LeftLion Magazine #145

Nottingham’s Anjli Mohindra Talks Vigil, the Television Workshop and What’s Next for Her Career

Fresh from starring in Vigil, one of the BBC’s most popular series ever, and Munich: The Edge of War, one of Netflix’s most...

6 Nottingham Musicians Discuss Their Trademark Fashion Styles

27 March 22

We hear from some of the city's leading musicians to discover how they choose their outfits for the stage...

Nottingham Fashion Designer Rebekah Peters Lifts the Lid on Her Iconic Clothing Made From Preloved Bedsheets and Curtains

22 March 22

Notts' own Rebekah Peters is helping to lead the way in the preloved fashion game. We catch up with her to find out more…

We Take a Trip to Cluny Lace, the Last Traditional Lace Maker in the UK

19 March 22

It probably isn’t too much of a stretch to say that lace put Nottingham on the map, the industry reaching its height in the 1890s. But today just one traditional lace manufacturer survives. Utilising the same Leavers machines used in the 1840s, Cluny Lace in Ilkeston has been run by a member of the Mason family for over three centuries. Lizzy O’Riordan visited the factory to talk to Kate Knight and learn more about their history, the intricate process of creating Leavers lace, and how it feels to be the last traditional lace maker in the UK…

Nottingham-Born Influencer Lauren Black Lifts the Lid on Social Media’s Impact on Body Image and Mental Health

16 March 22

We chat to Lauren Black, an influencer from Nottingham with over 120,000 followers on Instagram, about the potential mental health challenges for models online, how she’s using her own platform for good, and her work on BBC documentary The Instagram Effect, which explores the darker side of an ever-expanding digital world…

How Notts Photographer Lucie Nechanická’s Book I Didn’t Ask For It Is Breaking Stereotypes Around Sexual Harassment

14 March 22

Tired of the victim blaming narrative around sexual harrasment, photography student Lucie Nechanická created I Didn’t Ask For It - the photobook chronicling sexual harrasment in Nottingham. We chat to the budding photographer about breaking stereotypes, better sex education, and her process behind making the book…

Notts Sneaker Heads Discuss the Boom of the Trainer Industry

12 March 22

It’s hard to imagine a time when trainers weren’t everywhere you looked. For most of us, figuring out which sneakers to wear is just as, if not more important than, the rest of our outfit. But from an engineering breakthrough of fusing canvas and vulcanised rubber together in the early twentieth century to a multi-billion-dollar global business, the sneaker industry has taken over the world in a relatively short time. And Nottingham is no exception – walk down any high-street in the city and you’ll see multiple retailers flogging the latest creps, with queues forming outside some of the biggest brands before they open on most days. Footwear fan Isabella Read talks to some of Nottingham’s biggest sneaker heads to find out more about trainer culture in the city…

Drag Queen Kitty Tray Chats Fashion, Consent and Making a Statement

08 March 22

Ditching high-heels and corsets for fluffy slippers and baby doll dresses, Kitty Tray has never been one to follow the usual trends in drag fashion. We catch up with Ashley Cross to talk sausage necklaces, how he goes about choosing what his drag alter-ego will wear, and why Kitty Tray refuses to be a dedicated follower of fashion…

Omid Djalili Discusses Comedic Inspirations, Finding His Voice and Performing All Over the World

04 March 22

He’s performed stand-up comedy all over the globe, starred in hit West End shows and has a filmography that includes The Mummy, Spy Game and being one of the last people to act with Oliver Reed in Gladiator. But as he enters his 26th year as a comedian, Omid Djalili has emerged from the pandemic as a changed man. We caught up with the award-winning stand-up ahead of his appearance at the Nottingham Playhouse to find out more…

How Nottingham’s White Rose Are Changing the Preloved Fashion Game

01 March 22

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ll no doubt have spotted a number of White Rose shops peppering Nottingham’s high streets. We caught up with Commercial Director and Co-founder Grace Walker to find out how their popular shops are changing people’s perceptions of charity shops and preloved clothing, while helping to raise funds to transform lives through Aegis Trust…

Overheard in Notts

From Jimmy Carr to The Muppets, here's what you've been chatting about this month...

Out of Time: Katie Seymour, the Nottingham-Born Pioneer of the Skirt Dance

28 March 22

In celebration of our fashion issue, we take a look at the short, remarkable life of Katie Seymour, the Nottingham-born music hall star and pioneer of the world-famous skirt dance…

The Thompsons on Style, Sir Keir Starmer and Dressing as Twins

26 March 22

Nottingham's most opinionated grocers on...

Food Review: Homemade Cafe

25 March 22

We take a trip to Forest Rec for a slice of cake - the finest sweet treat of them all...

DiY Collective Veteran Harry Harrison Discusses His New Book, Dreaming in Yellow, and the Importance of Rave Culture

23 March 22

We chat to Harry Harrison, founding member of DiY Collective and author of new book Dreaming in Yellow: The Story Of The DiY Soundsystem, which takes a look back at rave culture...

6 of the Best Sustainable Fashion Stores in Nottingham

20 March 22

With fast fashion brands now jumping on the environmental bandwagon, how can we really tell which clothes are actually sustainable? Emilie Mendham explores…

A Personal Shopper in Notts

17 March 22

A personal shopper in Notts talks us through picking outfits, working with clients, and why their job might not be exactly what you think...

We Hear About the Importance of One Thoresby Street as They Begin Their Search for a New Home

15 March 22

As their time at the iconic location looks set to come to an end, Arts Editor Alex Stubbs explores the important creative hub that is One Thoresby Street…

Nadia on... the Arts

13 March 22

In her monthly LeftLion column, Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, discusses issues affecting both Nottingham and Westminster. This month, she talks about the importance of the arts...

We Hear All About Confetti X, the Groundbreaking £5 Million Esports Venue Coming to Nottingham

10 March 22

We catch up with Richard Barber and Gin Rai of Confetti to find out more about the world of esports, their new £5 million venue, Confetti X, and how you can get involved…

Under Cover Artist: Emmy Lupin

07 March 22

Emmy Lupin has illustrated for the likes of Adidas and SEGA, as well as clocking up her fair share of LeftLion doodles over the years with her bright, bold and stylish aesthetic. So when it came to deciding who should illustrate the cover of our fashion issue, the choice was unanimous...

How Castle Rock Brewery and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Are Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of Their Partnership

03 March 22

Just over two decades ago, an unlikely friendship between Castle Rock Brewery and the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust was formed. We chat to Erin McDaid, the Trust’s Head of Communications and Marketing, and Liv Auckland, Head of Brand and Communications at the Brewery, all about it…

Food Review : Pho

02 March 22

New to the streets of Nottingham - we check out Carlton Street's Pho

Notts Designer Evie Ashwin Explains How She’s Helping to Increase Inclusivity in the Fashion Industry

05 February 22

As Vogue’s Emily Farra puts it, for all the fashion industry’s growing commitment to promoting accessibility on the basis of race, gender, sexuality and size, consideration for the disabled community is still “what’s missing in fashion’s inclusivity movement”. Yet Nottingham Trent University graduate Evie Ashwin is helping to correct this oversight, using her skills to make adaptive clothing so everyone can feel comfortable and confident in what they wear…

Confetti - Do It For Real