Kingdom Of Style

Lie Lady Lie

LIE SANG BONG is a Korean designer based in Paris. I don't know an awful lot about him, but what I do know is that I think his clothes are works of art. I love the way he plays with volume and proportion and all those intricate folds remind me of origami and the colours and silhouettes are dark, gothic and a bit early 20th Century (always a winner for me!). I think the clothes speak for themselves really.

Queen Michelle

Sooooo Neet!

I can't get enough of these shoes by London label Neet. They're a little bit Miss Marple, a little bit Art Deco, a whole lot of lovely! Pretty without being twee, sensible without being dull. What more could you ask for!

I have an amazing (yes Queen Marie, they ARE amazing - she'll try and tell you otherwise but please ignore her) pair of tan, flat, over-knee boots I got last Autumn from Neet and they were, still are, the most exceptionally comfy boots I have ever owned. I'm looking forward to proper winter when they will hopefully add more boots to their range. I do like a good boot in the winter...

Queen Michelle

Bernd Preiml

I don't know anything about this photographer other than he's Austrian. But I was awe struck by his photographs. They are like grim fairy tales come to life. I have to say I love photographers that can create such intense atmosphere in their work and whilst it's ocassionally nice to see the bright, crisp and shiny style of photography presented in the majority of magazines, I don't think you can beat someone who can visually explore the dark and rather sinister and still come out with something of amazing beauty.

Queen Michelle

London Calling

Well loyal subjects (have we any loyal subjects?) it is with great excitement that this Queen will be taking leave of this blog for a little while as she is off to visit that other Royal duchy of London. Your other Queen however will remain in the Kingdom to oversee the posting duties.

I have shamefully only visited London once but I ADORED it! I felt I had discovered my spiritual home (alas many a Scot has thought London would be their spiritual home only to find themselves sleeping in the Subway!). I had been given many a dire warning about what an unfriendly bunch the Londoners were, how no-one talks to you, no-one says sorry if they bump into you, shop assistants are snooty and unhelpful and chances are I'll also get mugged for my trouble. Well I found the polar opposite to be true. I found everyone I met to be extremely friendly and chatty, extremely helpful, extremely apologetic if they stood on my foot and overall....just extremely amazing! Perhaps it was because I had gone the week after the London bombings (no bombs were going to stop me from shopping!) and maybe everyone was pulling together, I don't know, but none of the things I had been told were true. Maybe I just caught folk on a good day.

I had the BEST shopping experience in Browns where an Australian SA took me personally all around the shop looking out fabulous things for about 2 hours. She was fantastic! The cab driver who took my Prince and I back to the hotel from a club in Shoreditch was such a good laugh the ride was totally fun (and he didn't take the long route which he could have to extend his fare). The only vaguely unpleasant experience was the shop assistants in Harvey Nics who were total arses, even though I was spending ALOT on a Nicole Farhi coat. Mind you I did get lost in Selfridges. My Prince was off looking at record shops and left me to peruse the shop, and when he'd finished he'd called me to see if I was done. I told him that I was disappointed that Selfridges looked so huge from the outside but inside it was really small. In he came and I huffed about how they didn't have hardly any labels, only to discover I'd actually been going round in one tiny little circle and had totally missed about 3/4's of the shop!!!

The biggest problem I came up against was the fact I was so overwhelmed by the sheer size and choice of shopping venues I ended up hardly shopping at all! I was totally overcome. But not this time! Thanks to the lovely Susie over at Style Bubble who very kindly emailed me a big list of fabulous shops to visit, I now have a plan! (although my Prince does not thank you Susie!) I have my A-Z rammed with post-it notes with all the shops I want to go to and what streets they are on! I have a route planned and every day is accounted for. Oh the joy!

Now you may have guessed that handbags are my main indulgence so that's primarily what I'm after. I have to choose between the Marc Jacobs Quilted hobo (I've had a few MJ quilted pieces but none quite hit the mark)

or this big slouchy Miu Miu.

Of course I'll probably end up seeing lotss of other bags I hadn't even considered.

I am also after some new jeans - my other obsession - and hopefully some great vintage pieces. I shall of course be visiting the Topshop mothership on Oxford Street which I hope to buy lots of fabulous stuff from.

On my return I will share with you my loot which hopefully shall be plentiful!

Queen Michelle

Pretty Ugly

I tend to fall shoes that border on ugly. Infact I have worn shoes that are down right ugly, for example about 9 years ago I used to wear these big shoes by a streetwear brand called Swear that were HIDEOUSLY ugly. Queen Marie used to call them my Hover Feet, due to the massive, rockabilly-esque sole, but I loved just how damn ugly they were!

I really dislike stilletto heels because they are so refined and, well, pretty. I much prefer a chunky cone heel or a big wooden stack heel. You won't catch me in bejewelled Gina shoes. No way! So I am drawn like a moth to a flame, to Chloe's clunky wooden conceiled platforms. They are undeniably ugly. Even if you love Chloe as much as I do, there is no escaping their clunky ugliness.

Jil Sander and Alexander McQueen have also got some pretty ugly shoes on the go too...oh but how I ADORE them!

And Che Mihara with those fabulous, heavy cone heels and thick ankle strap - oh yes please!

Queen Michelle