LONDON.- This week, paper artist Zoe Bradley will be installing five exclusive artworks in Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries. These spectacular sculptures in paper, adorned with Swarovski crystals and pearls, will be exhibited alongside 460 fascinating royal and aristocratic heirlooms from our “Of Royal and Noble Descent” auction from 14 to 18 January 2016.

The sculptures are inspired by the fashion in Old Master paintings and include:

• A monumental red ruffle gown - red being the colour of wealth in the 17 and 18th centuries.

• A pair of shoes with a red sole, the fashion at the court of Louis XIV.

• An immense ruff (one meter in diameter). Ruffs were an extravagant display of wealth which became symbolic of the reign of Elizabeth I. By 1605, the Queen passed a law prohibiting ruffs over one meter in diameter to prevent the waste of fabric.

• A stunning wig replicating the eccentric wigs of the aristocracy and royalty.

• A magnificent crown which will echo many lots in the “Of Royal and Noble Descent” sale (19 January 2016).

LATE NIGHT VIEW – Friday 15 January
On Friday 15 January, Zoe Bradley’s sculpture will be the centrepiece of a public late night view with Sotheby’s specialist Jonquil O’Reilly hosting a talk on the history of fashion as told through Old Master Paintings, a DJ and a pay bar stocked with Ruinart Champagne.

ZOE BRADLEY
Working across many disciplines, Zoe Bradley’s work combines sculpture, fashion and theatre. Bradley works primarily to commission creating oversized silhouettes, which is something that has defined her paper sculptures.

After graduating in fashion design, British-born Bradley worked closely with Alexander McQueen on special projects and created some of the key showpieces for S/S RTW 1999 show no: 13.

Bradley discovered her love of paper whilst making a series of paper showpieces for the designer Michiko Koshino A/W 2005 show. The same year, Liberty London commissioned her to make a range of paper showpieces for their Christmas windows in 2005. Today Bradley’s clients include worldwide luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Smythson, Tiffany & Co., Graff, Christian Louboutin and major department stores from around the globe from Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Plaza66 in Shanghai, Selfridges and Harrods in London.

Bradley’s work was exhibited in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and New York and featured in numerous books and publications, including American and Chinese Elle, British Vogue, British Harper’s Bazaar, Wallpaper, House & Garden and Italian Casa Vogue.