Wednesday 30 November 2011

My Week with Marilyn Day 5: Adultress or Adult-Dressed?


Written by:
Press Princess


Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe


Marilyn Monroe, better known for playing the dumb blonde and exhibitor of all things glam, had a meek and sentimental side that was often misunderstood. Married and divorced three times, Monroe seemed much of a hopeless romantic. Finding herself in love with three different kinds of men, Monroe’s marriages never seemed to work resulting in a periodic 7-8 years gap between each divorce. Monroe often found herself moving in and out of men’s homes, with a permissive attitude towards love and relationships. The iconic movie star had the tendency to date producers and their friends, and at times was thought of as a prostitute.

Monroe’s sexual conduct was radical for the 1950’s and won her millions of fans which is still growing today, but due to her controversial nature not everyone held her in high esteem. Often criticised for poor acting and lack of convincing facial expressions, Monroe continued to hold onto the reigning title as the Queen of Hollywood. Always willing to portray her infamous ‘blowing skirt’ scene Monroe was very much the tasty temptation men were looking for.




Marilyn enjoys breakfast in bed!



The debate is still open and forces people to wonder if she were a woman seeking attention from men due to the lack of a father figure in her life? Or did she use her womanhood to manipulate and tempt men to feed her ego? As a child Norma Jeane was abused and suffered ample amount of neglect, but as an adult Marilyn Monroe was the heroic advocate she always wanted to be. Through clothes and make up, Norma was able to transform herself into a character that she also admired but never truly knew. Character traits which became apparent in Monroe’s late life grew notorious for the termination of her failed relationships. Which brings us to the questions; was Marilyn an actual adulteress and a woman on the verge of sexual exploitation? Or was she just a woman that played up to her alter ego and dressed sexily to push boundaries in order to grab mainstream attention?


"People had a habit of looking at me as if I were some kind of mirror instead of a person. They didn't see me, they saw their own lewd thoughts, then they white-masked themselves by calling me the lewd one." - Marilyn Monroe



Marilyn the showgirl



"I'm a failure as a woman. My men expect so much of me, because of the image they've made of me — and that I've made of myself — as a sex symbol. They expect bells to ring and whistles to whistle, but my anatomy is the same as any other woman's and I can't live up to it." - Marilyn Monroe


Marilyn Monroe & James Dean
                                                       
  

Married to her first husband Jim Dougherty, Monroe's talents were discovered by Army photographer David Conover for his photo shoot on women working during the war. In search for a woman to boost the morale of the boys overseas, Monroe, formerly known as Norma Jeane at the time struck luck when she had her spare sweater handy at work and took stunning shots which lead to her first magazine cover. Once she discovered that modelling was her thing, she grabbed it with both hands as she finally felt like she belonged somewhere. Posing as a model opened up a world of opportunities for Monroe where her female body could be a sexual representation commanding control, manipulation and bring forth attention and reactions that would completely change her life –as long as she dressed it well.



"Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered." - Marilyn Monroe



Monroe's second marriage was to Joe Dimaggio an athlete who notoriously was violent to her during their marriage. Dimaggio and Monroe publicly argued soon after her filming her iconic ‘skirt blowing’ scene. 

Marilyn's famous "skirt blowing" scene


In the film The Seven Year Itch  Monroe and Dimaggio consistently battled against his idealism of a demure housewife  and Monroe’s idea of being a career woman lead to the bitter end of their marriage. They were divorced 274 days after their wedding.



Marilyn & third husband, Arthur Miller

                                                    
"Success makes so many people hate you. I wish it wasn't that way. It would be wonderful to enjoy success without seeing envy in the eyes of those around you." - Marilyn Monroe



"I have too many fantasies to be a housewife. I guess I am a fantasy." - Marilyn Monroe



Norma Jeane as a plain face teenager who later transformed into the sultry Marilyn Monroe


Monroe went on to marrying playwright Arthur Miller where she got pregnant and endured speculation as to who she got pregnant for. Since this time Monroe was linked to various men including President John F, Kennedy where she made her last public appearance singing Happy Birthday, Mr PresidentThe dress that she wore to the event, specially designed and made for her by Jean Louis, sold at an auction in 1999 for $1.26 million.





Marilyn Monroe’s life was an assortment of Hollywood productions, unforgiving men and remarkable clothes. The canvas Monroe portrayed with her exterior was of a strong glamorous woman who brought clothes to life with a winning smile and a pair of heels. 



"I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent." - Marilyn Monroe





We are giving you the chance to dress in the decadence of Ms Monroe as December Madness begins today on http://www.kookielala.com ALL DRESSES ARE £30 OR LESS! 


MISS IT, MISS OUT!






DECEMBER MADNESS BEGINS!

Its official... we've gone bonkers.. seriously we have!

There are only 24 shopping days until Christmas and to celebrate this Kookie LaLa Boutique have launched December Madness!!

This means EVERY dress on our website is now £30 or LESS!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, you read it correctly.... £30 or LESS...


....ON ALL DRESSES!!!!!





Now there's no excuse not to purchase that dress you've had your eye on for the last couple of weeks since our launch.

Not only do you get your favourite one off designer or vintage dress for less than £30, don't forget that we are also giving you a FREE luxury GlossyBox gift set as our Christmas pressie to you for every order.

New dresses will be added every day. You may be spoilt for choice, however with the party season upon us you surely don't want to be seen wearing the same thing twice?

Check out our official December Madness advert edited by our very own, Pops...




HAPPY SHOPPING!!!



COMPETITION: "The Dress-Factor" WIN a Kookie LaLa Boutique Dress!



Last week, we looked out the window at Kookie LaLa Boutique and saw a double rainbow (true! check our twitter!) and we thought, what a good reason to give our Kookie LaLites a special treat. So today, we are launching 'The Dress Factor' especially for you!



WHAT IS THE DRESS FACTOR?

'The Dress Factor' is a competition giving you a chance to win a free dress from Kookie LaLa Boutique!

All you must do is post a photo of yourself in one of your favourite dresses on to our official Facebook page and encourage others to "like" your photo.
Your dresses will be put to the public vote and the person with the most 'likes' under their dress by Monday 19th of December will WIN!

The lucky winner will then receive their dress just in time for Christmas!

So if you know your dress is better than the rest ENTER NOW!


Here are some examples of the styles of photos which can be submitted.

   









WHAT'S THE PRIZE?


If you receive the most "likes" for your photo, you will be invited to choose a dress from a selection on our Kookie LaLa Boutique website, absolutely FREE!
(This excludes "Hire me" dresses)




HOW DO I ENTER?

1) Take a snap of yourself in your all time favourite dress or if you already have a photo of it then even better!

2) Post the photo on our Kookie LaLa Facebook Fan Page and tell us a bit about why your dress is so special (note: Don't forget to 'like' us or you wont be able to post your pic!!)

3) Submit your dress ASAP and get your fellow Kookie LaLites, family and friends to vote for you as their favourite until the Monday 19th December deadline.

The person with the most 'likes' wins! Simple!


Terms & Conditions
- Photographs must include the applicant
- You must own the copyright of your photo
- Applicants must be 18+
- UK applicants only
- Competition deadline is MONDAY 19TH December 2011
- The winner will be alerted via Private Message via their Facebook profile
- Winner will be announced on our FB page and official blog by Friday 23rd December 2011
- Providing a delivery address is submitted within 48 hours of winning, the Winner should receive their dress in time for Christmas!



GOOD LUCK!!


About Kookie LaLa Boutique:


Kookie LaLa Boutique is a brand new online fashion store specialising in vintage, pre-loved and vintage inspired dresses from the 1920's to modern day.

Kookie LaLa Boutique also offer genuine vintage jewellery and designer boutique t-shirts made of high quality cotton.

Have a party or event to attend? You can easily hire a dress from Kookie LaLa Boutique.

Need some extra cash or some space in your closet? Why don't you submit them to the Kookie LaLa Boutique Dress Agency?
We will upload and market your dress on our website and sell on your behalf giving you all the earnings your dress makes, less a small commission for our service.

For more information, check out www.kookielala.com 

Kookie LaLa TV - www.youtube.com/kookielalatv




The right kind of Vintage


Leah-LaLa and Nancy-Pops are hanging out at Kookie LaLa Boutique HQ, working on a secret mission to bring you a ray of sunshine on a cold winter's day.

There is a rumour going around the office that all dresses on www.kookielala.com are going for
£30 or less?!

Some would call this utter madness..... We call it DECEMBER MADNESS!

Selling Designer AND one-off Vintage dresses for under £30 sounds like a bonkers idea, right?!

Well, keep a close eye on www.kookielala.com over the next few days as you wouldn't want to miss out on getting your hands on that special dress in time for Christmas!!!

In the meantime, here's a lil video by our Pops whose been hard at work pressing all sorts of buttons....

ENJOY!!!



Tuesday 29 November 2011

Kookie-Collabs!

Written by: Pops

In the last couple of weeks at Kookie LaLa Boutique we've been busy making friends! I'm here to give you our top 3 friends of the moment and how our new found friendships can benefit YOU! 

1. Miss Future


First up is lovely lady Luca Molnar. We have teamed up with her new brand 'Miss Future' to bring you fresh & quirky t-shirts available from www.kookielala.com This means you can mix and match your favourite tee's with your vintage wardrobe to get a truly individual style from all eras!


Here is a little insight into how Luca works her magic...


you'll find her collection at www.kookielala.com under Designer Exclusives.


2. VJV
Our lovely gift boxes!

Second is beautiful vintage jewellery by VJV. You can find a huge selection of brooches, earrings, necklaces and bracelets from a ton of different eras at www.kookielala.com under Vintage Costume Jewellery. Everything from Kramer to Lisner is available, and each piece comes in it's own box that you wont want to throw away!


Crystal Cluster Earrings
Navette-cut Rhinestone Earrings
Gold-tone Tassle Necklace















3. Glossybox


Excitement was high at Kookie LaLa Boutique HQ last week because we received our Glossyboxes that come free with every order from www.kookielala.com  I couldn't resist opening one of these gorgeous looking boxes and this is what I found...
 
Having excitedly torn apart the cute, spotty outer-box I get down to the nitty gritty..

Handy bit of bumph about the products...

TA-DAH! LOADS OF FREE GIFTS!!! including creams, perfume and nail transfers!
  

 Have a look at all our new friends for yourself at www.kookielala.com

Enjoy...x






Monday 28 November 2011

My Week with Marilyn: Day 4 - Get the Monroe look, you’d be a bore not to!



To celebrate an icon that is still prevalent during our era, Kookie LaLa
Boutique is celebrating Marilyn Monroe’s signature look and how other women have followed her steps
in changing their image to mark a significant period in their lives.

Marilyn had a timeless quality that epitomised effortless sex appeal which inevitably makes her a popular icon today, sex sells and she did it in the most glamorous relaxed way. Big glamorous hair, perfectly groomed eyebrows and bold statement lips, which in their own right is a classic vintage look. Monroe was admired for a stylish and fashionable appearance that was, and still is achievable today. Although hair, make up and diamonds are girls best friends, no girl is complete without a dazzling hairdo. Marilyn knew how to turn heads with her classic blonde bombshell allure; every girl should claim a crop that makes them stand out even more in a Kookie LaLa Boutique gown!




Actress Michelle Williams dyed her hair to a dark colour for her role in film Wendy and Lucy (2008), but proclaims the real reason for cutting her long tresses is a bit more sentimental than the odd chop and change.



'I cut it for the one straight man who has ever liked short hair and I wear it in memorial of somebody who really loved it.'
- Michelle Williams



The former Dawson’s Creek star changed her hair to recreate Marilyn Monroe’s signature style which hundreds of women have done before. For Williams this was specifically for the purposes of the movie; My Week with Marilyn, whilst various females and superstars have done the same to give themselves a new lease of life including Marilyn Monroe herself.






Marilyn Monroe, (former brunette) grew up in foster care initially struggling with her career as an actress, she heard about a casting requiring a peroxide blonde and jumped to the opportunity head first!







Monroe dramatically changed her career from spraying airplane parts to being a model for The Blue Book Modelling Agency. This process instigated the metamorphosis of Brunette Norma Jeane into a peroxide blonde Marilyn Monroe.









For the ultimate Hollywood star look, four key fashion tips are crucial!! Big eyelashes, RED juicy lips, sensational hair and a lustrous Kookie LaLa Boutique gown!












Catch a few stars that did it Marilyn’s way…





Here's Kelly Osbourne doing a short and sweet Marilyn pose allowing her clothes to do all the talking. Having frills high by the waist line creates curves in the bodes silhouette, one may not naturally have!

In 2009 Kelly ‘O’ copied her fiancés blond crop! Going through heaps of style transformations Kelly went from punky faux pas to model movie star!







Paris Hilton launched her new perfume Tease as Marilyn Monroe strutting the famous blonde hair, red lips and big lashes!



And then there's just some girls who really should NOT have
a blonde moment…!


Controversial star Amy Winehouse did the opposite and traded her black beehive for a blonde mess.
As much as we still love the former singer Amy Winehouse we just can't say the same for this hair-do, blonde hair doesn't suit everyone, but a Marilyn hair style could do the trick!






HIRE Kookie LaLa Boutique

Victoriana Gown by Debut @ Debenhams
Christmas party coming up?? 


Why not hire this Debut at Debenhams Victoriana gown. Prices start from as little as £69 for three days hire.


Get the look at www.kookielala.com

Girl Crush of the week: Dita Von Teese

Dita Von Teese
We love, love, LOVE Dita Von Teese here at Kookie LaLa Boutique!


Here she is sporting a beautiful figure hugging black dress


Who's YOUR girl crush?


Get the look at www.kookielala.com

Kookie LaLa Boutique on Colourful Radio

The world of Kookie LaLa Boutique is a busy place, the office is a mixture of postage, packaging, jewellery, glam dresses, photography, lights and SHOES!! So yes it's all systems go and I feel like the luckiest "Press Princess" in town!
With soooo much to look forward to Kookie LaLa Boutique has got quite a bit done, dresses are at the ready and press interviews have been scheduled. Founder of Kookie LaLa Boutique, Leah Charles-King was on the Rosmary Laryea show on Colourful Radio yesterday speaking of our new venture! It was a fantastic interview and a pleasure to be there.
Don’t forget all you fashionista’s out there, Kookie LaLa Boutique is the place to be to get all your vintage, pre-loved & inspired dresses from the forties to noughties

Have a "Marilyn" Christmas!


'Tis the season to be glamorous!!
Ladies... Christmas is almost here, so forget the jeans tucked in the old winter boots and the over flowing jumpers with an archetypal Santa or singing snowman.

Get fabulous, get glamorous, get styled by Kookie LaLa Boutique for your Christmas party.

Here’s a little inspiration by the ladies before us who dressed like it was their last occasion, any time of the day, any time of the night!
www.kookielala.com has beautiful gowns and fashion ideas that will keep you looking glam all year round!