technical description
Part of a collection of accessories combining elegance and decadence, inspired by the Venetian mask-making tradition and by the tribal artefacts of the Congo Delta. Hand-moulded headpiece, made of different qualities of leather, hand-stitched and dyed blood red. Broguing, metal studs, and quilting embellishing on the surface − mainly on the areas corresponding to the disproportionate ears. It fits onto the head by means of leather strings knotted under the chin and around the back of the head.
Size 250x210x140mm, 308 gr., 2010.
concept
Achieving the delicate balance of finely crafted, elegant footwear and headpieces with an underlying savage elements to designs. Drawing inspiration from two distinct cultures steeped in a rich history of mask making, merging the decadence and elegance of Venetian masked balls with the spiky, brutal beauty of the tribal masks and artefacts of the Congo Delta. Concocting an intricate story to serve as a literal reference for collection. During the depths of the great depression of the 1930s, a colony of British aristocrats and adventurers escaped bankrupt Britain to form the happy valley set, named after the area in Kenya that they had made home. Their days became a blur of gin, adultery, gambling, and cocaine. The financial "hangovers" of the 21st century seem to mirror the 1930s. So what if somewhere deep in the Congo basin a masked Venetian Ball is in full swing?