What a doll!

Hearing of the new Barbie "Ladies Of the 80s" range I couldn't help but go and investigate. The Blondie doll really doesn't hit the spot, but the Cyndi Lauper one is verrrry cool:

While checking it out I saw what has become of poor Ken these days. He's now a Donald Trump bewigged sugar daddy with a poodle and outfits made out of furniture:

I blame the fact that he's now started hanging out with Gela and Pamela from the evil velour tracksuit manufacturers Juicy Couture. Their dolls come complete with defaced portrait of my idol, my Queen, Elizabeth Tudor. As if velour tracksuit selling dolls complete with dead-animal accessories couldn't incite my displeasure enough.

Also fell across a super scary non-Barbie issue doll of Luscious Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter. As it's based on the incredibly dishy Jason Isaacs it should look like this:

But for some unknown reason it looks like this:

*shivers* So, as far as celebrity dolls go I say go for the utterly beautiful Franklin Mint Marilyn Monroe (which is the only doll I have but sadly only with the red sparkle and pink dresses from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) or for this ultra sweet rock'n'roll pairing:

Or the ultra fab Roman Holiday doll from the Pullip range:


If I were a little girl now I'd be going crazy for the Korean Pullip dolls. They totally rock. I would have chosen this one as little girl me:

And I'd have then bought it a boy toy. Being unconventional as I am (I was utterly disgusted with the one male doll given to me for my many Sindys and Barbies - overly tanned, overly normal-formal Pilot Ken. Yuck.) I'd no doubt choose this one. Yes it's a boy doll, and ohmygod if it isn't the doll form of Nick Rhodes:

I'd buy it the Westwood-esque bondage trousers from the girl doll range as well as these outfits for gigging in:


OMG, doll with a ruff! :D I could then buy it a proper girlfriend in the form of Barbie-Meredith, both modern and 1950s versions:


Barbie Meredith would then have to wear the outfit my own childhood Perfume Pretty Barbie had because it somewhat resembles Mr Rhodes' lovely ex-wife's wedding dress:


(poor Barbie had been kidnapped by the doll form of Warren Cuccurullo in that picture so that he could take her home and have his wicked... um, tea party with her)
...meanwhile, seeing as the Durans are getting all the girls, Ken dresses up for an audition with Spandau Ballet:


I'll stop messing about now. The dolls I kept falling across while looking for the 80s Barbies were just too hilariously Duranned not to share. ...and for those who will mourn the loss of the Juicy dolls when I am Queen of the universe and ban them, fear not for Pullip have made a sort of Gela doll too which kind of rocks:

seeking pleasure, purely for the thrill

Why phenomenal musicians ever date trash that are unworthy of them and who don't appreciate them properly is beyond me. When you're that divinely artistic a soul and so many women swoon at the source of musical creativity, why settle for anything less than the perfect muse, the inspiration, the goddess?!

All this trashiness in rock'n'roll girlfriends is relatively new to me. First I discovered the Beatle girls and those Beatles had amazing taste in women. All hail the Liverpool boys for their wondrous taste and pulling power. Then I crossed to the likes of The Who where I re-discovered the likes of Groupie Queen Miss Pamela. Alas some of the choices of Duran girlfriend have left me utterly baffled in many ways but I can't put it down to there being a lack of brilliant muses in the modern age because my darling Who are still getting it right.

Mr Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (hey, when middle names are that fabulous, why not flash them around a bit?!) has in fact upgraded.

His current long term girlfriend is so phenomenal that she is not only a goddess of fashion, but she's also ousted the man himself as my preferred lyrical genius. A short while after discovering her I began to wonder if he was in fact worthy of her, not the other way around. I realise they're utterly perfect for each other.

So let me introduce you to the wonder that is Rachel Fuller. Talented pianist, voice of an angel, wit of a devil, dress sense that almost puts to shame that of her friend Jerry Hall.


...and ohmygoodness the lyrics.

Pleasure Seeker
...I am falling slowly into something safe. You are trying to hold me but I won't stay in place. And I want to be a little unkind, don't want to call you ever on time. I want to feel slightly unreal, don't want to be safe. I am seeking pleasure purely for the thrill. And I want to walk into the dark with no hand to hold, the adrenalin starts, the deeper I go the faster it flows...

Twelve Lies
...I wear this dress to impress, so keep your eyes upon me. And if you want to see what lies beneath you'll have to gaze beyond me. ...the only time you want me, the only time you hold me is when I lie. 'cause the only time you need me, the only time you love me is when I'm high.
Then we have the divinely dark lyrics of 'Into My Heart' and 'Ghost In Your Room' from her album 'Cigarettes and Housework'. Not to mention the most beautiful protrayal of love in lyrics I've ever heard:

Imperfection
...you sigh when your perfect world is less than that. Only smile when it all comes together. You cry and you try and you strive for perfection. And I think you should have another drink and let yourself go. Light a cigarette and follow the smoke. 'cause it's your imperfection that turns me on and makes me long for you. So don't hide your imperfection, it draws me in and makes me head spin...

For some insane reason she isn't world famous for being utterly phenomenal in every way, so I realise lots of people out there need to catch up on her a bit. Dive straight into the music and then check out something called In The Attic.

In The Attic was an online "TV show". Kind of like the cool evening musos version of daytime magazine shows. Hosted by Rachel and her friend Mikey in an environment reminiscent of their old attic room from times past. They showcased their own music, their humour, discussions on everything you could think of and had the most phenomenal guests who were all completely at ease.

For those of us lucky to hang around with musicians on a regular basis it was like those magical moments late at night on tour, jamming in the hotel bar and chatting about all the wonders the world holds and all the curious happenings it throws at us. It was my weekly drug out of touring season to remind me who I truly am when at my best (and worst!).

Understandably Pete quickly grew discontented with the idea of leaving this wonderful being behind when he went on tour, so In The Attic eventually went on the road with The Who doing the festival circuit and allowing more phenomenal musicians to grace Rachel and Mikey's space.

I'm sharing with you a little of the Liverpool episode of In The Attic because my beloved Charley and I were both buzzing around with the band at this gig, but hadn't met each other yet because the boys were too stupid to introduce us to each other. It features the super Shack and has a performance of Rachel's 'Imperfection' at the end of it. I defy anyone to watch her singing that and not utterly fall in love with her.



(no apologies for the little bonus footage at the end there of the lush Mr Starkey in white trousers. LOL!)

Since then Rachel has completed her amazing art installation type music project "Kew" where she lived entirely in Kew for a week, writing a song a day upon the walls of her flat, each based on a shop in Kew Village. To experiance the full wonder of the project and download the end product for free visit Week In Kew

If nothing else, go there to check out the song "Starbucks" and the photo of Rachel going for early morning coffee in her dressing gown. How cool could she possibly be?!

Work continues on the musical she is writing called Ash. The snippets I've heard so far are enchanting, beautiful and humerous. All the things I've come to expect from her. I seriously cannot wait for the chance to see the finished production.

...now that everyone's thoroughly addicted to the wonder of Miss Fuller, I suggest you go buy her album "Cigarettes and Housework" and the EP "Shine", check out the In The Attic CD/DVD set and wait with baited breath for Ash to grace the West End.

Missing A Maureen

I've just realised I've now met everyone in the wondrous Apple Boutique modelling photo apart from the most admired and beloved Maureen. *sniffles*

Joyously at ease around Cynthia, intimidated in the presance of Pattie and rather overly giddy to meet Jenny. Had I ever met Maureen I'd prolly have just cried buckets like a demented little fangirl. Then again, Mo is the one I'm most like so maybe she'd have been even easier to be around than Cynthia. I shall never know.

so easy to disturb with a thought, with a whisper

I have to share this as even my dear Charley has missed it.

The YLB range from Wallis (which I desperately need to go immerse myself in when I can get out of the north and actually try things on rather than just admiring in pictures) features one outfit in which it's creator has immitated her darling husband's early days in a most elegant fashion.

Image courtesy of the phenomenal Unofficial Yasmin site YasminLeBon.net which is well worth a lengthy visit to trawl all the fabulous images and articles.

Duran video most certainly not courtesy of Mr Rhodes who hates the picture on the wall in the video so violentely that he tries to keep the video off as many official releases as is humanly possible. I think the only time it "escaped" was on their first VHS compilation where he didn't have enough other videos to use to oust it entirely.

Phenomenal fashion courtesy of YLB for Wallis but hands off the red velvet suit in my size cos I neeeeeeeed it!

Original early 1980s Duran outfits by Kahn & Bell... hands off those in my size too, LOL!

"Is she pretty? Yes ever so."

Last night I had a fabulous time at the launch of the new Foale & Tuffin exhibition and book (if you're a 1960s fiend you really must see both ASAP) where I saw lots of ultra fabulous people and briefly met the lovely Jenny Boyd. More on all of that tomorrow when I've had some rest.

Til then, here's a splurge of Jenny modelling for the lovely and super talented Foale and Tuffin, the "Peter Blakes of Fashion". ;)


F&T's Y-front Dress


F&Ts's Double D Dress
yes that's in the exhibition)


F&T's Crossword Puzzle Dress
(also in the exhibition thanks to the phenomenal collection of the lovely Liz of Vintage A Peel)


Youthquake Tour


Jenny in F&T Funburst
Pattie in F&T Double D variation.


Super cool pic of Jenny in an ultra bright Funburst dress. There was some footage showing at the exhibition of lots of running round this phone box in fab outfits, but I don't recall seeing Jenny wearing this one.


the sisters in the window of the F&T shop.

...I'll have to do a quick raid and dig out loads more pics of F&T outfits. I know there's tonnes more starring Jenny, Pattie, Jane Asher and Marianne Faithfull.

The Shoes

My holy grail of shoes is not by Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik or Christian Louboutin... but there's a chance they may be Salvatore Ferragamos.

They're a pair of plexiglass elevated heels worn over and over again by Marilyn Monroe and she customised them each time with ribbons to match the colour of her outfit.

She wore them for so many photo shoots as well as in the films "We're Not Married"...

...and "How To Marry A Millionaire":

Worn with Black ribbons:

White:

Yellow:

Orange:

If I had the shoes I think I'd also need this lovely little matching handbag to go with them:


Marilyn certainly liked to accesorise with plexiglass. She also had a pair of white fluffy mules with plexiglass soles.

Litle Girl Lost

Sometimes moments happen where you feel more like a little girl lost than you ever did as a child, and no matter how much you play with hair and make-up and put on the pretty clothes you just feel tearful. I think of those as Marilyn moods. She was so lovely, so strong, so able, so beautiful... and always the little girl lost.

I think that's one of the reasons so many women adore her. Yes she's the world's sexiest woman and would steal away all of the men... but we just want to be her friend and look after her all the same.

So here and some pictures of the little girl lost... and when I feel brighter I'll post some lovely pictures of her all bright and sparkly. Here's Marilyn at her most beautifully vulnerable best.

and the back of the hairdo because it's beautiful