Hannah Martin: The Man Who Knows Everything Shoot

Towards the end of last week, I detailed Hannah Martin's triangulated launch of her fifth collection, The Man Who Knows Everything. The awe inspiring installation at Dover Street Market, an exclusive fashion film and a unique augmented reality experience all combined to create a truly memorable experience. It allowed as many people as possible to try, play, ponder and marvel at her precious creations. Having enthused over the launch, I'd now like to take a little more time over the designs themselves and share the stunning look book with you all.

 

As previously detailed, the character that this collection is based upon is the Comte de St Germain. Ordinarily the designer dreams up her characters but this alchemist has popped up at various points in history. The Comte was the original International Man of Mystery. Seemingly unplaceable and untraceable and utterly intriguing. An eighteenth century European aristocrat of unknown origin who had no lack of resources and moved in the highest social circles. He hobnobbed with Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, Voltaire, Rousseau, Mesmer and Casanova. There are many stories spun around this elusive character: he always appeared forty years old, popped up from time to time after his official death to make spot on prophecies, he could transmute matter , and spontaneously teleported to distant locations. Some considered him to to one of the hidden immortals who manipulate history and an 'Ascended Master.' This fifth collection from Hannah Martin is a visual dedication to this man beyond time. Beyond scientific limits. A balance of the highly modern and unspeakably ancient. The collection, delirious and drenched in blinding lights, reflects the intensity of Hannah’s latest exploration of narrative masculinity. Here, she presents a range of hyper-real, shamanistic jewels that seem to tell the unspoken tales of the Russian Tsars, secrets from within the courts of Louis the XV. These photographs by Joss McKinley shot at the stunning Lullingstone Castle in Kent explore this shadowy, otherworldy collection quite beautifully..

Credits

Photography Joss McKinley

Styling Anders Solvsten Thomsen

Grooming Dorita Nissen

Hair Takeshi Katoh

Model Jose Wickert at AMCK models

Production Nathan Morse

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Throughout her fifth collection, Hannah Martin pushes the boundaries of her craft while  intricately weaving her narrative within each covetable piece. Here, intensely coloured stones are mixed to hallucinogenic effect upon structures that find their source within constructivist and monumental architecture. A heady cocktail of neon rubies, emeralds, fire opals, amethysts, sapphires are offered sobriety with cleanest white diamonds. White, yellow and rose gold is used for the first time together in this tale of mysticism whilst signature black rhodium gives these radiant combinations their grounding. Of course, the real focus of this series is the shaman's triangle. Visually prevalent in Masonic circles, this geometrically perfect shape has been elegantly skewed by the un-wielding power of the Man Who. The ancient symbol of esoteric power has been finely mutated into an iconic piece of sculpture. Intricate lines that are fine and graphic are picked out with sharp edges and vivid stones. This triangle is formed within necklace, pendant, earring and cufflink and of course in the centrepiece, the pyramid ring. Simply magical.