Bye bye....

Max and Madame have had the best two years at Shop at Maison Bertaux...mostly because of you lot!!!! So this is a little tribute to the good times. Please stay in touch you can chat to us both on Facebook and http://www.maxkarie.com/ and http://www.madamesays.com/ are our websites so feel free to check them out.

The combination of cakes, frocks, you and us was such a blast.......


Love love love, Max and Madame xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It goes without saying...

....of course, but I would love you to come to my birthday party at the George and Dragon, 2 Hackney Road E2 this Thursday!!

Madame x

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