“Contra Mundum” Glove by Daphne Guinness and Shaun Leane (via The Telegraph)
In recent years, she has developed a fascination with armour, and it was while she was out one night with McQueen and Leane that she decided to create some of her own.
‘We were at one of those enormous events where we were huddled in a corner going, “What are we doing here?” Anyway, I said, “Wouldn’t it be great to have some armour?” And so Shaun said, “All right, then.” And two or three weeks later, there I was, with my arm in a bucket.’
Once a cast had been taken of her arm, it took four years and many fittings to create the glove they have just completed. It started out as a straightforward commission, a bespoke piece of silver jewellery that Leane would create to fit Guinness’s arm exactly. But silver turned out to be too soft so they went for white gold, and as they added more and more to the piece - chain mail handmade to fit her arm completely, intricate articulated fingers, more than 5,000 diamonds creating decorative birds along the arm - it became a collaboration, funded and owned jointly by the two of them. Now that it is complete, it will be exhibited, then offered for sale.
For them it has become less a fashion item, more a work of art, something that pushes the boundaries of fine jewellery and symbolises their friendships with each other, and with Blow and McQueen, who was to design a spectacular dress to go with the glove. They have called it Contra Mundum: ‘It’s sort of us against the world. It’s about wanting to watch, but not wanting to be seen. I feel it’s a pact, if that makes any sense. And I’m not sure I could wear it to go out now, because it means too much.’
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(via societycottontail)
