Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala Breastplate: A Collaboration of Art and Craftsmanship
At the recent Met Gala, Kim Kardashian made a striking statement by wearing an orange fibreglass breastplate, crafted by the London-based design duo Whitaker Malem in collaboration with pop art sculptor Allen Jones and a car bodyshop in Kent. This bold choice aligned with the event’s theme, which explored the intersection of fashion and art, particularly focusing on the human body as a central motif.
Design and Creation Process
Kim Kardashian’s breastplate was created just weeks before the gala. The design team, Whitaker Malem, received a direct request from Kardashian in early April to build the piece. The breastplate was cast from an original mould based on Allen Jones’s 1969 Hatstand sculpture, known for its provocative and fetishistic style. The designers added a hand-painted leather skirt to complete the look.
Kardashian’s involvement was hands-on; she participated in video calls discussing the design and even showed her physique to ensure the fit was precise. She later traveled to the UK to try on various fibreglass moulds, and the final breastplate fit remarkably well, despite the original sculpture not being intended for wear.
The finishing touches were applied by Martyn Smith at MPS Body and Paint in Kent, who sprayed the breastplate with several layers of primer, solvent-based paint, and a gloss lacquer to achieve the vibrant orange car body finish that Kardashian requested.
Artistic and Cultural Context
The breastplate reflects the ongoing influence of Allen Jones’s work, which has historically sparked debate due to its depiction of topless women as furniture. This collaboration with Kardashian reinterprets Jones’s themes by reversing the usual dynamic: instead of a woman draped across an object, the object is worn on the woman.
Whitaker Malem, who describe themselves as “pop artisans,” have a long history of creating sculptural garments and costumes for high-profile clients and films, including pieces for Lee McQueen, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie. Their expertise in leatherwork and moulding techniques contributed to the breastplate’s unique design and fit.
Logistics and Presentation
The breastplate weighed about the same as a bag of flour, and Kardashian wore it without any clothing underneath. The finished piece was transported from the UK to the United States by a courier who had to carry it as hand luggage due to its lack of a formal name for booking purposes.
Kim Kardashian’s choice to wear this breastplate at the Met Gala was a deliberate artistic statement that sparked conversation and highlighted the fusion of fashion, art, and craftsmanship.