For our latest Object of Desire we asked sound designer and music composer Peter Duffy to reinterpret Paco Rabanne’s A/W11 Chill Metal 69 bag by Judy Blame...
For our latest Object of Desire we asked sound designer and music composer Peter Duffy to reinterpret Paco Rabanne’s A/W11 Chill Metal 69 bag by Judy Blame. Based on Paco’s original 1969 design – first made famous by Brigitte Bardot when she wore it in St. Tropez and more recently when the Design Museum named it as “one of the 50 bags that changed the world” – Blame has updated the bag and given it a twist, applying his own signature punk rock aesthetic. Taking inspiration from the the Paco Rabanne archive in Paris, Blame has deconstructed le 69 paco rabanne to its basic components of chain-mail metal disks and links and reimagined the iconic bag into a nickel-plated aluminium with dangling chains and adornments. With a tough, hard-edged and slightly anarchic look this bag subverts the convention of preciousness and femininity. Translating the accessory’s unique texture, movement and sound – Duffy used the natural clinking sounds of the metal components as the basis for his audio interpretation. Layering the sound up with a variety of heavy beats and punchy vocals Duffy’s sound design effectively envisions the bold statement of Chill Metal 69 bag by Judy Blame.
Here we speak to Duffy about his approach to the accessory and the challenges he faced working on this new project.
How did you approach this bag when brainstorming initial ideas?
I think it was the combination of the bag and then the black background it was filmed against that made me think of something dark, cold and obviously metallic. When holding the bag it was impossible for it not to sway so I thought the piece needed a slow steady pulse.
What were your main inspirations?
I focused mostly on reacting to the bag. However I saw Tricky play twice this summer (although whether he actually "played" at Glastonbury is debatable) so I've been revisiting Maxinquaye a lot recently and maybe some of the darkness in the piece came from there.
What particular elements of the bag did you want to evoke through the sound?
The links in the body of the bag look like armour, so I wanted it to sound chunky and tough. There's also a razorblade attached at the bottom so I used some sharp cutting sounds in there too.
What kind of person did you imagine to wear this bag?
A lady of the round table.
If your sound design were a taste what would it be?
Metallic, like blood or a battery.
Did you face any challenges?
The whole piece was a challenge, I'm used to working on three-minute pop songs or sound for animations so this was a new experience. The idea of making music in response to an object, let alone a women's handbag, is a tough thing to start.
If you could interpret any other object of desire from the season what would it be and why?
The bag was enough for me, I'll be retreating back to my black Nike rucksack.
Text by Lucia Davies
