Our inspirations from week four of the New BBC2 show ‘All that glitters’.
In the final episode of the season, working with 18ct gold the remaining contestants had to create a pair of stand-out drop earrings, followed by their own version of a Maang Tikka – a traditional Indian bridal headpiece.
June 3rd, 2022
Iconic Silhouettes: Part 3
Welcome to Iconic Silhouettes, a celebration of our innovative design handwriting and refined craftsmanship.
Sabre Fine Large Earrings
#9 - Sabre
The Sabre shows the beauty and simplicity of form. The undeniable strength of presence comes from the silhouette. Daring & provocative. This refined shape and form yields a remarkable diamond content, one that reflects high jewellery - a staggering 6.64ct. And at 66mm, Sabre Fine Diamond earrings are the ultimate drops! Elegant & chic, these are timeless desirables.
Backstory:
Statement earrings generally took the form of Chandelier earrings. They were big, featuring large stones and busy with moving parts. Both intriguing & complex. Sabre Fine diamond earrings by comparison, show a simplicity of form, a sharp clean directional silhouette, adorned with a great deal of diamonds. Sabre Fine diamond earrings are powerful & present, with a controlled movement. So beckoning, they own the room. The silhouette is strong, streamlined and a perfect balance of precious gold & scintillating diamonds.
The making of a Sabre Fine Large Earring
Maya Jama wearing the Sabre Fine Large Earrings
Silhouette:
Sabre evolved from the No. 1 silhouette. More refined & sharp, Sabre is straighter, less rounded, and of course, there is the introduction of the knife edge. Unmistakably Shaun Leane. The Knife Edge technique is central to Shaun's work, and derives from his earlier career, when he restored antique jewellery - Art Deco and Victorian pieces.
Knife edge allowed gemstones to appear like they were floating. Here, Shaun uses the knife edge to create an illusion, to add depth to his work & lighten the overall feel of the piece. It lends itself beautifully to the Sabre silhouette, following the strength of the line to create a faceted surface.
Evolution:
Sabre is an iconic silhouette of the house, that evolves year on year. Bespoke commissions have included undeniably beautiful Sabre Fine emerald earrings. Unmistakably Shaun Leane. Dramatic & desirable, the Sabre Fine collection extends to neckwear, rings and wristwear. The rings are edgy and daring, they make a statement but are instantly wearable.
Strong clean lines, scintillating with diamonds and brimming with energy. Designed to complement the rings, the pendant necklaces are strong directional pieces, that elegantly dress the neck with their barely there chains and lust-worthy centrepieces.
Sabre Slim Bangle
Arc Bangle in Silver and Yellow Gold Vermeil
#10 - Arc
Sculptural and architectural, appealing to a fluid sensibility. Minimalist pieces, in sterling silver and gold vermeil designed for effortless everyday dressing.
Arc was born out of the desire to create an everyday cuff bangle. One that felt like an old friend, a piece you didn't have to style or think twice about. Generous proportions deliver weight, and a clean minimalist design that just works. What appears deceptively simple is indeed complex to achieve.
The design handwriting of the House is at work here, with the knife edge, graduation and tapering of the silhouette and the all-important sharp point, almost meeting, thanks to a discreet hinge. All features work together to deliver a truly considered cuff.
Silhouette:
The Arc silhouette is about volume, tactility and wearability. It’s ergonomic shape suggests momentum. And the simplicity of the design makes it not only timeless, but effortless to wear. The addition of the knife edge detailing elevates the profile and gives it a distinctiveness, taking it from being a classic robust cuff to be a more design lead avant-garde piece.
The Arc cuff bangle is refined, with heft, giving it a lovely presence on the wrist, tactile and friendly - everyone’s favourite bangle. Both the volume and weight are attractive features of Arc and the manner in which it graduates, in a somewhat hurried fashion, a precise perfect point that still retains the volume – is unmistakably Shaun Leane. The point appears unexpected – a little abrupt on such voluptuous pieces. Elevate the everyday!
Arc Collection
Arc Star Signet Ring
Evolution:
The architectural qualities of Arc can be seen across the collection – from ear studs to pendants, rings and even cufflinks. Everyday bracelets in supple leathers sport an eye-catching Arc silhouette. That generous volume, comforting weight and attractive heft all help to create simple but stunning pieces, that are easy to wear and effortless to style.
#11 - Sabre Deco
Sabre Deco makes freedom and restriction, tension and fluidity balance as if on a knife edge. Think: the House’s fearless silhouette, the Sabre with couture elegance. These statement earrings swirl and dance on the neck, bound by diamonds, dazzling as they go.
The Art Deco movement was about Architecture, Jewellery and Clothing. Expressive and upbeat, it celebrated movement and fluidity. And you could feel the decadence of the era in the details, that flamboyant playfulness. Sabre Deco perfectly demonstrates the reinvention and evolution of the house silhouette. The Sabre becomes a more dynamic dramatic piece, that is as much about materials as it is about design. Expressing movement and colour, Sabre Deco has a presence and energy all of its own.
Sabre Deco Statement Earrings
Sabre Deco Cuff
Silhouette:
The House has taken the intriguing line of Sabre and played with it. Making it swirl and curl, the design feels energised, expressing movement in rich colours and shapes. Earrings feel extravagant & celebratory, begging to be worn!
Exploring new materials for the house, sleek & mysterious a fine black ceramic is perfectly framed by a gold knife edge, before orbiting the distinctive & powerful gold Sabre, all bound together by an exquisite diamond-set keeper. Sabre Deco, is a fusion of form and materials, a homage to the 1920’s. An edgy and rich interplay of light and dark proportion, movement and silhouette.
Evolution:
Sabre Deco delights in silver & black or gold vermeil & black - decadent rich colours that come together in lively shapes and forms, expressing freedom and beauty. Discover neckwear and wristwear that will delight and surprise the onlooker, pieces that can only be described as provocative, daring and refined. Unmistakably Shaun Leane.
The Quill choker is a formidable structure with daring, even menacing features that beckon & repel, on equal levels. The Quill silhouette beautifully illustrates the journey of the House – where we have come from, to where we are now. Still relevant, and true to our DNA - provocative, daring & refined.
Backstory:
Born out of the first ever commission in 1997, from the late formidable Isabella Blow – who requested an anklet, like the ones worn by the Italian ladies of the night. An early patron to some of the greatest names in fashion, Isabella saw the potential in Shaun as a creative force, at an early stage, from the work he created with Alexander McQueen, another creative talent she championed and nurtured, right up until her untimely demise.
The anklet was so daring, before it’s time. It had an edgy elegance, dangerous and sharp to look at but so perfectly formed to the alignment of her graceful ankle. Painstakingly considered and proportioned to accommodate her gait, to move with her without harming or causing irritation. Perfectly fitting, like a second skin. For such a sophisticated couture dressed lady, this was a bold piece, yet so refined and elegant. Perfectly tailored.
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Bespoke Quill Anklet for Isabella Blow
Silhouette:
The choker evolved from the anklet, which took the original double pointed straight Quill and reworked the silhouette to undulate & curve, lending itself to the contours of the body. The focus was not only on dressing the skin, but moving with the body. Each Quill is ‘tailored’ – in length and undulation, to sit next to and work with the adjacent piece.
The original tailoring ensured the elegant fit and elongation of the ankle, the careful balancing of the width & profile of the leg, accommodating the achilleas heel which itself behaves like a knife edge. For the choker, additional consideration was needed to address the length of the neck, to retain that gracefulness, and vulnerability and accommodate the incline to the chin.
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Shaun creating the Quill Statement Choker
Sonam Kapoor wearing our Quill Statement Choker
Evolution:
The Quill silhouette itself to beautiful individual pieces - as a single in a pendant or in multiple structures such as cuffs or rings. The Quill has been meticulously pavé-set with diamonds in earrings, a staggering 8.56ct set into palladium. In 2019, to support the launch of Pat McGrath Make Up at Selfridges, Shaun Leane was amongst a tight roster of creatives, invited to create a star piece to exhibit - the Quill Statement choker in gold was born.
“I have always been inspired by the boldness of Art Deco, the revolution in artistry that pushed modern design to the hilt. Now, as London comes alive again, in this defining moment in our history, celebrating the powerful stimulus of Deco, in my own handwriting, feels like our moment to laugh again, to dance - to love.”
