, Dublin’s arts and culture scene has never been busier than the last two weeks. Now that

that’s over - what’s next? Don’t worry, between our recommendations of what fi lms to watch and what tv shows to download; the Art’s Section has got you covered. If you really want to leave the confi nes of your house, take a look at

our suggestions on how to do “Dublin on a Dollah” or have a look at our event guide.

Open House Dublin takes place during the 5th to the 7th of October - just before the next issue of The Siren comes out - and is “an exploration of the

vitality of Dublin through its architecture and the people who experience it”. Basically Dublin’s greatest buildings open their doors for the weekend and we get to have a nose around. All of the events are free and most work on a “fi rst come, fi rst served” basis, with tours led by an architect of the building. Open buildings include Leinster House, the Irish Times Building, and Liberty Hall.

Stay artsy UCD.

Surprisingly, we haven’t heard from our Donegal Music Editor since Sunday 23rd. Stephen West steps in to give you a glimpse of the best in this week’s music scene.

This week is a great week for music with Arthur Guinness Day providing free entertainment around the city. This year promises to be a big year for Ellie and Louise MacNamara aka Heathers, having just fi nished recording their second

album with producer Max Dingel (White Lies) and recently signing a global deal with Universal Music Publishing UK. Heathers are playing The Academy this

Wednesday, September 26th.Thursday will see Darren Hayes’ tour come to Vicar Street.The tour aims to be a diverse showcase of songs from Darren’s entire career spanning Savage Garden

through to his current solo album Secret Codes and Battleships. 6 albums and 15 years of music. If this doesn’t fl oat your boat, drop by Copan to celebrate Arthur

Guinness day in the company of Ryan Sheridan. Friday sees Cry Monster Cry play the Sugar Club following on from the success of the release of their debut EP The Fallen, Dublin folk duo Cry Monster Cry have announced an Irish tour this

September with support from Christof.

Their were some strange revelations in fashion news this week, Jill Stewart, New York based designer of pretty, girly dresses is apparently working on a

collaboration with Korean pop star Psy of ‘Gangnam Style’ fame. In Milan, the ever bizarre Donatella Versace called her designs ‘sublte’ after her show last

week, a show that consisted of multi couloured, fl oor length, silk caftans, some printed with medusa heads, some trimmed with gold fringe.

In terms of events, this week brings the start of the whirlwind of ideas that is Paris Fashion Week, the shows I’m most excited to see are undoubtedly Raf Simmons fi rst ready-to-wear collection for Dior on Friday 28th, and Hedi Slimane’s fi rst public outing for Yves Saint Laurent (or Saint Laurent Paris as it’s now called…) on Monday the 1st. As of yet there is no information on live

streaming, but the wonderful website fashionista.com will post a timetable with all the necessary links at the start of the week. In Dublin, vintage shop Siopaella at 9 Crow street is holding a charity event for ‘It’s a Dogs Life,’ this Tuesday the

25th and is selling off items for less than €5, re-stocking every hour.

THE EDITORS OF

325.9.12

The XX have released their sec-ond album Coexist, the fol-low up to their subtle, down

tempo masterpiece self-titled debut album. Those who were dreading anything less than meticulous per-fection or a simple regurgitation of the same themes and stylistic tech-niques will not be disappointed, but neither will they be overjoyed.

Themes have matured from lust and desire to love and loss, as has their creative maturity. Coexist has an appreciated bounce which their debut album lacked, most notice-ably with Reunion’s steel drums,

The Vaccines have very much Come of Age with the release of their second album, al-

though it is signifi cant to note, the release doesn’t come without some growing pains.

Their fi rst album, What did you expect from the Vaccines?, was a sharp, punchy album that rarely strayed from the three chord mind-set of many bands.

This approach made the album’s lyrics feel shoe-horned around the uncompromising energy of the mu-sic.

Come of Age feels very much

He’s the Sixth highest paid DJ in the world, but he hasn’t let it get to his head. Critics

of Zimmerman will be disappointed as Album Title Goes Here is anoth-er winner for the Canadian.

Catering the commercial mar-kets and his hardcore house fans alike, everything is covered in this new 13 track studio album that goes on sale this week.

“Professional Griefers” is the lead single on the album, a collabo-ration with My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way.

Ticking all the boxes, Way’s vo-

This week saw the North American release of Alt-J’s debut studio album An Awe-

some Wave. Tipped as one of the fi rm favourites to win this year’s Mercury Music Prize, the Cam-bridge quartet are hard to defi ne by one genre, often described as “folk–step” or “trip–hop”.

Wave is not merely a jumble of songs, it is an arrangement de-signed to give the listener an expe-rience.

“Intro” nudges us assuredly into Wave. Guitar, keyboards and Alt-J’s signature crisp drums are only

which is a welcome expansion in their music.

Jaime XX’s production skills are much more honed since 2009 (see his side project with the late Gil Scott-Heron) but his contribution on the album feels lazy, and know-ing his capabilities, his contribu-tion isn’t as expanded (from the last album) as it could have been.

Despite this, Coexist is a good al-bum. The back and forth, and over-lapping interplay between Oliver and Romy, the latter still drawing you in with every whispered and heartfelt melody she contributes, is

in an entirely different vein. Many songs such as ‘Bad Mood’ and ‘I wish I was a girl’ feel slick and com-plex.

An increased focus on lyrics, bass lines and an expanded variety of chords give The Vaccines a new found maturity which their fi rst al-bum lacked.

The breakaway from the primi-tive thrashing out of three chords makes their music much more pal-atable too.

Their fi rst album was very much a love/hate affair; many may have been turned off by the arguable

cals sit sweetly on top of this elec-tro track. Cypress Hill come back strong in “Failbait”, Deadmau5 keeping it simple in this edit.

The fi nal track features Imogen Heap of “Hide and Seek” fame, Of-fering up her ethereal vocals for a powerful electro jam.

As mentioned, the die hard fans get their bit. “Fn Pig” is an eight minute ear-melter of old school Deadmau5.

Wolfgang Gartner is welcomed back after the success of “Raise Your Weapon”. He provides some expert electronic samples for the

the beginning. At 1:22 Joe New-man’s unique vocals are thrown into the mix, setting the mood for the rest of the album.

The fi rst track of the album is “Tessellate”. Heavy beats are com-bined with a trippy guitar riff, while Newman’s crooning holds the track together. Drummer Thom Green dominates in “Bloodfl ood”, deliv-ering a set that is simple and awe-some in equal measure.

“Taro” is the fi nal track on the album and a showcase of the excep-tional lyricism of the band. “Creeps up the road, to photo to record,

emotive and unsettling. Romy’s voice sprawls and

stretches across the face of Coexist and remains the central attraction to The XX. But with the absence of such powerhouses of ‘Crystallised’ or ‘VCR’, there is nothing to tie the album together or carry it beyond ‘Angels’ and ‘Chained’, the fi rst two songs which are clearly the most in-teresting of Coexist.

Coexist, unfortunately, falls short of expectation. However this shortfall is expected following their behemoth debut album. Attempt-ing to recreate arguably one of the

brash simplicity of their music and miss-matched feel of lyrics.

Come of Age can be enjoyed for what it is by a much broader audi-ence. Lyrically and musically they, at times, remain fl awed and Come of Age is by no means a perfect next step.

This is to be expected from a two-year-old band and an album coming only 18 months after their last.

The essence of what could make The Vaccines great remains and one may feel it is only a matter of time before they produce some-

second track on the album - “Chan-nel 42”.

He may be going into hiding soon (due to personal issues) but Deadmau5 has left us with a lot to ponder, and replay. Also his cat is on the album cover. Cheers Joel.

meat lumps and war” ... “violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags,” all superbly ex-ecuted by Newman.

There is no denying the folk ele-ment of Alt-J, possibly explaining their comparison to bands such as Mumford & Sons, but the compari-son stops there.

An Awesome Wave is a collec-tion of intense rhythmic tracks, simple yet seismic. A testament to a talented band that combine so much but never overcomplicate.

best albums of the last decade could have either led to brilliance or more likely a half rate album.

The XX wisely avoided this recreation attempt. Although not as well executed as their debut album, Coexist does still have qualities to be an enjoyable al-bum… just don’t listen to their fi rst album when looking for these qualities.

thing truly great.

The XX – Coexist

The Vaccines – Come of Age

Deadmau5 – Album Title Goes Here

Alt J – An Awesome Wave

Chris Becton

Kathryn Toolan

Kathryn Toolan

Chris Becton

Howler

Hyped up as the ‘new Strokes’, Howler are a ticking bomb ready to explode onto the music scene. Whether or not this

comparison is just remains to be seen, but fi ve piece from Minneapolis certainly appear ready after support slots with

The Vaccines and The Jesus And Mary Chain. Listen to Howler if you miss Hüsker Dü.

ESSER

With the aide of a computer and crucial key of E, Esser has molded melodies for those eccentrics at trendy indie clubs. His harrow-ing tales of troubled times with women are delivered with superb comedic effect in the likes of ‘Headlock’, whereas songs like ‘Satisfi ed’ take on an insane Turk-ish techno dance vibe.

Atlas Sound

Bradford Cox departed from the Deerhunter crew back in 2006, leaving the comfort of his musical

comrades-in-arms to pursue his solo project Atlas Sound. And the bizarre title of debut ‘Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel’ is itself

testament to the record’s content: convoluted, largely inaccessible, yet immensely enjoyable.

music@collegetribune.ie

425.9.12 music@collegetribune.ie

ONES TO WATCHSaint Lou Lou

Cherish the misery of the latest Scandipop sensations. Saint Lou Lou make pop songs, not indie or electronic ones, even though almost every-thing about 21-year-old Swedish twins Miranda and Elektra Kilbey oozes retro elegance. You can see the alternative crowd digging them and detect elements of the latter creeping into their construction, which takes place in Stockholm with their co-writers Addeboy Vs Cliff – who produced their imminent debut single ‘Maybe You’. In fact, ultra-cool French label Kit-suné liked their sound straight away, signing them as soon as they heard the demo of Maybe You. The girls are currently in London fi nishing their debut album which shall be released in early 2013.

Avi Buffalo

Avi Buffalo is the creation of the splendidly named Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg (German mother/Jewish father). Originally from Long Beach, Avi and three school-friends make up the band. They’re infl uenced by Neil Young. They really like Neil Young.

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool

Having met and formed in Camden, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool are the latest in a line of bands to come out of North London’s music mecca, but it is the area’s darker side, rather than its musical tapestry that is projected upon their music. The band’s riotous brand of electro-pop is reminiscient of Pet Shop Boys and Duran Duran, yet call them a revival and you’ll soon fi nd yourself in A&E.

Esben And The Witch

Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, geography, his-tory and literature, Esben And The Witch condense their post-rock infl uences into the notation of their music, orchestrating the evocative ebb and fl ow of their short stories into something that is palpable to the listener.

Siriusmo

Fine art painter by day and reclusive Berlin dance guru by night, Siriusmo’s distinctive post-garage drums, Jamaican fried bass and warped organ have rattled together a signature sound that’s getting bigger and more noticeable with every release. If he doesn’t climb the music ladder this year it’ll be out of choice.

Egyptian Hip Hop (Hipster Grunge)

An average track from these four Manchester youngsters would probably encompass a low-key electronic beat, some lazy vocals, and melodies that fall and dissolve upon each other. Try to imagine that hip guy from the Klaxons and Cool Kids joining up with Blur to create some improvised pop and you are heading in the right direction.

Buraka Som Sistema

Prepare your eardrums. Bringing Angolan Kuduro beats to the masses via their Lisbon base, Buraka Som Sistema blend, slice, chop and mix it all up and create something new, fresh and somewhat futuristic.

music@collegetribune.ie

525.9.12

Ciaran Breslin caught up with Mark from Enemies to chat about their new single, Japan and meeting the cast of The Wire.

white scene giving way to vibrant paint splattered chaos. I ask Mark about how they recorded the single originally. “It was a non traditional approach where we recorded it bit by bit, part of the fi rst chunk of recordings we did [since We’ve Been Talking, their debut album]. We wanted to show everyone we were still tapping along. I think we were building on a sort of sound emerging slowly in our music.” He mentions the fi lming process for ‘Indian Summer.’ “Lewis had the idea for a video that would be some sort of big battle. We pitched the idea to Tiny Ark [production company] and they kind of took Indian Summer and looked into this Holy festival in India once a year where they throw this coloured powder at each other. It was defi nitely one of the most fun experiences as a band!” Does he feel the video represents a different avenue of expression for the single? In the absence of lyrics perhaps? “There’s room to do whatever you want. Its not like, ‘This is a song about a girl so here’s me on a bridge looking really sad’. I guess with instrumental backing music it’s a little bit kind of arty, like with bands like Battles and [Japanese instrumentalists] Lite. There’s a lot of room for expression and doing mad zany things”.

In the two years since their last album, Enemies have returned to tour Japan after an initial two-week tour in 2008 following the release of their debut EP Alpha Waves. Mark is extremely positive about their experiences there. “Japan was fantastic. We went on a tour of our EP but to go back with a full album and build on the kind of fan base that was already there was amazing.” What else have they been up to in the intervening time? “We did some touring around Europe as well which was lovely. Then it

Formed in Kilcoole in County Wicklow in 2007, Enemies represent the more

experimental side of emerging Irish talent. Mark tells me a little about how the band got together: “It was basically a solo project that Eoin was doing. He was just doing post-rock music from his own studio, putting the songs up on My Space under the name New Man Eoin. Everyone else was just listening to it, and we were all big into experimental music. That’s how we got the name: New Man Eoin became N-M-E and it just stuck”. Was it always instrumental music that the band were into? “Not really, there was a really good punk scene at the time. We were all playing in local bands

around Kilcoole. It was a big leap from punk to post rock and math rock. I guess it was kind of a side project for Eoin and our interest became more experimental. The music developed as we left the punk bands”.

Suitably art-school chic and boasting an infectious brand of psychedelic indie-math rock, their appeal lies somewhat left fi eld of mainstream tastes, with their instrumental sound quite far removed from the stylings of the more familiar success stories of recent years in Ireland. Part of a collection of exciting instrumental bands signed to the Richter label, Enemies are at the forefront of an emerging scene in the country, perhaps echoing the recent success of similar instrumental music in

England and further afi eld. I was interested in the kind of reception they had experienced, particularly in Ireland. Perhaps I was slightly skeptical of the capacity that Irish crowds have for this more eclectic (and frankly interesting) side of homegrown talent. Mark however, is confi dent and gratifi ed in answering. “We’ve had a really really good reception. Richter have so many great bands and there’s just such a high standard of instrumental bands from Ireland. They’ve really been allowed to fl ourish and they’re so well received here”.

I ask if they have ever found it harder as an instrumental band? “Occasionally we’d have an odd

person who’s like ‘where’s the vocal’, but yeah, it’s never really been a huge turn off. Instrumental music is a longstanding tradition in Ireland.” This is of course true, instrumental music, mainly traditional, is extremely important in the Irish musical tradition. I wonder if they feel in any way part of a uniquely Irish lineage in their music or if they are carrying on any kind of torch. Mark, quite rightly, seems reluctant to align Enemies with those other styles of music. “Personally we’re not trying to hark back to a forgotten age. I guess there is a lineage, with bands like Planxty in the seventies, perhaps, theres room for Enemies at the end there. Maybe we’ll do our own Trad fusion job, team up with The Chieftans!”

No, despite my attempts to thrust the mantle of Irish instrumental heirs on the band it’s clear that Enemies’ sound has a lot more in common with the likes of Hot Chip and later Foals records than Planxty or anyone of that ilk. What are the bands infl uences then? “Starting out we were actually all going through a big instrumental phase. I think the guys were quite infl uenced at the time by the likes of Battles. I suppose over the years we’ve started listening to that kind of thing less and less. Our main infl uences these days are from electronic and indie music. I guess that’s a kind of good thing as we’re taking these infl uences down and applying them to the instrumental

sphere. There’s defi nitely a bigger electronic infl uence on the new stuff, more loops, dancier”.

The new stuff Mark mentions is represented chiefl y by the single Indian Summer, which Mark tells me will feature on the new album. The single is a fantastic advertisement for the album, all bouncy bass and jangly guitars with a melody that lodges seamlessly in your head. Indian Summer also marks the fi rst use of vocals for the band, albeit a faint choral effect designed to complement the overall sound rather than stand out in contrast from it. The video is equally impressive, seeing the band clad in white jumpsuits playing in a warehouse and getting gradually more caked in layers of paint as the song progresses, with the stark

kind of quitened down. I fi nished my degree and decided to focus on writing”. Perhaps the bands most triumphant moment of late however, came around a month ago in a fi eld in Stradbally where they made their Electric Picnic bow. Mark has nothing but good things to say of experience: “Absolutely mind-blowing. We were absolutely chuffed to go. We got a slot for half one on the Saturday, so we were a bit worried about having a crowd. We decided we were just going to do it, go down and have a great time. But then we were shocked to see that once we cracked into the fi rst song a ton of people just kept screaming! Absolutely chuffed.” It’s not hard for Mark to pick his festival highlight. “I guess it shows the kind of incestuous nature of Richter but we loved the bands we knew, the likes of Not Squares, they really blew me away. The likes of The Cure and Sigur Ros too, it was a great experience. On a personal level, meeting the Irish actor Aiden Gillen was a huge thrill for me, just as a little fan boy! He said he really enjoyed our set and well, that’s good enough for me. That was defi nitely a high!”

Electric Picnic marked the crest of a fantastic summer for Enemies. Indian Summer was released on the 13th of August to critical acclaim and with a new album on the horizon, things look bright for Irelands instrumental math-rock pioneers. The Richter Collective is an excellent resource for nourishing an exciting scene that has quietly built up a following in Ireland. The time is ripe for Enemies, or one of their sister bands, to take Irelands indie-instrumental sound to a much wider audience.

“Occasionally we’d have an odd person who’s like ‘where’s the vocal’, but yeah, it’s never really been a huge turn off. Instrumental music is a longstanding tradition in Ireland.”

We are your friends

music@collegetribune.ie

625.9.12

What the world should hear

TERMINUS: NEW BEGINNINGS

I’ve never understood how someone couldn’t like music. Maybe it’s my hardcore-fan

goggles that let me see music in a rose-tinted light, or perhaps it’s be-cause I dabble in musicianship my-self, but it seems crazy to me that a person could not be affected, could not be moved, by the magical bind-ing force that is music.

In preparation for my Leaving Certifi cate Irish oral, our teacher orchestrated mock orals among the class. Along with the usual ques-tions such as what subjects you did or where you lived, she asked us all what our hobbies were, what our favourite kind of music was, who our favourite band was. While such a question was as easy for me to answer as asking me my name, one girl just three seats down from me replied that she had no favour-ite band or artist as she didn’t re-ally like music. The shock running through my mind was palpable.

You see for me, as an Irish per-son, I believe that music runs through our blood. It’s a force to be reckoned with that has shaped us as a nation and that represents our culture to the rest of the world. It’s embedded in our history, it’s what distinguished us from the British; it

This week sees Dramsoc’s fi rst show, Mark O Rowe’s Ter-minus, take to the stage in

the Student Centre’s new state-of-the-art theatre. The new theatre is a big improvement from the space in Newman, possessing a prop room, sets, a moveable lighting rig, sur-round sound, rear projection and a relay system that provides live

video feed of what’s happening in the backstage area. The theatre can also fi t up to 111 people. The Siren caught up with Terminus director Lisa Carroll to discuss Dramsoc’s inaugural show for the new space.

Carroll doesn’t underestimate the importance of the theatre’s opening show. “Now is the time for UCD Dramsoc to raise the bar: to use its state of the art new theatre to its full potential and really show

was in our language and our nature and our way of life. Not to get too misty-eyed about it, but music is a powerful force, and it is one that has seen us through the ages.

It is with great sadness then that I lament the lack of support that our great Irish nation is giving our great Irish artists, especially at a time when Ireland’s international reputation stands on shaky ground. Sure, we still have a great reputa-tion for having the craic and a fond-ness of the drink, but we also have the reputation for squandering all our money and having to beg bor-row and steal from every corner in order to make our little island work. At a time of such doom, gloom and despair, surely it wouldn’t do any harm to promote the best that Ire-land has to offer (and I’m not talk-ing about those unrealistic Discover Ireland ads).

What’s fantastic about Irish art-ists -and I’m not saying that other countries don’t do this, I’m just say-ing we do it better- is that they have an innate way of bringing that lit-tle piece of Irish culture and what it really means to be Irish today into their music. It’s not all diddly-ay and leprechauns anymore. Look at the Celbridgean band, Bell X1:

the college what it does best - what it can do - and what they can expect of the year to come.” She continues, “The new theatre is our chance to really take what we do to the next level - be bigger and better than before with shows that have some-thing for everybody.”

Carroll has no doubt in the choice of Terminus as Dramsoc’s

inaugural show. “Mark O’Rowe’s Terminus, with its unstoppable rhythm, captivating characters and gripping stories is the perfect play to usher in the 86th session for UCD Dramsoc.”Carroll continues to explain the ap-peal of the show as Dramsoc’s fi rst production of the semester. “Ter-minus is fast paced, bold, engaging and exciting - it will leave audiences stunned by the verbal dexterity of

we can all relate to as a nation—Knock for example—and it’s these little idiosyncrasies that mean they could never be mistaken for any-thing else other than good aul Boys in Green.

There’s lots of talk of what we need to do as a country to bolster ourselves in the eyes of our inter-national companions, and while

governments are concerned purely with budgets, numbers and credit ratings, it is up to us, the general Irish people, to take a stand and show the world just how great Ire-land is; not how great it was, or how great it will be, but how great it is at this very moment. Bocht an duine bhíos gan cheol.

these are a bunch of lads who met in secondary school and decided that they didn’t sound too bad and that they enjoyed what they were doing. They now have a massive cult following in both their home country and in the USA, and yet they haven’t let such international followings dampen their Irishness. Their lyrics hark back to things that

writer, Mark O’Rowe as well as by the strong, skilled performances from the cast (Ste Murray, Molly O’Mahony and Sarah Hamilton). The play speaks for contemporary society in its dark and fearless look at the unexplored sides of human experience by catapulting audi-ences into the territory of heaven, hell, angels and demons. As the in-tertwining stories of the three char-acters twist and turn, audiences will be gripped by moments both endearing and terrifying in this powerful play.”The audience will “see the slo-mo ebb and fl ow; the mill, the babble, the rabble of wobbling waywards, exiled and aimless, unlike us as, purposeful and double-fi le, like kids on a dare, we head who the hell knows where? …” The play prom-ises to be fast-paced, twisted and exhilarating. Don’t miss out on this breath taking production packed with action, angels and demons.

Lisa Gorry contemplates the image that we should be projecting on the international stage.

Stephen West talks to Terminus Director Lisa

Carroll on Dramsoc’s fi rst show in the new theatre.

“Now is the time for UCD Dramsoc to raise the bar: to use its state of the art new theatre to its full potential and really show the college what it does best - what it can do - and what they can expect of the year to come.”

Terminus will show in the Student Centre Theatre from tomorrow (Wednesday 26th), until Friday 28th Septem-ber. Starting time is 8pm. The play is free for all Dramsoc members, €2 to join on the door and €5 for adults.

7music@collegetribune.ie25.9.12

WHAT TO WATCH

THE SWEENEY Shaken, Not Stirred: The music of Bond, James Bond

The Sweeney sees writer/director Nick Love (The Football Factory, The

Business) team up with fellow screenwriter John Hodge (Shal-low Grave, Trainspotting) in an effort to fl esh out an update of the popular 1970s television drama series which boasted the much loved chemistry between stars John Thaw and Dennis Waterman.

The plot sees fl ying squad of-fi cers Jack Regan (Ray Winston) and partner-in-crime George Cartner (Ben Drew) rummag-ing through the murky streets of London in an attempt to bring justice through rather atypical means which are of much an-noyance to their boss, Haskins (Damien Lewis).

Tensions begin to lure as the shooting of a civilian during a heist at a jewellery store leads the pair to suspect an old nem-esis has returned thus initiating Regan to bring justice to the bad ‘un.

The pairing of Ray Winstone and Ben Drew a.k.a ‘Plan B’ stumble in their efforts to come close to heights attained by the original duo as they lack that quintessential chemistry, that ‘bromance’ if you will, which is an accepted staple of any on-screen duo.

Nick Love’s directing can be credited as ambitious consid-ering the three-million pound budget, but it falls short of being particularly creative.

A touch of international intrigue and ruse was brought to the Na-

tional Concert hall as the RTE Concert Orchestra brought to life the music of James Bond. From the music of the legend-ary John Barry covering twelve soundtracks to the later mod-ern classics, one was left feeling underdressed with the absence of a tux and a Walter PPK.

Conductor David Brophy enraptured the audience with pieces from every one of the Bond fi lms as vocalists Kathy Nugent, Mary Carewe and David Shannon resurrected the sounds of such singers as Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Carly Simon, Nancy Sinatra and Sir Paul McCartney.

Beginning with the eclec-tic Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, progressing onto the modern classics in The World in Not Enough and accompanied with the salsa sounds of the conga drums in Welcome to Cuba, the variety and diversity of the musical scores of Bond over the last 50 years was made clear to all present. Of the eight acad-emy awards that the James Bond series has been nomi-nated, four were for the fi lm’s soundtrack.

As the pace and excitement gathered with the electrical percussion of John Barry’s The Living Daylights, the action was paused for the interval. Upon returning to their seats, the audience was greeted with a

The infl uences of other British directors such as Michael Mann and Christopher Nolan are evi-dent in both the colour pallet and style, but it simply cannot match the fl eshy urban ambience Mann is able to capture through a lens, nor does it possess that familiar gripping fi nesse that is processed through each successive frame in any one of Nolan’s work. The screenplay is also a rather dull ad-dition to John Hodge’s repertoire considering it contains classics such as Trainspotting.

In the end the picture plays out as a reboot that simply feels rather dated when compared to the orig-inal series, and furthermore lacks the chemistry of its original stars. The fi nest moments seem to be Ray Withstone strolling around in his pants – provided of course that the sight of Ray Winstone in his pants is enough to induce a slight dose of entertainment. new conductor in the shape of RTE

2fm DJ Rick O’Shea. Sadly his con-ducting of the James Bond Theme was more akin in movement to a drunken uncle’s dancing at a wed-ding than the skills of a maestro.

Thankfully with conductor Da-vid Brophy making his return, the concert hall indulged in the superb sounds of the strings and fl ute with the soundtrack of On Her Majes-ty’s Secret Service featuring Louie Armstrong’s romantic We Have All the Time in the World. Follow-ing strong vocal performances of Goldfi nger and From Russia With Love tied together with the shriek-ing sounds of the strings and boom-

Revolution

Dealing with the aftermath of a worldwide power outage, Revolu-tion is J. J. Adam (Lost, Alias) and

Eric Kripke’s new baby. Forced adaptation to a world without

technology leads to an eruption of warlords and militia run areas. The

series focuses on the reunion of the Matheson family and desperate

attempts to turn the power back on. The pilot is a bit heavy-going

due to setting up the story but this could be the next Lost. Fingers crossed no polar bears appear.

Animal Practice

Revolving around a veterinarian with a monkey, this “comedy” series explores his interactions

with staff members. It’s like Grey’s Anatomy with animals... but even worse than the premise suggests.

Watch one episode and boo when-ever Joanna Garcia-Swisher (Amy Huberman’s replacement) comes on screen - it’s a matter of Irish

pride!

666 Park Avenue

Released on the 30th of Septem-ber, 666 Park Avenue follows a young couple who are hired to

work and live in a glamorous Up-per East Side apartment building.

Life ain’t too sweet when they begin to suspect that both the

building and it’s glossy tenants are controlled by a mysterious super-natural force. Anything set on the Upper East Side is a guilty pleas-ure - it’s like Gossip Girl meets

Supernatural.

Nashville

Don’t let the rhinestones and big hair put you off - embrace it. Con-nie Britton stars as country legend

Rayna James (of course she’s called Rayna) who’s being pushed out of her label by upcoming Juli-ette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere).

Tunes, family drama, backstabbing politicians - Nashville has it all and

should have your attention!

Emily Owens, M.D.

The CW loves its ridiculous soapy shows and so does The Siren. The show focuses on the fresh out of medical school Emily Owens and her fellow interns at Denver Me-morial Hospital. It’s basically an-other medical show where interns act like teenagers (Emily’s college crush and her high school nemesis are also interns...) and compete for surgeries and lovers. October can’t come soon enough and neither can the case of wine we’ll be consum-

ing while watching this.

With a slew of new tv shows hitting American tv screens and Irish laptop screens, Conor Fox takes a quick peek at what could be the hits of the season.

Joseph Gallagher doesn’t hold back after watching The Sweeney

ing sounds of the trumpets, the or-chestra aptly progressed to Nobody Does It Better.

Regardless of where the audi-ence member sat, one only had to close their eyes to be transported to the volcanic lair of Bond’s nem-esis, Blofeld with the arrangement of You Only Live Twice or attempt-ing to escape on the ski slopes of Switzerland with Escape From Piz Gloria.

As the concert met its conclu-sion, one last thrilling piece was presented to the audience with Live and Let Die of Sir Paul McCartney repute, nominated for Best Original Song at the academy awards.

the variety and diversity of the musical scores of Bond over the last 50 years was made clear to all present. Of the eight acad-emy awards that the James Bond series has been nomi-nated, four were for the fi lm’s soundtrack.

gathered with the electrical percussion of John Barry’s The Living Daylights, the action was paused for the interval. Upon returning to their seats, the audience was greeted with a

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Soloman Kugel is some-thing of a worrier. Always has been. Throughout the

novel, Kugel writes down possi-ble “last words” so that he’ll have plenty of options when the time comes. He moves his wife and tod-dler to Stockton, a town in upstate New York, because it’s safer there. His Brooklynite mother has been told that she is “close to the end” and thus is reluctantly living with them.

The mother provides of a lot of the novel’s comic relief. She has lived in New York her whole life, but has made herself believe that she was involved in the Holocaust and escaped from the death camps which took the lives of her rela-tives. She ignores the fact that she was born in 1945.

The way Auslander (appropri-ate name) writes about the mother makes for a very funny reading – though you may feel a little guilty for laughing. Take for example, that Mother wakes up screaming

Finishing after a sixteen day run, the 28th Dublin ABSO-LUT Fringe Festival can only

be described as a success for the organisers. It was estimated that over 150,000 people would have at least one Fringe experience and with about 500 events happening over the last two weeks, it’s quite possible that those numbers were hit.

The aim of the festival is to cre-ate a platform for the best new and emerging Irish arts companies and showcase the best contemporary theatre and dance shows which are touring internationally. It hopes to give artists an opportunity to innovate, to cross disciplines and boundaries, and to fi nd new ways and places to create work.

With that in mind, the ABSO-LUT Fringe Awards were held on the 23rd of September to recog-nise, reward and celebrate the hard work and talent on display in the festival each year. The organisers

also writing her new novel – her Diary has sold over thirty-two million copies and her new offer-ing has to go above and beyond.

Kugel hasn’t read the Diary, al-though Mother has encouraged it over the years. He doesn’t believe this “old bag” is who she says she is. He calls her an insult to the young Frankfurt girl’s memory, the girl who died in Auschwitz. “It was Bergen-Belson, jackass.” Anne retorts. (She was impris-oned in both.)

To add to Kugel’s troubles is a grumpy tenant who keeps de-manding to be allowed to use the attic for storage. Kugel wants to call the police on Anne, but how he could he, as a Jewish man, turn in Ms. Frank? Oh yeah, did I men-tion there’s an arsonist running around setting Stockton’s farm-houses on fi re?

Overall, “Hope: A Tragedy” is a solid read with interesting characters and worth a look. Just don’t mention ‘ze war’.

everyday. This only started after she read that it was a common thing for holocaust survivors to do. When the boy Kugel asks why his mother has put a lampshade on his bed-side locker, Mother tells him that it’s his grandfather. “It says ‘Made in Taiwan’” he points out. Mother shoots back “Well, they’re not going to write ‘Made in Buchenwald’ are they?”

Late one night, having just moved into his new farmhouse home, Kugel hears tapping sounds in his attic. He gets out of bed, hop-ing for nothing worse than mice. Guess what’s up there? Anne Frank pinging away at a typewriter.

Yup, Annie didn’t actually die. She escaped, and has been living in Jewish attics on the east coast for years. She has a hunchback and an attitude. “Me, I’m the sufferer,” Anne says. “I’m the dead girl. I’m Miss Holocaust, 1945. The prize is a crown of thorns and eternal victim-hood. Jesus was a Jew, Mr. Kugel, but I’m the Jewish Jesus.” She’s

It’s all done in the best possible tasteLisa Gorry goes back in time for a little period drama pooching

Sinead Slattery casts her eye over the new comedy from Shalom Auslander

1. Pride and Prejudice (BBC Series: 1995)Closest to the book in it’s adapta-tion, the BBC series by far has best captured the essence of the sexual tension between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. Colin Firth stole our hearts as the strong silent type in this 1995 mini-series. If you haven’t seen it yet, you haven’t lived.

3. Jane Eyre (2011)Michael Fassbender: need I say more? While there have been many variations of this classic, on both big and small screens, I’ve picked the most recent adaptation for it’s dark tones and fantastic perfor-mances, from both Fassbender and the formidable Mia Wasikowska. Not for the faint-hearted as the dialogue stays true to the book, if you’re a fan of Jane Eyre itself, this version will be a thrilling selection.

2. Sense and Sensibility (1995)Emma Thompson was just made for this role, and having won the Oscar for best screenplay, she deserves too to have her screen presence acknowledged. A fantastic cast comprised of Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman adds to the brilliant story of the Dashwoods, and Hugh Grant is particularly charming as the un-suitable English man.

4. The Young Victoria (2009)/The Duchess (2008)I genuinely couldn’t pick between these two. Maybe it’s because I saw them at the same time, and so I’m not against recommending that someone else do the same. Emily Blunt is endearing as the young Queen of England with a terrifi c supporting cast, while Kiera Knightley is powerful as the Duchess of Devonshire in front of Ralph Fiennes as the Duke himself. Period dramas at their fi nest.

Two words: Period. Dramas.Nothing gets a girl going more than the sight of a laced bodice and

jodhpurs, and with the return of the fantastic Downton Abbey to our screens, we can now leave the posh talking to the professionals and put our handkerchiefs away. The highly anticipated third series of Julian Fel-lowes’ masterpiece graced our screens last week on TV3 and it was not to disappoint. Matthew and Mary fi nally get married, the Grantham’s have started to fi nally accept Branson for his worth, and Lady Grantham, as always, delights.

However, I’m certain that things won’t remain so rosy in the gar-den for long, and if you, like me, just can’t get enough of this particular genre of show, I saw look no further, because the Siren’s got your back. Just in case one episode of Downton isn’t enough however to stave off

the haughty hysteria, here are some of the Siren’s highly recommended alternatives to keep you at bay until next Wednesday. While they won’t

have Maggie Smith, I’m sure they’ll do just fi ne:

Hope: A Tragedy

fi nisof the festival describe the awards as “a small but heartfelt tribute to some of the hundreds of festival makers and doers who seem to be able to draw on a reservoir of bot-tomless energy and passion to cre-ate some of the most exciting and original work”.

Dogs by Emma Martin took the award for Best Production and Best Design; the play explored what hap-pens when unrelenting pressure pushes towards extreme success. Dogs was a celebration of the spirit as it wades through the spectrum of human emotion, throwing aside the patterns of social convention and allowing animal instinct to kick in.

Described as “exactly what the Fringe is meant to be: a mad idea, well-executed.”

FARM from Willfredd Theatre took home the award for best off-site production. Teaming up with farmers of all ages, bee keepers, allotment owners and even us city dwellers, WillFredd Theatre aimed

to interrupt the city centre with FARM, a “space where the Rural and the Urban unite and bloom”.

Considered to be one of the most highly prestigious awards to receive, the Spirit of the Fringe Commissioning Award was pre-sented to PaperDolls’s production of Constellations. “We attempt honesty, we attempt trust, we at-tempt vulnerability, we attempt forgiveness. We attempt surviv-al.” PaperDolls’s attempts to cre-ate a show for next year’s Fringe was made immeasurably easier by receiving this award. They are commissioned to present work in the Project Arts Centre for next year, along with a particularly generous cash prize.

The ten awards presented help to solidify the Fringe Festival and wrap up the tremendous work which was put into it. The Siren is already excited for next year’s Festival!

Conor Fox takes a look at some of the winners of this year’s Absolut Fringe Awards

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We all live in Dublin city and the surrounds yet spend the majority of

our day trapped in the confi nes of U.C.D. While the city may not be our campus as we’re not stuck in D.I.T. (thank god), it’s just a short bus ride away. Grab a mate, break out €2.15 and get a 39a into town.

Now that you’ve made it this far, get off at Dawson St. and trot on around to K.C. Peaches on Nas-sau, ignoring the unwashed mass-es erupting from Trinity College. Here, pack as much salad as you can into a small takeaway box - you can get more than you think - and order a coffee to go. €3.15 for your salad (with a student card) and €2 for your coffee? Ideal.

We’re off again. If it’s a sunny day - it probably won’t be but here’s hoping - head on down to Merrion Square and fi nd a patch of grass to sit on. By far one of the nicer parks in Dublin and perfect to relax, have chats, and eat your delish salad in.

so, just give them a glare laced with “I’m already in college” and they should swiftly move on. There’s an option of two-for-one mains but the Siren doesn’t recommend that. The cocktails aren’t the strongest and always remember: eating is cheat-ing. Knock back however many you like; we suggest at least two. Try to chat to the kinda-cute-but-not-quite barman in the hope he throws you a free drink. Here’s to a boozy afternoon.

Eye up a few suits from the nearby Baggot St. offi ces and you’re living the dream.

If you’re interested in nature, the Natural History Museum is just be-side you on Merrion St. and is free to enter. “The Dead Zoo” is surpris-ingly more interesting than you might fi rst imagine and is worth a visit. Downstairs are animals native to and prevalent (or used to be) in Ireland while the galleries upstairs display “Mammals of the World”. The building itself is incredibly im-pressive and is often described as a “museum of a museum”. Try to spot as many animals as possible; in-cluding the hipster artist who lurks upstairs sketching away. Calm, qui-et, relaxing - perfect for a leisurely hour or two.

Try to follow the Siren’s advice on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednes-day as you can avail of €3 cocktails in Captain Americas. Hopefully the place won’t be over-run with Leav-ing Cert students when you arrive; if

Don’t Miss This!

The Siren does “Dublin on a Dollah”, showing you how you can spend a day outside of Belfi eld without breaking the bank!

The Picture of Dorian Grey

Jazz Brunch

HomeBeat & Club Sandwich

The Cold Edge

A tad pricier than normally sug-gested here but you just can’t miss this. Considered proof of

both Wilde’s genius and his perversion, this scandalous best-seller turned play was one of the most damning pieces of evidence used against him in the trial that

brought about his downfall.

Sept. 27th - Oct. 14th, Abbey Theatre, €18-40.

Every Sunday ease away the hangover by having some brunch

with your tunes.

12.30 pm, Brasserie 66, South Great Georges St.

Keep an eye out for these two. HomeBeat takes the idea of

bringing great music into your home literally. Three bands play in someone’s front room; they bring the music - you bring the

house. Bored of your normal lunch time routine? Watch out for Club Sandwich, a lunchtime clubbing event that turns your

9-5 day upside down. With both events happening just last week and being ridiculously hip, plans

for the next ones aren’t an-nounced yet.

Follow them on facebook to get the inside scoop.

Featuring the work of Dave Walsh, this exhibition transports you to a world of ice and beauty. Having travelled captured stun-ning images of the wildlife and bewildering wilderness on our

ice caps, The Cold Edge is sure to capture your imagination.

Until 29th Sept, Copper House Gallery D8, Free.

Every Sunday ease away the

Dublin on a dollah

Bus - €2.15

Lunch - €5.15

Drinks - €6.00

Total Cost:

€13.05

NEW RELEASESLooper

Director: Rian Johnson

Starring: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt.

Release Date: September 28th

Plot: In 2072, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ by transporting back Joe’s future self.

Why watch it? It opened the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and early reviews have marked it out as one to watch.

Why not watch it? It seems rather “loopy”..

Hope Springs

Director: David Frankell

Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom-my Lee Jones, Steve Carell

Plot: After thirty years of mar-riage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense week-long counseling session to work on their relationship.

Why watch it? You enjoy any-thing remotely close to softcore geezer porn.

Why not watch it? You’ve just watched hardcore geezer porn and you never want to go there again.

To Rome with Love

Director: Woody Allen

Starring: Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz.

Release Date: Out Now

Plot: The lives of some visitors and residents of Rome and the romances, adventures and predica-ments they encounter.

Why watch it? It’s Woody Allen’s fi rst on-screen role since ‘Scoop’ (2006).

Why not watch it? You’re fed up with travel adverts for Rome.

Premium Rush

Director: David Koepp

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Sean Kennedy.

Release Date: September 28th

Plot: In Manhattan, a bike messenger picks up an enve-lope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout the city.

Why watch it? To prove that it is not bizarre to regularly imagine yourself being part of a non-stop action fi lm while cycling around Dublin.

Why not watch it? It hits the breaks too often.

With a slew of new tv shows hitting American tv screens and Irish laptop screens, Conor Fox takes a quick peek at what could be the hits of the season.

rejuvenation of the iconic style of the late Michael Jackson. The fl aw-lessly cast models, all black, wore stage outfi ts once owned by the King of Pop, and they lit up the run-way with energy and attitude. Even the original red “Thriller” jacket was borrowed and featured in the show.

Despite the fl amboyant entrance of Gaga and the eye catching cloth-ing of the King of Pop, Treacy’s de-signs took centre stage. The show was simply mind-blowing. The models paraded down the catwalk with swagger and style, adorned with some incredibly striking hats. The crowd included both fash-ion names and celebrities, such as Anna Dello Russo, Dita VonTeese, Kelly Brooke, Kim Cattrall and no-tably, fellow designers Sarah Bur-ton and Vivienne Westwood. Eve-ryone got caught up in the electric atmosphere that sparked as each model entered wearing another re-markable creation. The attendees were brought to their feet, dancing to Thriller and cheering the crea-tions of the beloved designer.

fashion@collegetribune.ie

1025.9.12

Go Gaga for Philip Treacy

London Fashion Week saw Irish born milliner, Philip Treacy, present his collec-

tion for Spring / Summer 2013 to the fashion world. With it being 8 years since his last runway show, attendees were in for a treat.

The Irish designer, who stud-ied at NCAD, is globally recog-nized for his inventive and unique hats, springing to fame after being noticed by renowned editor and stylist, Isabella Blow. Celebrities like Kate Middleton, Lady Gaga and Sarah-Jessica Parker are of-ten seen wearing his pieces.

The show took place at the Royal Courts of Justice at 8.45pm sharp, and the lucky attendants were not to be disappointed. The show was opened dramatically by controversial pop icon and huge Treacy fan, Lady Gaga, who was shrouded in bold-pink netting from head to toe, and took to the catwalk to declare the hat maker as “the greatest milliner in the world”, before stepping aside to let the show begin.

The show was an unbelievable

Streetstyle

For as long as it has existed, fashion has been a mode of self-expression. Through the

years it has mirrored social change and displayed the conformism or eccentricities of those who wear it. In the 21st century, the online cat-walk we refer to as “street style” is used as a way of accessing individu-al style, on real women.

In her article for the New York Times entitled “Who Am I Wear-ing? Funny You Should Ask,” writer Ruth La Ferla discusses her thoughts on why street style, which she described as “fashion’s last stronghold of true indie spirit,” has lost its charm, and perhaps its rel-evance.

The concept of street style used to be non-commercial. There was an open invitation for one and all to take part in exhibiting their idea of style in an online environment that was almost free of fashion power-house infl uence.

La Ferla writes that “stylists, bloggers, fashion editors and style-struck students click-clacked on the pavements, showing off a mash-up of vintage clothes, fast fashion and high-end labels,” Isn’t this essen-

tially the whole purpose of fashion? That the individual can illustrate their unique style and taste through the form of clothing?

The fashion of street style blogs was a personal choice only loosely based on what designers supplied us with. It was wearers - as op-posed to magazine editors - that decided whether they favoured the ever popular feminine pastels or the gothic touches of black lace and leather.

La Ferla revealed that bloggers can be paid upwards of $2000 per appearance at events where they will be photographed, wearing the clothes and accessories that design-ers supply them with.

It is here that a boundary has been surpassed. If one simply wears certain clothes because one is being paid a fee by the people who design and make those clothes, then can you really claim the self-styled sta-tus many of these bloggers do?

La Ferla states quite plainly that she feels that the fashion bloggers and web icons that are so often caught on camera attending various fashion events have become, quot-ing fashion branding assistant Tom

We saw a hugely extensive range of head pieces. Treacy presented us with metallic turbans, silver Cleopatra head pieces, sun-dial hats, long netted veil head pieces, a hat resembling a tall ship, Min-nie Mouse ears and smiley face hats, various large, colourful, tribal pieces, and perhaps most notably a Michael Jackson glove hat, worn by model Alek Wek, who brought a surge of excitement and applause from the crowd as she worked the catwalk with the iconic piece, the super model responded to the au-diences reaction with even more swagger.

It was an overwhelming night that was almost too much for the show attendees to take in. With the return of Philip Treacy to London Fashion Week, bringing with it a Michael Jackson tribute, a Lady Gaga appearance and 37 head piec-es of every style, colour and texture all in the one night, it was certainly one of the most impressive shows at London Fashion Week.

Niamh Kelly looks at Philip Treacys London Fashion Week show, his fi rst in 8 years.

Lauren Tracey looks at the commercialization of street style and its effects on the industry.

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is

happening,”– Coco Chanel

Julian, “billboards for the brands” If this is so then a case can be

made for saying that street style is no longer really street style, but instead just an extension of the runways and magazines which the designers use as tools to sell their

wares. It is disappointing to think

that the bloggers and writers that achieved fame for marketing their own personal style have ceased to do even that.

In the next few years we could

very well see street style slowly fading away due to this commer-cialisation, however, for the sake of self-expression and individual-ity, I hope we see the emergence of something else in its place.

fashion@collegetribune.ie

1125.9.12

Chic

EEK

Prada next season: Geisha mixed with pop art.

How could that possibly have worked so well?

Bond girl style: On the 50th anniversary of the

James Bond movies, take a look back at the styles of his ladies throughout the years.

Kate Middleton: Still a princess, still composed. Fair play.

Sequinned manicures: Nail art company Ciate’s spangly new product will

ladder lots and lots of tights.

Kanye West: Kanye decided against having a third fashion show in Paris this week. Hopefully he’s realised he’s not a designer.

Fashion Fights: Roberto Cavalli wrote this week that Armani has too much power and Dolce and Gabanna don’t care about anyone but themselves. Jealous perhaps?

Fashion en Pointe

Style Icon: Chloë Sevigny

Last week at Lincoln Cen-tre, designer Valentino was the guest of honour

at New York City Ballet’s an-nual Fall gala. The designer created the costumes for all three of the ballets preformed that night. The collaboration was fi rst suggested by Sarah Jessica Parker, a friend of the designer and huge supporter of New York’s most prestig-ious ballet company.

The most vital component of any ballet costume is the weight of the material, it must be free enough to allow the dancers to move, but weighty enough to create motion in the skirts. Valentino achieved this effect impeccably. During the fi nal Ballet, the premier of Peter Martins ‘Bal de Cou-ture’ the dancers leapt across the stage to reveal Valentino’s signature red underneath the layers of their white tulle skirts.

The Ballet Russe had a profound impact on the work of Coco Chanel at the start of the 20th century. Chanel de-signed costumes for several Ballet Russe productions, in-cluding ‘Le Train Bleu’ and ‘Apollon Musagete.’ Chanel’s transferral of her skills to the design of dance costumes was

relatively simple for a woman who advocated loose and easy clothes.

Chanel had a huge connection with the Ballet Russe company, emotionally as well as aestheti-cally; she had an affair with one of the most successful composers of the time, Igor Stravinsky. In 2009, Chanel’s current creative director Karl Lagerfeld designed a costume for ‘The Dying Swan,’ a show for the English National Ballet. He said, “Ballet is an extraordinary art: This torture of the body to make some-thing so graceful. All this hard work - to look effortless.”

Paul Poiret, another designer who championed the looser, more relaxed look we still wear today, was hugely infl uenced by the Bal-let Russe, in particular their show ‘Scheherazade’ in 1910, and the bal-lets use of vibrant colours.

There are also many modern ex-amples of fashion and ballet feed-ing off each other; the great late Alexander Mc Queen designed an exquisite silk kimono worn in a production of ‘Eonnagata’ in June 2010, and Gareth Pugh created wonderfully harsh and modern looks for ‘Carbon Life’ in London this year.

A famous example of the con-nection between fashion and ballet is the 7 Rodarte costumes featured in ‘Black Swan.’ However, the col-laboration was not without con-

troversy; fi rst when it was realised the Rodarte sisters could not be involved in Os-car nominations for the fi lm, as they were not members of the Costume Designers Guild of America, and later, when Black Swan’s actual cos-tume designer, Amy West-cott, claimed the sisters were given too much credit for the looks worn by Natalie Port-man in the fi lm. The Rodarte sisters took their connection with ballet even further when they designed incredibly sim-ple black and white costumes for ‘Two Hearts,’ a New York City Ballet production cho-reographed by Benjamin Millepied, choreographer for ‘Black Swan.’

The connections between these two art forms are eve-rywhere. Away from the world of design, many mod-els such as Karlie Kloss and Erin O’Connor began their careers as ballet dancers. Val-entino explained the reason for this connection perfectly on his opening night, “Ballet speaks to me because of the romance I see in it, I realise the dancers do so much to be perfect, and in high fashion I always wanted perfection.”

Roisin Sweeney assesses fashions involvement in ballet, and ballet’s infl uence on design.

Roisin Sweeney looks at this week’s style icon, Chloë Sevigny

Since the early 90’s, when Sassy magazine proclaimed her an ‘it’ girl, Sevigny’s style had been held in ac-claim by the fashion industry. She has starred in several campaigns, notably for Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu. Sevigny was one of the fi rst celebrity supporters of both Alber Elbaz and Nicolas Ghesquiere. Her

fashion line for Opening Ceremony, a boutique store with outlets in London and New York, has been well received by critics.

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1225.9.12

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