--Queen Elizabeth II
Showing posts with label Queen Elizabeth II. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queen Elizabeth II. Show all posts
Sunday, May 14, 2023
Thursday, September 22, 2022
BEAUTY: Clothing--Richard Quinn
This September iteration of London Fashion Week was upended by the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II and many designers cancelled shows or have rescheduled them for a later date. But some designers chose to move ahead, albeit in a respectful way.
Regular readers know that twice a year--winter and summer--I blog about the marvelous creations designers send down the runway in England, Italy, and France, but for the men's shows only. However, for this posting I want to share with you a very arresting SS '23 womenswear collection at London Fashion Week from Richard Quinn. His intended theme was going to do with surveillance in our modern world and was going to be expressed in his usual riotously colorful creations. But the death of The Queen touched Quinn so deeply that he and his core team of six, plus 20 show-time helpers, worked day and night, in the 10 days after Her Majesty's death to create 22 looks all in black mourning.
Quinn said, "It was a real labor of love, I suppose...It was almost cathartic for us to put all of our emotions of mourning into it. We wanted it to have that kind of real craftsmanship, the beauty of royalty, and to try to turn all of the shapes and embroidery that we do into that kind of that idea of uniform dressing up they did when her father [King George VI] died."
Two ideas strike me about this opulent collection. The first has to do with the sheer amount of variety that Quinn managed to pack into a look that cannot rely on color. His silhouettes are a dizzying lesson in fashion history with cuts and shapes from the Georgian/Regency period of the mid 1700s to the early 1800s, all the way to the 1950s (with references to garments that look as if they could have been by the newly crowned Elizabeth II) and even the mod 60s. But all, masterfully, in black...with complicated layers of beading, brocade, and feathers.
Secondly, I can't help but flash on the idea of public mourning and how Queen Victoria, dressed in black with a veil after losing her beloved Prince Albert, ushered in a style of dressing that lasted for decades with the public in modest black mourning clothing on a seemingly permanent basis. While I don't think the British at large are going to be wearing black for the next thirty years, it is nonetheless a poignant and jarring moment to see so many people reacting to such a momentous, historic shift in culture and society.
https://www.richardquinn.com/
Regular readers know that twice a year--winter and summer--I blog about the marvelous creations designers send down the runway in England, Italy, and France, but for the men's shows only. However, for this posting I want to share with you a very arresting SS '23 womenswear collection at London Fashion Week from Richard Quinn. His intended theme was going to do with surveillance in our modern world and was going to be expressed in his usual riotously colorful creations. But the death of The Queen touched Quinn so deeply that he and his core team of six, plus 20 show-time helpers, worked day and night, in the 10 days after Her Majesty's death to create 22 looks all in black mourning.
Quinn said, "It was a real labor of love, I suppose...It was almost cathartic for us to put all of our emotions of mourning into it. We wanted it to have that kind of real craftsmanship, the beauty of royalty, and to try to turn all of the shapes and embroidery that we do into that kind of that idea of uniform dressing up they did when her father [King George VI] died."
Two ideas strike me about this opulent collection. The first has to do with the sheer amount of variety that Quinn managed to pack into a look that cannot rely on color. His silhouettes are a dizzying lesson in fashion history with cuts and shapes from the Georgian/Regency period of the mid 1700s to the early 1800s, all the way to the 1950s (with references to garments that look as if they could have been by the newly crowned Elizabeth II) and even the mod 60s. But all, masterfully, in black...with complicated layers of beading, brocade, and feathers.
Secondly, I can't help but flash on the idea of public mourning and how Queen Victoria, dressed in black with a veil after losing her beloved Prince Albert, ushered in a style of dressing that lasted for decades with the public in modest black mourning clothing on a seemingly permanent basis. While I don't think the British at large are going to be wearing black for the next thirty years, it is nonetheless a poignant and jarring moment to see so many people reacting to such a momentous, historic shift in culture and society.
https://www.richardquinn.com/
Monday, September 19, 2022
Saturday, September 17, 2022
BEAUTY: Clothing--Daniel W. Fletcher
London Fashion Week is--was--is scheduled for September 16th through the 20th, but of course with the death of Her Majesty and a national day of mourning for the funeral, many houses have scrambled to reschedule or have simply outright canceled shows. But LFW has vowed to continue, while recognizing such a momentous occasion and shift of the British cultural landscape.
So the first few shows have continued, and Daniel W. Fletcher opened his show with a morning coat and black armband in honor of The Queen. He said, "I think it’s important to be sensitive, because the Queen meant so much to a lot of people in this country, and having lost a number of people in my own life this year, I have a lot of empathy for people dealing with grief...There’s a really strong relationship between British fashion and the royal family, so I think it’s fitting we continue. I’m very glad that everyone’s pulled together."
Even before The Queen's death, Fletcher was taking inspiration for this collection, entitled Stand and Deliver, from quintessential English silhouettes to include pieces resembling corsets and patterns like Prince of Wales checks. The palette features a lot of black to reflect the somber mood of a country in mourning. But of great importance is the fact that this entire Spring Summer '23 collection was fabricated from only deadstock materials from Nona Source, a fabric resale platform backed by LVMH. Fletcher says, "I’m a firm believer in producing what is necessary rather than just churning stuff out." I agree. No fast fashion. Buy well and buy what you need so it lasts.
https://danielwfletcher.com/
Even before The Queen's death, Fletcher was taking inspiration for this collection, entitled Stand and Deliver, from quintessential English silhouettes to include pieces resembling corsets and patterns like Prince of Wales checks. The palette features a lot of black to reflect the somber mood of a country in mourning. But of great importance is the fact that this entire Spring Summer '23 collection was fabricated from only deadstock materials from Nona Source, a fabric resale platform backed by LVMH. Fletcher says, "I’m a firm believer in producing what is necessary rather than just churning stuff out." I agree. No fast fashion. Buy well and buy what you need so it lasts.
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
"On The Nature Of Daylight" by Max Richter
This stunning video for contemporary composer Max Richter's "On The Nature Of Daylight" stars (and was produced by) the wonderfully talented, award-winning Elisabeth Moss ("Handmaid's Tale," "Mad Men"). I mentioned a week ago or so that I recently lost a very close, dear friend of mine...a mentor, a family member in my heart. So I relate to Moss' character here...in fact, I have done this walk many times for many people and it never gets easier.
http://www.maxrichtermusic.com/
"Grief is the price we pay for love."
--Queen Elizabeth II
http://www.maxrichtermusic.com/
"Grief is the price we pay for love."
--Queen Elizabeth II
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Just finished binge watching...
...the much anticipated second season of the Netflix original series "The Crown" with Claire Foy as HRH Queen Elizabeth and Matt Smith as Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Where season one examined with great sympathy the life of Queen Elizabeth up to 1955, season two examines the years and events from 1956 to 1963 which includes the Suez canal crisis, visits from Billy Graham and the Kennedys, and ends with the Profumo Affair scandal. The series writers continue to humanize the Queen and her family, showing us that they are indeed "mere mortals" caught in exceptional--sometimes seemingly impossible--circumstances. There may be palaces and servants and lavish dinners, but there is doubt, pressure, and loneliness in an attempt to keep up the appearance of being super-human, always cool and in control.
Again, Claire Foy breathtakingly plumbs subtle emotional depths, and Matt Smith rightly continues to destroy any connection to Dr. Who with a portrayal of a complex and contradictory man (at least the way the character is written and Smith is playing him). All the supporting players in this pitch perfect period piece are marvelous as well.
The creators of the series plan for six seasons with the roles of all major players being recast every two seasons. Olivia Colman (who was so brilliant in "Broadchurch") has been cast as Elizabeth for seasons three and four while the role of Philip has yet to be announced. This leaves the final seasons of five and six to cover the later period of Elizabeth's life and events...possibly such as Charles and Diana's marriage and divorce and the subsequent death of Diana. And who will be the senior Elizabeth? I hope it is someone unexpected (and by that I mean someone other than Judi Dench--perhaps Imelda Staunton?).
https://www.netflix.com/title/80025678
Where season one examined with great sympathy the life of Queen Elizabeth up to 1955, season two examines the years and events from 1956 to 1963 which includes the Suez canal crisis, visits from Billy Graham and the Kennedys, and ends with the Profumo Affair scandal. The series writers continue to humanize the Queen and her family, showing us that they are indeed "mere mortals" caught in exceptional--sometimes seemingly impossible--circumstances. There may be palaces and servants and lavish dinners, but there is doubt, pressure, and loneliness in an attempt to keep up the appearance of being super-human, always cool and in control.
Again, Claire Foy breathtakingly plumbs subtle emotional depths, and Matt Smith rightly continues to destroy any connection to Dr. Who with a portrayal of a complex and contradictory man (at least the way the character is written and Smith is playing him). All the supporting players in this pitch perfect period piece are marvelous as well.
The creators of the series plan for six seasons with the roles of all major players being recast every two seasons. Olivia Colman (who was so brilliant in "Broadchurch") has been cast as Elizabeth for seasons three and four while the role of Philip has yet to be announced. This leaves the final seasons of five and six to cover the later period of Elizabeth's life and events...possibly such as Charles and Diana's marriage and divorce and the subsequent death of Diana. And who will be the senior Elizabeth? I hope it is someone unexpected (and by that I mean someone other than Judi Dench--perhaps Imelda Staunton?).
https://www.netflix.com/title/80025678
Thursday, January 19, 2017
BEAUTY: Clothing--Misc. Milano Moda Uomo Fall-Winter '17-'18
Now that it's run and done, Milano Moda Uomo was fairly subtantial this year with a nice mix of really interesting collections, and several with some special details. Here are a few:
The power of positive words--to save us from the global spread of righteous darkness and the New Dark Ages--was on display at Fendi. For this Fall-Winter '17-'18 collection at Milano Moda Uomo, Silvia Venturini Fendi posted onto her mood board some inspirational lines from Ernest Hemingway about the positive strategies to try before letting the negative take hold. She said: "I want to be optimistic, need to be. These were simple words, universal words like love, listen, try. I was reading this and thinking it is so easy if you follow these universal rules." So we have in a clear, bold font the words LOVE, YES, THINK, TRY, BLISS, HOPE on head bands and calmly spelled out on jackets as a gentle but firm reminder to stay human in these trying times.
Salvatore Ferragamo, a company founded by a cobbler in 1923, always has a lovely array of shoes to show in their collections, as one would expect. And for this FW outing, the house showed a shoe with a lug sole that splayed out, ending up looking like the wearer has webbed feet. I kinda like it...
And Prada had some truly funky shoes to go with a fun, funky, 1970s-by-way-of-the-Pacific-Northwest theme. Fur covered sneakers, loafers, and chukka boots are eclectic...
...and she had jewelry to match. Shells and feathers hung from chains while trimmed, bark-covered tree branches looked like pieces of coral dangling around the necks of models. And to complete the West Coast-New-Age-hippie vibe, large chunks of amethyst crystal, citrine, and quartz crystal were thrown in to gild the lily.
While we're on accessories, I think Giorgio Armani invented a new one. I know, right? How could anyone invent a new piece of clothing. But who knew: a sleeve-scarf? Here it is. A piece of knitwear with sleeves at either end, but with plenty of material in between to drape up an arm, a shoulder, wrap around a neck or cross a chest, and travel down the other side to become a sleeve once again. By description alone, it sounds ridiculous (and it is NOT a shrug!) but look...look! It is fairly fabulous and makes me wonder how I have stayed warm without one!
And while we're on scarves, we move from the sublime to the humorous with MSGM's take on the silk head scarf Queen Elizabeth II wears when not at Buckingham Palace. Whether driving a royal Range Rover on the grounds of Sandringham or attending The Royal Windsor Horse Show, the monarch often sports a scarf on her head along with quilted jackets or coats one would wear "in the country." MSGM hilariously sent models down the runway in such quilted and country outer wear...with a silk head scarf just like HRH. Proof that artistic inspiration really can come from anywhere.
Now, on to the Paris shows!
https://www.fendi.com
http://www.ferragamo.com
http://www.prada.com/
http://www.armani.com/
http://www.msgm.it/
The power of positive words--to save us from the global spread of righteous darkness and the New Dark Ages--was on display at Fendi. For this Fall-Winter '17-'18 collection at Milano Moda Uomo, Silvia Venturini Fendi posted onto her mood board some inspirational lines from Ernest Hemingway about the positive strategies to try before letting the negative take hold. She said: "I want to be optimistic, need to be. These were simple words, universal words like love, listen, try. I was reading this and thinking it is so easy if you follow these universal rules." So we have in a clear, bold font the words LOVE, YES, THINK, TRY, BLISS, HOPE on head bands and calmly spelled out on jackets as a gentle but firm reminder to stay human in these trying times.
Salvatore Ferragamo, a company founded by a cobbler in 1923, always has a lovely array of shoes to show in their collections, as one would expect. And for this FW outing, the house showed a shoe with a lug sole that splayed out, ending up looking like the wearer has webbed feet. I kinda like it...
And Prada had some truly funky shoes to go with a fun, funky, 1970s-by-way-of-the-Pacific-Northwest theme. Fur covered sneakers, loafers, and chukka boots are eclectic...
...and she had jewelry to match. Shells and feathers hung from chains while trimmed, bark-covered tree branches looked like pieces of coral dangling around the necks of models. And to complete the West Coast-New-Age-hippie vibe, large chunks of amethyst crystal, citrine, and quartz crystal were thrown in to gild the lily.
While we're on accessories, I think Giorgio Armani invented a new one. I know, right? How could anyone invent a new piece of clothing. But who knew: a sleeve-scarf? Here it is. A piece of knitwear with sleeves at either end, but with plenty of material in between to drape up an arm, a shoulder, wrap around a neck or cross a chest, and travel down the other side to become a sleeve once again. By description alone, it sounds ridiculous (and it is NOT a shrug!) but look...look! It is fairly fabulous and makes me wonder how I have stayed warm without one!
And while we're on scarves, we move from the sublime to the humorous with MSGM's take on the silk head scarf Queen Elizabeth II wears when not at Buckingham Palace. Whether driving a royal Range Rover on the grounds of Sandringham or attending The Royal Windsor Horse Show, the monarch often sports a scarf on her head along with quilted jackets or coats one would wear "in the country." MSGM hilariously sent models down the runway in such quilted and country outer wear...with a silk head scarf just like HRH. Proof that artistic inspiration really can come from anywhere.
Now, on to the Paris shows!
https://www.fendi.com
http://www.ferragamo.com
http://www.prada.com/
http://www.armani.com/
http://www.msgm.it/
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Warhol Wallpaper by Flavor Paper
I love wallpaper, and love to use it in my interior design work but often when I suggest wallpaper to a client, I see a look of fear and revulsion as they cite a horrible wallpaper they recall from their childhood which was invariably located in their grandmother's kitchen (a repeating pattern of a small coffee grinder with a bouquet of country flowers in oranges and greens) or their mother's bathroom (a garish foil print of bamboo and birds).
The current world of wallcoverings offer an incredible array of amazing patterns, colors, and textures to please anyone and fit with any style. With that in mind, Flavor Paper (previously here) makes a series of wallpapers based on the silkscreen prints Andy Warhol created throughout his career. Warhol of course is recognized as one of the founders of modern and pop art, and I just know Andy would have loved these wallcoverings. In fact, Flavor Paper has created these in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Let's look at wallpapers inspired by Warhol's silkscreens of celebrities and public figures, starting with one of his most iconic muses, Marilyn Monroe. Here, the classic Warhol Marilyn comes in four colorways, starting with sandshell on matte gold mylar...
...and it also comes in carbon, white, and chrome, seen below.
As equally iconic is Elvis Presley, gathered here and called "Elvi," which, one assumes, is the plural of Elvis. It too comes in four colorways, starting with white on thunder gray clay coated paper...
...and in fire red, graphite, and blue suede (naturally!).
Look what you can do when you mix colorways! An Elvis American flag is kitschy and cool!
As part of his Reigning Queens series from 1985, Warhol created prints of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Flavor Paper presents them in four colorways, starting with teal...
...and also available in deep purple, ruby, and neon grey.
https://www.flavorpaper.com/
The current world of wallcoverings offer an incredible array of amazing patterns, colors, and textures to please anyone and fit with any style. With that in mind, Flavor Paper (previously here) makes a series of wallpapers based on the silkscreen prints Andy Warhol created throughout his career. Warhol of course is recognized as one of the founders of modern and pop art, and I just know Andy would have loved these wallcoverings. In fact, Flavor Paper has created these in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Let's look at wallpapers inspired by Warhol's silkscreens of celebrities and public figures, starting with one of his most iconic muses, Marilyn Monroe. Here, the classic Warhol Marilyn comes in four colorways, starting with sandshell on matte gold mylar...
...and it also comes in carbon, white, and chrome, seen below.
As equally iconic is Elvis Presley, gathered here and called "Elvi," which, one assumes, is the plural of Elvis. It too comes in four colorways, starting with white on thunder gray clay coated paper...
...and in fire red, graphite, and blue suede (naturally!).
Look what you can do when you mix colorways! An Elvis American flag is kitschy and cool!
As part of his Reigning Queens series from 1985, Warhol created prints of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Flavor Paper presents them in four colorways, starting with teal...
...and also available in deep purple, ruby, and neon grey.
https://www.flavorpaper.com/
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Kate Bush, CBE!
I don't know how I managed to miss this, but back in April of this year, 2013, my beloved Kate Bush received a CBE from HRH Queen Elizabeth!
From BBC News:
"Kate Bush has received her CBE for services to music from the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
The singer-songwriter, who was catapulted to fame in 1978 when Wuthering Heights topped the charts, said she was "incredibly thrilled".
The 54-year-old dedicated the award to her family and joked that it would have pride of place at the top of her Christmas tree.
She has released 10 studio albums in a career spanning nearly 40 years.
Bush, whose other hits include Running Up That Hill and Babooshka, has won both Brit and Ivor Novello awards.
The artist, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, has also recorded collaborations with some of the most prominent names in music, including Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel and Prince."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22094605
http://www.katebush.com/
From BBC News:
"Kate Bush has received her CBE for services to music from the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
The singer-songwriter, who was catapulted to fame in 1978 when Wuthering Heights topped the charts, said she was "incredibly thrilled".
The 54-year-old dedicated the award to her family and joked that it would have pride of place at the top of her Christmas tree.
She has released 10 studio albums in a career spanning nearly 40 years.
Bush, whose other hits include Running Up That Hill and Babooshka, has won both Brit and Ivor Novello awards.
The artist, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, has also recorded collaborations with some of the most prominent names in music, including Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel and Prince."
Congratulations, Kate!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22094605
http://www.katebush.com/
Friday, June 8, 2012
God Save The Green
2012 is Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, celebrating her 60 years on the throne and over the next year, the country has planned a variety of events to celebrate this special occasion. Tonight, June 8th, York Minster will host a dinner for 900 people on actual green, living grass which was grown in felt recycled from British textiles so that it could easily be rolled out to cover the space, and then easily cleaned up afterwards.
From the York Minster website:
"On June 8th, during the celebrations for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, a grand dinner for 900 guests is to be held in the nave of York Minster.
Only once before has such an event taken place. The 2008 dinner was a vast success and we intend to make the 2012 dinner equally memorable. With a theme to complement the new York Minster Rose, the evening will offer spectacular entertainment and fine dining in unparalleled surroundings.
The purpose of the event, apart from celebrating Her Majesty and the rose, is to raise as much money as possible for the York Minster Fund at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges."
http://donate.yorkminster.org/events-the-york-minster-rose-dinner-2012/
From the York Minster website:
"On June 8th, during the celebrations for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, a grand dinner for 900 guests is to be held in the nave of York Minster.
Only once before has such an event taken place. The 2008 dinner was a vast success and we intend to make the 2012 dinner equally memorable. With a theme to complement the new York Minster Rose, the evening will offer spectacular entertainment and fine dining in unparalleled surroundings.
The purpose of the event, apart from celebrating Her Majesty and the rose, is to raise as much money as possible for the York Minster Fund at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges."
http://donate.yorkminster.org/events-the-york-minster-rose-dinner-2012/
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