The Museum of Savage Beauty: The 'Coiled' corset

Savage Beauty Research Assistant Louise Rytter tells the story of Shaun Leane's 'Coiled' corset. ‘Coiled’ corset. The Overlook, Autumn/Winter 1999, Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen Transcript: Shaun Leane has said that the ‘Coiled’ corset was one of the most challenging and physically demanding pieces he has ever had to make. He had to learn himself the craft of silversmithing to enable him to curve, shape, hammer and polish the coils. Shaun Leane had two years previously made the coiled neckpiece for the collection ‘It’s a Jungle Out There’. The piece referenced Ndebele women in South Africa who elongate their necks wearing similar neckpieces. The ‘Coiled Corset’ is made of ninety hand crafted coils in aluminium, it has a fifteen inch waist. It took fifteen minutes to put on the piece and ten minutes to take it off again.