The world can be quite a challenging
place at times. Politics? We are staying out of that subject right now. Here at
Team Fake Bake we try, on our Blog, to talk about points of interest
whether it’s tanning trends, what we are watching, what we adore style-wise and
who we admire. We love spying online and at social media, but when one certain
publication lands at our Head Office, we never get tired of arguing who gets a
first look.
British Vogue September Issue 2019
Who doesn’t want to devour the world’s
most famous style-bible? Since Edward Enninful took over as
Editor-In-Chief two years ago, the magazine has changed totally, whilst still
managing to stay true to some of its elements and traditions. And this month, HRH
The Duchess of Sussex has guest edited the edition and been involved with
handpicking the cover stars and the magazine’s content. Leave the tabloid
headlines about MM behind. She’s definitely done a great job here.
The September Issue has traditionally been about bringing us all of the news
about Autumn/Winter trends. It still does that. But in a time when we already
saw the shows live on our laptops months ago, we no longer have to wait for
magazines to give round-ups. Yes, we love seeing how they put everything
together, but that format of pages of ads mixed with pages of editorial snaps
is definitely changing. Now, to stay relevant, magazines have to do so much
more than that. British Vogue’s September Issue is absolutely on the
money when it comes to standing for change.
And here’s why we love it, and who is
featured…..
Matt Haig on his brilliant perspective
on beaches and bodies.
Brene Brown on social media
navigation.
Jameela Jamil on campaigning for self
acceptance.
The backstories of all 15 cover stars
including Adwoa Aboah, Ramla Ali and Sinead Burke. All different and incredible
women.
After reading it from cover-to-cover,
as a team we talked about how our own landscape is changing. When Fake Bake
first came to the UK back in the day, in 2002, it wasn’t just a business
idea. True, the market for self tans was tinier by comparison then, but in Sandra
Vaughan, who pioneered its launch, it was more than just a fake tan in a
bottle. Having witnessed the terrible effects of over-use of sunbeds, Sandra
wanted to provide an alternative for those who wanted a golden glow whilst
having healthy skin. She was the first to pioneer a campaign to get rules and
regulations around sunbeds changed, and her Save Your Skin campaign was
the first of its kind. She wanted to take on big brands and corner offices and
the world.
The daughter of an independent and
business-minded lady herself, Sandra started off small and put in the hours,
weeks, months and years that a new business needs to even get a head start. She
employed the best people she could find, and championed in particular her
female employees. She didn’t particularly want to go down the route of huge
advertising campaigns, or have the brand associated with a particular type of
famous name or customer.
Everyone was welcome.
Sandra spearheaded two successful Real
Women Fake It campaigns, where
the brand searched the UK looking for everyday heroines to star as faces of the
brand.
Even as we put together these pieces
each week, we are aware of how our language and imagery is changing. Looking
good is no longer just about the exterior: you have to feel good inside
before work on the outside commences. When we talk about relationships and
romance, boy-meets-girl is not the only option. ‘Model’ no longer means just
someone who is 5ft 10 inches, a size 4, and under 21, although if you are any
of those: good for you! We genuinely talk about the pressures placed on us all
by what we see in the media. None of us is immune.
When we took our recent trip to Ibiza, the bloggers and influencers who came with us weren’t all
standard ‘Insta models’ either. Beauty doesn’t end when you are 25, have a
baby, don’t have a baby, lose weight, put on weight, or go through any life
changes that are coming your way. And beauty isn’t just an identikit ‘look’ that
used to stalk the Victoria’s Secret runway.
The Victoria’s Secret catwalk show has
just been cancelled for 2019. Brands are beginning to understand not just
what they are selling, but what we are asking for.
As a brand, Fake Bake has always
had a hint of fun about it. We’ve been in Vogue. We’ve been in the Geordie
Shore house. We can do London Fashion Week and a Friday night out in
Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds or Liverpool. We can feature in a super-luxe glossy
and be the spray tan you opt for when you feel like you just need a bit if a
beauty boost.
We don’t make daft claims. We don’t
aim to change the world in one go. We want you to look your absolute best if
having a bit of a glow is where you are at, but we are glad that in 2019 YOU
get to choose what beauty looks like.
And beauty is so much more than an
Insta image. It’s the absolute joy you get when you get a text from your bestie
which makes you laugh, or a Whatsapp group chat that makes you howl. It’s
realising your grandparents were young once, when you talk to them what life
was like back in their day. It’s knowing that life doesn’t fall apart if you
fail an exam, or your driving test, or someone you have fallen in love with
doesn’t feel the same. It’s when you
know that money might buy some nice stuff, but the truly good stuff is what
happens when the great people show up when you need help with something, or
when they share your good news when everything feels like it is going right.
As a team, and a brand, of course we
want to keep innovating and creating as we are here to do a job, and we want to do the best one
we can: but it’s for you. And we are all ears. Talk to us on any of our
social media channels and tell us what you think. We want to represent
everyone who feels like they have a home with us, and invite new peeps through
the door any time.
We are never going to stop talking
about reality telly and shoes and festivals and hair trends. These things may
not give us life but, if you take them all lightly, they can add a bit of joy
and a few talking points to your world.
What we are learning to do is to make
them right-sized. We are never going to secure world peace with the invention
of a tan corrector, but let’s just say, if we can solve a streaky ankle
situation, every little helps in our increasingly complicated lives. We started
off with three products back in the day, with a marketing budget that wouldn’t
buy a few rounds of drinks but with ambition, hope, a work ethic and a
feet-on-the-ground-but-aim-for-the-stars attitude. We have been through lots
of changes, but as a brand, we are still here.
We are still learning, and we keep
moving along right beside you. We have always prided ourselves on being a
brand that has no snobbery involved, and while that makes us quite
different in our own way, the fact that we are still thriving nearly two
decades later says a lot.
Stick with us, every single one of
you. Diversity to us means simply that: nobody is excluded, and we all have
more issues than Vogue, don’t we? So maybe this week, spend a little bit less
time worrying about what you look like and a little bit more time actually
appreciating all that you are. If you want to throw a bit of Tanning Water on
before you hit your hols, then go for it, but then get your bikini on and get
to it. Life’s too short to give yourself a hard time about, literally,
anything.
And, just for the record, the member
of the team who wrote this is not an HRH. But she is demanding the best
biscuits we’ve got left, another tea brought to her and an extra ten minutes on
her break as all of this power editing is just exhausting her, apparently.
Royalty? It’s gone to her head already…..
British Vogue is now available at all reputable news
retailers
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involved - we are here to listen to all of your suggestions
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