Kingdom Of Style

you can always trust a marine!

You remember the sad story a couple of months ago, when I dropped my little cybershot, killing him stone dead. I still miss him!

If I had been using the wrist strap, it would never have happened. So I have no one to blame but my stupid lazy self for his untimely demise.

With my big camera, I always use my strap. It is as ugly as sin but totally essential.

So that is why I was most excited when l I receied an email the other day from the lovely Lyn, telling me about the camera strap, that her husband Tim ( a professional photographer for more than 30 years) had spent weeks perfecting.

I popped over to Tims blog for a closer look and was instantly smitten

Practical, sylish and quite simply cool. Very cool.

Tim explains the Reasons to recommend this strap:

Comfort in the hand or around the neck. Very occasionally, I carry my camera with the strap running diagonally across my chest (never in front like a tourist). But most of the time I carry my camera with the strap wrapped around my wrist like a hand strap. My strap feels great however you carry your camera.

No fiddly adjustments and no buckles. I just want a strap the correct length, for me. Not too long and not too short.

Strong. Oh yes, very strong.

Design. I want a strap that compliments the look of my cameras. Also, I like the feel and quality of handmade items.

I've been a professional photographer for the past 30 years, I know exactly the sort of strap I needed/wanted. So while this blog has been quiet, I've spent the past months testing materials and making prototypes. As an ex sailor in the merchant navy (marine),  I remember my knots, so it's natural that my strap would be hand knotted and spliced.

 The cord is military grade, made in the US. It's very strong, a single strand will hold over 600 pounds. For added security the ends are spliced to form a loop, where a stainless steel split ring connects to the camera. I've used a leather tube to protect the camera from rubbing against the split ring. The loose ends are finished with a celtic knot for luck and love. The new strap initially feels a little stiff, like a new pair of jeans, but with use it will relax and become the most comfortable material in the hand. It feels great. 

 There are no buckles and bits of plastic, the strap is bespoke and is made to any length, from 30 inches to 50 inches. At the moment colours are black, gray, khaki and olive, but I'm playing with new colours and will show them here as I make them.

 Apart from the leather protector, the only tools used are a rigging knife with a marlin spike. Each strap takes between eight and ten hours to make, so my straps are rare animals.

I'm going to make a limited number to order for $110 for up to 39 inches. You can have them longer if you prefer, for an additional $5 per inch. If you'd like me to make you one of my strap,s or you'd like further details, send an email to me - timopart@gmail.com

Count me in Tim, I just need to decide which colour....

 

He also has an etsy shop where you can buy some of his wonderful print work.

I am completely in love with this golden blossom print.

*sigh*

Queen Marie

Wide Awake In The Shadows

For their newest collection, Canadian label Complex Geometries have ventured into denim territory, with raw hemmed dresses, tops and jeans peppering their night inspired collection.

This is a label I've featured fairly regularly on here since their inception, and watched them steadily grown into a brand to be reckoned with. Clayton, the creative behind Complex Geometries, has really tapped into a gap in the market catering for those who love the kind of clothing that doesn't dictate a look as soon as you wear it, but also isn't so basic as to be too devoid of all personality. It perfectly straddles the centre and, as a result, you get beautiful floaty sheer tunics, dark denim and loosely tailored pices which have a nicely quiet presence about them.

I think the sheer pieces Complex Geometries do are always crowd pleasers because they do them so damn well, but it's great to see them explore more rigid shapes here, and the denim was a natural progression for the label.

This collection is primarily dark hued with elements of white and is inspired by all things evening. It's good that they weren't tempted to go down the obvious sparkly route, instead giving only the briefest nod to shine with a muted gold full length dress.

Queen Michelle

get on your bike...

 For the first few days in Berlin, I lost count of the times Telf almost had to pull me out of the cycle path, to stop me from being run over.

I wasn't being inconsiderate, just stupid!  Back home we don't have cycle paths like that.

Everyone cycles everywhere in Berlin. Old and young alike, alone and in groups.

It was great to see. 

Since then, I keep thinking how great it would be to have a bike. I can hear Queen Michelle laughing at the very thought of me on a bike, but back in the day, I used to cycle everywhere and loved it. 

Of course it typical contrary style, the only bike I really want is a Pashley Poppy.

Pashley Cycles is England's longest established bicycle manufacturer. Founded in 1926 and based in Stratford-upon-Avon, our dedicated team design and hand-build a unique range of specialist bicycles and tricycles.

But as one of those puppies would set me back about £450.00, I'm thinking the chances of that happening are pretty slim.

But one bike you can be sure of seeing me with real soon is this, part of the wonderful new High Summer collection from me and zena

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I love me and zena. It is always so playful and fun and I think that this collection is the funnest yet.

Yes I know, that funnest is not a real world, but with all this talk of bikes, that just how I want to roll today!

 

Queen Marie

x

 

Make A Vish

With the sun shining, although admittedly not today, it really does wonders for cheering up the mood. It makes you feel happier, warmer and more positive. As I mentioned on Monday, it even saw me bare my legs for the first time properly in a great many years!

Whilst it does throw up a few wardrobe issues with me personally, with a closet primarily filled with black jeans, the sun makes me really want to explore more colour and print. I actually say I'm going to do this all the time, and when I do wear prints I rarely do it subtely, prefering the head to toe clashing option or sickeningly matchy matchy. Perhaps it's best for all concerned I stick to black jeans huh?

In my head, my ideal prints are easy and modern. Geometrics and pretty but bold florals are definitely my first print choices.

When I came across label Vish, a Brazilian label created by Andreia Passos and Luiz Wachelke, their prints and simple, playful shapes really appealed to me. Even though this is an AW12 collection, it feels summery and light enough to wear now. The patterns are quite 60's in places, which is further enhanced with the cocoon cut on some of the dresses.

These are the kind pieces you could happily have in your wardrobe for years and never grow tired off. The colours are soft and don't obstruct the patterns at all, yet work to make it all feel quite understated.

Queen Michelle

let's go la la...

 While Queen Michelle and I are strictly " Southside" for many people "The West End" is the best  end.

The West End of Glasgow has long been regarded as the most prestigious district of the city full of cafés, tea rooms, bars, boutiques, upmarket hotels, clubs and restaurants.

ACGD moved there at Christmas time and to be frank, he has been burning the candles at both ends. So much so, that if he does not take care, he is in danger of burning himself out altogether.

 But as always I digress. Back in the room...

One of the best things about the west end is all the wonderful little shops and boutiques selling interesting things. La La Land is one of those.

 Run by Sarah who says - It is the original blog shop - we scour the fashion blogs, obscure fashion magazines & online marketplaces looking for new, upcoming designers and labels, cherry pick the best, and ship them into the best little boutique, right here in Glasgow.

But luckily for us all, you can visit the virtual store and snaffle up some treasure.

I am a sucker for circus things, so I seriously want to buy each and every one of these necklaces and brooches.

Horse and Gyspy Rose Necklaces with long chain  £15.00

Circus Brooches  £10 each

 

 

 

 

 If you are quick, you could also scoop an unbelievable bargain.

A Hilary Laing dress for only £20.00!!!! reduced from £165 as shown here on our very own Queen Michelle who modeled for Hilary.

*WARNING TO QUEEN MICHELLE*

DO NOT look at these pictures, you will only get upset at how long your hair was...

 

But you best hurry because I think there are only two of them left...

 Queen Marie

 

Jaggy Nettle x KoS

There are some collaborations happening in the Kingdom, which I'm very excited about but can't share just yet. However, one collaboration, which began last spring, is finally coming to fruition.

For the past year or so I've been working with Jaggy Nettle on a collection. It initially began life as a sweatshirt and some vests, then grew in to a fully fledged collection. Sadly, Jaggy Nettle's own production schedule meant we had to park the full collection idea for now and revert back to the range of basics.

Luckily, what I designed last year really wasn't all that seasonal as I wear vests and sweatshirts all year round, so bringing these designs to life for spring wasn't a problem.

When I set about sketching my ideas initially, I thought about all the elements I want my perfect vest to have. I required it have design features and functionality in equal measure. So, I created a dip hemmed vest, but rather than the hem dipping low at the back, and cropped at the front, I reversed it.

I think it's incredibly sexy when a woman bends down and a little bit of her back shows. It's alluring in a subtle, accidental way. Stomachs all on show, for me, is for the teenagers. Women should be sexy in a less obvious way, and accidental little displays of skin is beautiful and unexpected, almost like little parts of the body only a lover might see, like that little glimpse of spine. On a practical level, the low dipped front makes it easy to tuck into jeans much more neatly than a traditional straight hem tee.

I was very pernickity about the fabric. I wanted it soft and almost sheer and Jaggy Nettle knew just the thing - the finest Egyptian cotton jersey. I was also fussy about the right shade of black and, again, Jaggy Nettle knew what to do and set about relaying all the instructions to their factory in the Borders.

We decided, after getting the initial samples, that it would be fun, and in keeping with Jaggy Nettle's own printed cashmere jumpers, to have the t-shirts printed. Jaggy Nettle used Penguin books for their prints and so I would use music. There are going to be 3 designs at the moment, and we shall be releasing one every few weeks. Each tee has a very limited run of 100.

This is the first sample I have received - the plain white, dipped hem vest. It's unbelievably practical and far sexier than I make it look in these photos.

I also created a range of printed, oversized boyfriend tees, which will come in navy, black and white, and these vests will be in plain and printed black and white. I will, of course, be showing the others when they arrive. They are not up for sale yet, but I shall let you know when they are ready to go.

As I said, these will be very limited in numbers.

Queen Michelle

Here is a little reminder of the label's own work, incase some of you didn't see it when I featured them xx

The grim garden reaper...

We may be baking in a freak heat wave but it is going to take a good while to put my garden right after all the damage of a hideous wet and windy weather.

Broken down fences, gates and the loss of some of my favourite shrubs, means I can hardly face getting things in shape for spring.

But worst of all, my garden has had another visit from The Grim Garden Reaper...

For Reaper read my Father.

The terrorist with a Flymo.

I came home last week and it was obvious he had struck again!!!!

You know how much I love poppies and every year I can't wait for them to appear, to see how big the blooms will be and how long they will last.
My poppies are planted in a small bed in the middle of the grass and last year The Reaper kept cutting them down, before they had a chance to come to anything at all.

So not a single poppy in 2011. It was a bad summer.
I was worried they might not come back, so I had been keeping a careful watch out but a couple of weeks ago there they were, happily poking their little heads back through the soil.

Well they were, until they were asassinated again. Arghhhhhhhhh...

So I had no option but to dig up the whole area, where the plant was and put it in a tub, which I have put at the very back of the garden. 

As of Friday night, there is still a little hope for poppies 2012! The smallest green shoot is coming through, so watch this space...

In the meantime, the new garden lion has been placed on sentry duty and has been given free reign to attack the reaper should he attempt to enter the garden while I am out at work.

Father! you have been warned and even you can't argue with a man eating lion... 

Queen Marie

x

Crochet Me A Suntan

The sunshine has well and truly hit the Kingdom. We haven't had it this hot for quite a few years and, as you can imagine, it's thrown up all sorts of what to wear issues for me, as someone who primarily lives in black jeans.

At work it's not so bad as you are indoors for the hottest part of the day, but come the weekend and, oh my, what to wear! Black jeans just wasn't workable.

For as long as I can remember I have hated getting my bare legs out in public. I remember being 13 years old on a very summer day, desperately trying to find something to wear so I wouldn't overheat on the walk up to my friend's house. Like now, back then I was always in black jeans but there was no way I would have survived that hot day. So, after much deliberation, I ended up baring my legs in a DIY tie bleached denim mini skirt and my Motorhead t-shirt. It was the first time I'd bared my legs since being a much younger girl and that walk up to my friends was one of the most uncomfortable ones I've ever experienced!

But the formula of t-shirt and short bottom half has stayed with me, but as I got older I discovered the joys of over knee socks and holdups, which serve to cover most of my legs.

I'd feel differently if I had lovely brown limbs, but pasty white and definitely Scottish is not a great look for me.

So with the sun shining even hotter on Sunday, it was time to get on the shorts and get out the legs. Some spotty holdups saved my bright blue/transparent skin being too much on show, but I admit that it was so hot eventually even they came off.

I found these old River Island crochet shorts, which I was thrilled to still fit into. I dug them out on friday to indulge in a bit of sunbathing in my living room, but decided to give them a proper airing. I'd forgotten just how much I really like them. With my Miista shoes, vintage quilted bag, 80's Anthrax t-shirt and, yes, that hat again, I tried to actually be quite feminine. I almost made it.

As the day wore on this got to warm to wear so off came the tee, and on went a loose Obesity & Speed tank and bikini top and off came the heels and on went the scruffy ankle boots. It was good while it lasted.

And my Instagram followers have seen these first, but my Ksubi sunglasses arrived last week and I literally have had them on every single day since. I LOVE them. They are the perfect mix of edgy and elegant and I am so glad I got the help to finally make them mine.

And I might actually have managed to get myself to a slightly darker shade of blue than before. Now I'm almost white.

Queen Michelle

Some psalt for your goldfish?

I saw something quite strange yesterday evening.

Two young girls were walking down he street, and each of them were carrying a goldfish in a plastic bag. They were holding them up in the sunlight and gazing at them in rapt wonder.

What struck me as strange, was I couldn't figure out where they had got them. There was no petshop nearby and as far as I know there was no carnival in town. But regardless of where they had come from, you could tell by the look on the children's faces that they would be cherished pets.

It reminded me of the "Bubble Tank" created by the Sheffield-based design studio Psalt Design.

I love the perverse notion of a fishbowl that costs in excess of £295.00 for a fish that probably costs £2.75.

Made from premium glass, handblown and slumped by a master glassblower each tank has it's own unique form and individual characteristics.  Psalt wanted to create a beautiful, as well as functional product, aimed at provoking a reaction, conversation or interaction between the owner and any guests.

It is a world away a cheap mass produced product but is instead  a celebration of the skill and craft of the glass craftsmen...

It may look precarious but it rests on a counter-balanced weight, making it stable.

But I still can't help but think that the little goldfishes don't need such a glamourous bowl to be happy...

Queen Marie

just like a fairytale....

If this sun keeps up this weekend, I know where I will be headed.

The darkened cool of the cinema.

And of course the movie ,at the top of my must see list, is Dark Shadows.

  

So it was perfect timing ,when an email popped into the ol' KIngdom today from Stephen Einhorn

Based in Highbury and established in 1995, Stephen has become synonymous with quality, exclusivity and cutting edge design within contemporary British men's and women's jewellery. With a focus on bespoke jewellery and original design, he has been regularly commissioned by companies to design jewellery ranges. These have included collections for Paul Smith, Kingdom favourite - A Bathing Ape, and pieces for Dunhill.

But it must have been like a fairytale come true when he was commisioned to make bespoke pieces for Dark Shadow.

The exquisite, handcrafted jewellery designs included a bespoke ring for Johnny Depp's Barnabas Collins character, a bespoke fish keyring and key pendant necklace for Eva Green's Angelique Bouchard character.

It's amazing looking at the sketch and then at the finished ring below and above in the poster, just how closely the finished piece of fine jewellery is to the initial sketch...

 

Simply wonderful.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm off to buy some popcorn and a lottery ticket .

If I win, then you can be sure that I will be making a call to Stephen real soon.

Queen Marie

x