Showing posts with label queen of england. Show all posts
Showing posts with label queen of england. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2022
Thursday, September 8, 2022
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/
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/
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Congratulations, England and Wales!
After a bill legalising same-sex marriage in England and Wales passed the House of Lords and House of Commons, today Queen Elizabeth II gave her assent and signed the bill into law.
Congratulations England and Wales!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
DREAM 8.12.11: Palace Tour
I am on a tour of Buckingham Palace with a very small group of people. We are all surprised when the Queen joins us, unannounced. I tell a little boy of seven or eight that it is very special because the Queen is going to show us around herself. I step aside, deferring to her to lead, but she deliberately goes to the rear, as if to herd us. In her office, she finds laminated passes for each of us to wear on this special tour. Mine has my interior design business logo on it!
I am sure this dream is related to this marvelous picture I found the other day. It's very sweet to see them like this...in love. You know that as they gaze at each other in the second picture, they are only seeing each other as they appear in the first.
It reminds me of a line spoken by Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher in the incredible, life-altering HBO series "Six Feet Under." After her husband died, Ruth mourned his absence with her daughter by noting, “I miss him too. There will never be another man who will love me when I am young and pretty and always have that picture of me somewhere in his heart.”
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalChannel
I am sure this dream is related to this marvelous picture I found the other day. It's very sweet to see them like this...in love. You know that as they gaze at each other in the second picture, they are only seeing each other as they appear in the first.
It reminds me of a line spoken by Frances Conroy as Ruth Fisher in the incredible, life-altering HBO series "Six Feet Under." After her husband died, Ruth mourned his absence with her daughter by noting, “I miss him too. There will never be another man who will love me when I am young and pretty and always have that picture of me somewhere in his heart.”
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalChannel
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