A curiously British Jubilee

It wasn’t jolly boating weather, but we made the most of it. In true British style, and with stiff upper lips, we partied in the rain and battled against choppy waters to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The River Pageant was a colourful spectacle, though I can’t imagine what it must have been like down there on the water. Fortunately, we were able to enjoy the proceedings from some of the best seats in town – in an apartment overlooking the River Thames.

We didn’t have huge flags (unlike some of our neighbours), but I hung up some bunting, and wore an original vintage Union Jack flag fashioned into a dress – plus my nails were painted red, white and blue…

 Even the men dressed up in patriotic colours.

Foodwise, my Coronation chicken (see ShopCurious post above) was a great success. Mounds of sandwiches were consumed, cake stands emptied, and Scotch Eggs scoffed by the dozen. Curiously, my token tin of Spam remained unopened.

Towards the end of the party, I was flagging as much as my dress. I was so relieved to eventually take off my shoes. Unfortunately, unlike the Queen, I hadn’t had anyone wear them in for me. And I’d creatively customized them with red rose hair accessories, which cut horribly into my toes…

 

But it must have been a good party, because when the flag-waving masses departed I was still smiling… just like Her Majesty.

I’m left thinking how lucky us Brits are to have such a wonderful (and reassuringly resilient) monarch.

Are you?

The beautiful flag

Britain’s once again under the spotlight in the sporting fixtures, which, translated into fashion terms, equates to the Great British flag (and all parts thereof). Our little island’s colours are appearing everywhere, as flags are waved for the vehemently revered football and tennis stars of this quirkily sportsmanlike state.












Just a week ago, at Royal Ascot, flags and patriotic colours were very much in evidence on hats, dresses, accessories - and even picnic floral displays, as England played their rather disappointing game against Algeria.




Now, of course, the mood is altogether different – and even Andy Murray’s won at Wimbledon. Let’s see how England fares today...











And, if our need to sport the Union Jack should sadly wane, there’s always the chance that a royal wedding is in the offing, to keep the demand for flags buoyant...



I rather fancy that bits of memorabilia and mementos of our glittering past, like this 1981 vintage royal commemorative tin from ShopCurious, could become extremely popular and desirable in future, as curiously collectable heirloom pieces - and to remind us of our peculiarly unique heritage:














being such good old sports...

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Punk style love

Could the global recession have sparked off the new trend of fashion featuring national flags? In the UK, our Union Jack flag gained pop-art style status in the 1960s. Then, from the mid-1970s, punks adopted the flag, making it the object of their disaffection towards the prevailing culture and the establishment. Punk-style clothing and accessories have reappeared over the years in various, increasingly commercial, guises. However, only a faithful few have maintained a life long love affair with all things punk.




I spotted punk devotee, Rob, (left), at my local art school. He was wearing the classic punk uniform of bondage trousers and brothel creepers (both pin-striped in this case - see below). I was curious to know what he did with his hair when he went to bed. Did he flatten it down, or cover it up so as not to poke his partner in the eye during the night? Rob matter-of-factly informed me that when he went to bed he simply went to sleep. He wasn’t overly chatty, so I thanked him for allowing me to take his picture and hastily made my retreat.







In the late ‘70s, punks, infamous for promoting anarchist messages in their music and accessorizing their clothing with anti-establishment symbols, were seen as being aggressive types – “keep out of the way of those punks”, your mother might say. It’s rather ironic that, nowadays, far from being seen as a threat, old-style punk rockers are considered to be an established part of our British heritage.



When you look back at video footage of punk rock bands, like the Sex Pistols, the members actually look quite clean-cut young chaps…rather like older schoolboys trying to be a little outré in their dress. Perhaps it’s the influence of glam-rock, but the jumpers in this clip of God Save the Queen look positively camp, compared to the popular impression of punks as snarling, hostile aggressors. Just because they’re making a radical cultural and fashion statement, doesn’t mean that punks are necessarily antagonistic people. Most of them are probably just as peaceful and friendly as Rob.

I’ve also noticed that, although many punks choose extreme hairstyles, clothing and unusual accessories, (like safety-pin piercings), they don’t always look as though they feel entirely at ease with their appearance. Even now, several decades after the arrival of punk, and with totally outrageous designs on catwalks the world over, punks still seem a tad uncomfortable in their own skin. I wonder if it would help punks feel more comfortable and accepted, if they knew we actually regard them as something akin to national treasures?




Anyway, back to trends, and flags…. and ShopCurious, where we’ve got a fabulous vintage Union Jack enamelled ring with faux ruby gem-stones: Perfect if you’re looking for punk-style Valentine gifts, or just feeling slightly overcome with patriotism or nostalgia.

Are you?

British bulldog days

London Fashion Week got off to a sparkling start today, with everyone really curious to see what the brand new venue looked like.






The size and grandeur of the Natural History Museum was always going to be hard to beat, but the awesome backdrop of the River Thames and the London Eye from Somerset House is simply breathtaking. The sun shone too, which made it even better.

Delicious canapés were served by pretty and polite waitresses - though some hip, happening folks (see left) took the less healthy lunch option.


The furnishings had a retro feel. Seeing this TV took me back in time to the days when I watched Andy Pandy in front of a flickering black and white screen. I can’t ever recall seeing a Bush television quite this large, though – could this be a newly assembled imitation version … oops, sorry, a quirky piece of design art?



This 1960s table, right, looks pretty authentic though, in fact my parents had one almost exactly the same.



The courtyard is a fabulous location for the LFW tents – whilst you’re waiting for the shows, you can also indulge in a spot of al fresco champagne quaffing – it’s simply de rigueur daaaahling! But best of all, in my opinion, is the view of the river - I was constantly drawn to it, despite the clothes .





Even though the hedonistic days of the bull market are long gone, there’s still the odd doff of a hat to the good old days (see above right). As well as the new generation of designers, I was pleased to see that there were some old faces too - including one of my all time favourites, Zandra Rhodes.





However, it tends to be eco-friendly fashion that attracts the most attention these days ... and the Chairman of the British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman, launched Estethica - the ethical exhibition - this afternoon, to a flurry of interest from the press.

Whilst I’ll miss the old LFW site, I’m really impressed with the new setting – it somehow seems a touch more homely and inviting than before. It’s slightly academic though, as I’m off to California for a few days tomorrow.





I might even meet up with Timmy Woods, the Beverly Hills based designer of this limited edition British bulldog bag that’s now available at ShopCurious. There are only ten of these original hand-painted bags in the whole world … and Michelle Obama has one of the other nine. I think the Swarovski crystal studded Union Jack is very appropriate, though I have a feeling that our Great British bulldog days may be numbered.

Do you?