Being a young person in Islington isn't all it seems!

You’ve just graduated from university and you’re looking to rent your own place. One of the boroughs you’re looking at is Islington. What’s not to love? It has a vibrant nightlife, endless amounts of attractions, numerous bars and restaurants. And a sky high average rent price.

On average, a one bedroom flat in Islington costs roughly £350 a week to rent. This does not cover bills, travel, food, hobbies or anything else. Some say this is unrealistic for a young person, like you, to even begin to think about paying. You’re already in debt. How are young you supposed to become independent when you can’t afford it?

Islington is well known for being expensive to live in.
Photo taken by David Holt.

Councillor Dave Poyser said, “It’s [Islington] London’s smallest borough yet it has a huge share of London’s best bars and restaurants.” The Hillrise ward councillor said Islington is “unaffordable” for young people and said, “We are a pioneering council trying to help people in the private rented sector with a fair rents operation and legal advice.”

“The future for Islington is great. There are some great projects that are going to totally revamp the borough from Barnsbury to Archway.” The councillor continued, “There’s a lot of jobs going in Islington but they should go more often to local people.”

The councillor thinks even though the borough is not affordable for young people starting their careers, there is still a lot for young people to do within the borough. He says there is a lot for young women to do for their careers in the borough but it is difficult to get started.

He carried on to say, “buying [a property] is near enough impossible.” The Islington resident thinks this is one of the downsides of living in the borough because it is difficult to get onto the property ladder in London.

So how are you supposed to live in a borough which is seemingly too expensive for you to afford? The council are hoping to offer fairer rents to young people which mean the rents should be affordable for your lifestyle. Otherwise, there are plenty of flat or house shares which divide the cost of a rent between the people who live there making it cheaper for everyone.

However, Imogen Crowe, 25, moved out of her parent’s home in Finsbury Park last year. She now lives in a house share with three other people in Archway. The university graduate moved back to her family home when she graduated to save money before looking for her own place. “It’s really hard to save up enough money to move out,” she said. “I don’t blame people for moving out when they’re older because it’s so expensive.”

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Miss Crowe works in an office in Farringdon as an executive assistant. She earns enough money to be able to pay her share of the rent, pay for essentials and luxuries. The assistant said there is “no way” she would be able to afford her own flat in Islington because of the “extortionate rent prices.” She says she was fortunate to find her job and be able to pay for her lifestyle. “A few of my friends still live at home because they just can’t afford to move out,” she said.

Imogen believes Islington is the perfect borough for her to live in because it is close to where she works and it is near her family home. She is one of many who find the borough convenient to live in.

Some people find other areas of the borough ideal for their lifestyle. Rory Stoves said there was “plenty to do,” in the area. He finds the borough lively and feels this is the area he will stay for the foreseeable future. Mr Stoves did say, “unsurprisingly renting is expensive.” The TSB press office worker said this is what may deter some people from living in Islington, especially if they have just started their career because some people do not have the money to settle in the borough.

Despite the cost of living in Islington, there are still many good reasons as to why you should live in the borough whilst starting your career. These include; there is plenty to do in the borough, the borough is notorious for housing young people, like yourself, and so you will be able to meet people easily, and the borough isn’t far away from the City so you will be able to travel to work easily.

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Get to know the girls behind Dolce Vita

 

Ida Aari

Editor

Originally from Finland, known in the office as "Miss Snow"

 

Laura Allbones

Sub-chief Editor

Yorkshire born and raised and bringing back the mullet!

 

 

Charlotte White

Features Editor

Resident Geordie, self-proclaimed Northerner lost in London

 

 

Yorva Tsiakara

Chief Writer

From the beautiful Athens - she really is just as exotic as she sounds!

 

Hannah Thompson

Creative Director

Sam Smith addict, but who can blame her? 

 

 Farren Wall

Production Editor

Has a probably unhealthy addiction to caffeine!

The Real Cost of Your Office Romance

Imagine this: work has become particularly stressful lately; they’ve assigned you a big, important project. You’re spending more and more time at the office and have little time to socialise with anyone but your colleagues. Of course it isn’t all doom and gloom when you’re working those late nights with that colleague you’ve smiled at on more than one occasion in the lifts…  It’s understandable with such close proximities and relying upon each other for company if your heart starts to flutter and your mind starts to wander. One big question remains: is it worth it or will you have HR sending emails instead of your crush?

Relationships can be tricky but made even tougher when it’s with a colleague, Rachel Shackleton, 26, CPF Administrator for the conservative party, has seen what can happen when things develop with a co-worker crush:  “It started at someone’s leaving drinks. One of our colleagues was leaving and the obligatory “let’s go for one to say good bye” turned into quite a few more. He offered to walk me to my station and at first I thought it was just a drunken kiss due to the several cocktails we’d inhaled, but it led to exchanging numbers. It should have stayed at a drunken pass but it didn’t unfortunately.

“After a year of back and forth, not sure what was going on, I decided to call it quits. It was distracting me from my work; I was constantly checking emails to see if he’d sent anything. I know not everyone would have these problems but I learned that even after you call it off you still have to see them every single day. I still have to have that awkward accidental meeting in the kitchen from time to time. I will never consider having a relationship at work again!“

Vault.com released their 2014 Office Romance Survey results and found of 1,864 employees who responded 56% said they had some form of office romance with a co-worker and 39% said they had avoided any romantic situations. Vault.com said “In recent years, our data has shown the concept of workplace romances gradually becoming more acceptable among survey respondents”. When they broke down the results to find the differences between genders they found of those surveyed 19% of men have had “random hook ups” with co-workers and 17% of women had “long-term relationships” from co-worker romances.

Shackleton adds: “I would advise anyone thinking about starting something with someone they work with not to, or at least really weigh up the pros and cons. I mean, as fun and exciting as it is at the time, there are more problems if it all goes wrong.”

Wondering how these affairs begin? CareerBuilder found of the 3,000 full-time employees surveyed 12% of those asked said happy hour, 10% said late nights at work, 10% said having lunch together and for those die-hard romantics, 9% said love at first sight.

Life coach and author of The Sexy Beast Project, Aisha Amore, says, “I think it's a bad idea to do what is referred to as mixing business with pleasure. The workplace is already challenging enough when you're trying to be productive, climb the ladder and enjoy your day. Adding another element to the mix can be stressful and if things go wrong there's nowhere to run because the guy is there for you to rub elbows with all day. That can become quite annoying and distracting. Of course it would be exciting and a little bit… naughty but there can be serious implications as well.”

Whilst it may be all chocolates, flowers and filing cabinets during the ‘honeymoon stage’, the end result may not be so sweet. Not only can office romances be costly to the couple involved and their co-workers if things go south, it can also cost businesses thousands. A survey conducted by IllicitEncounters.com and NotatWork.co.uk asked both employees and businesses “Are Office Romances a Good Idea?” and found that of the 200 business who responded, the average cost to each business from issues relating to office romances was over £65,000, totalling in excess of £13 million. The potential costs which result from romantic affairs coming from sexual harassment suits, unfair dismissal claims and discrimination to name but a few. Despite such high numbers the survey found that 74% of businesses did not have any morality clauses in their contracts forbidding co-worker fraternising to stop such expenses.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with dating someone you work with. I’ve been happily dating my co-worker for about 7 months now. Just because it’s in the office it doesn’t mean it’ll be anything different to any other relationship. Don’t just rush in to it as there can be problems if the company doesn’t like it and stuff but if you have genuine feelings for someone then it shouldn’t be an issue that you work together,” said Max Ryan, 22, HSC Installations, “I actually found it was easy to maintain work and having a girlfriend; you can go to lunch together and share a cab home after work drinks and if you have a bad day you can moan to them and they will understand because they work there too.”

Amore adds, “There's nothing wrong with flirting or going out for happy hour with your work crush but to do any serious dating is asking for drama. Guys are everywhere, choose someone in another office. It will keep things from getting messy. Whatever you choose to do, always make sure you check your contract for any signs you may be at risk of losing your job should you choose to become romantically involved with a colleague.”

In spite of some work place romances turning sour, Vault.com found of those who had participated in previous trysts 70% of men and 62% of women surveyed said they’d be interested in another office love affair. Are you tempted to ask your office crush for happy hour drinks now?

 

“Don’t Pay for Work, Work for Pay”

Internships provide invaluable experience and a transition from education to career in an ideal world; however it seems they come at a great cost to those interning. With publishing company Condé Nast having to pay £3.71 mil to former interns in a low-pay lawsuit, does this mean the UK could be in a for a change as well?

Employment legislation currently states that if an intern does regular paid work for an employer, they may qualify as an employee and be eligible to the National Minimum Wage, yet some employers are still promoting unpaid internships. Mark Watson who leads a campaign to secure the Minimum Wage for interns whom are being used as free labour said it’s becoming more apparent however that larger businesses are learning that “interns do have rights and can turn around and bite back if they are treated badly.”

Laura Roll, 24, graduated from university and landed an idyllic internship for a graphic design company, she soon found out it wasn’t the dream chance she had been hoping for; “I got the internship through an advert which promised good experience and networking opportunities, it sounded so promising. It was only after about a month that it dawned on me that I had been taken on to replace someone who had been fired – I was basically a really cheap replacement. I guess I did learn some valuable things but I didn’t get paid a penny for doing work. I know so many of my friends and people from uni are all in the same boat and just like me they had no idea they should’ve been paid.”

Working for expenses-only internships can be challenging enough but no pay whatsoever leaves some struggling but there is still hope as former interns Keri Hudson and Nicola Vetta both previously fought back and won cases against large firms TPG Web Publishing Limited and London Dreams for unpaid internships. Whilst this is encouraging others to stand up for what they are legally entitled to, Watson says more still needs to be done: “I don’t think this issue can rely on the essential decency of politicians either to be resolved, it is more likely to come about because the pressure of opinion becomes too large to ignore.

“That chorus of disapproval has been growing for some time now and with big pressure groups like The Sutton Trust and The Social Mobility Commission getting behind the issue; it is getting harder for nothing to happen. Interns themselves have a very large part to play as well - the more that people protest and campaign, the more likely it is that things will change!” said Watson.

Fight or Flight: How You Can Protect Yourself From an Attacker

Picture this: you're walking home after working late, it's dark and the road is seemingly empty. Until you hear footsteps quickly approaching behind you; you can sense the danger immediately. Would you know how to protect yourself from a potential attacker?

Idealistically, self-defence would never have to be a necessary skill for women to know, however until that day arrives, women should be prepared to escape from a dangerous situation. With reports of rape and sexual assaults at their highest since 2002, according to the Office for National Statistics, there is no better time to become acquainted with the art of self-protection.

Sev Necati, self defence teacher, explains the importance of self-defence skills: “Women are always thought to be vulnerable to physical attacks on the street but I whole-heartedly disagree! It isn’t that they are vulnerable, at all; it’s that they don’t know their own strength yet. Self-defense is such an important skill which so many women find empowering once they know how. The basic self-defence methods are simple to learn and manoeuvre as well as a great way to help keep fit.

As a teenager I was attacked in a record shop.  The effect it had my confidence was surprising; it really affected every aspect of my life, I even carried a knife with me for a year to feel protected. It was because of this horrible experience I became interested in learning and teaching self-defence.”

Knowing how to protect yourself and break free from an attack could be the difference between life or death. Up to 3 million women experience violence on average a year in the UK, a statistic that shouldn’t be ignored. Monique Ahlah, a 32 year old who experienced a violent attack whilst walking home said she feels that having learnt self-defence techniques she feels empowered: “It was about two years ago that I was attacked by a man walking home from the train station late at night. I was so frightened when it happened that it's a blur now. I literally never thought it could happen to me, which was naïve I guess.

“After the incident I couldn't leave the house for months, I was terrified and scared all the time. It was when my friends started to get really worried about me and work started to ask questions that I realised I had to do something. I decided to learn self-defence and find some ways to better protect myself and rebuild my confidence. I found courses online and decided to pluck up the courage to go, a year and a half later I am so much more confident, even more so than before the attack, I think.”

For those victims of attacks, just like Ahlah, learning basic self-defence techniques could help lessen the fear of another assault or attack. Sev Necati is currently holding self-defence classes in London, for more information visit www.sevnecatitraining.com.

Faith and Fashion: The Struggle of Modern Muslim Women

“Growing up in a moderately strict Muslim family, it was conditioned in to me from a young age that I was going to become a doctor; this was the case with many of my friends, too. Despite the allure of power I felt from wearing the [doctor’s] white coat, I knew it wasn’t for me; fashion was where my heart was” said Barjis Chohan, designer of Barjis, a luxury label which combines styles from the East and West, “my parents disagreed, of course. This is just one of the many issues Muslim women face when it comes to fashion.”

Women Fashion Power, the exhibition showing currently at the Design Museum saw Chohan and Professor Reina Lewis, who focuses her research on post-colonial studies and how the relationship between Islam and the west dictates fashion, delve in to the complicated world of ‘Faith, Fashion and Power in Muslim Dress’.

Lewis said: “The theme of women fashion power is inherently exciting and inherently contradictory; not least because no woman, no person can control how they are seen and read by observers. All dressed appearances are polysemic; they can all generate multiple meanings and associations, all of which are context dependent and which change overtime. This disconnect between how we think we look and how we are read can be true for all women, but for Muslim women the risks of being interpreted can be especially high. The aftermath, particularly of 9/11 and the bombs in London in 2005, rendered women in any form of Muslim dress hyper visible.”

The two women spoke of how many Muslims face daily dilemmas about the clothes they wear; am I dress too modestly or not modestly enough? Despite preconceived ideas that wearing a hijab for example is boring and plain, Muslim fashion is currently worth £59 million globally. However Chohan said that young Muslim women are struggling to find suitable clothing within western brands whilst still being discerning their faith, which is why she designed clothing to give Muslim women more choice.

“I find I am always working with boundaries. There are some things for example like sleeveless shirts or short skirts that will not be incorporated in my designs as they are not considered appropriate to the majority of women I aim to reach. However, instead of this being a hindrance it means I have to work to make my designs more quirky or bright.” said Chohan.

As well as being spiritually and fashionably connected, Lewis explained how Muslim women can find their hijabs, for example, are an obstacle in different situations: “One thing I hear from Muslim ladies is how they feel, almost, self-conscious for wearing their hijabs. One girl said to me she felt very uncomfortable in an interview before as she could see the physical difference in the way the interviewers were reacting to her and she felt this was because of her head scarf. This highlights the need for change in the way we perceive faith and fashion.”

London’s Closet Twins Reveal the Secret to Confidence

Enviously scrolling through the elegantly designed pages of London’s Closet and seeing the perfectly styled outfits of these stylish twins, it's impossible not to wonder how the two 19 year olds were given such a good eye when it comes to fashion. From creating their own brand to winning an award and overcoming fears, the London based twins Shope and Shore Delano have achieved more than they could ever have dreamed when their personal style blog hit the blogging scene.

At the tender age of 15 in 2010, Shope set up London’s Closet with the intention of quietly documenting her personal style, “I was so shy back then,” she laughs, “I would never ever have done it had a friend not pushed me to start [the blog]. I still wonder how she managed to convince to do it. I never really thought that anyone would even read my blog or take notice, I think it was more something that I could look back on for myself and see how my style evolved rather than inspiration for anyone else.”

After a year of going solo, the other half of this fashion-forward duo, Shore, added her style, “When Shope asked me if I wanted to join her I didn't even have to think about it, in fact I think I asked why it had taken her so long!” said Shore, “It was just a natural thing to happen really as we did pretty much everything together back then.”

The two sisters have created a dynamic combination of both of their styles; Shore’s fashion sense favours sophisticated tailoring with a feminine edge and Shope a grungier, edgy side. The result is a blog which caters to two very different styles yet seamlessly blends them together which seems to have struck a chord with nearly four thousand followers. Their blog hit new heights when they cleverly came up with the idea of Twoosie, an online store which sells small limited edition handmade two-pieces designed by different bloggers. “The idea for Twoosie came about after I decided to attempt making a co-ord for myself after seeing them just about everywhere,” explained Shope.
 
“I asked my nan to borrow her old sewing machine and found some fabrics and somehow ended up with a wearable outfit. I posted it on Instagram and was literally so shocked by the reaction from my followers asking me to make some for them,” she added: “Shore suggested we ask our favourite bloggers to design co-odds which reflected their own styles and so came about the longest summer of sewing and stitching but it was so worth it!”
 
Following the success of Twoosie, London’s Closet saw an influx of opportunities from brands wanting to collaborate with them from the likes of Lazy Oaf to Public Desire. In 2013 they were awarded Best Blogging Duo at the Company Style Blogger awards, “I think it was when we won that award that it really struck me;  we had made our small, seemingly insignificant blog in to something much, much more,” said Shore, “To even be nominated in something like that was such an honour and it made all of the hard times melt away.”

The blogging brains behind London’s Closet aren't just savvy when it comes to maintaining a successful blog but they do it in style on a student budget whilst at university. With Shore studying Philosophy at the University of Warwick and Shope studying Economics and Philosophy at Nottingham university, it has to be asked how do they manage it? “Both of us have always really enjoyed education and blogging but there have been times when we have rang each other in despair at the work loads and finding time to take outfit pictures,” said Shore, “you have to have good time management skills, that's for sure. I think Shope does better at that than me as she always has been the more organised twin!” Shore added, “The hardest part whilst being at uni is trying not to buy all of the clothes in my shopping basket and breaking in to my rent money!”

Whilst their blog continued to grow it wasn't always plain sailing for the twins, “One of the hardest things I found whilst blogging is the negative criticism we received. When London’s Closet was just starting out, a lot of people at school who I had believed were my friends would take the mickey and judge me because of our blog. Then there were the hateful comments people would leave on the blog which some days really took their toll,” said Shore, “It took me a while to realise that I just needed to ignore those people who were bitter that we were doing something we loved and eventually it made me stronger!”

For Shope, the negativity nearly made her quit all together, “I was always painfully shy at school which is probably why people made such a big deal of the blog. I used to really care what people thought about me and I still do but not to the same extent. When I used to come home and read through the nasty things some people would say I would just let it all get to me and was always envious of Shore for being able to ignore it but I just couldn't.

“It was difficult to not read it as I always interacted with people who commented and so I'd have to sieve through the good and bad to respond to reader’s questions,” she explained, “and one day I was just having a terrible day and had seen one too many mean things and I just said to Shore that I couldn't do it anymore and was ready to give up. She sat me down and told me that if I quit the blog then I would be letting all those people win. She made me see that I shouldn't let bullies stop me from doing what I enjoy and their comments were their own insecurities showing. It's been a learning curve and because of London’s Closet I have never been more confident and sassy!”