EMPTY SOVEREIGN CUFFLINKS ROSE

‘Vincent’ is a collection that tells the story of a dark and dangerous character, ruling London’s underworld with an iron fist. Vincent is the perfect gentleman gangster - suave, sophisticated and deadly. Impeccably dressed – you would perhaps just catch the tails of his perfectly tailored coat disappearing down a dark alleyway, or a flash of his diamond cufflinks as he stalks out of an underground gambling den.

Cufflinks were of course going to be a vital part of this collection. This pair were designed as companions to the Empty Sovereign Ring – a play on what we see as traditional jewellery worn by men.

In the development of this collection I was fascinated by very classic gentlemen’s accessories – from vintage lighters, through old watches and their chains to symbolic rings. At the same time I also immersed myself in the films of David Cronenburg and Tarkovsy, spent hours looking at monumental Soviet modernist architecture, and the incredible Russian communist propaganda graphics, as well as the work of post-modern artists such as Malevich, amongst others.

The shape of the sovereign in these cufflinks initially stemmed from a roulette wheel (every good gangster has at least one casino under his command) – but took in the almost brutalist forms and volumes of my architectural references.

I liked the idea of the negative space created by the hole in the centre, once the ‘sovereign’ was removed. It allowed the sculptural qualities of the form to really show themselves, and there is something slightly thrilling about being able to see through to the shirt beneath. A twist on a classic that Vincent would be proud of, or at least I like to think so.