Skeleton Corset, Shaun Leane

Polished aluminum with black leather neck and waist straps, hinged ribcage sections, length 25 inches.

Savage Beauty, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 4 May - 7 August, 2011 and Victoria & Albert Museum, 14 March - 2 August, 2015.

Photographed by Tim Walker for British Vogue, March 2015.

Anglomania, Tradition & Transgression in British Fashion, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 3 May - 4 September, 2006.

‘Lee said he knew what he wanted for next show – a skeleton corset with a spine and a tail. He wanted to take the beautiful hidden form of the skeleton and place it on the outside of the body. The idea of making such a piece was completely outside my comfort zone as I had never created anything on that scale before – the largest piece to date had been a diamond tiara.

The beauty of working with Lee was that he encouraged you to explore your skills in craft and design – always pushing the limits. After much deliberation, I worked out how the corset could be achieved and the excitement of the journey began. It was my first time using wax sculpting on this scale and then casting in aluminum. However, it was to be the beginning of many more beautiful objects to come. We had discovered what it was possible to achieve which opened up new possibilities for creativity between us.’ S.L.

Created for Alexander McQueen's 'Untitled' Collection, Spring/Summer 1998.