Kingdom Of Style

Zippy

As I said earlier in my screw necklace post, the DIY section of the site has been a bit neglected. Well, I decided to get off my arse and do something about it.

I have wanted to create an Ann Demeulemeester style leather and zip headband since I saw the collection and finally today I made it.

I simply created a leather hairband and sliced up zips and sewed them onto the band. I'm unashamedly doing my own Ann D hommage here.

I didn't want the zips to traverse my face entirely so I kept them on the leather with only the ocassional zip falling over my forehead.

Queen Michelle

Proud Of Proud Race

Forgive me today for lack of any coherant words. Sometimes the ability to talk/write leaves me on a Friday as I begin early my plan for a night lying on the couch watching South Park. But sometimes it's OK to not talk, right?

I received the lookbook from Manila based label Proud Race earlier in the week. They say of their latest collection:

"This season ProudRace explores the lighter side of the label, with their 2010 Spring/Summer collection titled "93 til infinity".

Still sticking to their trademark minimal and gender-neutral style, each piece was somehow inspired by memories of the '90s; Tori Spelling, The Craft and grunge are some of the inspiration for the clothes. These pieces were made contemporary to easily incorporate it into an existing wardrobe creating a distinct identity."

In 1993 I was 20 years old, going to festivals, wearing army boots, listening to NIN, dying my hair pillar box red, going out with a boy I think might have been secretly gay, smelling of Ylang Ylang oil, painting pictures, spending time walking by the seaside, rescueing rabbits, still coping with my fathers death, preparing to start college, wanting my old boyfriend back, hanging out with Lady Maxine, wearing lots of eyeliner, loving Victorian bloomers, squeezing myself into skin tight PVC hotpants.

Mostly though, I didn't look anywhere near as cool as this!

The designers said they wanted to "represent our country" and I think they've done a grand job.

Queen Michelle

Ground Zero

I had this lookbook on my desktop for a month but had no idea who it was from as it was just called AW10 Lookbook. I frantically went through hundreds of emails with lookbooks only to discover that lots of labels send me their lookbooks and call them AW10 Lookbook! So I had no clue who this was from. I was left with one solution...download each and every one from each and every email until I found out who's it was.

Finally, I discovered it was from UK label Ground Zero. Since I have just spend the last hour trailing through lookbooks please forgive me if I don't give you info about the label other than what's on their site, which I'm not even going to re-write. As with all images, click to enlarge to read it for yourself.

There are some really fun and cool looks in the collection. Clothes that could work to either add little interesting details to simple outfits, or layered up with each other to create a mass of fabulous texture and shape. The leather jackets are especially good.

I absolutely love the unexpected the addition of ruffle details on the loose jersey trousers and the zips and buckles on tops

I am a sucker for fun t-shirts and these are ticking all my boxes since they take a basic and elevate it with the addition of frills and rosettes.

Loving the Metallica style font on this one!

This is genuinely a great little label and well worth trailing through emails to find out who designed it.

Queen Michelle

Test Dummy

Firstly apologies for yet another outfit related post this week. I know they are boring and unimaginitive but I had to share my experience of A Body Suit.

I am the Black Milk Guinea Pig, the Fashion Test Dummy. James and I talk design, zips, studs and PVC on a fairly regular basis and naturally I am always thrilled to try out his wares. For research purposes you understand.

When he was talking about creating body suits we talked about necklines, exaggerated shoulders, poppers and details. I also said that unless a bodysuit had a high neckline I wouldn't wear one as I didn't feel I had the figure, or more specifically the boobage, to carry off a low cut bodysuit.

He went off and created a low-cut, strappy body suit and it looked amazing. But I still wasn't convinced. Then he created a long sleeved one with ruched side details and a centre sheer panel. Still low cut so still not for me....until he sent me one.

I tentatively took it out and poked at it for a bit, silently admiring the beautiful softness of the fabric. After pondering it for a while I wiggled myself into it and to my amazement I didn't look half as awful as I had expected I would. I simultanously cursed and blessed him for being right. I expected it to pinch, to give me a wedgie, to give me VPL, to give me all manner of unpleasant things bodysuits normally give me, yet no. It's like wearing a cloud. A tight, sexy cloud!

I pulled on some jeans, put on my Margiela boots, some chunky jewellery and a studded belt and actually felt really confident and comfortable in it.

I am not blessed with a curvacious, hour-glass body, but rather cursed with a long pelvic area and narrow hips, so I added the studded belt around my hips to add a bit of width lest I look like a boy. However, the curved ruched panels do give the illusion of curves which, for me, is a welcome bonus. How did he know to do this? If I didn't know better I'd say James was actually a girl!

Queen Michelle

Youthful Nobility

Noble Youth is a label I have written about before and, again, one which I didn't really keep track of. I decided to check out their latest collection and was reminded why I liked the label in the first place.

Megan Quinn, the designer behind Noble Youth, I don't believe has any high brow pretentions about her work even if it is are inspired by Dickens' novels or artists - but not to such a degree where the audience feels inferior for not being able to see the references which are often, in a lot of other designers' work, oblique to say the least. I believe she creates clothes which are intended to be fun, to make the wearer feel cheered when they wear them.

There is nothing to dissect, nothing to interpret, just beautiful, happy clothes for having fun in and feeling youthful....which is always a good thing in my book.

Queen Michelle

Stacked Garters

In my parcel from Marion at Bitching & Junkfood, containing my glorious headpiece, there was also a set of Rachel Freire leg garters. To say I was a bit excited would be a massive understatement. These high visibility garters with snakeskin garter attachment come in a set of three designed to be worn stacked up your leg.

They are like an abbreviation of her incredible leg cages in her AW09 collection.

I'm not sure how I managed to not see these on Bitching, but shamefully I did, so I am extra thrilled to have them in my possession now.

Thank you Rachel and Marion - I love you guys!

Queen Michelle

Print My Legs

A great many, if not most, of you will be familiar with Black Milk by now, designed by my chum James.

Yes, I have talked about his creations plenty of times but they deserve to be championed. He created the most perfect pair of PVC leggings I have ever owned afterall. But I have to say his printed designs of late have me foaming at the mouth with fashion greed and lust!

These are easily the most creative, imaginative and fun leggings around. How good are the last Cathedral print ones? Hella good!

Queen Michelle

Prince B In Da House

Prince B, aka F-20, has created the most awesome techno mix especially for Kingdom Of Style. He is hands down one of the most talented DJs and producers I know and I don't say that lightly.

In this mix he rips the arse right out of it...as we say in the Kingdom.

Here he is in the studio on Monday making musical mayhem.

EDIT: Prince B has now taken the mix off Soundcloud, but if you want a copy please email me.

Queen Michelle

Just Call Me Madam

I did a favour for my lovely friends at Boudiche last week and to my amazement they sent me a surprise thank you gift. I was not expecting anything at all so when a beautiful black box arrived on Monday I was tres excited as I frantically untied the ribbon. Inside was the most stunning sheer black and fringed kimono by Madam V.

It's designed to be worn over your most delicious lingerie as you lounge around looking all sexy, but I wore mine over my Jean Pierre Braganza dress and Black Milk leggings - I just can't do sexy. It also comes with a satin obi belt with tassles on the end. I swished about in it all day on Monday happy as happy can be.

Prince B took the photos and at one point told me to do my "best Morticia Addams/Ozzy Osbourne".  Righty ho then!

Can a girl ever have too many fringes? I think not.

Queen Michelle

Buy Chi

My handbag situation is getting a bit dire. One of my beloved Balenciagas has finally fallen apart after 6 intensive years of usage, my Miu Miu has totally died, my Marc Jacobs' handles are beginning to crack and look unsightly and my old Chloe Paddington is still too heavy to carry (shocker!). Currently I'm using a reusable shopping bag from Morrisons. The bright green clashes awfully with pretty much everything I own.

Of course investing in a new handbag is a pipe dream. But that doesn't mean to say I can't lust for one. Although lusting is dangerous when what you are lusting for costs little over $200, especially when it's a beautifully squishy handbag.

The handbag in question is this stunning, simple black one from OAK by 7Chi. It's perfectly plain and made of my favourite kind of pebbled leather.

I need this bag. Or I will die.

Exaggerate? Me?

Queen Michelle