Kingdom Of Style

Lars and The Real Girl...

As part of my blossoming love affair with all things Canadian, I want to talk about a very special film that was filmed in various locations in Ontario and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year.

Lars and the Real Girl, is a heartwarming and heartbreaking story. A small ,quiet and poignant film that teems with quiet desperation and true heart

Lars Lindstrom played by Ryan Gosling is a good man. He lives in the garage in his parents' house while his brother and sister-in-law - Gus and Karen - live in the main house, following their parents' death. Although he is kind to everyone, he epitomizes shyness and avoids any human contact with the town. While the people in the town pressure him to talk to the new girl at his work, Margo, he's too introverted. While at work one day, Lars' perverted coworker mentions a Real Doll that can be purchased to model an actual woman. Six weeks later an enormous crate is delivered to Lars' home.

That same evening, Lars knocks at Karin and Gus' door. "I have a visitor," he says, proud as can be. But when he produces his friend, she turns out to be not what anyone expected. "This is Bianca," he says, introducing a fully dressed, anatomically correct, life-size silicone doll. "She's not from here."

As Karin and Gus look on astonished, Lars explains that Bianca is a Brazilian/Danish missionary he met online who has to get around in a wheelchair and, because she is as religious as Lars, will have to sleep in the big house.

Despite the concerns of his friends and relatives, the local doctor, played to perfection by Patricia Clarkson tells them all that Lars is suffering from a delusion, - "Bianca's in town for a reason," and everyone who cares about Lars is going to have to deal with that."
She explains that since Lars otherwise has a highly functional personality that threatens no one, this delusion is a sign that he is working through some personal issues and his loved ones should play along in the meantime. With some persuasion, the entire town eventually participates as well with growing enthusiasm for this unusual, but enjoyable, activity as Lars continues to pursue what he perceives as a deep and meaningful relationship with the doll.
The joy of this film is 'capraesque', a small town pulling together to help one of their own, using love, support and friendship to help heal and repair the heart, spirit and soul of the damaged Lars.

If you have not seen this very special film ,make a point of seeing it very very soon.
Lars and The Real Girl - it's a real joy...

Queen Marie
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A charm a day, keeps the tossers away...

When I saw this - 'The Liberty Charm' Necklace

I immediately thought it would be perfect for darling LLG to banish her toxic commentators and keep her happy and safe in NYC.
It is £190 and is available from Browns

Queen Marie
x

Black Cat Sunday...

The wonderful site inform furniture* is jam packed full of wonderful furniture, lots of which, for some reason, makes me think of black cats!
These 'Black Chairs' by Fredrick Mattson make me think of cats stretching...

While these stunning Caravaggio lamps by Cecille Manz are like little black milk churns...

Meow Meow

Queen Marie

* Annoyingly there are no prices displayed which always really pisses me off!

By jove, I'm a beaver...

An 'ugly beaver' to be precise according to poor Phil who has been upset by my MC post.

He says -
your a bitch just because u look like an ugly beaver and what your like 30 writing a bloig about "fashion" you make me laugh out loud she is talented unlike the music you probably listen to which is most likely obscure indie garbage people like yourself are so pathetic all about obscurity and being "individual" but yoyu just end up commodifying yourself like everyone else play the other record i pity you quite frankly.

We welcome free speech in The Kingdom and  encourage everyone to express how they feel, but Phil, think about it love!  if I was a beaver how could I type my 'bloig'?

Queen Marie
x

MC = Much Cheapness

Dolly Parton once said "it costs a lot of money to look this cheap"
That said, it must cost Mariah Carey a freakin' fortune to look this bad!
She has a new album out this week called E=MC2 , which is predicted to go straight to the top of the billboard charts (I laughed out loud typing that for some reason!) so as a result she is everywhere you turn.

Here she is at a signing, dressed head to toe in Primark!
Bless...

Mariah makes me laugh. It is almost as though she has had a double good taste and style bypass. With Ms Carey it's all about the trailerpark!
Even Paris Match has ended up looking like a catalogue spread...

As for the album title - genius just genius!
Albert Einstein must be turning in his grave...

Queen Marie

A bit late, but here's the eight...

The charming Dottie and Stephie from Fashion Nation tagged us with this 'Eight Things Meme'
Better late than never here is mine. You understand of course that for me to limit things to eight, especially the songs, was nigh on impossible...

8 Things which Marie is Passionate About
My family, friends and my garden
Tea
Toast
Techno
Dancing
Kindness and Thoughfulness
Sequins and Ribbons
Sleeping

8 Things which Marie Wants to Do Before She Dies
Own or adopt a Reindeer
Be photographed by Rankin
Live in a house with a walled garden, a black slate path and a water rill
Find buried treasure
Own a Lacroix Couture Ballgown
Find and replace my mums broken Hummel ornament
Learn to play poker
Be happily married

8 Things Marie Says Often
"I love this tune"
"It's an investment, you'll have it forever"
"I think you'll get loads of wear out of that"
"Stick the kettle on, I'm gasping for a cup of tea"
"I was just going to phone you"
"As God made them, he matched them"
"I'm just going for a wee disco-nap"
"I'm losing the will to live..."

8 Books which Marie Has Read Lately
Grey Gardens- Frankel Scott
Balenciaga Paris- Nicholas Ghesquiere
A Beautiful Life- Kevyn Aucoin
D.V. - D Vreeland
The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Argos Catalogue (I'm looking for a cheap wardrobe!)

8 Songs which Marie Can Listen To Over and Over
Strings of Life - Rhythim is Rhythim
Can u feel it - Mr Fingers
Rose Rouge- St Germain
I thought it was you - Herbie Hancock
North American Scum - LCD Sound System
Free as the morning sun- Mr Hermano
Your love - Inner City
Love at 1st sight - Method Man and Mary J Blige

8 Things That Attract Marie to Her Best Friend
She is the bravest girl in the whole world
She can turn any mountain into a molehill
She has the face of a lady and the mouth of a russian sailor (oh the language!)
She can talk me down off the highest ledge
She can say more with a single look than most other people in an hour
Nothing shocks or phazes her
She can mix any boy under the table and makes me dance
She really knows the 'real me' and still likes me!

Queen Marie
x

Cyber Barcelona

Doshaburi, a Barcelona based shop, is sure to have all you avant-gardists and off kilter lovers rather excited. It's a veritable feast of excellent labels such as Eley Kishimoto, Bernhard Willhelm, Ann Sofie Back, Boessert Schorn and Bless to name but a few.

It's quite a carefully edited selection (although not stingy on inventory - it's well stocked) but there is sure to be something there which tickles your fancy. It caters for men and women although the site itself isn't ideally set up for ease of use, as the men and women's collections are not separated which makes having a quick look nearly impossible. I usually set aside a good hour to hunt through it.

The e-commerce facility is slightly limited and not particularly set up well since it only accepts banks transfers or Paypal (Paypal seems great but you have to add on the 3.5% commission which Paypal takes yourself - a huge oversight on their part as that should really be taken into account with their pricing and not left up to the customer). However the site does have some superb gear, although I suspect for those outside of Europe it would best serve as the shop to visit when you've tried elsewhere to find what you are looking for and failed - not exactly a last resort, but the e-comm will be an issue.

It's also worth noting that on some browsers, like mine, you will only see the first 4 items on screen - you need to scroll down as there is a huge empty gap before you see the rest of the pieces. A programming error no doubt, but one worth looking out for.

Queen Michelle

Fringe My Legs

I wrote about the exceptionally beautiful, handcrafted tights by Bebaroque a wee while ago, but a check of their new products has thrown up another pair of utterly desirable leg wear - fringed tights! Oh yes. I can get now inject a little bit of showgirl into my everyday outfits with these babies. As soon as I'm less fiscally challenged I shall be ordering these in black.

If the peeps of Glasgow don't much care for my paisley patterned tights then these are sure to send them over the edge. Good!

Queen Michelle

I Covet Thee

Sometimes visiting other people's blogs is just a nightmare to be quite honest. All this information flying around, that is very often way ahead of what's being published in monthly magazines, can make your head dizzy with all the new things you'd never seen before.

Jennine, fellow graphic designer (big up the designers!) and author of The Coveted, always seems to find the best shops and labels. It's gotten so bad I'm actually quite scared to visit her blog now! But the other day I did - and look what she did to me?! This...

She showed her readers a shop that stocks this awesome Marjan Pejoski dress. How cruel!!! I actually think I began to hyperventilate when I saw it. Studs? Yes please! Some weird circle-y bits? Bring it on! Short and stretchy? Don't mind if I do!

Yeah, thanks Jennine. Thanks a lot!

Queen Michelle

My MeMe!

The lovely Stephie from the fantastically named Fashion Nation (I get name envy whenever I read it!), has tagged your Queens to divulge some random things about ourselves. So here are mine. Queen Marie will deliver hers at the weekend. Merci!

8 Things which Michelle is Passionate About
Fashion (natch)
Loyalty
Being happy
Horror films
Milky Tea
Neatly trimmed hair
Time keeping (it's just good manners!)
Print

8 Things which Michelle Wants To Do Before She Dies
Live in London for a while
See a ghost (mum or dad would be good)
Visit the best castles in Europe
Make some half decent money
Buy a house
Get a bob
Take sewing lessons
Try Yoga

8 Things Michelle Says Often
"Suck it up!"
"Can I try these in a size 5 please?"
"If you're in, you're in"
"Right, here's the plan"
"Me? Not so much"
"Tomato sauce please"
"Bo! You're on probation!"
"What do you want for tea?"

8 Books which Michelle Has Read Lately
The Spear of Destiny
The Black Dahlia
The Last Godfather
Sorry that's as recent as it gets!

8 Songs which Michelle Can Listen To Over and Over
Kill The Poor: Dead Kennedy's
Spread Love: Lenny Fontana
Who Killed Marilyn: The Misfits
Gets Nocht: Roman Flugal
Flash: Green Velvet
Jaguar: UR
Big Love: Pete Heller
What's Inside A Girl: The Cramps

8 Things That Attract Michelle to Her Best Friend
She always makes me laugh
She loves to dance
She loves the techno
She can keep secrets like no-one else
She knows what I'm thinking without me having to say it
She (usually) doesn't judge my shopping habits
She understands all my embedded conversations
She can be the most enthusiastic person in the world

Calling The Ruffles

Come in ruffles!

I have been stalking House Of Fraser since last month waiting for this utterly stunning, one-shouldered Linea blouse with huge ruffle to come in. Still nada! Maybe I've missed it of course but I don't think so.

Whilst I don't think it looks all that exciting on Yasmin Le Bon (as lovely as she is) I think it could look super fierce if it was de-prettified by being combined with such things as lashings of inky leather; a neon t-shirt; combined with other structural elements such as a volumous skirt or perhaps some harem trousers - not all at the same time, or maybe all at the same time!

Until I finally get my paws on it I shall continue to leave a wee space in my closet for this addition.

Queen Michelle

Some Cuts Don't Hurt

I realise many of you are going to see this as a sacreligious act of epic proportions, but I cut the 50's dress. Don't think I didn't explore other options though, because I did, I just felt they would create a much too 'scrappy' final result. I may not be a seamstress but I do still try and achieve a certain level of neatness whenever I alter/create something, so temporary adjustments don't sit well with me. So out came the scissors I just chopped it. If I hadn't chopped it, it would have sat there unworn in my wardrobe, which would have been a complete waste.

Off came a few inches and I retained a degree of the original tulip shape by sewing some darts at the front and back. Overall I am pleased with the result. It's a delightful colour, the pattern is more painterly than floral and it's now a length I'm comfortable with. Sorry all you vintage aficionado's, but I had to do it!

I tried it with various coloured tights but only these 2 photos worked (damn this shitty camera!), but it looks lovely with simple black tights, as well as the orange and grey ones I also tried. But you'll just need to take my word for that!

Queen Michelle

Choose Style

In terms of film and television we could all name many, many female characters whose style we admire. Whether it's Audrey Hepburn in, well, pretty much every film she was ever in, or maybe it's SJP in Sex In The City, but there is usually a character whose style mentally stays with you.

But what of the men in film? Are there any male characters whose style you think totally rocks? I must confess I have pretty much only one - Ewan McGregor's character Mark Renton in Trainspotting. If ever there was a male character who completely owns a look for me it has to be him. Skinny, scrawny and with a shaved head, there seems to be no real reason why I feel he has such utterly sizzling appeal on screen, but he does (although he doesn't look quite like your average Scottish junkie it has to be said).

The film, made in 1996, was visually ahead of it's time, both in terms of the character styling (which wasn't  necessarily true for the time it's supposed to have been set but that's beside the point) and the actual visual promotion of the film - how many times since have you seen the orange background with chunky, white sans serif font? And I have lost count of how many versions of the lineup poster I have seen for design agencies up and down the country. But it remains hands down one of my favourite ever films of recent times. (The posters were designed by uber agency Empire Design).

But back to Mark Renton. His little tight t-shirt, skinny jeans and beaten up old Converse is a look which is so often seen on lithe young chaps everywhere. But no matter how many boys I see doing this look, none compare to Ewan McGregor as Renton.

Of course, we also need to give props to the Sean Connery obsessed character of Sickboy, who really does cut a dash in a suit.

The film also has a special place in many a Glaswegians heart on account of the fact the club scene takes place in the now demolished Volcano club - many a debauched night has been had in there! I shall be digging out this film tonight and choosing to sit of the sofa with a bar of chocolate and enjoying Renton's style once more.

Queen Michelle

Do Chip In

I have worn nail polish for as long as I can remember. I have tried pretty much every colour there is, however I never explored the whole base coat, top coat thing. The nail polish on my toes will stay put for weeks on end sometimes without so much as a chip, however whenever I put it on my finger nails, it chips within a day. So I need advice on how to keep nail polish from chipping. Are there any great brands out there you highly recommend? Do base and top coats work and if so, which ones have you found work the best? Help!

Queen Michelle

Manbitch: On the Colour Cranberry...

Saturday Night, I'm in office talking to G and Lady Ape when Young Telf walk in.
I say hello and he retorts with a sharp " What was that for?"
What was what for? I didn't do anything...
"Yes you did! you gave me that disapproving look, the one my mum gives me when she doesn't like what I'm wearing"
I did not, I was just looking at your top...
"It's not a top, it's a jacket"
Okay I confess, I don't like it, I have an aversion to the colour maroon, it makes me think of my school uniform...
*sniffily* I think you'll find it's cranberry not maroon...

Oh really! Bite me fruity

Queen Marie

Heels To Get High

I eventually caved and bought me some full on stripper heels. I couldn't get my paws on the Carvela shoes I initially wanted, but Office came across with the goods and for £30 cheaper.

I really am not the biggest fan of stiletto's since our Glasgow pavements rip up those babies in mere minutes (I lost a pair of boots on Friday to our pavements - they snapped one of my heels in half, and it was one of the three pairs of mid high heels I own!), but as usual if I am going to do them then I'm really going for it. I will be honest though - these shoes have only seen the safety of my office with it's nice even floors, and not the cracked and broken concrete outside. However, should the opportunity arise to wear them clubbing (no, not to that  kind of club!), where Queen Marie and I park as near to the club as possible, then I shall indeed go dancing in them as they exceptionally comfortable.

Queen Michelle

Days Of Disco

You just can't beat a good disco dress. In spite of their often questionable fabric they still look completely fierce 20 or 30 years down the line. So imagine my utter delight and surprise when the wonderful Sophia from Nasty Gal Vintage sent me this totally divine 80's Halston dress.

And a detail photo as requested: hurrah for extended daylight!

Black and tight with a silver lurex bow detail which wraps around the front to back of the dress, Sophia was so right when she knew how much I'd love it.

It really didn't need too much by way of dressing up - just some hot heels, a tuxedo jacket and black tights or gunmetal silver leggings.

Lets go disco!

Queen Michelle