Series on SHOES! SHOES! SHOES!*&^%^&#$^% Women love shoes; who loves women? THAT GUY…M. Joseph Miller II.

This Series of twelve fashion designs in the ladies shoe department catches our eye as English Elite Couture introduces one design after another; a new each month, Enjoy!

Julian Hakes designed these fascinating shoes with no sole.

The support is there, though, for the heel and ball of the foot, which forms a natural bridge between the two. In the course of designing, he had tracing paper and masking tape on his foot, drew the patterns, and then used a scalpel to cut it off.

Not a penthouse view but memorable and never forgotten nonetheless!

On this our Memorial Day, I recall many a penthouse view, from Beverly Hills, to Manhatten, from Paris to London, China and India...but alas there will be none more memorable than the view from my simple barracks room while serving in the U.S. Army. I bring to you a short story celebrating the fallen of whom if it were not for, I would not be able to write this blog. Toujours Pret!

By Ben La Bree


(Adapted)
 
Bravery Honored By a Foe
 

In a rifle-pit, on the brow of a hill near Fredericksburg, were a number of Confederate soldiers who had exhausted their ammunition in the vain attempt to check the advancing column of Hooker's finely equipped and disciplined army which was crossing the river. To the relief of these few came the brigade in double-quick time. But no sooner were the soldiers intrenched than the firing on the opposite side of the river became terrific.

A heavy mist obscured the scene. The Federal soldiers poured a merciless fire into the trenches. Soon many Confederates fell, and the agonized cries of the wounded who lay there calling for water, smote the hearts of their helpless comrades.

"Water! Water!" But there was none to give, the canteens were-empty.

"Boys," exclaimed Nathan Cunningham, a lad of eighteen, the color-bearer for his regiment, "I can't stand this any more. They want water, and water they must have. So let me have a few canteens and I'll go for some."

Carefully laying the colors, which he had borne on many a field, in a trench, he seized some canteens, and, leaping into the mist, was soon out of sight.

Shortly after this the firing ceased for a while, and an order came for the men to fall back to the main line.

As the Confederates were retreating they met Nathan Cunningham, his canteens full of water, hurrying to relieve the thirst of the wounded men in the trenches. He glanced over the passing column and saw that the faded flag, which he had carried so long, was not there. The men in their haste to obey orders HAD

FORGOTTEN OR OVERLOOKED THE COLORS.

Quickly the lad sped to the trenches, intent now not only on giving water to his comrades, but on rescuing the flag and so to save the honor of his regiment.

His mission of mercy was soon accomplished. The wounded men drank freely. The lad then found and seized his colors, and turned to rejoin his regiment. Scarcely had he gone three paces when a company of Federal soldiers appeared ascending the hill.

"Halt and surrender," came the stern command, and a hundred rifles were leveled at the boy's breast.

"NEVER! while I hold the colors," was his firm reply.

The morning sun, piercing with a lurid glare the dense mist, showed the lad proudly standing with his head thrown back and his flag grasped in his hand, while his unprotected breast was exposed to the fire of his foe.

A moment's pause. Then the Federal officer gave his command:

"Back with your pieces, men, don't shoot that brave boy."

And Nathan Cunningham, with colors flying over his head, passed on and joined his regiment.

His comrades in arms still tell with pride of his brave deed and of the generous act of a foe.

Introducing "WINDOWS ON TIME", By: M. Joseph Miller II. For the Man of the TIME!

Many ideas and inventions come and go, others have simply lasted the the test of time. Fashion is one thing that continues to strive for the best and does the same. Some designers we will never know or hear of, others like my favorite, Chanel and Gucci will be in our wardrobes forever. For the discerning gentleman or the iconic hip hop artist there will never be a more long lasting signature for style than the cuff of a mans shirt. There are eight standard designs for the mans cuff and also the woman, more remnescent of the times of the gentleman would be the classic French cuff.

The brainchild of Les Maison De La Beaute, "Houses of Beauty", M. Joseph Miller II has undergone transformations of many over the years, but as most creations in design and most certainly the functional ones, the ones that do stand the test are those that are useful in addition to fashionable and trendy. Mr. Miller has spent his life doing just that, providing the world with companies and creations that are useful and not just profitable, whether it be in helping his community at a teen age with decreasing juvenile crime rates, supporting the needs of special needs children, designing jewelry that works for the night and day, getting friends out of jams or minimizing punishment, designing lesson plans to teach citizens of Asian countries English, merging with a modeling Agency or serving his country and owning up to faults that every man has and doing whats right. Whenever Mr. Miller can he finds usefulness in his time. When asked how do you come up with business ideas and creations Mr. Miller responded that most of his ideas come to him while enjoying a cigar and scotch in one of his many cigar clubs, playing golf, riding his favorite horse appropriately named "Cognac" at the Traditional Equitation Stables in Southern California, he said he often gets ideas while either traveling on a long leg flight to one of the many countries he works in, China, Germany, France etc.

This brings us to the topic of fashion again, in that Mr. Miller was not always the most frugile when it came to replacing his wardrobe. When a shoe was old and worn, they were replaced, when a shirts collar or cuff was frayed, it too was replaced. His mother once showed him the value of a dollar and the worth of saving that dollar, which is when he began to simply replace the soles and heel of those old shoes and the cuffs and collars of those shirts, instead of spending another three to four hundred dollars on another pair or shirt when there simply was no need to. There was one thing that irritated him, the cuff of his left wrist which always seemed to fray faster than any other part of the shirt. With this; English Elite Club Couture (EEC) another creation of Mr. Millers has introduced a new design to the fashion world.

The new nineth classic shirt cuff HAS ARRIVED!

"Windows On Time", an altered classical French cuff that allows the wearer to wear his wristwatch over the first fold of the cuff. By placing the watches band through the EEC tailor added band holes and clasping. This allows the remainder of the French cuff to be folded back over the watch where EEC has surgically cut an opening of the top fold of the cuff, allowing the wearer and admirers of fine timepieces to see the beautiful face of the watch. This new design accomplishes a number of goals, of the many this prevents the watch face from prematurely fraying the end of the shirts cuff, it also protects the band from oils of the skin and other impurities that may stain the delicate yet sophisticated leather and natural metal bands that adorn most exotic watches. Last but not least, we no longer have to suffer the obvious "flossing" of the wearer as he indiscreetly but on purpose throws his arm in the air to get a glimpse of the time, allowing the world to envy his new Vacheron Constintin, Gucci or Rolex. ;) Look for more information and buzz in the upcoming seasons about Millers' "Windows on Time". At the present this design is only available through Mr. Miller by contacting the houses management team at M & A Management.

For more information of the "Windows On Time" shirt and designs, call:

M & A Management for English Elite Club, Couture at

(888) 449-5841 ext 1

(310) 499-4447 ext 1

Happy Mothers Day!

To my mother:

On this special day I stop and reflect, and give God the glory and you the respect. When challenges came, your faith did not waiver, You taught us to stand by the words of our Savior. Your examples of love, devotion, and care, along with your wisdom and continual prayer, has provided me with gifts of love to share. Thank you Mama for always being there. Happy Mother's Day

To My Wife:

You're the master of every task.
You're a dependable source of comfort;
You're my cushion when I fall.
You help in times of trouble;
You support me whenever I call.
I love you more than you know;
You have my total respect.
Since I had my choice of mothers for my child,
You were the one I selected!

National Day of Prayer

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

Ahhhh, Spring is here; Release the Hounds!

As the cold winds and chill of winter have past, its that time of year again, time for the fashion forward jet set to embark on the past times of the spring, be it English riding, playing or watching a polo match at the old Will Rogers polo field west of Bel Air  formerly the Will Rogers estate or driving with the top down; up the coast to Santa Barbara to catch the opening of the Polo Clubs 2010 season or through the desert to Palm Springs to get in a few rounds of golf at Indian Wells.

Maybe, your on the east coast and escaping the hustle and bustle of Manhattan by taking your new Gulfstream IISP to the Hamptons for a "White" party, pardon the expression coming from such a Buppie as myself. In any case one thing is for sure....men, you'll need to drop a line to your nearest haberdashery or at the very least encourage the Mrs. to update her riding wardrobe with the newest in fashion from Equestrian friendly houses such as Hermès.

Drawing inspiration from Hermès' equestrian heritage, Pierre Hardy has spent two years masterminding a collection of bespoke jewelry, which the brand has termed "Haute Bijouterie". With the whip and hoof as their central motif, the pieces make use of rose and white gold, black jade, diamonds, adventurine and pink opal to fuse sensuality with animality and erase the line between masculinity and femininity. "Hermès is not a very precious universe," Hardy told WWD. "I simply went back to its roots and to the horse's hoof, taking the roughest, strongest, almost radical element and giving it the most feminine, the most modern interpretation."

Prices start at 17,500 Euros for a pair of clip-on earrings. You can count on a waiting period of between five to seven months for the pieces, which come in super-luxe custom-made black alligator leather boxes.

Spring Summer / 2010

BUY luxury, buy quality, buy something that will become an iconic piece in your wardrobe - from Miuccia's Prada's chandelier dresses, to Jil Sander's raw and ripped chiffon, to Dolce's knickers or McQueen's metallic snakeskin marvels, to Lanvin's most beautiful dresses ever, to Peter Pilotto's prints, to Burberry's trench dresses, if you buy one thing for spring/summer, make it a big story. If the recession isn't letting up yet, buy one thing and the thrill will last.

If hemlines are to be believed as the rule of all things financial, though, things are certainly looking up - skirts are creeping up the thigh and bottom-revealing bloomers, henceforth known as hotpantaloons, first appeared in New York and bred across the fashion cities fast.

While there was a touch of sparkle in the front row of every single show, it's a trend that is built to last and whether you wear it on your tights, on lamé socks with high heels, around your neck, woven into your chiffon evening gowns or tied to your handbag, a little bit of glitter always does a girl good. Shoes are still big statements but heels are coming down too; kitten heels have even been mentioned and so have clogs (Chanel, Celine, Louis Vuitton).

The big story for summer though, is nudity - the vast majority of shows opened with nude, ice-cream colours, making cut and drapery the big style statements as opposed to eye-popping colours. Where last summer we obsessed about colour blocking, next will be about subtleties of tone: nude with peach with washed out nutmeg, or grey with icy blue. A general lack of clothing will be approved of too - your underwear must look its best next summer because if it's not on show it's not worth wearing - only to be covered by swathes of knotted and ruffled sheer chiffon - and a touch of lace will keep things interesting (Stella McCartney, Fendi).

White is always a trend for summer, but 2010 is expecting a full washout - bleached cotton came tailored and masculine or bulging and ruffled. And if you want colour, make it a check (Christopher Kane, Louis Vuitton).

So what to buy, if you will be shopping? Party dresses - lots of them, to be worn day and night: with interesting (and forgiving) folds around the hip for added shape. A jumpsuit - single shouldered or strapless if you dare. Loose trousers that taper to the ankle, preferably in silk. Bring shoes down a level or two, and if you venture from the washed out palette, make it a bold, tribal or ethnic print (Dries Van Noten). A trench coat, long or short (or turned into a party dress at Burberry). A belt - skinny ribbons or wide leather versions; the waist intends to allow you to show off your curves next summer. And if your curves are that good, swimwear is teeny weeny as can be.

And everybody's new favourite model? Australian model Abbey Lee Kershaw appeared in all the key shows, surely with plenty of ad campaigns to follow. Certainly no recession hangover for her.

- Dolly Jones, The Trend Report