Universally understood, the emoji has become truly ingrained into modern life. But is social media really a twenty-first century trend, or have we been sharing and communicating in this way for centuries?
The idea of documenting our every move was not born with the millennial generation: where we now post selfies, hashtag our brunch and upload stories, the Ancient Egyptians were expressing themselves through hieroglyphics.
As the pitfalls of social media use begin to draw global attention, Hyo takes a satirical swipe at our love affair with the internet in her debut offering.
Cave Wall to Touchpad takes inspiration from Stone Age carvings, early Magdalenian wall paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphs, juxtaposing these ideas with a modern injection of social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder filter into each design.
The concise collection comprises six bespoke designs: Snapchat Dream, Instagram Poseur, Uber Sublime, Tinder Enigma, Golden Uber, and #Finegrape. Each creation is the product of hours of precise hand-craftsmanship. Working only with the world’s finest artisans, Hyo’s intricate embroidery is produced by the same artisans behind Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding gown.
Exotic eel, ostrich and python skins from Italy and France form the base for each design. Embroidery is stitched by hand onto fine fabrics, often using black-diamond beads and Japanese precious-metal threads. Gold hardware from Italy forms the framework of each design. A trio of red hues becomes Hyo’s opulent signature - shades of scarlet, cadmium and deep cherry bring depth to lamb-leather linings.
