Stephanie Phillips
Arts & culture writer
Stephanie Phillips is a London-based, NCTJ-trained freelance journalist and content editor, specialising in music, race, pop culture and feminism.
PROJECTS
VICE
Is the “fenty effect” in the beauty industry a trend or real progress?
My mother never wears make-up. She occasionally wore her favourite vivid violet lipstick, loved by Jamaican aunties across the Midlands, but that was it. Looking back this was probably why she was confused when I asked her to buy foundation for my 15th birthday. As I applied the reddish brown liquid to my honey-toned skin I knew it was a waste of time, but like many people of colour at that time, I persevered and applied away. There was no shade available designed with my skin colour in mind....
daily.bandcamp.com
Sabatta’s Misfit Punk is Built on a Deep Groove
South London band Sabatta don’t like genre tags. They also don’t like rules and they especially hate fitting in. After finding themselves on the receiving end of a few white gig-goers’ limited understanding of punk and who can play it, bassist Debbie Dee coined a catchphrase based on a popular British home decoration brand.
londoninstereo.com
Clara Amfo // Sounds Like London
Throughout June we’re working with the Mayor of London’s Sounds Like London campaign to bring you profiles on the most interesting and exciting women in London music. We’re super excited to chat to Clara Amfo about finding her voice on the radio and becoming one of the most recognised presenters around.
Noisey
All the Places Musicians Move to When London Gets too Expensive
The story of independent artists struggling to afford life in the capital is becoming a familiar one – and this is where they're going. Along roads blocked by construction work and shaking lorries carrying concrete blocks, buildings partly obscured by scaffolding hint at this part of east London’s constant “regeneration.” I’m in Hackney Wick, what was once an industrial area of manufacturing warehouses, and now seems to usher in new-build flats at every turn.
ecigintelligence.com
The boxing game – have you got the bottle to get your brand noticed?
Packaging matters. It’s not just what’s inside that sells, because it’s not the first thing you see or experience. Across the e-liquid industry, brands are finding enterprising ways to swap the standard glass bottle and cardboard box for something that makes them stand out while also sometimes adding to their brand story.
ecigintelligence.com
What’s in a brand? How to stand out as more than just flavour of the month
In the average vape store, faced with a wall of identical-looking e-liquid bottles and indistinguishable flavours, it is easy to see how one brand can get lost. In order to thrive in such a crowded and competitive market, companies must identify a target audience, stick to a single message, and choose flavours that work distinctively within an overall brand identity.
inside-drinks.nridigital.com
Find and Replace: The Rising Demand for Non-Alcoholic Alternatives - Inside Drinks | Issue 23 | February 2018
Taking a new spin on the usual two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, discerning drinkers are searching for non-alcoholic versions of their usual beverages, making for exciting times in the market. Stephanie Phillips finds out more about the rise in demand for realistic non-alcoholic drinks.
gal-dem.com
Why Kah-Lo doesn’t want to be branded by her Nigerian heritage
Kah-Lo knows her brand identity. The Nigerian dance artist was up into the wee hours of the night before speaking to me, dying a wig her trademark shade of luminous green. It’s a brand that works well, as paired with her rainbow coloured outfits and shimmering round sunglasses, Kah-Lo stands out. As she says herself, “I ain’t no basic bitch”.
lombard.contentlive.co.uk
Time to get packing, plastic
The goal to ban avoidable plastic waste by 2042 has struck a chord, with retailers and manufacturers looking to innovations in food packaging to drive the industry towards a better future.
Alternative Press
10 times your work completely misunderstood what it’s like to be in a band
Punk doesn’t pay the rent, but to keep a roof over your head and vegan snacks in your belly, most of us have to take up some kind of daytime job—whether it’s filing papers in an office or washing shot glasses behind a bar. While the extra cash is always a bonus, dealing with your co-workers’ awkward attempts to connect with you through your band can occasionally make you question whether it was all worth it.
themix.org.uk
What it’s like to be young and black in the mental health system
According to statistics black people are more likely to experience discrimination and misdiagnosis when accessing mental health services. The Mix finds out more about their experiences.
Alternative Press
Girl gangs and the “do-it-together” attitude in the DIY punk scene
The patriarchy weaves a plethora of tall tales to keep its ego in check and the biggest of those is that women can’t stand each other. Even when we were pitted against each other by repugnant, morose men, we didn’t really want to tear each other’s eyes out.
themix.org.uk
Help! I’m hearing voices
The realisation that you're hearing voices can be a distressing feeling. The Mix finds out what it really means to hear voices and why it's more common than you may think.
blackballad.co.uk
Growing Up As An Alternative Black Girl
We need to remember there is no one way to be a black girl and for Stephanie Phillips, a part of her black female identity means being a black feminist punk band
Did anyone really want to be popular as a teenager? I mean, it would have been nice to experience life with perfect hair, teeth and ski...
themix.org.uk
I’m worried about online radicalisation
Reports of people joining or siding with extremist groups after being radicalised online may frighten you. The Mix explains how to break the cycle of extremism.