Page 1: Month: November 2018

There’s always a storm of debate when movie studios announce that they’re remastering an old movie that we all know and love. From animation to live-action and even rehashed story lines, many film fanatics believe that studio bosses are becoming lazy and producing films that they know have worked well in the past — despite there being a demand for new stories on the screen.

Our team here at Fulton Umbrellas love a good trip to the cinema, and you can probably guess which remake we’re all anticipating for next month. In today’s blog posts, we take a look at what comebacks are soon to be released and what remakes have left a lasting impression.

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins is making a return to the silver screen in Disney’s reboot starring the fabulous Emily Blunt. Set 25 years after the original movie starring Julie Andrews and following the book series penned by P.L. Travers, this movie welcomes the governess’ return to the Banks family home on Cherry Tree Lane in London.

Cast your memory back to the first film and you’ll remember Mary gliding down from the skies with her umbrella to look after Michael and Jane Banks who were in desperate need of attention and adventure. This film follows a similar premise, where Poppins comes back to look after Michael’s three children after a tragic loss occurs in the family.

Although Bert won’t be joining us in this film, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a street lamplighter named Jack who was an apprentice of his — so don’t think you’ll lose that magical touch in the sequel.

This film is your perfect excuse to go to the cinema around Christmas time, with a set release of 21^st December and will likely be practically perfect in every way! Just don’t forget your birdcage umbrella…

A Star Is Born

Not too long ago, A Star Is Born hit the cinema and became an immediate blockbuster sensation with a soundtrack dominating the UK music charts. Starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper 80 years after the original, the film series has had four instalments thus far and highlights how every era gets one to call its own.

The first movie which was released in 1937 stars Janet Gaynor and Fredric March tells the story of a young girl soaring to make it in Hollywood as an actress, and the impromptu relationship she has with a well-established actor who is battling with alcoholism. The 1954 version featuring Judy Garland and James Mason is based on the original screenplay but is altered slightly to tell the tale of an aspiring singer who is convinced that she can make it in the movies.

However, you may be more familiar with the Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson remake which was released in 1976 and details the relationship of an upcoming female singer and a self-destructive rock star who fall in love. Similar to the 2018 release, the female singer’s career is ascending while the love interest declines as a result of an addiction — we think this one could win big at 2019’s Academy Awards!

The Parent Trap

The Parent Trap will always be one of those feel-good films that we can never watch too many times – but which version is your favourite? Did you know that there were a few versions of the film before Lindsay Lohan took the role of Hallie Parker and Annie James in 1998?

The original film was released by Disney in 1961 and starred Hayley Mills as Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers, identical twins who were separated shortly after birth when their parents decided to divorce. When they were unexpectedly thrown together at the same summer camp, their looks and home life experiences allowed the pair to come to the realisation that they were in fact twin sisters. When summer camp came to a close, the two switched places and returned ‘home’ to the parent they never really knew. Sharon and Susan are soon reunited when they discover that their father intends to marry a child-hating gold-digger, and they must stop this from happening.

The 1998 version mirrors the same story, although the twins lived in separate counties with one growing up in London and the other in Napa Valley. This version however, did not see three television sequels and was not nominated for an Academy Award.

The Lion King

You can’t deny that you’re already itching with excitement that the first trailer for The Lion King has been released. Starring Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, the original animation is regarded as one of Disney’s best and even has a theatrical show off the back of it.

The animated movie was released back in 1994 with original songs from Elton John and a score by Hans Zimmer — which has remained at the heart of the movie since its release. The plot shows a pride of lions ruling over the animal kingdom from Pride Rock in Africa. When King Mufasa tragically dies as a result of his evil brother Scar, his son Simba is next in line to the throne who Scar also tries to eliminate.

We’re not certain whether this movie, which is set to be released in summer of 2019, will feature some of the iconic anthems from the original, but it would be a waste to not use the magnificent voices of the cast members.

Which movie remake is your favourite? And most importantly, what film will you next be seeing at the cinema?

It’s no secret that over the centuries, British monarchs have used fashion as a tool of power to influence decisions and to convey diplomatic messages to both their own subjects and people around the world. As a company that holds a Royal Warrant, we thought we’d take the opportunity to discuss some of the most stylish monarchs in history. Find out who made our list below!

Queen Elizabeth II

Ascending to the power in 1952 following the sudden death of her father, Elizabeth II has become the longest reigning monarch in British history at the age of 92. Although fashion trends have notoriously changed since her coronation, The Queen is known to only adopted those that suit her personal style.

As she took to the throne at the young age of 25, her wardrobe has been the most documented for a royal and as a result, has highlighted a great shift in royal fashion throughout her years as sovereign.

During her initial years as Head of State, The Queen didn’t drastically change her style and stuck with the former choice of attire she had as Princess Elizabeth. The monarch identified with popular female fashion during the 1950s and often wore feminine dresses that were cinched at the waist to create a gracious flow with any movement. This type of look was often accompanied with by a pearl necklace, pearl earrings, elbow-length gloves, signature hair-pieces and of course, a petite handbag.

The 1960s found The Queen encounter more formal occasions than usual — with her trip to Malta and President Nixon’s visit to London highly anticipated around the world. Throughout this time, she occasionally wore sleeveless silk dresses which was deemed unusual for someone in such a position, but she intended to remain youthful as Queen and achieved just that. This look slightly changed depending on circumstance though, a fur over-jacket was sometimes paired with the dress if the event was held outside of a royal household. However, both occasions would use an elegant tiara to draw the entire look together.

The Queen was approaching her 50s when she started to adjust her appearance and opt for a more formal look that continued to stun crowds. Depending on the affair, this was the period where The Queen was known to become more adventurous with her gowns. Take the Royal Film Performance of ‘Funny Lady’ in 1975 for example, she wore a pastel pink dress which was embellished with golden and blue features. The Queen’s jewellery became extravagant too and was better coordinated with her chosen attire.

When entering the 80s, we seemingly moved away from pastel hues and women shifted their looks to bright and bold tones, including Queen Elizabeth. You can probably picture Her Majesty on the balcony of Buckingham Palace wearing that iconic blue dress at Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981. As well as this, when the Queen carried out a state visit to Australia in 1986, she was spotted wearing a padded-shoulder dress in bright yellow that also had black dots. This was accompanied by a patterned scarf, black gloves and a slimline hat – this decade was great for women’s fashion.

The 90s and 2000s have been plain sailing for Queen Elizabeth, and her current style isn’t afraid to be influenced by previous looks. Today, you will see her wrapped up in a colourful coat and a matching hat that has become her signature style – and when the weather permits, you will see her use one of Fulton Umbrella’s birdcage umbrellas.

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria wasn’t always confident with her fashion decisions, but it’s believed that she paved the way for modern monarch fashion and has influenced many royals today. Reigning from 1837 to 1876, Victoria’s early diary entries suggested that she had a key interest in women’s fashion from a young age.

It’s thought that the monarch used fashion to minimise her husband Prince Albert’s insecurities – as he would always one station below her as Prince Consort. To show her appreciation and love to her husband, she hosted a ‘costume ball’ at Buckingham Palace in 1842 where they dressed as Queen Philippa and King Edward III, allowing him to wear an actual crown.

Victoria was ahead of her time and used fashion to align with the values of the people she met, especially when carrying out her duties across different countries. For example, when she visited Scotland, she wore tartan and when she visited Ireland, her clothing featured shamrocks.

As photography became more mainstream during her sovereignty and her image became more widespread, Victoria used this as an opportunity to show herself as a more relatable public figure. For photoshoots, she often wore clothes that normal woman would wear – such as cotton dresses and bonnets.

However, one of Victoria’s most notable fashion choices was to never wear colour again following her husband’s death and even insisted that her ladies in waiting dressed the same. Images have shown that she tended to wear black dresses, black stockings, handkerchiefs that were embroidered with monograms and a black fan.

King Edward VIII

Recognised as the man who gave up the throne for love, King Edward VIII abdicated from his position in 1936 to marry his American sweetheart, Wallis Simpson after 12 months as sovereign. Just like his decision on giving up the crown, Edward often liked to challenge convention and rebel against the rules that society had set out for him – and this was often reflected in his fashion and lifestyle choices.

The now Duke of Windsor was known for his bold sense of style and had his clothing made with comfort in mind, regularly referring this to ‘dressing soft’. Photographs from the royal collection have shown that Edward was very confident with pattern designs in his suits and fashion experts have claimed that he was able to carry this off due to cutting techniques. This included high jacket waists that were able to create a longer leg look.

Although he spent most of his time in France, Edward was extremely fond of Scottish tweeds and Fair Isle sweaters and had them used for his wardrobe as opposed to modern fabrics that were dominating Europe’s fashion scene. So much so that he continually used the same tailor – Scholte of Savile Row – who designed with the Duke’s personality in mind. Often, his outfits were made with larger pockets to hold his cigarette case and elastic waists, so he didn’t have to wear suspenders. Adding to the modern look, he always preferred a zip fly rather than buttoned.

12 years before his death in 1972, an inventory of his entire wardrobe was taken. It was discovered that Edward owned 15 evening suits, 55 lounge suits and three formal suits.

To accessorise like a monarch, check out our range of premium umbrellas before you go, including men’s, women’s, designer, children’s, and sport styles.