Trekkies

Trekkies are avid fans of the sci-fi programme Star Trek. In 1967 the term ‘Trekkie’ was first used by sci-fi editor, Arthur Saha when he saw some fans of the first season (Star Trek: The Original Series) wearing pointy ears at the 25^th World Science Fiction Convention. In September of the same year, the first Star Trek fanzine, Spokanalia, was released and includes the first published fan fiction.

Conventions

Star Trek conventions happen all over the world and are a place for like-minded diehard Trekkies, or less obsessive Trekkers, to meet and share their enthusiasm for the show. Conventions will often have cast members from different Star Trek seasons or films making an appearance and offers fans the chance to meet them. Trekkies go all-out with costumes and super fans will try and get their costumes to be as similar to the originals as possible.

Here is the link to the BBC report of the UK’s first official Star Trek convention for over 10 years, where all five captains from across the TV show's 50-year history met for the second time ever. At the event, the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of fans dressed as Star Trek characters was broken (wish I had been there) and UK’s the first Klingon wedding took place.

INFLUENCES

Fashion

Star Trek and other sci-fi shows during the late 20^th century have had a huge influence on fashion. They inspired ultra-sharp tailoring, bold futuristic shapes and metallic colours on the catwalk. It’s played a part in fashion throughout the years, from the 70s to the present day.



Yves Saint Laurent Opium Advert. Image source: Fashion of The 70s, Taschen

British sci-fi series, UFO. Image source: www.saraisinlovewith.blogspot.co.uk

 

Fendi A/W '12. Image source: www.harpersbazaar.co.uk



Paco Rabanne A/W '12. Image source: www.harpersbazaar.co.uk

Giorgio Armani A/W '12. Image source: www.harpersbazaar.co.uk

YSL A/W '12. Image source: www.harpersbazaar.co.uk

Simone Rocha A/W '12. Image source: www.harpersbazaar.co.uk

Music

The Firm- Star Trekkin’

Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip- I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper
 



 

Spaceflight, Science & Technology

Star Trek has inspired several astronauts at NASA. Of these include Mae Jemison, the first female black astronaut. She explains that as a young girl, she "...always assumed [she] would go into space.” Nichelle Nichols was her motivation for joining NASA. Nichols had the role of Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek.  Jemison also had a part in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Lieutenant Palmer. She was the first ever real astronaut to ever appear on the show.

After seeing the medical scanner being used on Star Trek to see inside the body to determine health problems, a physicist wondered if this could be achieved in the real world. The MRI scanner was developed and is used widely in hospitals today to distinguish pathologic tissue (e.g. tumour) from normal tissue.

Wanting to explore the influence Star Trek had in creating modern technology and society’s expectations of the future of spaceflight, I contacted digital anthropologist, Lydia Nicholas and mathematician, Colin Wright. I asked them a few questions and they were happy that I published a few of them in this blog post.

Do you think that earlier series of Star Trek and other early space films (e.g. Star Wars) had any influence on what people thought the future of space exploration and technology would be like?

LN: Yes, very much so. Our tablets now look spookily like Picard's!

CW: Almost certainly, yes.  It's the geeks who drive technology, and they will be influenced by, and in some cases explicitly take inspiration directly from, the books and films they enjoy.  In the wider context, I wonder just how much people either know or care about anything beyond their own experiences.
 
Do you think we are seeing the end of human space flight/exploration and that this is now a job more suited to robots, e.g. the Mars Rover?

LN: Robots are just more cost effective for governments now. The billionaires will fix that in private spaceflight.

CW: No, and no. Elon Musk wants to go to Mars, and commercial offerings are opening up to send people to the Moon and bring them back.  Robots have their uses, but there are still things people do better.  And there will, I hope, always be people who want to push the boundaries and explore further.

Photo courtesy of www.trekkiegirls.blogspot.co.uk

No Trekkie blog post would be complete without an interview with a devoted Trekkie, so after much searching I found Trekkie Girls which is run by dedicated Star Trek fans, Sam and Carole. I contacted Sam who said she’d be happy to answer some questions for me. Here is the link to Trekkie Girls where you can read their blog, latest convention reports (including Destination Star Trek London) and the guide for how to survive a Star Trek convention.

When did you become a Trekkie and what sparked your interest in Star Trek?

I’ve been a fan as long as I can remember. I suppose it started because my parents were both fans of the original series and they started watching TNG as soon as it was broadcasted. I grew up watching that show. I think that means I inherited the spark and interest for the show.

Have you attended any Star Trek conventions? If so, do you go all out with the costumes?

I have attended lots of conventions. I do dress up now after seeing what a hoot fans have in the US when they go all out. I’d like to be more outgoing; I’d love to go Klingon one day

Which do you think is the best series of Star Trek?

I love them all dearly but TNG is my favourite. I think it’s like Picard said about loving your first command more than any other ship. The same is true with Star Trek series; the first one you watch tends to be the favourite.

Know any Klingon?

HISLaH! tIhIngan maH!

Do you have a favourite Star Trek quote?

Picard “Things are only impossible until they are not”

- I use it all the time!

You’ve done a lot of blogging and interviews on your website, Trekkie Girls - what’s been the highlight of your job? Have you ever been star struck when meeting cast members?

Carole and I have had a blast doing Trekkie Girls. We get Star struck all the time. Anytime we meet anyone from Star Trek we get crazy excited. My highlight would be interviewing William Shatner at Destination Star Trek London. I couldn’t believe my luck!

What’s your most memorable interview?

Probably Chase Masterson because she was the first person we had ever interviewed We were nervous but she put us at ease and we felt so privileged after. It helped us get the confidence to keep doing what we are doing.

A teaser poster/trailer for ‘Star Trek into Darkness’ has recently been released. Excited? How do you think the new films compare to the older series?

Very excited! I think the new films are very different to the older series. They are designed to get the maximum viewing numbers at the cinema but they still keep the Trek franchise alive and more accessible for old fans and new.

Do you think that earlier series of Star Trek had any influence on what people thought the future of space exploration and technology would be like?

There was definitely an influence and also an inspiration for many professionals entering that field. That is evidenced with the naming of the first Shuttle as Enterpise and Astronauts like Mae Jemison who give Star Trek as their inspiration.

Geekiest thing you’ve ever done?

When I got married I walked down the aisle to the theme of TNG!

Photo Shoot

For the final part of this subculture project, I had to style a photo shoot based around my chosen subculture. A futuristic look was a must and I decided to half base it on the I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper video, half sci-fi. Time for shopping. I wanted leggings in shiny, metallic or bold colours. Done. Star Trek t-shirts? Not so easy to find in high street shops. Most of the collections are still producing Marvel & DC things after The Avengers and latest Batman film. So I had my Fantastic Four comic book style shirt coupled with bright blue leggings and INSANE 70s platform boots I hired from Angels for my first look and Bowie t-shirt with gold leggings and the same boots for the second. Now for the location. Somewhere futuristic, modern, simple... SCIENCE MUSEUM!! (Any excuse to go). Here are the photos from the shoot.

Thanks to Trekkie Girls, Lydia Nicolas and Colin Wright for helping with the interviews and to Violet who modelled and let me borrow her camera.

Rockabilly

Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll, dating back to the early 1950s. It originated mainly in the Southern USA (noteably Tennessee and Memphis) and is a mixture of rock and roll and country music. Influences include: western swing; boogie woogie; rhythm and blues.

The name ‘rockabilly’ is an amalgamation of ‘rock’ from rock and roll and ‘billy’ from hillbilly. This style of music was known in the 40s and 50s as ‘hillbilly’ music. ‘Rockabilly’ is a fairly modern phrase.

 

Examples of Rockabilly artists include:

•  Wanda Jackson- worked with Elvis early on in her career, he encouraged her to play rockabilly. During 1960-64 Jackson was nicknamed ‘Queen of Rockabilly’.

 

• The Maddox Brothers and Rose- began what was known as the ‘Hillbilly Boogie’- hillbilly vocals and boogie baseline. They were the leading edge of rockabilly with the slapped bass Maddox had developed. They were lively and loud onstage which loosened up the traditional motions of stage decorum. Younger artists began to follow this behaviour. Some believe that they were the first ‘rockabilly’ group

 

Influence on the British

 

First wave was Teddy Boys but later in the 60s this morphed into rockers- t shirt, jeans, leather jacket

Image source: Google Images

 





Image source: Google Images

 

The Beatles- Combined Buddy Holly’s music style with the rock sound of Carl Perkins

 

Image source: Google Images

 

Image source: Google Images

 

The Rolling Stones- recorded ‘Not Fade Away’ on every single

 

Image source: Google Images



 

 

The Who- although a mod favourite, they started as a Teddy boy band

 

Image source: Google Images

Image source: Google Images

Other artists include Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Beck has performed with modern rockabilly artist, Imelda May.

Image source: Google Images

There are many branches of rockabilly, one of which is Psychobilly. Starting in the late 70s in England, it fuses punk rock with rockabilly. Psychobilly normally features lyrics about sci-fi, horror, violence and other taboo topics, but presented in a comedic fashion.

Image source: Google Images

Rockabilly Fashion

Image source: Google Images

Image source: Google Images

Image source: Google Images

Image source: Google Images

Rockabilly Hair & Make up

Image source: Google Images

Image source: Google Images

Image source: Google Images

Image source: Google Images

DOVER STREET MARKET

As soon as you set foot Dover Street Market, you know it’s a modern, stylish shop for the fashion conscious. The brains behind the concept of the shop and also the director, is Rei Kawakubo. This was her aim for DSM:

    "I wanted to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision."

Over the 5 floors, the chaos becomes apparent after seeing even just a snapshot of each floor. The basement is more of a warehouse, with brick walls, iron railings and a yellow porta-loo, the second floor is a sea of beech and pinewood, with everything displayed in square or rectangular box shelves and the fourth floor is home to the Rose Bakery. It’s a small café with shared seating and fresh food, not the sort of thing you’d usually find in an exclusive fashion shop. It has that same cosy feel to it that Food for Thought in Covent Garden does. The coffees are reasonably priced, but it’s the sort of place you’d go to for a special occasion lunch, not somewhere you’d eat every day.

The shop is very relaxed for a high end fashion retailer. They’ve taken a risk with the chaotic and sometimes hectic décor, but they’ve pulled it off brilliantly. It’s cool, current and very quirky which is appealing to younger people nowadays. The staff are very friendly too- comparing them to shop assistants in other high end fashion shops, they’re welcoming, chatty and don’t judge you if you’re young and can’t afford all these lovely (but bloody expensive) clothes. The only downside is that they have a strict ‘no photos’ rule which is a shame, because some of the displays in the shop are incredible. If the shop does suspect that you’re snapping certain floors, the shop assistants will follow you round, trying to catch you. Ninja photography is essential in these places...

Now to the clothes. *Sigh* rails and rails of beautifully designed garments, each designer hanging in its own individual way. E.g. Céline are at an angle, so you can stand back and look at each item without having to rummage through the rails. The best thing about the displays? ONE of each item. Not two, or three, or dozens *coughTopshopcough*, just one. This means no clutter, no overcrowding on the rails having to yank other garments out of the way, just clean and simple rails. The range of designers in DSM is huge. From Alexander McQueen to Z Zegna, they have great variety. However, Comme des Garçons remains the main brand, with collections scattered throughout the shop.

1 improvement to shop: Iron the shirts. Nothing worse in a high end fashion shop than shirts with HUGE price tags that aren’t ironed.

Favourite aspect of shop: T SHIRT VENDING MACHINE. Need I say more?

PART ONE: Fashion Shop Blog

Here is my first post for Generic Fashion module! It takes a selection of fashion shops from around London and describes my thoughts about each one.

Selfridges

 

 

Location:	400 Oxford Street, London, W1A 1AB
Shop Front:	Giant Yayoi Kusama figure above the entrance. Window displays show Kusama and Louis Vuitton collaboration.
Décor:	Shiny surfaces EVERYWHERE. Modern and give a sense of luxury. High ceilings, large escalators, grand pillars and balconies looking down onto the centre of the ground floor.
Clothes Range:	Mix of high street and high end fashion. Menswear, womenswear and kids fashion.
Target Market:	Fashion conscious rich people and tourists. Also young people for the high street brands and if they want to be seen with the yellow bag.
Price:	£££
?/10:	9/10

 

Urban Outfitters

 

 

Location:	38 Kensington High Street, W8
Shop Front:	Bright, welcoming. Window displays both home ware and fashion collections.
Décor:	Exposed wires and concrete walls coupled with the clothing displays make the shop seem run-down but trendy. Upstairs is more homely with pastel coloured walls and abstract lighting. Interiors based on a warehouse.
Clothes Range:	Wide range of designers for menswear and womenswear.
Target Market:	Young, relaxed, fashion conscious people.
Price:	££
?/10:	8/10

 

Liberty

 

 

Location:	Regent Street, London, W1B 5AH
Shop Front:	Tudor building with classic black structured beams.
Décor:	Wood. Lots of it. Floors, walls, everywhere. But beautifully carved and gives a sense of grandeur to the shop. Historic theme runs through the shop, but is brought up to date with modern quirks, such as colourful paper aeroplanes hanging from the ceiling of the menswear section.
Clothes Range:	Designer menswear, womenswear and accessories.
Target Market:	Rich people with more money than sense.
Price:	£££
?/10:	7/10

 

Browns

 

 

Location:	38-39 South Molton St, London
Shop Front:	1-3 mannequins in each window, each wearing a different designer, each striking a different pose.
Décor:	Cream walls, neutral colours. Not cramped, but low ceilings make it seem not very spacious.
Clothes Range:	Designer menswear and womenswear.
Target Market:	Rich people who aren’t bothered by price tags.
Price:	£££
?/10:	6/10

 

Browns Focus

 

 

Location:	38-39 South Molton St, London W1K 5RN
Shop Front:	Window display shows bright colourful fashion illustrations of key figures in the fashion world.
Décor:	Mirrored surfaces reflect light so shop doesn’t appear too dark. Blacks and mirrored surfaces.
Clothes Range:	Designer.
Target Market:	Young fashion lovers who want the next big thing and have a bit of an attitude.
Price:	£££
?/10:	9/10

 

Dover Street Market

 

 

Location:	17-18 Dover Street London W1S 4LT
Shop Front:	Simple black font with block house logo.
Décor:	Chaotic- different theme on every floor, but it works well.
Clothes Range:	Designer womenswear and menswear.
Target Market:	Fashion conscious people with lots of money.
Price:	£££
?/10:	9/10 (it has a t-shirt vending machine)

 

Oxfam Boutique

 

 

Location:	245 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SE
Shop Front:	Black background with white writing and Oxfam logo- simple.
Décor:	High ceilings, bright lights. Well spaced out for a small shop. Still smells like a charity shop. Even if it is just a slightly more expensive one.
Clothes Range:	Wide range of designers, mainly womenswear.
Target Market:	Fashion conscious people who want designer quality at cheaper prices.
Price:	£
?/10:	8/10

 

Matches

 

 

Location:	85 Ledbury Rd, London W11
Shop Front:	Simple font, large clear window, 4 mannequins all in the same poses, ordered.
Décor:	Mirrors- give the illusion of a larger shop. Simple, open layout.
Clothes Range:	Designer womenswear and accessories.
Target Market:	Rich fashion conscious people.
Price:	£££
?/10:	9/10

 

Topshop

 

 

Location:	216 Oxford Street, Marylebone London, W1D 1LA
Shop Front:	Bright, arrows and large window displays make it engaging to customers.
Décor:	Mirrors, lots of lighting and displays. Lots of rails, lots of walkways, very busy.
Clothes Range:	Womenswear, menswear, collaborations with designers. Too many clothes/designs.
Target Market:	Young adults who have a strong interest in fashion.
Price:	££
?/10:	7/10

 

Bluebird

 

 

Location:	350 Kings Road, London, SW3 5UU
Shop Front:	Simple font, welcoming. Art Deco/vintage feel to it.
Décor:	Quirky features- light bulb ceiling in menswear, old bookshelves and cabinets for displays. High ceilings, very spacious.
Clothes Range:	Menswear, womanswear, more individual style garments.
Target Market:	Rich people, individual style. People who don’t follow the crowd.
Price:	£££
?/10:	9/10

 

Absolute Vintage

 

 

Location:	15 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR
Shop Front:	Original, bright, British.
Décor:	Scarves and clothes pinned to walls, unusual. High ceiling, cluttered, narrow walkways, musty smell.
Clothes Range:	Lots crammed into a small space. Menswear, womenswear and lots of shoes all over the floor.
Target Market:	People with an individual style, who like vintage clothing and want reasonably priced, good quality clothing.
Price:	££
?/10:	5/10

 

Acne

 

 

Location:	Dover Street, London, W1S 4LN
Shop Front:	Simple, modern, stylish. 2 mannequins and a Grecian vase. One mannequin has a picture of a Greek bust as a head.
Décor:	Yellow piano at the front of the shop. Table with fashion books and magazines. Mirrored cabinets made the room appear bigger. Open, spacious, light.
Clothes Range:	Range of womenswear, different garments on rails.
Target Market:	People with money and good taste in fashion, follow current designs and have an individual style.
Price:	£££
?/10:	8/10

 

Net-a-porter.com

 

 

Location:	Online
Shop Front:	Eye-catching layout, simple. Black text white background. Sophisticated.
Clothes Range:	Wide range of high end designer womenswear, shoes, accessories and gifts.
Target Market:	Women who don’t have the time to go shopping, but have money and are looking to spend it on good quality designer items.
Price:	£££
?/10:	9/10

 

Burberry Brit

 

 

Location:	41-42 King Street, Covent Garden, London
Shop Front:	Simple menswear and womenswear display. Black shop front with white writing. Simple and sophisticated.
Clothes Range:	Burberry menswear, womenswear and accessories.
Décor:	Columns, good lighting, built-in shelving. Spacious, wooden floor, high ceiling, black and cream interiors.
Target Market:	People who search for high quality, current fashion.
Price:	£££
?/10:	8/10