Tuesday 10 May 2011

Such a smoke about nothign



Such a smoke about nothing

A picture of Kate Moss dolled up and smoking. Same old same old…. Kate Moss smoking on a catwalk, hang on didn`t they mean sidewalk. No My favourite supermodel not just smoking on any old side walk but lighting up on the Louis Vuitton runway.  (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1280&bih=666&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=kate+moss+smoking+on+Louis+vouitton+catwalk&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=)(http://twitter.com/#!/kirstiemallsopp) It`s a shame yes, but that`s pretty much what comes with the territory of Miss Moss.
I was surprised however that “she picked” the Non Smoking day of all days for her smoky comeback. (She had officially retired from the catwalk three years ago) Coincidence? I think not!!

This caused the perfect media frenzy for Marc Jacobs designs. Because any publicity is good publicity, right!? Well according to such mundane celebrities as Kirstie Allsop from Location, Location, Location miss Moss committed role-model suicide. Kirstie tweeted: “Is Kate Moss learning impaired? Smoking kills women, endangers children's health & drains the NHS #notbignotclever #respectyourinfluence”(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=hYZ&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1280&bih=666&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=humphrey+bogard+smoking&aq=f&aqi=g-sx1&aql=&oq=)
Who can argue with that!?

This whole smoking in the “public eye” issue presents itself as a conundrum of rubics cube proportions trying to ban smoking all together seems as likely as achieving world peace. In the film: “Thank you for smoking” retouching all pictures and films is suggested so cigarettes are replaced by harmless objects. Imagine Humphrey Bogard (in Casablanca) nibbling away on a carrot instead of thoughtfully dragging on a cigarette. Hmm maybe not..
Does fashion or more precisely its ambassadors actually influence the consumers in any way?
Well according to Tom Ford they do. After well known female celebrities like Beyonce and Julianne Moore modelled for his latest show he was recorded saying: “women who are "beloved" in the public eye give emotional impact to the show. By dressing women who intrigue us, designers lure us into engaging with the clothes.”
There is no denying that celebrities’ actions probably do influence us to a certain degree. But I don`t think that fashionistas are now at risk of all turning into chain smokers. Because ultimately the most prominent role model for children (an age where we are most easily influenced by others) are the parents. And as boring as it sounds: it is their duty to inform their children about the dangers that come with smoking…
The wrath was mostly thrown onto Kate Moss, but aren`t we laying blame at the wrong door? Okay yes she was the one who smoked and she probably doesn’t give a monkeys anyway. Ultimately it is Louis Vuitton’s designer Marc Jacobs who is in charge and portrayed the shows theme: empowering women in a questionable manner.
Befitting his larger than life persona, he sadly felt the need to top off his show by rebelling against a day which actually is for a good cause. Just plain unnecessary! Especially as it`s just a bit uninventive and boring because it is so cliché Kate Moss.
It did however take the attention away from the clothes. This made wagging tongues doubt his design skills… So maybe the chain smoking Marc Jacobs should lay down his fag once in a while and exhale all his “coolness” into his designs instead.



Home is where the Head is




After the unique experience of living in halls; February marks the beginning of the stressful house hunt for Southampton’s first year students.
But where to begin? Looking for the right housemates is usually number one on the list. Finding compatible people one could potentially be with 24/7 is often one of the biggest hurdles.
Claire Wilks, a third year at Southampton, Solent University experienced the pitfalls of choosing housemates, incorrectly:
I decided to move into a house with a few people I met in halls,
As we moved from halls into the house, I realised that the people I had moved in with I really was not getting on with… By the beginning of October I wanted to move out.”
Advice from Southampton Solent University staff: “compare your lifestyles, working hours, cleanliness, interests, reliability and financial stability.”
Often while students are only just beginning to contemplate who to live with, the first flyers-advertising student houses- pile up. Certain agencies urge Fresher’s to look as soon as the end of October. Posh Pads (www.poshpads.com) is the main agency who try to get a head start. They manage to entice lots of students with their glossy flyers portraying luxurious looking furnished accommodations.
Claire recalls how these flyers intrigued as well as scared her and her fellow flat mates into getting a place as soon as possible with Posh Pads.
“We got a house really early in January ready for the June, which I would warn all students about” said Claire.

Monika Szychta from Cryers agency (www.cryers.co.uk), however, goes along with every estate agents sales patter: “the earlier the better”. “In February most of the nice places have already gone. You need to start early to find a nice place”, said Monika.
Claire disagrees: “There is no need to rush into getting a house there are always plenty of houses available even in September.”

Who to trust? It is definitely a plus to know what`s out there to get a feeling for what one likes and what you are avoiding. But it is common knowledge that especially privately owned properties that go on the market very early are probably not the nicest properties. Landlords put them up that early in order to try and scare students into signing contracts early on because they are of such poor quality that they are afraid of not being able to get them let…

Contracts are one of the most dangerous parts of acquiring a house.
Claire wishes she had double-checked the contract before signing:
“I spoke to my landlord who stated that in the contract it said I can not move out without getting someone to replace me. The lead tenant of the house did not want a stranger to move in so I found myself struggling… I had signed the contract so I had to stick to it. “

The type of contract and house of course depends on the agency or landlord students chose to go with.  In order to pick a trust worthy one Solent has a dedicated accommodation website :(www.sassh.co.uk) with accredited housing lists. These lists include private landlords and agencies that agreed to maintain and manage a property to a set of standards. While going around properties there are different things to look out for. The NUS has put up a checklist for house hunters on their website (www.nus.org.uk)

Claire said: “If I was to have been told things before I had moved into a house it would be: to not rush into it, make sure you are 100% sure on the people you are living with, you are comfortable with the landlord or agencies, that you are aware of everything (e.g. what would happen if someone was to leave) and to check the contract.”
After following this advice there are plenty of carefree housepartys awaiting.



                                                     Estate Agent Monika Szychta