There is something magical about chain mail, as its shine captivates the eye as soon as it appears in a room. In 2022 we coined the term « Middle Ages Modern » to designate the emergence of a medieval aesthetic, marked by a growing interest in wrought iron objects, ancient tapestries and palettes with rich tones of precious stones. Elizabeth Goodspeed, editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That in the United States, recently described this resurgence as a trend “which appeals to a generation fascinated by spirituality, mysticism and the supernatural”. Since then, I have been discreetly waiting for this medieval renaissance to reach the general public. With the current craze for chrome, silver and stainless steel, chain mail could well become the next big trend in decoration.
A good example of this trend is the chainmail curtain that serves as the backdrop to Lil Baby’s master bedroom in his Atlanta bachelor pad. Interior designer Annysa LaMantia chose this specific material to provide a subtle nod to the rapper’s stage persona. “It’s not a red curtain that we pull on stage, but there is a theatrical side”she says, emphasizing that chain mail, by reacting to its environment, creates a dialogue with the objects around it. “When you turn on the lights, the curtain comes to life visually; I feel this energy”she explains. “If you move it, it moves. It interacts with the lighting passing through it, capturing light at certain angles to make surrounding rooms shine. »
Annysa LaMantia installed this chainmail curtain as a room divider in Lil Baby’s bedroom.
Photo: Max Burkhalter
My fascination with chainmail began with the 2021 introduction of Panorammma’s Chainmail Chair, a divine creation made up of over 3,000 metal rings hand-assembled by local artisans in Mexico City. Inspired by William Katavolos’ T-shaped chair from 1952, Maika Palazuelos “seeks to express and challenge our desire for constraint” through this room. This tension pushed Tariq Dixon to display the chair in the showroom of his boutique TRNK. “It immediately draws attention to a space, but it also has many fascinating layers that I continue to discover”he said. “It is full of contradictions. The most common reaction is fascination mixed with apprehension: people often ask if they can sit in it. The answer? Yes of course. It’s a chair, after all. » She intrigues, while maintaining a certain distance.
Maika Palazuelos explores “the versatility of materials and how to approach them in different forms to discover their full potential”. “We can use chain mail like a textile, but it is strong enough to be welded, which allows us to play with the structure and create very complex weaves”she explains. The creations of this furniture designer, based in Mexico, are halfway between the accessory and the utilitarian object, occupying “an intermediary world where these objects integrate into your daily life while bringing new ideas to your space”. The Chainmail Droplet lamp, for example, is designed to evoke a spider’s web. “These items are designed to be fantastic, but they are also fully functional and usable”specifies the artist.
