Text 14 Fame and Fashion. Jianni Versace

Jianni Versace believed in pushing to the limit. His leathers were sleazy, his dresses fit the body like a wet glove. His clothes eroticized, even prettified men, they imparted a tough edge to women. As a designer he could be titillating, outrageous, bombastic, vulgar, classic, avant-garde and, of course, wildly expensive. He became known as much for the way he presented his fashions – on the runway, in advertising and in lavish “image books”- as for the clothes themselves. His approach was always provocative, irreverent, even shocking.

Versace has made much being a “rock’n’ roll designer”. Certainly he had long made custom stage clothes for his musician friends, from Elton John’s Captain Fantastic look to the Artist Formerly Known as Prince’s satin jackets and snakeskin pants for the Gold Experience Tour.

But Versace’s vision went away beyond that Versace simply loved rock’n’ roll and the freedom that it stood for. His shows were staged like rock’n’ roll shows, with great pounding sountracks. Born in 1946 in the town of Ressio Calabra, in Italy, Versace was the son of a dressmaker. Like many other important designers, he learned to make clothes at an early age. He studied architecture but soon became involved in his career. He served as a buyer for his mother’s boutique business, worked for a series of ready-to-wear companies. His first solo men’s collection was in 1979. He also designed for women.

Halloween Night

by Michelle

The corpse that walks, its solemn line. The vampire stalks,  finds blood to dine. The werewolf howls at the silver moon. His human form  what's showing at noon. The mummy's cries of pain and loss. His wraps that smell of must and moss. The witch that flies, upon her broom casting curses and spelling doom. The black cat scurries, hisses and claws through the graveyard walks his paws.

Text 15

When you walk into number 4 Walpole Street, Chester, in the North of England, you have to be careful you don’t fall over the mountain bikes, sports bags and various pieces of sports equipment all over the hall. The house is occupied by five sports science students from University College, Chester, who eat, live and breathe sport. They work hard to keep fit. Karl, the canoeist, describes a typical day: “In the morning, we go for a run before breakfast, and then we have lectures at college. Then we go running again and or swimming, and then a quick lunch. In the afternoons we do coaching to earn some extra money, and evenings are spent in the gym or playing football”.

All five boys are obviously fit. But who is the fittest? We asked them to do a series of tests to find out the answer.

Father

by Jennifer S. Williams

When I scratched my knee, Or if I bumped my head,. When I was afraid of the dark, Or that thing under my bed, When I cried in the night, Or even in the day,. You were there for me, To make it all okay. You tickled my feet, And laughed at all my jokes. You taught me to believe, In having high hopes. You are my father You did what you had to do. But more than a father You are my friend too. You made everything good, That was once bad. I just want you to know I love you Dad.