Kingdom Of Style

Locking And Loaded

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-10T16:05:08+00:00

In direct contrast to the lounge fest that is Complex Geometries in the previous post, Ana Locking serves up some serious jewel toned glamour for her SS10 collection.

Of course, it's generally considered that now is the season to indulge in shimmering satins and silks in saturated hues, although why one must wait until this time of year to indulge is beyond me - I'd happily drape myself in such colours all year round and so it seems would Ana.

The colour of Quality Street and other sweet wrappers, this stunning collection is one to look dreamily at knowing you have zero hope in hell of slipping into such finery. However, it's always nice to look even when you can't touch.

The beautiful floral patterns Ana uses on some of the pieces are delicious with dresses physically looking like three dimensional flowers but not in a twee, prom princess way. Her cuts are still crisp, folding and ruffle details on skirts give everything an edge and of course the colours are juicy. Strangely though this doesn't feel like a traditional spring summer collection to be honest, inspite of the little shorts and single shouldered dresses, but I like the fact she has used such rich fabrics and colours in a season usually dominated by neutrals. Either way I'd like to be wearing the fabulous floral ruffled confection right now, as it would set off my multiple cold sores a treat!

Queen Michelle

Future Leisure

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-10T10:47:51+00:00

This season our friends over at Complex Geometries posed the question "could there be a future where leisure is eternal?" for their latest collection entitled Perpetual Leisure.

Well, as one who is currently jobless therefore experiencing a kind of perpetual leisure, let me answer the question. I would say there is a future providing it doesn't involve little snarky job centre people who seem to want everyone to work at Burger King. Take them out of the picture and there is definitely a future in leisure, especially if we all get to lounge around in soft, draped Complex Geometries pieces.

This season they have added some muted metallics and a beautiful shade of duck egg blue. The sheer leggings are also perfectly suited for loose silhouettes we know and love CG for. I can think of few better labels suited to lounging around in.

Queen Michelle

The Perfect Coat

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-09T10:55:24+00:00

I have received the most glorious coat in all the Kingdom, courtesy of the astonishingly kind Patricia Ayres, designer behind Artlab whom I'm mentioned many times on this site. I don't think I really need remind you of what a wonderful designer Patricia is. It's worth mentioning that Patricia has two Etsy stores now: her Artlab one and her new Patricia Ayres one. These are images from her new shop.

My coat is her Artisanal brown wool army coat, and she could not have sent it at a more perfect time, with the Scottish weather taken a decidedly dramatic cold turn. The wool has been left raw edged and it's cut into a perfect A-line shape with shoulder slit details. Patricia told me I could shorten it if I wanted but I actually really loved the longer length.

The coat is light yet very, very warm and I shall be able to wear a slim fitting leather jacket underneath for extra cold days too. Perfect!

Queen Michelle

Let's end the evening with a kiss...

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-08T21:26:07+00:00

A kiss as sweet as chocolate...

I need this darling dress in my life. I found it in an etsy store called dinwiddies

which is filled to the brim of things which delighted me...

Queen Marie.

Hats off to H&M...

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-08T16:21:16+00:00

For they have been foresighted enough to snap up The Kingdom's favourite Dallas cowboy, the charming and talented Mr Levi Palmer

He will be heading off to Stockholm in the next few weeks and we wish him every success in his new job. So to say my own little Thank You to H&M, I put my money where my mouth is and popped in yesterday and purchased the perfect little pom pom hat .

I have made him promise to keep and touch and let us know what he gets up to!

Congratulations Levi!

Queen Marie

What would Milton Friedman say...

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-08T15:26:29+00:00

I don't know about you but if asked to picture a graduate from The London School of Economics, I wouldn't picture this...

No! this is not an ice loving Mr Van Winkle! this is Cody Ross of Priestess NYC who picked up some pattern cutting experience at St Martins as well as an economics degree before reurning to New York via Asia to set up his label to make fun clothes for fun young things in 2008

And while I could never wear one of his little dresses, those monster feet have got my name written all over them...

Queen Marie

An apple a day...

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-08T13:22:50+00:00

So the geekfest continues.

Today I watched the 2008 documentary 'welcome to macintosh' by Robert Baca and Josh Rizzo.

Most enjoyable it was too, but especially wonderful was the carnaptious Jim Reekes

Reeke was a programmer at Apple for 12 years and was responsible for many things including the Mac OS start up sound. He says about it -

"Mac people are very familiar with the sound, after restarting their machines too often. In fact, that was one of the issues I was conscious of when designing the sound. Turning the Mac on is one thing, but being forced to reboot from a crash is a totally different experience. I wanted to avoid a sound that would be associated with the crash. I wanted it to sound more like a "palette cleanser. The startup sound was done in my home studio on a Korg Wavestation. It's a C Major chord, played with both hands stretched out as wide as possible (with 3rd at the top, if I recall). This just sounded right to me. I wanted something really fat, heavy bass, high notes, and a sharp attack. The chiffy sound was from pan pipes and something like a stick hit (I'm testing my memory here). I wanted lots of evolving timbres, stereo phasing, and reverb for further richness."

He kvetches and bitches all the way through, and was the total highlight of the film for me

Now if you will excuse me, I'm off to reboot the ol' iBook...

Queen Marie

Feeling a little citysick...

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-07T20:30:22+00:00

As much as I enjoy visiting other cities and other countries, I'm always glad to get home. I love Glasgow but there are two other cities where I could quite happily imagine living - Detroit and Belfast. I can't explain the special love I have for them. Even when I visited them for the first time, they didn't seem strange to me, they felt familiar and already loved. I have often thought that one of the reasons may be is that they are quite similar in architectural style and history. But it is more than that, it's a feeling deep in my bones...

So strong is the connection, that sometimes I feel a little city sick for them. The strangest things can set it off. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere, sometimes it is something much more specific that sets it off. Back in September , Queen Michelle and I, had just arrived in London, when suddenly in the taxi on the way to the hotel, I was overcome by a desire to visit Belfast. I'm not sure what it was, the light, the shape of a doorway. Sometimes it can be something very small.

But last night, my Detroit citysickness was set off by something very specific and very obvious.

I was watching The Island, trying hard not to laugh at Ewan McGregors very bad American accent. Set in the future, he and Scarlett Johansson were clones on the run , supposedly in the LA. I only had half an eye on the screen, when all of a sudden they ran into this building...

LA my arse. They were in Downtown Detroit.

This is The Michigan Theatre, once an elaborately decorated theater at the heart of a busy and vibrant downtown Detroit in the 1920s. Closed in 1967, sometime in the 1970s it was converted into a parking lot, where floors and ramps were installed with only the most necessary intrusion upon the old interior. I've stood in there many times and just gazed in wonder at the strangeness of it all.

So here I am typing this, still suffering from a real bad case of city sickness. I think Detroit is out of the question until next year, but maybe I could manage a little weekend in Belfast before the end of the year, finances permitting.

What about you? have you ever been city sick? ...

Queen Marie

PS - in case you wondered which city is which above. It's Belfast then Detroit then Glasgow xxx

Bringing up Baby...

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-07T19:36:20+00:00

When it comes to luxury brands, I like them them best when they are advertised in a glamourous way. I'm talking in a full on, 'old hollywood starlet' type way. Unattainable, aspirational and almost fantastically glamourous. Sadly not many companies can carry it off. That's why I was so excited when I came across the latest Cartier advert...

Glorious! and all the more wonderful because it immediately made me think of one of my favourite old school Hollywood movies - the 1938 classic comedy Bringing up Baby, starring the handsome Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn.

It's hard to believe that this film bombed when it first came out! If you haven't seen it yet, you are in for a treat, so go find it right now...

Queen Marie

Helvetica? Hell yeah!

The Queens: Kingdom Of Style — 2009-11-07T12:54:08+00:00

Another thing we adore in The Kingdom is type.

We can't help ourselves. The inner graphic geeks always get out.

So you can imagine how excited I am about watching the 2007 Gary Hustwit Film 'Helvetica' tonight...

Every bit as exciting, is everything made by a girl called Jen, in her wonderful wonderful etsy shop called Plastique. She is a graphic designer who makes these highly covetable things

Helvetica Necklace $20

RGB Necklace $20

It seems Jen also shares our other passion - music...

Turntable Necklace $22.00

Cassette Tape Ring $7

And my absolute absolute favourite Cassette Necklace $22.00

It will come as no surprise to learn, that I have a big box of tapes in the loft exactly like this. I used to buy my blank tapes in woolworths when I was small. I loved that red shiny plastic. There are certain things that I can never throw away - photographs, records and of course old casette tapes.

So I gotta say it - 'Jen! you're a genius'

We'll take two of everything!!!

Queen Marie