Christmas All Around: A Global Phenomenon

Christmas Decoration. Photo Credit Antonio Castagna (Flickr)

 “It doesn’t matter what culture or what part of the world you are from, Christmas is for everyone” (Cornelia S., Student from Austria)

With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, the festive season isn’t just exciting for retailers but also for families all around the world. According to a survey carried out by ComRes on behalf of Theos, over 83% agreed that Christmas is about spending time with family and friends. 

In Ireland most traditions have a Gaelic background and survived into modern times, such as putting up a little model manger with nativity figures and the placing of a holly ring on doors. This was originated, as the holly plant is one of the few plants that flourish around Christmas time. All decorations are usually taken down on January 6, as it is considered bad luck to do so beforehand. Another widely popular tradition is the annual midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The social event is all about celebrating, singing Christmas carols and catching up with friends, family or neighbours that haven’t been in contact all year round. This seems to be a tradition throughout the world as it also celebrated in Austria, Germany and other European as well as foreign countries. This also applies to Great Britain, where the church attendance over Christmas is rising massively every year, with more than 2.4 million people average participating in a Church of England service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. 

Austria

In Austria all family members gather together, after they enjoyed brunch, to decorate the tree in the morning of the 24^th. Christmas Eve is usually filled with traditions such as singing songs and eating a 3-course meal consisting of: soup, fish and a typical Austrian dessert called “Mohr im Hemd”, a chocolate pudding, usually served with whipped crème. Austrian traditions are similar to their neighbours Germany, especially Bavaria as it is just across the border.

Germany

Germans love their Christmas markets, just like the famous Oktoberfest similar branches can be found all over the world. With a wide range of stalls, the market covers every aspect about Christmas: shopping, singing, eating and they are commonly set up next to a church, as Germany is a widely Christian country.

Bavarians in particular, put up the Christmas tree on the evening of the 24^th and decorate with the whole family. Unlike Ireland, the presents are opened on the evening of the 24^th after enjoying the family dinner. The Christmas celebration itself already starts on December 6, when Santa Claus delivers little gifts with the help of his scary friend, the Krampus.

Africa 

With a big continent as Africa come a variety of traditions and they are hugely different compared to Europe. In Nigeria for example, most families travel to their villages to spend time with their families. After the service on Christmas Morning, the government organises a carnival, where the streets are filled with people dancing in costumes and loud music.

Russia

Officially celebrating Christmas on January 7, Russia seems quite late to the party. This is mainly because up to 1991, communist states weren’t allowed to practice any kind of religion and therefore no Christmas was celebrated. A lot of Russians celebrated behind closed doors and gave away gifts to their loved ones in secrets. Up to now, presents are given early on New Years Eve and not on the official day of the celebrations.

| Nollaig Shona Duit | Fröhliche Weihnachten | Merry Christmas | Joyeux Noël|

French Taking Over The Irish Film Institute - French Film Festival 2015

French Taking Over The Irish Film Institute

“This year’s IFI French Film Festival is bigger and better than ever before.”

(Ross Keane, director of the Irish Film Institute)

The annual French Film Festival is returning to the Irish Film Institute in Dublin for the 16^th time, starting on November 18 and continuing throughout the 29^th. This year’s festival program is packed with a wide diversity of well-known French filmmakers, as well as award winning actors and actresses.

Ever since the all time classic French film "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" was released back in 2001, we all know, French filmmakers have a good hand for combining outstanding soundtracks, with phenomenal script writing. So it's no wonder, the French Film Festival has expanded its roots and is now available in a total of five locations nationwide.

Due to the popular demand, the program at the IFI, which is also one of the principal funders, was expanded to an amount of 35 screenings, which is an increase of 6 films comparing to last year. “This reflects the quality of French films made in the last year and the appetite the audience has for French cinema,” states Ross Keane, the director of the Irish Film Institute.

With 17 Irish premieres, the French Fest is showing some of the biggest French films of the year and many haven’t been seen since the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, back in May.

This year’s French Fest features a lot of successful filmmakers from France and guest of honour Jacques Audiard. The Oscar nominated producer and filmmaker, will present his latest film “Dheepan” on Friday and will also be joining for a Q&A afterwards. There are several other occasions where Audiard will be part of the Festival, such as his master class on Saturday, which will be followed by the screening of his masterpiece “A prophet” on Sunday. 

With a sold out gala opening of the film “Standing Tall” last Wednesday, which featured leading lady and Parisian Catherine Deneuve, the festival is already off to a good start. The audience included a lot of French citizens, who have been part of the Festival for many years now and are overwhelmed by the success it has developed over the last century. French woman Gwen, who has been living in Ireland for 15 years now, returns for her 6th year and enjoys watching films from and around France, it is her “little check-up about the culture of France”, as she calls it.  

When we talked to IFI director Ross Kean, about what separates the French Fest from other film festivals happening at the IFI, he said: “We do many film festivals over the year, but the French is a very obvious one”, referring to the variety of successful films they can choose from and the strong presence French filmmakers had at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. 

The French Film Festival is also an ideal opportunity for non French-citizen to explore the French world of cinema and get in touch with professionals in the area. 

About the Festival

This year’s program covers a wide range of genres and will also contain the annual IFI family screening for kids over the age of 10.

Tickets are €10.50 per film but a variety of discounted packages are available such as: €40 for five films or €70 for a package of 10 films. All screenings are held at the Irish Film Institute, 6 Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. 

To find out more information about the French Film Festival, log on to Facebook and Twitter, or visit the IFI’s homepage: www.ifi.ie/frenchfest 

Dublin Vegfest 2015: bringing Vegan into Vogue

Experience vegan business, culture and food under one roof.

In celebration of world vegan day coming up, the first ever Vegfest is taking place at the F2 Centre at Reuben Plaza, Rialto, in Dublin 8 this Sunday, November 1. The festival offers a wide range of vegan products, information about the lifestyle as well as performances and workshops throughout the day. 

VEGANS ON THE RISE

“Not long ago, people said that Ireland was not ready for veganism. Well, it is now,” said Vegan Ireland press officer, Dr. Roger Yates and explains the growth of vegan groups all over the country: “A recent survey by Vegan Ireland showed that vegans were catered for in all 32 counties. We see this as a huge step forward towards making veganism a mainstream movement and philosophy.” Vegan Ireland’s Book Club, which is held bi-monthly at the Cornucopia Wholefoods Restaurant in Dublin, is becoming more popular than ever, giving vegans a place to exchange recipes and thoughts on and around their lifestyle. The change in lifestyle has become more accepted resulting in major coffee companies offering alternatives to dairy products or small food-markets like the Dublin Food-Cooperation, who are also selling a wide range in vegan alternatives in dairy and meat.  

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT 

The Vegfest is the ideal place for everyone who wants to know more about the vegan lifestyle and grab a few samples of cruelty free products. Besides the food stalls, the Vegfest offers classes with vegan athletes like Ireland’s first qualified Jivamukti yoga teacher Lee Tracey who trained with gurus and founder of the Jivamukti method Sharon Gannon and David Life. There will also be pole dancing classes available with two-time Irish National Solo Champion Terri Fierce as well as several personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches and nutritional advisors. Electric-playing cartoon pig “Pig Freud” will be performing a live solo at the Vegfest in support of grassroots regional vegan education projects.  Plus live demos will be held regarding the delicacies of raw food and Tim Barford will show the audience how to create the perfect and healthy smoothie recipe.

Dublin’s animal rights group  “National Animal Rights Assocition” which was founded back in 2007, will present their current campaigns and provide information tables and talks about actions for animals in Ireland. Member and activist Laura Broxon will be there to answer questions about the fur industry as well as several other animal based discussions.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL 

There will be free goodie bags available for the first 50 visitors. The event starts at 11 am this Sunday and is set to finish around 5 pm. Tickets for the day cost €8 online and €10 at the door. Free for Kids under the age of 12.

To find out more about Dublin’s first Vegfest log on to Facebook or visit their homepage: www.dublinvegfest.com

The true cost - die Wahrheit über Fast Fashion

Momentan befinde ich mich in einer dieser wissbegierigen Phasen, in der ich mich viel mit Dingen rund um mein tägliches Leben beschäftige.

In dieser rechercheintensiven Phase bin ich auf den Film bzw. die Dokumentation the true cost gestoßen. Mir wurde bewusst, wie wenig man wirklich über die Klamotten weiß, die man gerade trägt. Der Film beschäftigt sich mit der Textilproduktion von Billiglinien à la  H&M, Primark & Co. und dem System indem wir uns befinden. 

Ursprünglich war das System der Modeindustrie auf die bestehenden 4 Jahreszeiten angepasst, doch durch Materalisierung und wachsende Konsumgeilheit leben wir nun in modespezifischen "52" Jahreszeiten, mit permanent neuen Kollektionen. Das Erlebnis günstig einzukaufen, vermittelt uns das Gefühl, dass wir "Geld sparen", doch eigentlich macht uns dieser pausenlose Konsum ärmer als wir je waren. Wir kaufen Hosen, Shirts, Kleider die wir nicht brauchen weil sie uns das Gefühl vermitteln sie wären leistbar. Doch wer trägt den Preis dafür? NäherInnen aus Indien und anderen dritte Welt Ländern.  Ursprünglich sollte jeder von der Globalisierung profitieren, die "Armen" bekommen Arbeit und die "Reichen" bekommen günstig und schnell produzierte Mode. Die Idee war gut, doch die Umsetzung miserabel. 

Der ewige Preiskampf der Händler wird auf den Rücken der NäherInnen ausgetragen und schädigt durch die giftigen Abwasser die durch die Produktion entstehen, nicht nur die Stadt in der sie leben, sondern auch die Art wie sie leben. Die meisten bekommen einen Tagessatz von etwa 3$, im Vergleich wären etwa 160$  monatlich notwendig um sich und ihre Familien anständig versorgen zu können.

Als im April 2013 über 1000 Menschen bei dem Einsturz der Rana Plaza Nähfabrik in Indien ums Leben kamen, wurden die Medien erstmals auf die Missstände in Fabriken und  die erbärmlichen Arbeitsumstände aufmerksam. Doch genau wie andere Tragödien, werden diese von der Medienlandschaft bereits am nächsten Tag von Neuen ersetzt und sie geraten in Vergessenheit. 

Ich schreibe diesen Post nicht um mich als Moralapostel aufzuspielen, ich bin bei weitem nicht besser als alle anderen Konsumliebhaber. Doch wir können das besser! Würde jeder 3 Cent pro Kleidungsstück mehr zahlen,  könnte man den NäherInnen den Lebensunterhalt bieten, den sie verdienen. Dies klingt schön und gut, ist aber erst möglich wenn Händler wie H&M und Primark Verantwortung übernehmen und sich nicht mit nett-verfassten Stellungnahmen rausreden, sie wären nicht für die Wartung von Fabriken und für die Bezahlung der Angestellten zuständig. 

Hier der Trailer zum Film:

Fair Trade and Sustainability in Fashion

Sustainability has finally reached the fashion world and it’s on the rise! The amount of designers working with fairly traded materials has increased massively throughout the years and so has the buying audience. People are starting to become more aware and interested in where and under what circumstances their clothes are being produced. The controversial working conditions of seamstresses all over the globe are no longer left out.

High street brands like Zara and H&M already have taken a step in the right direction in producing their clothes under water saving techniques. Special organic collections like H&M’s “conscious collection” show that fair trade fashion doesn’t have to be expensive but still can be stylish at the same time. The Swedish brand even uploaded a list of its suppliers and talks about the fair living wage for seamstresses on their website. But still, we’ve got a long way to go.

Speaking with Astrid D. , a young feminist and environmental activist from Upper Austria, we learned what sustainability is really all about. The main focus lies on nature itself, sustainability makes sure all techniques and materials used tend to be as natural and raw as possible. The natural resources should not be exhausted completely, but allowed to grow normally without any interruption by humans. The goal is not to destroy or damage the environment. We take what we are given, but leave behind what is not meant for us. This theory might sound good while saying but is way harder to accomplish in the brutal reality that’s called economy.

Next to the nature aspect, the creation procedure of garments is also taking a big part in the fair trade vision. When we asked Astrid how she would describe the current sustainability market when it comes to fashion, she mentioned that the fast growing market especially sets its focus on recycling as well as upcyling already existing products.

“The process of recycling and turning an old shirt into this new beautiful dress, it is kind of a new modern form of art”

“They [the designers] acknowledge the natural resources we already have and try to make the best out of it” she explains, that’s why the process of designing and making the clothes is so different compared to other non sustainability designers. So it’s a wide known misbelief that fashion can’t be stylish and fair at the same time.

“The creativity level of sustainability designers is wider, they see things from a different point of view”

Even though the green activist thinks the alternative scene is growing and people are becoming more aware about the production of their clothing, sustainable fashion hasn’t reached the mainstream high streets just yet. “The field is growing and it definitely can reach out to a wider audience, but as of right now, I don’t think it has what it takes to become the next popular mainstream object”. Not because of its unique style or the higher price range, but because of the people who are still more attracted to cheap clothing and leaving their ethical principles at home when entering the next big shopping mall. This is based on the inherited laziness of humans and the aspect that sustainable fashion hasn’t fully reached its potential yet. “You have to shop at certain places or online stores to really have that size comparing selection you get when shopping in the big stores”. So the main issue is not the actual price, as often thought, but the availability.

This could easily be solved with bigger companies offering more fair trade or supportable collections or even the creation of an online shop that involves a higher number of sustainable designers. If we can provide a more effortless access for potential costumers, people would become more interested in buying.

However in the end it all starts and falls with the people. The demand is determined by the supply. If we manage to get into the consumer’s head, we can finally reach the goal of fair wages and the preservation and funding of natural resources.

At the same time we all know what makes your new dress even more beautiful. The knowledge that it has been produced with natural and fairly traded materials as well as the fact that it is supporting the seamstresses all over the world and their families. So why don’t we wear local, and think global?

A big thank you to Astrid D., a true nature girl with the unending devotion to make this world a greener place and people more aware of their consumption. Thank you Astrid, for this kind and thoughtful Interview.

Love & Loss - Fashion and Mortality @ Lentos Art Museum Linz, Austria

Even though Upper Austria (or Austria in general) is quite a small country, it has a lot to offer when it comes to cultural events. When I read the post, which was provided by the Vogue Germany Facebook page, that this fabulous fashion exhibition is coming to Linz, I was more than excited I was thrilled to be exact.

Nothing brings Love and Loss better together than the world of fashion. What today is loved can be thrown into the trashcan tomorrow and is lost forever. Trends can never actually achieve that mortality status, unless your name is Karl Lagerfeld and you are the head designer of Chanel, of course. People get rid of clothes everyday, not because they are no longer wearable, but they never reach the mortality level.

The exhibition is massively influenced by the 80s era till today which appears to be the generation of melancholy and living the attitude of rebellion. The experimental expression is mirrored by the dark paintings, which greet you in a mysterious way, while entering the exhibition. But at the same time the hall is full of light and filled with intense dark pigments.

Designers like Maison Margiela (formally known as Maison Martin Margiela) and Rei Kawakobu as well as other outstanding designers, show certain deformation can be part of the fashion concept and simultaneously be considered as a new form of art - it’s the mixture that really stands out here. Just like the now famously popular (and loved by the whole Kardashian clan) ripped jeans, which were first brought to life by designs of Margiela himself, show that deformation after all can be wearable and found in our own closets.

 

The new aesthetic is also dominated by Alexander McQueen, which is not surprising, considering his massive influence when it comes to the dark place called “creativity” in the fashion world. The fabrics used by the designers, which are displayed in the exhibition, are quiet odd and may seem inconvenient at first.

The “crying dress” from Mika Satomi and Hannah Perner-Wilson’s 2012 collection, better known as the collective duo called “Kobakant” who are collaborating since the mid 2000s, are famous for using electronics and their explorative use of textile crafts. The combination of LEDs with cotton, feathers with copper wire and silk with capacitors are expressing one criticism in mind,  the “high-tech” society we live in today. Against all odds, this beautiful and unique dress is still made to be wearable and continues the spirit that their pieces are made to “better fit our personal needs and desires”.

“The crying Dress”, Kobakant, 2012.

The exhibition sticks truly by its name as the dark colours, which without a doubt represent the “loss” part, surround you. The “love” part on the other hand, is not recognizable at first, as it comes in lots of different shapes and patterns. Or you might even love to lose, which would sum up both, the fashion aspect and the mortality, which comes within.

When I first saw the Viktor & Rolf piece “The Coral Dress” from the spring collection 2010, I was quiet shocked someone would destroy something so beautiful on purpose. But then I had to realize, there was no way this dress could ever reach mortality, it was doomed either way. They basically saved the piece from being destroyed, by destroying it first, in this case - with a chainsaw and the surprisingly very geometric outcome. This may sound overly poetic, but nonetheless that’s the exact feeling you get delivered in this exhibition, it’s a strong combination of melancholy and the dedication to black humour. The black humour aspect is especially based on the thought in the world of fashion everything needs to look neat and as close to perfection as possible.

However sometimes the rebels’ aesthetic can be the key to success. We more and more see models on the runway that don’t look like the other ones walking behind them, they let us focus on their uniqueness and combine it with the clothes and designers they are representing.

It is safe to say uniqueness in its own kind is the most fitting way to describe the Love and Loss Exhibition at the Lentos Art Museum. All those unique pieces next to each other may have a similar philosophy and intention behind it, but the designers express them in a different way and look. This is what makes them so special.

Note: If you’re a fashion or art enthusiast living near or in Austria, I highly recommend this exciting exhibition at the Lentos Museum of Art, Linz. (Entry cost: 8 Euros)