Antonio Riello’s Ladies Weapons

Weapons, one could reasonably argue, are rather masculine in nature so it is good to see that, in these times of improving gender equality, designer Antonio Riello has taken it upon himself to redress the balance somewhat by producing a series of “Ladies Weapons”.

Though these weapons are not for resale as yet – they are conceptual pieces – I can think of many women who I know who would find these items particularly appealing – which is perhaps something, in itself, that should be of concern.

On the opening page of his website, Antonio describes his inspiration for developing these Ladies Weapons as follows:

In 1998 I decided to focus my artistic research mainly about a “fashion-fiction” visual story regarding an old passion of mine: weapons – objects full of symbolic senses. I want to mix, in an artistic way, traditional ‘female stuff’ like fashion with very traditional ‘male stuff’ like guns. It consists in a restyling of real military weapons into fashion items for ladies.

Antonio does not yet appear to have created a pink AK47 with faux-fur finish, but it is no doubt only a matter of time and, though there are only a few images of the Ladies Weapons he has created on his site it is well worth a visit. At least now we may have happened upon an explanation as to exactly what is in women’s handbags that a) makes them so consistently full to the seams, b) makes them weigh a ton and c) results in them guarding their handbags so fiercely.

Naturally, I will keep opening doors for any woman around me on the basis that I consider it to be the gentlemanly thing to do – and the fact that she may be packing an exquisitely finished leopard-skin handgun in her handbag, I can assure you, has absolutely nothing to do with it.

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