From I Heart NYC T-shirts to “kawaii” Japanese phone trinkets and paella-shaped fridge magnets, most of us enjoy the guilty purchasing of a cheesy holiday souvenir...
From I Heart NYC T-shirts to “kawaii” Japanese phone trinkets and paella-shaped fridge magnets, most of us enjoy the guilty purchasing of a cheesy holiday souvenir. This week's Most Loved product however – a pair of golden Eiffel Tower Scissors by Typo which cleverly play on the design similarities between the hand-held cutting tool and the famed landmark – transcends the status of holiday tat in that it is both useful and chic, not merely an amusing novelty whose appeal fades as fast as your holiday tan.
It is believed that scissors in their earliest form were invented in ancient Egypt in around 1500BC, while modern scissor design derives from a Roman model conceived in 100AD. Aside from their everyday practicality, scissors of a specialised sort are also key to a variety of different tasks, including agriculture and animal husbandry, gardening, hairdressing and sewing. Mythologically speaking, scissors were an attribute of the Fate Atropos who had the task of cutting the thread of life. They've also been a source of cultural inspiration, most notably to Tim Burton in his creation of the iconic, blade-handed Edward Scissorhands; and in his depiction of Sweeny Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, who waves his shears about menacingly, playing on their sinister symbolism (they are traditionally a symbol of the possibility of death and of the fact that life depends on the gods).
"Scissors are traditionally a symbol of the possibility of death and of the fact that life depends on the gods"
Meanwhile, the revered iron lattice structure of the Eiffel Tower, erected by Gustave Eiffel & Co. in 1889, has also been of significant influence over the years for its sheer engineering innovation as well as its synonymy with the French capital. It has been frequently referenced in fashion, from Erwin Blumenfeld's iconic 1939 photograph of Lisa Fonssagrives fanning her dress out over the construction's edge, to YSL's much-desired cage boot from A/W09.
Here, we talk to AnOther Lover Sally Anne Loxley about why she chose these Eiffel Tower Scissors, her favourite Parisian location, and her dream scissor design...
Why did you choose to Love these Eiffel Tower Scissors?
They're a beautiful object, even though in theory they should be really naff. They're delicate and almost precious looking like they are from another time, something your Grandma would pass on to you.
If you could cut anything in the world, what would it be?
One snip of fabric in any pattern cutting process at Azzedine Alaia.
If you designed your own pair of concept scissors, what would they look like/feature?
These are hard to top but 24 carat gold scissors would be quite extravagant, made to measure of course.
What's your favourite location in Paris?
Sat outside in any cafe watching the city go by.
When was your last haircut?
About two months ago, I've not been to a hairdressers though for about four years! I get various friends and family members to give me a trim.
Scissors were an attribute of the Fate Atropos. What would your attribute be?
A notebook.
What's the best-cut piece of clothing you own?
A Jil Sander Jacket.
Rock, paper, scissors, stone?
Paper.
What's your favourite iconic landmark?
It is actually the Eiffel Tower, it means I'm in Paris.
Where will you be spending bonfire night?
A bonfire at Primrose Hill with sparklers after a pub dinner.
What did you last buy?
The new MM Paris book.
Text by Daisy Woodward
