Ambition Realised...

I spent a lot of time in Heaven in my youth....fantastic memories of Pyramid on Wednesdays and when Saturday nights were strictly men-only I used to "pass".....teetering past the doorman with heavy false eyelashes lowered under at least a couple of wigs and gravity-defying platforms striding confidently into the fray.....

So it was an ambition definitely realised on Friday night to be djing there for the Kitsune party! I literally got back from Alexander Palace, got the boys ready for bed, slipped into high heels, slicked on some lipstick, grabbed my record bag and trundled off to Heaven....had such fun in the dj booth with the Ponystep massive, danced myself dizzy, flopped onto my bed at 3am and went to sleep with a huge smile on my face!

Madame x

Magic

Friday was such a magical night! Remember back in September I told you about a day out on Clapham Common with Superduck, my boys and a bunch of their friends where he filmed them "lip-synching" to imagined backing vocals?

So glad to have another reason to publish this photo which I LOVE! Anyway, Friday night was the night of the actual Sigur Ros gig at Alexander Palace. Now, the boys have never been to a proper gig before and the fact that their first one would feature themselves is quite a bizarre and of course wonderful experience (I hope they don't expect that from every gig in the future!!).
Superduck was slightly nervous as to how his films had been edited for the show....would all the children feature? Would they be distorted and rendered unrecognisable? Would there be a mass meltdown of the under tens before they even got to see their tiny moment in the spotlight???

Here's Duke and Grace demonstrating to anyone who'll listen their excellence in the field of "oooh"s and "aaaah"s...

When the moment actually came it was magical....as Jonsi Birgisson asked the audience to join in, there all the children appeared projected behind him, all the kids started to gasp "it's US!" and clambered up on shoulders to get a better look. It was so perfect.

Here's the svengali himself with his cast.....

It would have been great to stay for the whole gig but we'd already done pretty well and thought it best to cut our losses, plus it was quite a schlep home so off we went into the night.....big thanks to Michael, Melanie, Ness and all the kids for making the night go so smoothly, to Johnnycakes for playing daddy and being an extra pair of shoulders but most of all to Superduck for asking the kids to get involved in the first place. His visuals with Sigur Ros really meld into something quite extraordinarily poetic and beautiful and I leave you with the trailer for his documentary "Vid Spilum endalaust" which is going to be available in limited edition to accompany a new book about the band...I've seen the whole film and it's breathtaking!

If you want to check out more of his work....http://www.nicholasabrahams.com/

Madame x

Last of the goodies....

The news that we are closing next month should sound sweeter when you know that we are starting our closing down sale TODAY! Here's a reminder of some of the luscious goodies you might want to get your mitts on.....all at 30% off!!!

Westwood perspex trinkets in neon pinks and greens with crystal highlights.....

Polka dot APC PJs make the best Christmas presents....not to mention the slippers....

Plastic and enamel Sonia remainders to brighten up your olds with a bit of new...

Cosy A.P.C. jumper dress to team with woolly tights...we've got a few pairs of them left too!

Spriggy teamed with cardigan is a favourite combo of mine from A.P.C....

Uncharacteristically pretty Westwood jewelry would make anyone smile for Chrimbo....

Can't go wrong in a boyish A.P.C. cap, you know you lose a lot of heat through the head this time of year...

Nothing to wear to that party?????? Not anymore...

You know where you are with an orb....and we've got them on everything!!!

Seriously, you've been great, ladies and gentlemen.....thanks for battling your way through the chattering classes upstairs, supporting our bijoux emporium and being part of our niche....

We'll stay in touch.

Madame x

WINO!

This is on tonight, and apart from being the best flyer I've seen in AGES, it's run by my dear friend and coffee-morning regular Jonathan. For he is Dr Kemp....yes, he's a doctor....very highbrow! Anyway, he's also a damn fine dj and tonight he's joined by Joe Pop so it's going to be cracking! I think the girl on the flyer looks a bit like Sophie Dahl...wouldn't it be great if it was her? Get on the piccadilly line people!!!

Madame x

So often I'm asked....

"Do you have any men's clothes?" And I'm somewhat hesitant to answer in the negative. For this reason...

Who's to say an A.P.C. 'womens' peacoat wouldn't look smashing on a chap?

Or indeed, why wouldn't a confident young man feel like slipping into a cheeky Eley Kishimoto bunny sweat? The answer is never say never, never doubt yourself and go go go for it!

Madame x

Rock The Cabaret

Saturday the 29th November I'm DJing at my lovely friend Tryg's "Rock the Cabaret" extravaganza! His band My Lady Jane are headlining and Volvere and Cecily Pearce are also doing shows....

I'm looking forward to playing at Leicester Square Theatre (6 Leicester Square), as I've never been there before, I think there's very few tickets left but they can be booked on Ticketweb.....
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/

It'd be great to see some of you there!

Madame x

Who's coming to this on Friday Night?

My friend James' film is being shown at Tate Millbank on Friday night from 7pm. I missed the last screening so I'm so excited to see it, especially since part of it is set in the Tate.....

It'll be on a loop so you can drop in throughout the evening, I'm going early because I'll be with Duke and Joe....do come along!



Madame x

I am Lucky

First of all to have Stevie Stewart and David Holah as friends (in fact Stevie's more like family, she's Joe's godmother and one of my best friends).

We all know their label, Bodymap was GENIUS...we don't have to bang on about it here...


But what a treat in ONE WEEK for Stevie to make these incredible shirts for the boys....

And for David to invite us to his private view of prints on mirror of his alter-ego Lola?!

This photo doesn't do it justice...for some reason there's a yellowy tinge I wasn't planning on....

This is turning into such a great week!!!!

Whoooop!

Madame x

Thursday

Following my absence last Thursday due to a previous engagement (Antony and the Jonsons with the London Philharmonic....hard to express the beauty of the performance or how a man of his stature could write and sing such tender, beautiful, heartbreaking songs. Utterly unique, utterly riveting, moving and pure......sweet....gush gush, I'll stop now....), normal service is resumed as Madame takes her rightful Thursday position. If you get there before 8 you'll experience the added treat of Richardette's Hippy Hour.....

Madame xx

A new day....

This is me watching the election last night in my Obama t shirt...I slept in it actually...and I'm wearing it today too, so if you come by the shop don't get too close!!!

The boys came and got into bed this morning and watched his speech to America before getting ready for school. It is such a great result for the USA but also I think for the world...my sister's in Kenya and his being half Kenyan means they take his success very much to their hearts.

The end of the Republican era is so much a cause for celebration and a President to look up to and admire feels such a novelty....and good riddance to that lunatic, Palin! It could've all gone sooooo wrong!

Wednesday 5th November 2008....where were you?

Madame x

Noted 2: Cozette

Quote of the night: "Watanabe Vetinary" !!

Cozette was wearing her silver Junya Watanabe shoes and became determined to team them with this silver vetinary emergency blanket!





But.....how come she looks so amazing in it???!!!! A freaking vetinary blanket!!!!!!

Madame x

Noted 1: Richard Mortimer

Special mention is due to Richard Mortimer who managed to make this 1950's number work for him....







I love Richard!!!

Madame x

Woweeee!

Goodness, the Junkstallation was a ROARING success!!!!!!

I hardly know where to start or which pictures to pick as it was such a MARATHON day! There's a couple of looks that warrant a separate post altogether....


Once again, the pub was completely transformed, practically wallpapered in all manner of clothing, nick nacks and pictures. The George and Dragon is a shrine to clutter already, so with another layer of stuff, if a person stood still too long they blended into the surroundings!

There are several people and a small child (mine) in this picture.....

Nathaniel tried to make the entrance look as enticing as possible..

The boys stayed for a while, long enough to set up a little stall in the corner with some fabulous "stock".

As usual, my decks got covered in all manner of tempting items to purchase...

Jonjo popped by to pick up a bit of fake Versace we had on lay-away for him....

As drinks-o-clock came around, people entered into the proceedings with renewed gusto and enthusiasm...

Gender became blurred as the revellers went with the flow....


The smoke-machine, still in residence after the Halloween party, gave an interesting, if slightly panic-inducing atmosphere to the already claustrophobic effect...

This lady piled on so many layers of cardigan, fabric and hattery and even sang us a song!

Definitely a case of too much not being nearly enough!
Gwen treated us to a costume change - luckily she was wearing thigh-high boots which were the perfect accompaniment to the nylon slip she spied hanging from the bar!


Thanks all for coming and remember M. Goldstein's is open on Saturday and Sunday, 67 Hackney Road.....

Madame x

Halloween Pt 2

So....we do like to be beside the seaside I'll admit, but we picked a corker this time!!! Actually, I like the beach rain or shine, or in this case stormy!!!

I joined the family in Herne Bay, taking Nahid and Rudy to show them the delights of the Kent coast - the rain started to pour the moment they parked and opened their car door! Nahid was steadfast in her Westwood boots to the end, whereas my wellies which I keep in the boot of the car came very much into play....

We decided to go straight to Wheeler's in Whitstable, probably my favourite restaurant. Duke and Joe had picked our guests some beautiful items from a clearance the week before and bless Rudy, he kept his lurid green belt on ALL WEEKEND! Understandably Nahid found her nylon number harder to work into her look....

So...back to Wheeler's....which only has four tables and a similar vibe to Maison Bertaux...except that it's fish. We started with some native Whitstable oysters which were delicious. The best part is when they've just slipped down and you can taste the sea. We all had amazing eats...blackened cod, lobster ravioli....and the PUDDINGS (bread and butter with a caramelised top and toffee ice-cream!!!)...but the Haddock 3-way (really!) was definitely the highlight!

Incroyable!!!!

It was dark when we got back and decided it was fireworks time! Just an intimate display for the six of us (with Nanny Van and Grandad Ray looking on from indoors)...Nathaniel and Rudy did the honours, jamming the fireworks into the pebble beach and then running to join us on the sea wall where Nahid and I obliged with ecstatic "Oooooooo's!" and the boys bounced around like crazy people!

We laughed so much and were blown hither and thither in the stormy rain but it was wonderful!


We were hoping to get a walk to Reculver Castle in on Saturday morning but the weather was EVEN WORSE!!! So we sat by the open fire for a bit and decided to brave the storm and head for Broadstairs which is probably the most beautiful town on the Kent coast with sandy beaches and cllifftop ice-cream parlours! So, as inappropriate with the storm whipping as it could be, we decided to rendez-vous with my friend Laurence and her kids in Morelli's which is my favourite...(for instance, they have a "Leonardo da Vinci" which has a dish in the shape of a palette, with different coloured ice-cream daubs around it!).

The "boys" (Rudy, Duke and Joe!) ran hell-for-leather along the stormy beach, loving the drama of the crashing waves, while I kept Nahid and her boots company on the beachside path....then we met Lo and her beautiful brood and chose our ice-cream cones....

Nahid revealed her cunning snood under the cornet light fixture and proved to be the most sensibly dressed after all!

Rudy carried on the 3 way tradition of the weekend with a Toblerone, Jaffa Cake, Raspberry Yogurt combo....

It was so great to see Laurence, she looked so beautiful, the seaside agrees with her!


Can't wait to go back! Soon!

Madame xx