Shaun Leane Interview: “I Like My Work To Portray All Our Emotions”

Shaun Leane

Image: Edwin S Freyer.

I normally focus on fragrance in this blog, but when I got the opportunity to interview jewellery designer Shaun Leane via a mutual friend, how could I say no.

The Londoner first made his mark in the 1990s in spectacular style with his unforgettable pieces for Alexander McQueen’s visionary fashion collections, including Highland Rape, The Hunger, Untitled and The Overlook.

Shaun Leane

Image: Edwin S Freyer.

At the time, I was captivated by the visceral drama of these pieces in brass, silver and stainless steel, although I didn’t know about the person behind the creative and technical brilliance.

Shaun Leane

HIGH IMPACT: Shaun Leane’s works for Alexander McQueen pushed him beyond the realms of his training in goldsmithery. Images: Ann Ray.

Since then, the 51-year-old’s gone on to produce an oeuvre that’s unmistakably Shaun Leane, blurring the boundaries between jewellery, fashion and art. Founded in 1999, his eponymous company offers fine jewellery, engagement rings and bespoke services, among others.  His clients have included Boucheron, De Beers, Asprey, Swarovski, Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Shaun Leane

PRICKLY PERFECTION: A bespoke Shaun Leane thistle brooch from 2006. Alexander McQueen commissioned a pair, one for him and the other for Sarah Jessica Parker, who accompanied him to the Met Gala.

The beauty of his work is best said by one of his clients, Daphne Guinness, on shaunleane.com: “Genius lies in his work’s paradox: at once tenacious and bold and technically intricate. There is beauty in the balance: that struck between alpha and omega, tribalism and sleek modernity. It seems born of and outside of time, simultaneously conjuring fairy tales and science fiction.”

Not bad for a boy who dropped out of school to learn jewellery design in a youth training scheme and then pursued a seven-year apprenticeship to become a classically trained goldsmith (with a focus on restoring Victorian jewellery).

Shaun Leane

LABOUR OF GLOVE: Shaun Leane took four years to create the white gold evening glove, Contra Mundum, for Daphne Guinness. It features 4 290 diamonds. Image: Nick Knight.

Congrats on your business anniversary last year. That’s a remarkable achievement. To commemorate this, a book was published, which is a huge undertaking in itself. How did that come about?

The book was a celebration of 21 years of the House of Shaun Leane, it was my 50th birthday last year and also the 10th anniversary of the death of my dear friend, the late Alexander McQueen. These pivotal moments made me want to reflect on the beauty of the different facets of my career that shaped and helped me evolve to be the designer, craftsman and house we are today.

The book is a real demonstration of what can be achieved if the fear of the impossible is removed. It’s a visual journey of how I embraced my goldsmith training and skills and used that as a tool to push boundaries in the concept of jewellery design, whether that be in classical jewellery, fashion or architecture. I created a style and identity which I am proud to say I have carried through to this day and have adapted to the times we are in.

Over the years it has been incredibly flattering to speak with students who now reference my work. It fills me with pride to think that this book could become part of a blossoming new jeweller’s collection and inspire and provoke them, as much as I am by the beautiful books in my own library.

SCULPTURAL STATEMENTS: New works, all available on shaunleane.com.

How has the coronavirus situation affected business?

The advantage is that we are a multi-faceted company and have various channels ranging from retail and wholesale to online and bespoke. With the pandemic, retail and wholesale have been challenged, but online and bespoke are thriving, as in a time of uncertainty, people want to invest, financially and emotionally, in meaningful and sentimental jewellery.

Shaun Leane

BEAUTIFUL BUG: A bespoke Shaun Leane beetle brooch.

You’ve won the UK Jewellery Designer of the Year award four times. Does that come with its own pressure and expectations?

It is extremely rewarding and reflective. It shows me how grateful I am that I stayed true to my vision and aesthetic, and that I have a great team who also share the same vision. I have always had a passion, believed in the work I do and persisted with integrity. Receiving these awards make me proud of what my team and I have created over the last 20 years.

“These current times are allowing me to have space without noise – to focus on projects I have wanted to tap into for a while.”

What can we expect creatively from you this year?

These current times are allowing me to have space without noise – to focus on projects and collections I have wanted to tap into for a while, which will be revealed soon.

You’ve created many high-profile pieces over the years, which are great for publicity. But a boy still needs to pay his bills. How do you balance the more commercial side of the business with the more creative side?

When I first approached creating collections in 1997, I wanted to fuse the traditional goldsmithing skills I had learned in the previous 10 years with the energy and aesthetic of modern jewellery I was creating for Alexander McQueen. The works I created for McQueen on the runway portrayed a new woman, a new energy in jewellery which reflected the persona and confidence of an individual. I wanted to translate that same design and energy into pieces that were more accessible to be worn away from the runway.

Shaun Leane

ANIMAL INSTINCT: Shaun Leane’s Tusk Earring for Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 1996 show The Hunger.

The theme of protection and contrasts between fragility and strength are common themes in your work. Do you still feel the need for armour of some sort?

My work demonstrates femininity and delicacy, and the energy of armour is to portray strength and protection. As we humans have many facets, I like my work to portray all our emotions.

Tell us more about your South African connection and how the country has influenced your work.

I have always celebrated the light, space and energy of Africa. I’m fascinated by different cultures and societies around the world and take great pleasure in having been able to highlight and celebrate so many techniques and aesthetics in my work.

Shaun Leane

SOUTH AFRICAN INSPIRATION: Shaun Leane used the porcupine quills that he found on a trip to the country in 1996 to create these earrings for Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 2003 show. Image: Ann Ray.

Creativity is one thing. Running a business is another. Has the latter come easily to you?

When you are a young designer full of passion and drive, you want to create and create! Your business knowledge develops and is driven by the passion to execute your vision. So, for me, learning the business was a necessity and, fortunately, felt natural to me. There is creativity in all skills and running a business is one of them.

“There is creativity in all skills and running a business is one of them. “

What do you miss most about working and your friendship with Alexander McQueen?

Not only do I miss the adventure with my closest friend and all the fun that comes with that, but I also miss the passion, excitement and pure drive. I miss the camaraderie of two London boys who had a voice together to inspire and provoke. The platform McQueen had was one of creative freedom and a stage to have a strong free voice. It is an energy I still carry with me and feed into every piece of jewellery I make today.

Shaun Leane

CREATIVE ENERGY: Shaun Leane with Alexander McQueen. Image: Ann Ray.

In 2017, a Sotheby’s auction featured 46 of your bespoke works created for, among others, Isabella Blow, McQueen and Sarah Jessica Parker. Was it easy to “let go” of these pieces?

Yes, it was time for the pieces to be seen and shared, and to inspire and provoke new rising jewellery and fashion designers. My vision was for these pieces to be shown in museums all over the world to continue the energy Lee [Alexander McQueen] and I created, not to collect dust in an archive storage room. The pieces are celebrated in some of the world’s most prestigious museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and the V&A in London.

Shaun Leane

FASHION MEETS JEWELLERY: The Coiled Corset for Alexander McQueen’s The Overlook show sold for $807 000 at the auction. Image: Ann Ray.

You designed Princess Beatrice’s engagement and wedding rings. That must have come with all sorts of protocols working with the british royal family…

I have worked with royalty and celebrities for many years, so privacy and protocols come to me naturally. Bespoke projects should always be experienced under a blanket of privacy and mystery and then a beautiful unveil. Working with Beatrice and Edo [her husband] was like working with any other couple who are in love and excited for what’s to come. It was a complete joy to be able to be part of their memorable occasion.

Shaun Leane

As a perfume blogger, I was fascinated to read in the book that fragrance has also played a role in your life, from emptying your mother’s favourites as a child. Is that still the case? 

What I love about jewellery is these fine precious sculptures hold memories and emotions throughout our lives – they touch one of our deepest senses. Fragrance also holds this beautiful connection for us. In a second, a scent can fill your mind with memories and associations of a place, person or time.

For more info on the book Shaun Leane (ACC Art Books), visit his company’s website

Beauty In The Strangest Of Places

Beauty - Jasmine.

Firstly, credit where it’s due, plus an apology if I am bastardising its original meaning. The title of this blog post is a paraphrasing of a quote about beauty from designer Alexander McQueen.

“Beauty can come from the strangest of places, even the most disgusting of places. It’s the ugly things I notice more, because other people tend to ignore the ugly things.”

It comes from the book Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). I did not get to see the retrospective show of McQueen’s creations. However, I do get intense, visceral pleasure paging through this book, which highlights the Scottish designer’s maverick approach.

Beauty - Savage Beauty.

SHOW AND TELL: An image from the book Savage Beauty.

Perhaps it’s the fact that I have not had a proper holiday for years (workaholic, moi?) and I am yearning for some travel / escape / change of scenery / passport-stamping.

The good news is that I have a family road-trip coming up in mid-August. In the meantime, I explore the idea of beauty as a tonic. These are just some of the things in my immediate vicinity that do the trick.

LIME LIGHT

Can a leaf lift your spirits? Oh yes, if it’s a lime leaf. I get a kick from rubbing lime leaves between my fingers. This releases a fresh, crisp, citrus scent that never fails to captivate me. And the lime itself calls for a mojito.

Beauty - Lime Leaves.

VITAMIN SEA

While the Amalfi vacation will have to wait, Tom Ford Sole di Positano will do for now. There’s a veritable citrus and floral cocktail in this EDP, including notes of Calabrian bergamot, bitter orange, lemon, shiso leaf, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lily of the valley and neroli. Alas, on my skin, it dissipates very quickly. A case of fleeting beauty…

Beauty - Tom Ford Sole di Positano.

INDIAN SUMMER

We are having a very warm winter here in Johannesburg, with day-time temperatures averaging above 20ºC. As a result, the jasmine is out even earlier than usual. I am not complaining. Its rich scent is my imaginary olfactory ticket to an Indian summer.

Beauty - Jasmine.

VINTAGE VIEW

There’s something very re-assuring about a vintage treasure. I adore this kit, a gift from my sister. The leather case contains two functional glass bottles and glass containers. There’s no company or brand name on it, so I can’t trace its origins. And, you know what, it doesn’t matter.

Beauty - Vintage.