tied up romance lighting fuses japanese bondage + mcqueen’s fashion style

tied up romance lighting fuses japanese bondage + mcqueen’s fashion style
all images courtesy of katerina handlova

katerina handlova is young czech glass designer who has graduated from the academy of art, design and architecture in prague, czech republic. for her diploma work she created a collection of pendants in cooperation with preciosa lighting company. the second part of the endeavor has resulted in a project ‘tied up romance’.

the set of pendant lamps is influenced by fashion designer alexander mcqueen 

the main influence for the series was fashion designer alexander mcqueen. handlova admires him for his unusual shapes and combinations of materials, but mainly for his ability to create dress that are romantic and at the same time rough and sexy. thus, the lights have a sense of haute couture with its courage and individuality. this is accompanied by the idea of fetishism and emotion.

detail of the ‘harness’ lamp

the first type of lamp is a blend of glass, leather, horsehair, and brass. the rawhide provides the functional advantage of forming the harness that is used for keeping the clear bulbs together, hiding the electrical cable, and for suspending the construct. on a metaphorical level, it references the seats of horses and the erotic industry.

the ‘shibari’ light

the second light, called ‘kinbaku’, finds its origins in the japanese technique of bondage called ‘shibari’. the structure finds the right moment of balance between certain brutality of sexual subjugation and the fragility of glass, simple form of object and complicated system of binding. the method does not use knots, but instead uses loops that are creating ornaments on the body.

the pendant lamp uses special technique of japanese bondage

detail of the ropes

the third device is simple modular system that can be extended or reduced according to the size of the room. the bondage is applied on each piece of glass in different style. then, all the parts are hung as if they are the figure of a woman, evoking a moment of spontaneity and improvisation of the ropes as an adjustable installation.

the vases also serve as jewelry stands for necklaces or ballgags

the ‘vessels’ serve as vases for night tables and also work as jewelry stands for necklaces or ball gags. the form of the accessory resembles a harness that holds the glass crystal piece covered with horsehair. meanwhile, the ball gags are luxurious and private, as they are made from polysynthetic lather and cut and polished glass pieces. handlova says, ‘my idea was to expose the lamps as people sometimes show the second part of their personalities and their everyday secrets.’

ball gag from cut and polished glass and polysynthetic leather

ball gag using the diamond shaped glass form

opal vase with ball gag 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.