American influencer Gwyneth “Gwen” McMullen will take away unforgettable memories from Slovakia, as well as unique gifts. One of them is the crown they put on her at the Royal Fashion Night by Lombardi event on Friday. This is an exceptional piece that she created Michaela Ďurišováfounder of the Magaela workshop.
The young designer revealed that they created the unique back in February, when Gwen declared herself the “Queen of Slovakia”. “When I saw her video with the crown, it occurred to me that she deserves a truly exceptional crown that would also carry a piece of Slovakia in it,” explained the founder of Magaely.
Subsequently, they created a video that spread across the Internet and reached the influencer. “Gwyneth then responded to it and wrote to us that she likes the crown very much. When I later learned that she was coming to Slovakia, I tried to find a way to get the crown directly to her. In the end, it was done, which makes me extremely happy and I appreciate this opportunity very much.” added.
Slovak symbols on the crown
Making the crown took about two days of work. We were interested in the price ranges of such unique pieces. “Similar author’s crowns in our offer range from approximately 150 to 500 euros, depending on the technical complexity, size and materials used. This particular crown was worth 380 euros,” revealed Ďurišová.
Her main idea during creation was to come up with a piece that will carry Slovak symbols and elements of our nature. “Therefore, we incorporated Slovak national colors into the design – white, blue and red. The crown also includes real dried ears of corn, which symbolize the Slovak landscape and traditions.” We also used small dried poppies that I personally collected in Slovakia and handmade paper poppies, which I think very well characterize the energy of Gwyneth herself,” the author described.
“The crown is complemented by high-quality pearls and strass components from Jablonec. Technically, it is a combination of arrangement techniques, wiring and hand braiding. The overall composition is complemented by dried mini daisies, ferns and natural elements in golden and green shades. Our goal was to create a crown that will not only be a fashion accessory, but will tell the story of Slovakia through materials, colors and symbols,” she added.
Ďurišová received a lot of positive feedback on her work, but at the same time she received a fair amount of harsh criticism. People point out that a Slovak artist or personality would rather deserve such a crown. In response, the designer explained that over the years that she has had a workshop, she has worked with many Slovak women, artists and athletes.
As an example, she gave the crown for Nastya Kuzminová at her farewell to her sports career, and her work also graced her head Maria Čírová on several charity projects. “But you know what? Women who are not known are just as important to me. Over the years, thousands of crowns have been created for brides, mothers, daughters, photographers, artists, women from all over Slovakia and the whole world. And each one of them was just as special to us,” she said.
“I think sometimes people on the internet look for a reason to criticize before they get the whole story. And that’s a shame“, emphasized Ďurišová. However, the wave of hatred did not end there, and the comments kept repeating that the crown should have gone to a talented Slovak athlete Emma Zapletalová than Gwen.
Even these reactions were not passed by the creator in silence and she surprised many with her reaction. “Long before the opportunity to send the crown to Gwyneth appeared, I told my husband at home that if anyone is a real queen, it is Emma,” she wrote, adding that the young athlete has incredible results, but also admirable determination and discipline.
“Therefore, I would very much like to dedicate one of our crowns to her as a symbolic thank you for the way she represents Slovakia in the world. Not because she’s famous. Not because he wins. But because he is an inspiration to me,” she explained.
The artist is trying unsuccessfully to contact the athlete’s manager, but she is not giving up. “If this post reaches Emma, her team, or anyone who has contact with her, I’d greatly appreciate the help. I’ll take care of everything else.” Emma, thank you for how you fight, how you represent Slovakia and how many people you give faith that dreams really can be achieved.” Ďurišová confessed.
