November 2019
Photographs by Jon Gorrigan courtesy of 1843 Magazine at The Economist
Model Lucy Evans

In 2019, I was interviewed by Melanie Grant for 1843 Magazine’s annual high jewellery issue. As tradition has it, two designers were shortlisted for the feature — this time, it was me and Dolce & Gabbana.

The shoot took place in a grungy studio in Hackney. I arrived solo; their piece arrived with a security guard in a suit. Both works were photographed by John Gorrigan, and the final decision on which would make the issue was left to the editorial board at The Economist.

In the end, they did something unprecedented: both pieces were featured. Dolce & Gabbana had the interview — but Lacewing made the front cover. It was a quietly surreal moment to have taken the lead spot ahead of such an established fashion house.

The magazine’s reach was estimated at over 50 million readers globally — a scale I could never have imagined when I first began working on the piece.

The shoot was directed by Luxury Editor Melanie Grant, who styled the piece with a futuristic aesthetic inspired by Blade Runner — a look that expanded on the visual language of the necklace itself.