Shaun Leane broke the bank in NY
Icon pieces were also created by Shaun Leane for The Honourable Daphne Guinness, among which stands out the 'Contra Mundum' (Against the World) White Gold and Diamond Evening Glove sold for 312,500 dollars. This mesmerizing jewelry masterpiece, comprising of more than four thousand diamonds and inspired by Guinness’s life-long fascination with amour, took Leane more than four years to complete.
Other works that far outshined their pre-auction estimates included the Coiled Collar – featured on the cover of Björk’s 1997 'Homogenic' album – which totalized 243.750 dollars (estimate 40/60.000 dollars). Finally, the Silver Crown of Thorns Headpiece, created for Alexander McQueen’s Autumn-Winter 1996-97 'Dante' collection, garnered applause from the room when it sold to a telephone bidder for 137.500 dollars (estimate 40/60.000 dollars).
Shaun Leane, commented: «The most beautiful part of this process for me is that these pieces have been admired, appreciated, and now accepted into new collections. I’m so happy to know that they will go on to inspire and provoke as they did the first day I created them.»
«The prices achieved tonight reflect the brilliance of Shaun Leane in combination with the great Alexander McQueen, working together throughout the 1990s and 2000s when London was at its creative height. These impressive, unique showpieces are truly iconic, and deserved to reach these record results. They will join both private and institutional collections who will appreciate, preserve and display them for generations to come. Bidders competed tonight to own an important part of 20th- and 21st-century fashion history, with top prices achieved for runway pieces made from base metals – proving that the value in those works was for their superb design, rather than for fine materials.» commented the Head of Sale in collaboration with Sotheby’s, Kerry Taylor.
To read more about Shaun Leane’s work click here to see our previous post.