Our adventurous savant, Zach Stone gives us a peek into Oxford life and the traditions that surround dining and dressing for dinner...
"The formal halls and dinners are Oxford institutions, as venerable as the Rad Cam, evensong or G&D’s. Some colleges take it very seriously, holding a formal hall every night and requiring those desirous to attend to do so in gown and appropriate attire. Other colleges, like Wadham, have done away with the ‘formal’ hall on all but special occasions. Some are notorius for great settings, but horrid food—that’s right Christ Church, I’m looking at you—others for their Michelin starred chef and copius portions, Worcester students are forever indebted to Lord Sainsbury, and still others, like Univ, for their pomp and circumstance, down to an intermidably long Latin prayer which seems to border on inquisition. Some formals are so well regarded, it behoves one to cultivate a friendship with members of that college for the sole purpose of exploitation (any Worcester-ites out there?). Either way, getting overdressd to eat nice food and drink on your friends tab is an integral part of the Oxford experiance.
My formal hall experiance is actually quite limited having only dined at Exeter College, University College, Christ Church College, Wadham College, Oriel College, and St. Cross College. Each has their own quirky perks. Oriel is always a decadent affair, although that may have more to do with the company I keep than the hall itself, and St. Cross was light, comfortable, and delicious, completely without pretense. Univ makes one feel the solemn weight of being the oldest college, while the couterpoint between Wadham’s statlely hall and our gown free counter-culture vibe makes for an interesting contrast. Christ Church was memorable for the sparkling company and jaw dropping atmosphere—the Buttery has to be the most atmospheric college bar—and the bland food, and Exeter for the lovely grounds providing a wonderful post meal stroll.
Food and atmosphere aside, conversation makes or breaks a hall. We too seldom, especially in America, experiance enforced community. At hall you sit on long benches with everyone, not at an isolated table of just your friends. Drink, salad, vegatables and condiments are communal and passed around, like at home, and the long meal provides ample time to chat, catch up, flirt, or talk shop. While many Oxford memories will linger long in my memory, among the fondest will be moments from these myriad dinners, such as Jameson and I inventing a new philosophical term over pudding: Obtizzle, i.e. something which is both possible and awesome. Such as formal hall, in Oxford."
More from Zach (you really should check out his blog)
My clothing is wearable & comfortable; staple pieces that would never date. I have a preference for using 100% natural fibers in my collection because they tend to sit well against the body and are comfortable to wear.
What would you like them to know about you?
I am a stylist as well as a menswear designer. This so happens to be my day job that helps me fund my menswear line. After hours or on my days off, I am working on my menswear label, “janemow”.
How has your design work shaped you personally?
I believe Design is 10% about ideas and drawings. The rest of it comes down to problem solving. I feel as if I’ve personally developed in that way. I am more of a problem solver now than I use to be. I’ve developed quite a creative imagination and have the tendency to “think outside the square”.
What do you hope to achieve/accomplish?
My ultimate goal is to have quality menswear label that has a global presence.
Why black/charcoal?
It’s a personal preference to the way I design. I prefer not to be distracted by color or prints. I like garments to be timeless. For me, black is time-less and will never date.
How has your Nationality shaped your work?
I don’t think my nationality has influenced my work. I am Fijian and I moved to New Zealand with my family when I was 15. Over the years, I think I’ve been more influenced by my peers, my friends and especially my travels. In my 2nd year of study, doing my Bachelor of Design in Fashion, I had the opportunity to go on a student exchange to Amsterdam, Holland. This experience pushed my beliefs on menswear. Not only did I want to create directional menswear, I wanted to still keep its integrity and be wearable.
What are your future plans/ next steps?
The initial stages at the moment is promoting and getting people aware of the label. I think small steps are key, so I’m looking at releasing men’s accessories such as ties, bow ties, pocket squares in the next couple of months. My year’s plan is to focus on developing my graduate collection so I can be ready for actual production next winter.
Who do you have in mind when you design?
A male version of me! I tend to think “if I was a guy, what would be really useful in my wardrobe?” I tend to think like a stylist when I’m designing. Putting outfits together. Creating a working story, where garments are versatile and can be worn with any outfit within the collection. Whether you’re wearing a two-piece outfit or you have an outfit of 6 layers. It has to practical, wearable and versatile.
How can we get our hands on your fantastic garments???
They’re going to be available online next winter. I will definitely be emailing Culture Keeper as soon as the collection is up!
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Blake Jacobson is a Midwestern boy-turned So Cal dweller who is currently rocking the fashion blog-o-sphere. With a style that is famously monochromatic, Blake keeps his look simple and versatile. Perhaps that is what makes his style so dynamic. He sources high and low end (Chanel and H+M), and re-imagines his clothing for each outfit. His wardrobe is a great reminder that it is totally acceptable to hone your style to a succinct statement. Sometimes we seem to be told that we have to be able to exist in many styles. As a result, our wardrobe ends up being an un-usable mix of clothing that does not even represent our own tastes. But Blake knows what he likes, keeps it simple, and rocks it. Knowing your style will save you time and money, folks. Blake may be shopping on an Art Student budget- but the versatility of his choices helps him make the most of it. I am a huge fan of his style- black with more black or perhaps charcoal- helps you dress with ease and comfort whilst still looking runway-ready.
Perhaps travel weariness and church fatigue after 2 weeks traveling in Europe contributed, as well as the steep entrance fee, but even still, Aya Sofia lacked something. Converted to a mosque in 1453 when Mehmet II conquered Constantinople, it suffered at the hands of the Ottomans. Ideologically opposed to representational art, its frescos and mosaics were plastered over and only remnants remain today. Additionally the Arabic script and medallions still mar the ancient Cathedral despite Ataturk’s secularization of it as a museum after WWI.
Still, though, not even its adultured state accounts for the lack of impact it had on me. Disappointed we headed down the street to the Blue Mosque, the chief Mosque of Istanbul. Facing each other across a long garden, the two invite comparisons, and in truth in many of Istanbul’s finest mosques one can’t help but notice their attempts to match Justinian’s marvel. The Blue Mosque, though, unlike Hagia Sophia, is not a museum, but a functioning house of worship. While free to visit, visitors are asked to remove their shoes, cover their heads- if women-, and restrict their visit so as not to disturb those praying.
Where the Hagia Sophia failed to make any emotive or ethical impact on me, the Blue Mosque was deeply moving, and seeing an Asian tourist blatantly disrespecting the Mosque’s requests for respect was equally upsetting. It struck me then, the difference between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. On is dead, the other is not.
When Ataturk thought he could blithly turn the Hagia Sopia into a museum and thus not only retain but also memorialize its significance he was deeply misguided. Mosques, Church, and houses of worship are not like other buildings, they cannot simply be turned into museums with out a serious loss of identity. The feeling one gets when entering a house of prayer is the feeling of being called upon, of facing a direct challenge to one’s own sense of self and other. By functioning as houses of prayer and worship, churches and mosques make implicit demands that museums do not. The offense of the anonymous Asian tourist was that she treated the Blue Mosque as if it was a museam, a commodity for her consumption as a tourist. No doubt she just walked over from the Hagia Sopia, but failed to realize that the Blue Mosque is different. Not because it is specifically a Mosque, but because it is specifically not a museum.
All the Hagia Sopia asks for is 20 YTL, about $15 a head, and for that you get walk into a room that used to be the center of the world, but now is just a very old, very empty building. The Blue Mosque is free, but demands your respect and mediates the terms of your visit. It is not possible to offend the Hagia Sophia, it is too long dead. You can do what you like in the Hagia Sophia, nobody cares as long as you pay the fee and don’t do anything to damage the asset, in a way, lady Wisdom has become a whore hawking her wares on the streets under the disapproving stare of the Blue Mosque. "
Read more of Zach's Blog: Someday Never Comes
These are a few of the things I am loving for spring. A bit Dutch, and a bit tribal. A splendid mixture of styles and colors. Bright meets pastel. Northern Hemisphere meets Southern. This is a great season for short shorts, tribal jewelry, and discreet tattoos.
