Kingdom Of Style

we wish you a merry christmas xxx

With only one more sleep to go, we just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas xxx

Thank you for keeping us company this year and we hope that you will be spending these special holiday days surrounded by your loved ones.

We will be taking a little break for Christmas and New Year and will be back refreshed and ready for more adventures in 2012.

Until then, may you have someone special to kiss under the mistletoe and we hope that Santa brings you whatever your heart desires.

With much love from Our Kingdom to yours...

 

Queen Marie and Queen Michelle

xxx

Only two more sleeps...

Only two more sleeps 'til Santa comes!

I don't know about you, but this Christmas, I plan to do a lot of sleeping.

I don't think I have ever been more weary, come this time of year.

Instead of the black t-shirt I normally drape over my eyes to ensure total black out, I should really treat myself to one of these stylish eye masks from tout court moi, much more in keeping with my royal position!

Luxury eye masks from €38.32

Queen Marie

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Denim Paradise

For 2012 these jeans need to be on my legs.

By Mother The Looker from Donna Ida.

Queen Michelle

john wayne is big leggy...

Walking through Debenhams a few weeks ago, I was rather taken aback by this display

3 sets of slim legs popped out from underneath a table.

My first thought was - "my my what a clever way of promoting their jeans and boots"

But when I took a a closer look, my amusement turned to something else entirely.

These super skinny jeans were so small, that they didn't even fit the mannequins. None of the jeans were zipped up or fastened at the waist.

If they didn't fit super skinny plastic legs then how the hell were they ever going to be able to sell them to real girls.

My second thought was - why is it, once you think of a song (especially a bad one) you can't get it out of your head for hours maybe even days.The mannequin legs had instantly made me start singing " John Wayne is big leggy"

Most of you will be lucky enough not to know what this song sounds like.

It sounds bad. Real bad.

It was the 'work' of 1980's  pop group Haysi Fantayzee wich featured Kate Garner and a very young Jeremy Healy

Jeremy went on to bigger and better things.

Most of you will know him as a close friend of John Galliano and the dj and musical director for all his shows at John Galliano and Dior.

My third thought was far more melancholy - I started thinking about the world of fashion without Galliano and Alexander McQueen.  A world that has become less magical as a result

As adults who love fashion, the collections are almost like Christmas morning for children.  

We are excited and full of anticipation to see what wonders await us underneath the tree. But without the unique vision and fashion spectacle, only they could bring, that anticipation has diminished... 

But I shall finish on an optimistic note. The gap that they have left, leaves room for the imagination of other young designers to grow and flourish and bloom...

Queen Marie

Feminine Ways

You may or may not have noticed, but I'm not entirely the most feminine creature that ever walked the earth. I am, at heart, an eternal tomboy.

I suppose I could be called contrary - one one hand I like some of the ultimate sartorial expressions of femininity, such as high heels and delicious lingerie, whilst on the other I am happiest in dirty jeans and battered t-shirts. I am attracted to ballet and it's quest for finding beautiful shapes with the body, but equally drawn to the physical aspect of ballet where muscles and bones work harder than the delicate exterior suggests. Contrary.

There are times I simply cannot bring myself to wear skirts or dresses. They hang on clothes rail gathering dust as I wear the same jeans day in, day out. Few things tempt me into them when I'm in that mood. I've been in that mood lately and other than swathing myself in black which, at a push, could temp into a skirt, it's been jeans and biker boots the whole time. However, there is one label which always manages to make me imagine being uber feminine when I see their images and campaigns.

Miu Miu.

In a way Prada never could, Miu Miu transports me into a world where I could see myself in twee prints, old lady pearls and satin shoes. I can imagine my pale limbs bared in short, bubble hem dresses and my hair adorned in jewels.

Of course, the power of Miu Miu is that quintessential quirk which is always present. Miu Miu projects an incredibly powerful persona. The clothes are super-girly certainly, yet the Miu Miu girl is far from sweet. She is  as complex as she is feminine. With Miu Miu you need to dig a little deeper and when you strip away the layers, you might just find some underwear...

The resort collection is jewels and brights and all things nice!

I love going into the Miu Miu department in Frasers. There is a girl who works there and whenever I go in, we always end up rummaging in the jewellery display cabinet, piling on bracelets, tiaras and rings! It's like rooting around the jewellery box of the coolest granny ever and makes me feel about 8 years old. In a good way.

If Holly Golightly reckoned nothing bad could happen to you in Tiffany's, then only good things could happen to you in Miu Miu.

Although your bank manager might disagree.

Queen Michelle

Lady-like PVC

I've featured designer Kata Szegedi before for her incredibly beautiful creations.

No sign of a Ss12 collection as yet, but she has included her AW11 one. Whilst I don't feel it's her strongest or best work, there are  four pieces which are definitely interesting.

PVC (or leather, not sure) is given a lady-like makeover and fashioned into a 40's style dress and skirt with the pencil silhouette making the most of feminine curves, and a panelled top which definitely has potential to look amazing in a different context.

 I can't really see the narrative behind the collection admittedly, but that could just be me. Looking at the full collection though, I feel this is more like a pre-collection, when ideas are tempered and shapes simpler. Overall this feels like an abbreviated version of the 'real' collection.

Ideas naturally get distilled during the design process, so I'm curious to see the path Kata wants to take her label, as it's moved quite a bit away from when she began, with only small nods to little features which I thought might become signature to her.

Queen Michelle

If you haven't already noticed - the Hell Yeah vests are now up for sale xx

Girls Say Yes

They surely do....

Centre parting, animal print and Zoe Karssen t-shirt.

That is all.

Queen Michelle

There's A Storm Coming

I've been asked a lot where my vintage band t-shirts come from as they are so damned amazing.

Well, they are from Stormcrow Vintage, who deals in rare and vintage band t-shirts and somehow he manages to get a hold of some of the most incredible t-shirts I've seen.

I've seen ultra rare Sex Pistols and Misfits tees in his shop, and currently he has a Dead Kennedy's In God We Trust tee for nearly $900.

I generally don't condone the wearing of band t-shirts for fashion, but I know many of our readers are genuinely into their music, so here's a little selection of Stormcrow wears which are now sold via Defunct.

Happy hunting.

Queen Michelle

Perfect Girl, Perfect Outfit

These images of Dovile Virsilaite for Forget Them Magazine are everything I want to be right now. I really need to track down a copy of this magazine.

Long haired green fur? Hell yeah!

Queen Michelle