Silver 'Joan' Headdress, Shaun Leane

Rose briars encasing the head helmet-like and cascading like locks of hair to the shoulders, spiked tips and electro-formed silver roses, embellished with strings of faceted garnet beads, length 21 inches.

In good condition, with white metal rose briars that encase the head and cascade like locks of hair. Spiked tips and electro-formed rosebuds are embellished with strings of faceted garnet beads. Measuring approximately 21 inches in length.
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This important, recently rediscovered piece has never been on public display because it was mislaid after the Autumn/Winter 1998 show.  The collection dealt with the brooding, dark theme of the deaths of Saint Joan of Arc, Mary Queen of Scots and the murdered Romanov children. An under-lit 100-foot Perspex runway was constructed and covered with 'volcanic' ash in a bus depot in London's Victoria.  Red in all its shades ran through the collection, and the models wore macabre blood-red contact lenses for added effect.

‘This headdress was the beginning of the larger-scale pieces I began to create for McQueen. Crafted entirely by hand, the piece grew slowly and organically - the silver briars coiling to form a protective helmet, embedded with pure silver electro-formed roses and draped with strands of garnet beads to represent drops of blood. For me it was about creating an ornate, feminine piece of armor.’ S.L.

Created for Alexander McQueen's 'Joan of Arc' Collection, Autumn/Winter 1998-99.