“…one sublime jewel that reveals the essence of each of its individual gems, a symbol of the history and craftsmanship of Cartier.”

The Cartier column soars skyward in a spectacular array of colour and exquisite neoclassical form, a beacon of light and beauty in turbulent times.

As fashion houses fold and budgets are slashed across the world creative scene, Cartier presents this magnificent work by Alessandro Mendini, a 2.3 metre high monolith of  18 carat pink gold on a black granite base. A total weight of 720 kilograms.

The seven golden segments of the column house one hundred and forty crystal flutes filled with precious stones, in a display of ornate decadence lost to the days of old.

In total the column holds over 17,000 carats of diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and semi-precious stones.

The stones are recycled and cannot be used in jewellery and the column itself is a dynamic piece – easily dismantled, reconfigured and ready to travel. It was revealed at Art Basel 09 in June.

I truly hope the Colonna di Cartier finds a suitable permanent home – for such a sight must not be kept behind closed doors, but for all the world to marvel at its magnitude and beauty.

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My  friend and esteemed fellow writer Dean Mayo Davies turned my eye to Helmut Lang today, with his brilliant conversation with the stylist Panos Yiapanis for Ponystep here.

The pastiche, appropriation, re-interpretation, and down right ‘ripping off’ of the visionary designer is never more evident than today, a decade after his peak in the late 1990s, during his enduring friendship with muse Melanie Ward.

Here are a few of my favourite images of Helmut’s work, shot and/or styled by Panos, Robert Mapplethorpe, David Sims and other artistic juggernauts of the industry.

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A reflective self-portrait taken through a window on the street in Antwerp at 3:15pm on the 17th of July, 2009.

Skip Divided, Thom Yorke | © XL Records 2006