I'm into ESCAPE!

Yes, it's definately the way forward! Spur-of-the-moment, jump in the car, never mind about spare knickers and off to the sun and sea! I didn't think we'd be going anywhere this weekend and had a lot of chores planned (oh joy), but Nathaniel was doing the Canterbury, Whitstable, Sandwich bootfair trawl and promised to go to Wheeler's for crabcakes if we'd come for lunch. I didn't believe him when he said it was blazing hot in Herne Bay but sure enough six miles outside the sun was RAGING! Now, Nathaniel has only cooked for me properly twice or maybe three times ever so I was shocked and thrilled to see this spead in the back garden on our arrival:

Wheeler's is like the fish version of Maison Bertaux and is in Whitstable. They have three tiny dining tables out the back where you can bring your own booze (I recommend champagne if you're going to have oysters - so decadent! Even a half bottle from the Threshers across the road) You can get takeaway from the front bar....OMG, the best crabcakes, dressed crabs, oysters, fish flans, cockles.....all brought in at the dock around the corner so SUPERfresh!!! It's slightly ramshackle with faded pink paint on the outside and is our favourite treat when we're there.

To walk off our fantastic lunch I went with the boys on a walk to Reculver castle with Nanny Van and Grandad Ray...Nathaniel went to bed, the combination of up at 5am and preparing potatoes and egg mayonaise took its toll! It was soooo beautiful, we walked alongside the most luminous rape field....

Looked over the cliff and vowed to search for crabs next time....

Watched about thirty mods tearing it up (until one broke down) past the mobile homes....and realised they were mostly over fifty - even better!

Then decided, sod it, we'd stay overnight so we could go and visit Charlie the horse and the little ponies and put the chickens away for the night....

Hugo can hypnotize the chickens by stroking their beaks-it's amazing!-and Duke was fascinated so had a go....

And did pretty well, in fact he and the little grey chicken ended up best mates!

There's woods all around the field so we had a little wander and found some English Bluebells, I was watching a programme on tv the other day and apparantly the Spanish Bluebells (which are paler, less luminescent and sort of open) are taking over, I was very excited to find a thoroughbred!

You'll notice I was still rocking the A.P.C. even with wellies, although I've got an enormous mosquito bite to show for it!


But the CUTEST sighting of the whole day was this little baby hedgehog that's been living in the field!!!! LOOK AT ITS FACE!!!!! Who knew they were so pretty??!!!!

No one messes with hedgehogs...only man, squashing them by the thousand I guess.

Then we went to give Nanny Lee's grave a bit of a tidy....she was the boy's great grandma and we always used to stay with her when we went to Herne Bay, the boys adored her....in fact Duke wanted to go in and find her, but we convinced him she'd prefer it if we just did a bit of weeding...


And Nanny Van even had clean knickers - still in the packet if you please! - for me!

Escape......escape.....and come back to London and love it all the more!!!

Madame x

Thank Goodness....

....some of the girls were available on Saturday, including Sarah of course with her proper camera! We cracked off a few new pictures for the website, revelling in the sunshine and even partaking in the odd ice-cold glass of wine and even a creamy slither of chocolate gateau!

Of course Lisa is our Saturday girl so there was no escaping for her! She can carry off almost anything, legs that go on forever and pneumatic body, she's our Saturday Babe and here she is in a couple of A.P.C. pieces:

I love this one in the madras playsuit, she looks like Soho's Daryl Hannah!

And this one has become one of my favourite Maison B pictures, she looks so great in the A.P.C. crochet dress and amongst all the clutter...

Caz had her first experience of the mayhem that is a whistlestop photoshoot at Maison B, in her favourite A.P.C. cheesecloth dress. You tend to relax after we've all cackled at the duds, especially when Sarah helpfully zooms in on a fugly facial expression or boss-eyed moment, and she looks more than fantastic!

Emma's energy levels were a wee bit low when she arrived but a teacupful of nuclear orange nectar later and she was raring to go!

We sat her behind the till out of respect for her tiny hangover and she worked it like a pro in the A.P.C. tiny check shirt:


This photo I think sums up best the lunacy of the day though!"

Keep laughing when I look at it, a couple of nutters! Well done Sarah!

Madame xx

DRESSES IN MOTION

And OOOHHH what would you know, I wrote GREET Street! You all know I meant Greek though right? While anyone with any sense has been out in the sun feeling the good vibes from the change of season, I have turned into a creature of the night and been up all night wandering around with a drink in my hand and asleep all day...


Wastemen. And look at the lovely guy in the background who thinks so much of us!

I'm just glad I didn't have a moment as unfortunate as this:



No - that isn't a spur of the moment impromptu pussy cat fancy dress outfit. Believe me. It is what you think it is.

But I blame Madame for starting off this weekend of debauchery - I followed her to the George and Dragon on Thursday night 'just for one' [after making the video above of the A.P.C. and SONIA by Sonia Rykiel slinky dresses] and it was all down hill from there. Nervous Stephen's exhibition, Molly's 21st birthday party, the Real Gold magazine launch... Cava, Warm Kir, drinking from teacups and £2 Whiskey and cokes. I have had the best weekend in a long time tho'!

Despite all that, I haven't been able to get Madame's A.P.C. silver dress out of my mind. Apparently there is a gold one too!



xx Lektrogirl

Favourites No 4

So I was thinking about which pieces are my favourites yesterday. Thought I'd choose a slinky slithery shiny selection, particularly since I've hardly taken off my A.P.C. silver gymslip since I got it.

(Luckily I had my roots done today...).

I'm going to keep posting people's favourites on the blog because so many of you have said that it was only after you saw us all trying on stuff in my "You're Gorgeous" video that you fancied a certain piece, so if anyone wants to elect a particular purchase from this season and wear it on the blog you are hearby very welcome to do so.

I also love the oversize leopard Sonia dress, it's so oversize in fact that it doesn't initially register as leopard, it's very classy I reckon and feels so gorgeous on the skin too...


And I had to include the satin A.P.C. tunic which is the most classic, almost 1920's looking little number. The pink lines around the bottom look like they've been painted on with a paintbrush, sort of wobbly...


We always have a lot of cotton 'day' things in but I think all these pieces have a bit of glamour and pizazz, don't you?

Madame x

Favourites No.3

Another of our favourite ladies, Sandra, modelling the brand-new-in madras plaid sundress yesterday. The sun had come out and everyone was feeling chipper and ready to expose their shoulders!

The morning promised so little but yesterday turned into such a beautiful day, AND I had surprise visitors! I hadn't seen Laurence since before Christmas and Andrea in an AGE so it was so wonderful to see them..

And Jack, who worked in the shop over last summer came by and speed-talked me through the last 6 months or so of his busy life at fashion college and plans to move to Milan for his placement...

I was exhausted at 7pm when I eventually locked the door. Tonight I'm djing and maybe slipping behind the bar occasionally at the George and Dragon (2 Hackney Rd), I become a more blowsy version of myself calling everyone darlin' when I get behind those pumps....do come down for a pink gin!!

Madame xxx

More Favourites....

Emi came by on Saturday at closing time. I'd had a fine glass of wine from the Coach with Max and was just about to wobble home with the boys but they insisted on choreographing an impromptu dance routine, somehow sensing that Emi is studying dance and would be up for some high-kickery!

When they left her alone long enough to try some of our new goodies, she whipped on the Obey New Wave logo t and the A.P.C. madras flowers blouse....


More madras this week I'm promised.....

Madame xx

Favourites....

Here's Joe and Lektrogirl modelling some of their favourite pieces in the shop....

The rounded collar stripe shirt from A.P.C. which I keep thinking I might have to get myself, for those strict executive realness moments.....

And Joe and I were hanging in the shop today while Duke and Max went to Hastings. He was making magazines and conned me into getting him some shiny tights...which looked pretty good with the Eley Kishimoto print maryjanes as it goes....

And if you've not seen the Westwood perspex jewels you're going to LOVE them! This is the necklace and next week we've got brooches coming, in fact I need to do a jewelry special feature because what with the Obey sunglasses rings n things.....


Gotta go, Max and Duke just got back from Hastings and Max needs a DRINK! A day with one of the twins can do that to you......off I go to the Coach!!!

Madame xxx

Also meant to say....

Talking of my talented ladies....I was lucky enough to be invited by Jacqui who comes to Maison B for her A.P.C. fix, to see a preview of the Joy Division documentary she produced. It's called simply "Joy Division" and directed by Grant Gee and you should definately go when it's released.

I know you might be feeling that with all the publicity, fashion-shoots-inspired-by and other accompanying hoo hah surrounding "Control" that you'd done Joy Division for a bit but NO! This is a completely different approach, obviously because it's a documentary, but beyond that it really does put Joy Division's influence into a wider, even political context. Manchester itself is given equal importance to the characters in and around the band. The post-war poverty, industrial wasteland, the sights sounds and depression of the city it is suggested could only have borne Joy Division, they personify the city at the time. Plus there's some cracking, moving interviews with the rest of the band, Peter Saville, Genesis P Orridge and even Annick.

Yes, I'm feeling very proud of my ladies today.

Madame c

Too little time.....

I'm lookiing forward to a bit of time tomorrow to tell all Maison B news in a less rushed fashion but there's so many reasons to come and pay us a visit!

1. I've just unpacked not only those silver gymslips from A.P.C. you've all been chomping at the bit for....but also some pretty amazing gold ones with a button front which look very Rolling Stones in Marrakesh.....

2. Obey is finally here!!! Don your Andre's and your women of the revolution printed on the softest, most desirable t shirts you can get your hands on anywhere!!! More on Obey tomorrow, I'm djing straight after work so no time for a proper hoo hah!!!

3. Anyone who loves a maryjane shoe will get somewhat excited by the Eley Kishimoto grey/yellow, print/orange combos. I've been wearing mine for 3 days straight since they came in and they are the most comfortable mid-heel, GORGEOUS shoes!

4. Have you seen all the new spring/summer Sonia?! Everyone keeps telling us we've bought stuff they haven't seen anywhere else but you better be quick, the ladies are ready for colour and snapping up those stripes and polka dots!

For a perverse little p.s. here is the film I made when we went to buy Winter A.P.C. it's worth planning your summer buys around maybe what snazzy little A.P.C. jacket or coat you'll be buying this winter to complement it....and it's worth seeing for my Mrs Overall impression alone.....


Madame xxxxx

You're gorgeous!

Thankyou to all the ladies who made this film with me!!!! We have got so many goodies in at the moment from A.P.C. and Sonia and you can see how cracking they look on all of you! You might also notice our new teaset trios in the background which come packaged in a cake box to go, but more of that in another post......which will be called "Madame a Trois....."

Anyway, enjoy your lovely selves.......


madame x

SELF INDULGENCE

I was just flipping through all our Maison B videos this morning [I'm actually waiting for Pippa to get back to me about some further developments for the Maison B website] and I was reminded that the clothes we recorded on the buying trip I went to at A.P.C. are the ones that are in Maison B now. So if you didn't see this video, or need a refresher, check it out now.



I mean, I'm not saying that Pippa and I are good or anything, but neither of us really knew how to use Windows Movie Maker and iMovie at the beginning of last year... Don't forget you can see all our videos on the VIDEO page back on the main shopatmaisonb.com site. which reminds me, I can spend another 10 minutes waiting to hear from Pippa updating that page!

xx Emma

Flashbacks with friends....

What a delightful Friday night...Stevie Stewart invited us to the screening of Baillie Walsh's first feature film "Flashbacks of a Fool" at the Soho Hotel (which I didn't even know existed!) because she did the costumes - AMAZING! - the flashback part is set in the early 70's, Bowie, Roxy Music....the stuff of my youth. He certainly tapped into something inside me, reminded me of my old bedroom wall with the huge David Bowie and Brian Ferry posters, my crappy record player on which I played Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars for the first time, mincing in front of the mirror while experimenting with make-up....in fact tapped is the right word, the second time they showed the slo-mo Roxy sequence my tears started and would NOT stop! Running down my face, neck and onto my dress!! Of course what I was crying for was my lost youth....I do realise that..... Stevie did such an incredible job...I was in awe, and what a clever idea to get Anthony Price to re-make (re-model) the Roxy gold and black zebra jacket for the lead to wear in my favourite sequence - PERFECTION! Go go go go go see it!

I was snooping around looking at Baillie Walsh's back catalogue (you all know the amazing Massive Attack one-take video) and found something I'd never seen before which is divine and I had to share with you..


I found it here http://www.gainsburyandwhiting.com/film/kate.html which is worth a look with pieces from Sam Taylor Wood, Nick Knight and others.....

So lovely to see everyone afterwards, the Rellik crew were there, Mark C O'Flaherty, David Holah of course and Stevie and Anthony hosting...The other lovely part was that Iris, Hughes and Olivier from A.P.C. were in town so I invited them along, Iris and Olivier made it to the movie and Hughes and his boyfriend had a disco-nap first then came for the drinks, we had such a laugh....Olivier showed us the detail on his A.P.C. trousers, luckily he had on very good socks - love a good sock!

Hughes and I have decided we will have a dj battle at his club night in Paris!

...although here he looks like he may be regretting the decision....
Iris came too, so lovely to see her again, we always do our appointments with her in Paris, so great to do something social together for a change!

Looking gorgeous on our way to a car park (long story!)...but we'd have fun in a paper bag I tell you!

New video when I've fixed my darned video camera, feel very bereft without it.....

Madame xxx

Finished!

Phew! Emma got her video up so quick-smart that I was shamed into finishing mine! Thing is I had so much footage due to my access-all-areas advantage!!! But anyway, here it is....The Eley Kishimoto front-row view of Autumn/Winter 2008:

As you'll know if you've been checking the blog, we've got some beautiful summer Eley Kishimoto already...yes still waiting for A.P.C.....but I reckon today.....

madame xx

I'm not saying...

....that Emma is obsessive, or compulsive or has any kind of disorder, but when she was at my flat the other night, Joe's Bratz were strewn about the place, but by the time we left to go to dinner, this was the scene....

All neatly arranged according to height with the man in pants and his sidekick the pink power ranger in charge!!!

Then again, this is me tonite, preparing for our A.P.C. delivery tomorrow....

I'm one to talk really, aren't I?!

Madame x

More winter.

I know it seems unfair and unnatural somehow to be talking about next winter already....but I had to share my trip with Max to Paris to see next winter's A.P.C. because I know you'd love a butchers at it, also cut in with Sonia's offerings to keep you cosy and glamorous next chilly season. I shouldn't tempt fate but the sun seems to shine on our Parisian forays....there was something wierd with the bikes this time and they didn't accept our credit cards so we walked a lot and took the metro....Paris is a great city to walk around, I love it there so much....

So....first we'll be taking delivery of spring and summer....remember how you all loved those sailor dresses we teased you with in our movie 6 months ago? And I predict a bit of filming and photography happening when we get it in next week....you'll all be the first to know....

madame xx

JEAN TOUITOU'S BLOG

JEAN TOUITOU EST LE CRÉATEUR DE LA MARQUE FRANCAISE A.P.C. CRÉÉE EN 1987. IL VIT ET TRAVAILLE A PARIS
ジャン・トゥイトゥーはフランスのファッションブランド A.P.C.を1987年に設立。パリで活動している。

Didn't know I could type in Japanese huh? Well I can't. I just copied and paste that part from the header of Jean Touitou's Blog, which is called just that.

Things I know about Jean Touitou:
He is the creater of A.P.C.
He works in France
He used to work for Joseph
He collaborated with Jessica Ogden on the A.P.C. Madras range
Max and Pippa have met him

Things I learnt about Jean Touitou tonight from reading his blog:
His notes are FUCKING hilarious
His photos are AMAZING and also hilarious
He only has two friends that are the same age
His office is now in the A.P.C. recording studio
He discovered a particular species of youth the "fringed whore"

Monsieur Touitou - please excuse me for ripping your work to put on the Maison B blog. But more people just have to see it!

And blog readers, below is a selection of stuff I have snatched from the Jean Touitou Blog at honeyee.com
I suggest you visit there as quickly as possible it is inspiring and HILARIOUS.


I wish this car mine.
この車が欲しいなあ。

I walk　into the club, Judith , Christopher and myself are astounded : The young only think about their hair, and the old are just too ugly.
ジュディットとクリストファーと一緒にクラブへ入った瞬間、三人で唖然としてしまった。若い連中はみんな自分のヘアスタイルのことしか考えていない。一方、年寄は醜いなんてもんじゃない。

Type of youth who only thinks about his hair, fingering it every thirty seconds .
I also call this species of youth " fringed whore" .
自分の髪のことしか頭にない若い子のスタイル。３０秒おきに自分の髪を触るタイプだ。僕はこういう人種を
" fringed whore"とも呼ぶ。



Can anybody believe it's so complicated to get out of the toilets ?
You never know what button needs to be pushed to flush that thing.
お手洗いにこんなに複雑な機械があるって、信じられるかい？
流すのに、どのボタンを押せばいいのか、さっぱりわからない。


I am working on a dress for Sofia Coppola. It's fun to make the outmoded posture of a fashion designer at work. Here I play an ironic comedy about myself.
ソフィア・コッポラのためのドレスを製作中なんだ。いかにも昔のクチュリエの様な時代外れの古くさいポーズをとるのが面白かった。自分に対する皮肉った演出をして遊んでみた。

- - - - - - - - - -
And the joke about the Italian women's shoes you will have to flick through the blog and find yourself cause I can't find it again now. I snorted laughing! But there a loads of pictures of food, behind the scenes at A.P.C., Jessica Ogden on holiday and pictures from gigs and studios. Everything in English and Japanese - a nice treat for some I am sure.

xx Emma

Musings...and a recipe!

Maybe you thought life had become boring in the universe of Madame - and I suppose if your idea of boring is VAT returns and sick twins you'd be pretty accurate! - but sitting quietly in the office entering data can be quite meditative....Emma comes to help me in the dotting of the i's and crossing of the t's which I really look forward to because we get to catch up, squeeze in a couple of snack breaks AND get to feel self-satisfied that we've got the job done. I'm a pretty fanatical list-maker, LOVE crossing things off as done, and there's something quite beautiful about the Sage columns getting shorter and shorter as you tap tap tap away.....or maybe I should get out more!!!

These kind of accounting duties are completely new to me but on her leaving Emma agreed to coach me for which I will be eternally grateful, empowerment can happen in much more dramatic ways but getting a handle on the "boring" aspects of your business has definately been a confidence boost for me. I've learned tons since we opened at Maison Bertaux....didn't know what a blog was when we started!....and I realised for the first time in my life I'm surrounded by a group of fabulous women and we all support the others in whatever way we can. You might be thinking "big deal", been going out on "girls nights" for years etc etc...but apart from one or two best girlfriends, I've never had that experience. I've always been more of a gay man's lady. I was looking at muesli packaging the other day and I mused as my eye ran over the healthful list "no added sugar, no wheat" and so on that I can never look at "no GM" without reading it as "no GDM" however hard I try! So Quentin Crisp (and Gina X) are never far from my tiny mind.....strange your points of reference though isn't it? I also can't read "shopfitting" on the side of a van without thinking it says "shoplifting", and I don't know what that says about me!

But as I was saying, all these ladies have something amazing to bring, and we've kind of become like a repertory company, inspiring each other and using our various skills be they photography, editing, making music, performing, whatever it takes! It's interesting what a location can do, and the combination of clothing and cakes has definately done wonders for the creative juices.

And the fact that we actually hang out and have "girls nights" is such a new thing for me. Nahid and I were talking about it the other day and she said it's the same for her and we came to the conclusion that when women have been around the block some, had their hearts broken a few times, maybe had kids or whatever, they really do become excellent company!!

At Sarah's flat recently, all wearing APC of course, and with me on chef duties, the walls echoed with female cackling well into the night - nobody minded that my paella never left the al dente stage as we were having such a good time you see. The trick is to make a cracking starter which I did, an amazing frittata if you please, and to knock 'em dead with the best pudding in your repertoire and mine was DIVINE! I'm even going to share the recipe (as much as i can remember) with you lovely people. I nicked it from Nigella, don't get me started on her though (obsessed!).







Anyway, as much as I can remember, this is how the trifle goes.....

A bought sponge cake (I had a madeira sponge I think)
Blackcurrant jam
Fresh blackberries
Lemoncello (lots)
Mascarpone cheese, I had one of the really big pots
Amaretti biscuits
Eggs, two I think

So, cut the cake in half and spread with blackcurrant jam then cut into bits and put all over the bottom of your glass bowl. Pour a load of lemoncello over it. Leave. Put the blackberries in a pan with a little sugar just to break them down a bit and get the juices flowing. Put them on top of the sponge.

Separate the eggs, whisk the yolks with a little sugar til creamy, add to the mascarpone cheese, add a little lemoncello to it because why not, then whisk the egg whites til not too stiff and fold into the mascarpone. Pile on top of the fruit and sponge, crumble amaretti biscuits on top of that and put in the fridge, at least for a couple of hours, preferably more.

Good luck if you make it!

I'm off to the party for The Measure by Louise Clarke tonight which I have incidentally contributed to....you know there'll be a blog tomorrow.......!!!!!

Madame xx

Blog withdrawal....

I can't believe I haven't blogged since Holly Woodlawn hit the town!!! Still can't get over my luck at meeting her, and today I learned from a link Superduck sent that they'll be laying Candy Darling's ashes to rest this weekend in a special ceremony in america....aaah, love those superstars! Sold my Viva book at Frieze today ('cos I've got 2), or rather Nathaniel did....what's going on in my life? It's like Warhol's doing a tapdance on my grave or something!!

If you're wondering what I've been up to, well...the following video which I've JUST finished, documents Max and my last trip to Paris at the weekend. We went to look at Summer 08 APC which was of course awesome, not least the silver and gold dresses, which have that nautical take that APC have got so down...how do they do that? Anyway, almost as exciting was the new bicycle borrowing system they have installed on the streets of Paris. F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.!!!!! OMG, we spent the whole day riding around and took in EVERYTHING! I see Boris tootling by Maison Bertaux on his bike quite often and next time I'm going to collar him and tell him he'd be well on his way to making me a happy citizen if he would champion the same thing in London! It's perfect for people with no space to keep a bike, it's CHEAP, it's FUN and it's HEALTHY!!!! I'll stop before I start sounding like a commercia!

On to my movie then,.......



I was thrilled to find that we were doing our appointment with Hughes who I LOVE! He usually manages the shop but came in specially for us, so merci beaucoup Hughes! The summer stuff is so great, you can see that I favoured the metallic theme, but also there's some incredible colours which are surprising from APC, simple shirts in schiaperelli pink, yellow cheesecloth, knitted dresses in bright blue edged with red....you're gonna love love love!!!

madame x

Hula like it's still summer!!

We did some hula-hooping, under the careful instruction of Nahid (who seems to be able to spin without moving!) to show you the new Sonia clothes, Obey jewelry and a bit of A.P.C. as well.....we just got another delivery of A.P.C. in yesterday as well and the storyboards are already being drawn up....keep a look out for our next escapades! Also spliced into this film is a sneak preview of Eley Kishimoto's collection for next summer - don't say we don't keep you abreast of what's hot in fashion!!!!



No time to chat as I'm meeting Emma to do bookwork so no time to tell about Eley Kishimoto fashion week party....i'll do that tomorrow!!

madame x
p.s. go out and buy a hula hoop, it's so much fun, I'm going to!!!!

DID YOU MISS ME?

Hey Everyone!

It has been ages since I've blogged here - but for a gazillion reasons I haven't had the time [or the tools - my laptop at home is getting old] to keep you up to date with my high octane fashion life. *GUFFAW*. But maybe by the end of this blog I will have had the chance to convice you otherwise?!

So - OMG - I was in Paris for a week with my other job [of course my real job is at Maison B but I don't actually do anything at the moment] on the stand for KH. The hotel was on rue Madame in the 6th and there were two A.P.C. shops within walking distance. I stalked them both but realised the A.P.C. Pippa buys is the stuff I like best anyway. I did become good friends with cute French shopguy Oliver. My gaydar wasn't working too well - I couldn't work it out...

Here are my three best friends in Paris. DJ "LOVE" Koyote (one half of Diamond Grills), Mathieu Berenholc (Editor of VICE France) and DJ "Peace" Goon (the other half of Diamond Grills). We had dinner at a faboulous restaurant called Hotel du Nord by the canal not far from Republique. I didn't take any pictures though of the food. I was too tired.
A self portrait:

No not really, but that is how I was feeling at the end of it all. Super tired from speaking in Frenglish the whole week, long days early starts and finding out my ex has a new girlfriend. Blurgh.

Here is a little picture of a massive necklace I bought for myself in Paris. It is Bijoux de Sophie - an the first I heard of this was from Sascha Knight who designs Hyde SK. She had the most incredible black skull ring! I was super thrilled to find a shop in Paris that sells it.

After my Parisian jaunt then it was down to the lawn at London Fashion Week to do the same thing all over again. This time we had Kesh from the Coconut Twins on our stand modelling the collection.

Every time there was a TV crew around, Kesh had to stand in the background and look amazing. I'm so immature though I was trying my hardest to crack her up by pulling faces and throwing signs at her.

In other news, there is a photo of ME - well more to the point, my crotch - in the new Boom Box book that just came out which KH took some pictures for. Here is KH and I in a more serious moment doing some hard work on the stand.
Here folks, take a closer look:

And no Max, that isn't how I look up my dress - it is just the GUSSET OF MY TIGHTS.

Anyway - just in case you ever doubted that cakes were ever in fashion, here is my picture of the shop window at Harvey Nichols celebrating London Fashion Week and their food hall:

Not quite as amazing as a cake of Ladurée but more than appealing never the less.

Speaking of Ladurée - caramel and salted butter flavour in town (weird but amazing) and two newish boxes: Yellow with ladybirds and daisies or black and a million cakes all over it. You decide the one you prefer - either way you can't go wrong [maybe theblack one is better cause it fits more in?)

xx Emma

This and That

As we try to make the most of the last days of summer, I've been craving the sunshine we never had yet secretly enjoying slipping into a woolly tanktop, tweed skirt and, yes an over the knee stocking/sock. I feel cheated yet thrilled by those wintry textures....I mean, look at me 2 weeks ago in Norfolk for instance:

yes, it was August......wierd.
I've not blogged because I've been somewhat busy doing bitty things, mostly trying to spend as much time with Duke and Joe as possible before they go to school. We stayed in this:

with Paul, which was an adventure...did a bit of this:

at the weekend, ate outside for possibly the last time this year:

Ritually sent a McDonald's toy to his death on the back of a rocket:

You see, I hate McDonald's.

On the frocks front, Sarah and Bev have been snapping the new season APC, Eley Kishimoto and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel. Jasmine and Alex have flown through on their way to and from glamorous appointments, and I of course am always in residence to be snapped....and I don't need much encouragement as you know. I'm waiting for some shots of the others, and we'll be making one of our fashion feature films later this week if I can organise everyone to be in one place at once, but in the meantime, here's a few of me in some of my favourite pieces we've just got in:

Bev took this of me in my favourite Eley Kishimoto dress...I've been dreaming about this one since we saw it 6 months ago. To me it conjures up the best of Joan Crawford, it's film-noirish and sexy, and I don't usually wear black.....FIERCE!!

Sarah took this in the stripey Sonia bow jumper and heart brooch

..and this one where I feel I've taken on a 60's librarian-ish persona in Eley Kishimoto jumper....
Chilli did a little modelling, wearing the APC fairisle scarf with the panache we have learned to expect from her cute little self:


I can't wait to film our next movie.....but before then, it's The Look at the Lost Society 697 Wandsworth Rd tomorrow night, where Mark Eley from Eley Kishimoto of course, will be djing along with Max, Paul and myself and there's a performance by House of Boing which promises to be pretty amazing....from 7, do come down....


madame xx

Woo, Banksy and Peru..

Is it too soon for another blog about drag queens??!!! I just asked one of my ladies Minette and she said "never too soon" so here goes....

My good friend Louise (who I met at the Look talk Max and I did at LCF last year and ended up contributing to her forthcoming book, more details nearer the time!) and I went to see Jonny Woo's latest drag drama at the Soho Theatre last night. I think it's on for another couple of nights and is HILARIOUS! A tight little script revolving around Dallas and ending up with the best Golden Girls sendup you'll see in a long time, Woo's Sue Ellen is frighteningly authentic and abandoned!

Then...there we were having an aftershow recap and a snifter when I bumped into a lovely chap I once struck up a conversation with on the Eurostar on my way back from an APC buying trip. Louise and I had just said we'd like to try to catch the CoCo Peru show and there he was with 2 spare tickets for that very show, starting in half an hour. Two drag shows in one night! Had Christmas come early?! Coco is a real trooper, singing show tunes with tweaked lyrics and doing a stand up "monoluuge" which took us through her Bronx childhood as a girly boy and eventual drag queen.....lovely, see it!

Banksy vs Warhol is on at the Hospital, of course I wasn't invited to the show, but on my way back from my power plates class, I noticed his Marilyn behind it's own little red rope...

Talking of power plates, my beautiful friend Nahid who you will have seen modelling the APC is the reason I've started going. Who could fail to be inspired just by looking at her?! This is her at her desk at Good Vibes on Betterton St, one of her growing power plates empire. I love a workout that 1. is only 25 minutes long 2. you don't have to wear TRAINERS for 3. you can do in full make-up!

Bev and I are hooked without being obsessed...you should try it, it really takes care of business!

I'm going away next week to a Victorian water tower I think in Norfolk which looks like a tiny circular castle!

See you on my return.....madame xxxx

APC Grrrrrrrrls...

Put the right bunch of mates on a rooftop with their favourite A.P.C. outfits from this autumn/winter and this is what you get!!!! London at magic hour with a few Maison Bertaux cherry cakes for sustenance! Pick your favourite outfit and come and have a mince in front of the mirror yourself!



There's more to come....let's call this episode 1......and let's marvel at Lektrogirl's editing skills - she's getting tooooo good!!!

madame xxx

EXCITEMENT PLUS

OMG today was awesome cause I went into Soho to meet at the Shop with everyone else to pull off the fastest roof top shoot with all the new season APC that has hit the shop this week. We did the shoot on Bev's roof - she lives on Charing Cross Road - and the views are PHENOMENAL!! Nelson's Column, Big Ben, The Wheel and every cute little chimney stack in between. So amazing. YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE when you see the pics by the shop's bestie fav photographers Sarah Lee and Bev herself! Afterwards, we went and had a drink together at the Coach and Horses which was not only a fab chillax for all of us, but for me it was the total total unwind required after the super hectic work I have had going at my other job.


A gang of beautiful women.

Chilli, like the coolest dog ever. She barked at all the loser drunk men with floppy hair, pink shirts and pinker cheeks.

Cute Pippa, actually wearing an A.P.C. smock dress. You will die for these. And there isn't going to be that many left - now that Pippa has one herself in every colour.

Two models and a photographer.

That is not J-Lo even though it looks a bit like it, with Bev who has great pins and lovely feet to go with them.

ANYWAY - you are going to have to hang on a few more days while we capture video, download photos and get film processed before you can check out the work we did tonight - or you can race into Shop At Maison B and nab the pieces you want before anyone else does! [When I saw it all, I screamed! For real! Ask Pippa.]

xx Emma

MADAME IN PARIS

Pippa, Emma and Max are in Paris for Le Weekend on a buying trip at APC and a shopping blitz at FiFi Chachnil. The track is Une Bande de Mecs Sympas from TTC's album 3615. Watch out for the rabbit!!

COINCIDENTALLY PARIS!

I haven't shown my face on the Maison B blog for a loooon time. So here is a report from me [but let's rewind backwards] with all the news I got to bring.

Last weekend, I was in Paris and as a happy co-incidence, so were Max and Pippa buying for the A.P.C. collection! So it was omlettes and Rosé all round. Pippa and I were DV camera's all up in each others faces cause we are in the middle of making another video for Madame. But here is the real co-incidence: of all the shops in Paris and all the things we could buy - Pippa and I both had gone past the same shop at different times and ogled the same jewellery. Only I was the only one who bought it. Pippa was too gutted for words. I let her have a little turn of them in the A.P.C. showroom. But not too long.

We were also on a mission to find Fifi Chachnil. It isn't on Rue de Chambon any more. And the number isn't the one listed in the Time Out guide. On a MISSION I actually stopped a family with a young grumpy looking baby and a father with bored death eyes to get the mother to listen to the new number on the phone for the new shop and write it down for us... It was worth it! 40% off in Fifi Chachnil!!



Okay and so the week before that, my friends Jacob [from Paperrad] and David were in town with their band Extreme Animals. They are touring round Europe. The first gig was at the Old Blue Last where DJ Brain and Silverlink asked Cassette Playa and I to have a booty dance off challenge. I won. Don't cry Cassette Playa. You can share my glory.


Hmmm... The week before that, it was my friend Thugly's birthday. Thugly is one of the 7 Year Glitch crew. He had cocktails at the Hilton. Here is a pic of internet thug and epicenter of the UK grime scene, Prancehall, ordering off menu and getting one of the most fabulous strawberry daquaris I've seen.


But at risk of being thrown in the Big Brother diary room - maybe that drink is a bit gay? Look at his pinky finger.

The coolest thing that has happened though is Paul B. Davis had his exhibition at Seventeen gallery on Kingsland Road for the last month. It was a lot of new media, computer and video art. Here is a picture of the video Paul made in collaboration with Jacob Ciocci which is in essence two YouTube videos mixed together not using a video editing software, but actually editing the source at code [like all the 000's and 111's and 101's etc] to 'beatmatch' musically and visually Rhiannas "Umbrella" and The Cranberries "Zombie".

It was really cool - the audio mixed perfectly while the visuals were faces of the two different artist morphing into the other in a sea of pixels and distortion.

Okay - so enough from me, I got to get editing video from Paris! Nice talking to you all again!

xx Emma

Les Matins de Paris

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is a long time since I made an appearance on Madame's blog, but it seems Pippa has been going hammer and tongs all over the place! I've still been around tho' like Pippa said in her previous post - helping out with the VAT returns etc... FUN! Last time I was in tho' our Naomi came in to size up the APC sunglasses for the second time. As part of our formidable customer service I took her picture so that she could get an objective view as to how fantastic she looked in both:

Naomi as Joey Ramone in black APC sunglasses

Naomi in Brat Packer style.

Naomi opted for the Brat Pack steelo. Well done her!!

In other news, last weekend I went to Paris to see my friends Goon and Koyote at the last Diamond Grilling event for a while. I bumped into Teki again from TTC who told me the video for his latest solo single is out Les Matins de Paris - a duet with Lio [you know the teenie star who sang Banana Split]



The song was summing up exactly my mood as I walked down the street on a sunny Saturday morning eating a rose petal flavoured macaroon from Ladurée.


I took this picture for Pippa. It reminded me very much of her new-ish tattoo!


And those of you who may recall if you peeped on Pippa's myspace, last time I was in Hamburg, I found a picture of Pippa doing some secret modelling on the Reeperbahn:

Well this time in Paris I found more evidence of Pippa's secret modelling career. Under the layer of pigeon poo, that face is definitely Pippa Brooks modelling for SUNSHINE Pret-a-Porter Feminin:


Then finally - I was a little concerned after snooping around Goon's appartment where I was staying. Is this a case of confused identity? Do Mark Eley and Nick Abrahams have a mysterious past? Who is the father of DJ Goon?

Please call Madame now, the London representative for Interpol, on 05601 151 584 with any leads you may have.

xx Emma

SPRING AT MAISON B

Okay - so now you get to see what the Shopgirls do when YOU aren't in the shop... We try on the things we really want and right now its -
THE GIRLY STUFF: it is either the A.P.C. Madras stuff from Jessica Ogden [£55 for a dress!! NO I'm NOT joking!!] OR anything from Eley Kishimoto's Spring Summer collection.
THE T SHIRTS: we are picking out the best Obey prints and it's tough - they are all awesome.



The music in this video is the track (Let's Go) Get Lost by Patrick Wolf.

Ladies, don't get sad cause we look so incredible. Trust me - it is the clothes making us that way!! Come downstairs to Maison B and get something hot for yourself from Madame. And upstairs you can pick up a cheesey soufflé which is our new bestie fav for morning tea.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

xx Emma

Part 1:Babitz go east and Paris in Springtime!

Hello hello, I've got so much hot news that I've decided to divide my blog into two!!! First of all I wanted to post this pic of Emma which I've called "Lektrobaby"!!!

I hope you love this pic as much as i do Emma....I'm not deleting it off!!!
Anyhoo, on Sunday I was in Paris to order winter APC, this is Suzanne modelling one of my favourite tops, she's moving to Oxford soon and promises to come and visit me in the cake shop soooon!!

My glamorous assistants for the appointment were Iris and Hugues, who was in the middle of nurturing a "gypsy" moustache which i think you'll agree is very becoming...Iris is featuring one of the AMAZING winter scarves which is like a super-soft giant marle and i HAVE ordered! I always think it's so odd ordering again for the cold before we've even had the unseasonable scorching summer that they keep threatening us for 07...

I always try to engineer my APC buying around lunchtime because you always get a wonderful, perfectly balanced meal in little aesthetically boxed partitions with delicious cous cous, fruit and salad and i had wolfed mine before I thought to take a pic so you'd be jealous and i just had a smidgen of my fresh cream and raspberry macaroon left so here it is....this blog is a little obsessed with cakes but we do live in a cake shop so get over it!!!
Yum!
Then I had a lovely meander through the streets of Paris and ended up at Eley Kishimoto's showroom just in time as they'd just sent out for some fine wines.....we laughed so much!!! Sometimes at my expense I'll admit, Mark had been trying to get someone into Marjan Pejoski's leather catsuit all week and a glass and a half of wine later there i was throwing shapes but ending up looking like a cross between Max Wall and someone skinny and pretty bedraggled, but i'll share anyway....

It's a beautiful thing but I think being six foot tall is probably in order....Marjan was very proud of his sunglasses purchased at the flea market earlier in the day, 60's but with EK insignia, how appropriate!

We got to a silly state of giggling while looking at pictures of Lily on her flickr when she was young and had very short hair and shiny cheeks, she's got lots of her looking gorgeous as well for balance....here's some helpless gigglers, Lily and Fiona:

Then back in London on Tuesday nite and All About Eve Babitz my band were playing at the George and Dragon (2 Hackney Rd, if you're interested, we have a residency type thing on the first tuesday of every month). We provide a whole evening's entertainment, playing records punctuated every half an hour with a song. We had such a good time, lots of friends came by and strangers too, Richard and Lilianna were away so it was left to Kat be in charge...

Look at Daren, our bass/guitar player with Ian and Zack, how swarthy they all look at an angle!

Here's me and Vickram having a gossip while Jonathan and Sefton were playing their fierce set, usually I play records all night so I really enjoyed having a mingle for once.

Princess Julia came down and I was admiring her new tat, always a pleasure to see the lady, we've got the Yoko Ono issue of the fanzine in the cake shop so get 'em while they're hot......

I think people were getting a bit amorous, must've been the Babitz magic....Look at Ima and Liza and Sefton (without drums but with tamborine and vibrating eggs to keep us in time!) and Jonathan all with their tongues hanging out.....


Anyway, well done everybody, it was a super night all round and i've just realised there's no picture of James in this blog and he'll be FURIOUS! He says "It's like I don't even exist!" but look what I found of him this morning, such a cute pic from when we were in Posh and he had never seen a gym!!!!!!!!
aaaaaaah!
Part 2 where i go to Obey HQ to come...................madame xxx

From Rubbish to Miu Miu...

There's always good things to balance the dreary realities....being creative in some way always leaves me on a high, whether it's rehearsing with the Babitz's, or in the case of yesterday, doing an improvised shoot inspired by APC for our website which I did with Sarah Lee, who's a wonderful photographer but also such fun to be around, and Alex