Jade is pleased to announce the Cestus Microskirt, a Jade Specialty Creation, in four-ply silk with corded French lace with scallops and floral cutwork.

The mythology

The cestus, known in Greek mythology as the girdle of Aphrodite. was a garment that rendered its wearer irresistible, inspiring passion in both mortals and gods. In Homer’s Iliad, Hera borrows the girdle during the Trojan War to beguile Zeus, altering the outcome of battle.

The microskirt translates this mythology into contemporary form. Its dense silk base functions as a sculptural ground, while lace cutouts shaped to floral motifs stage a dialogue between ornament and void.

Studies in form

The work is contextualized by a series of studies: Study for the Encircling Band (2025) isolates the continuous lace appliqué as a modern girdle; Study for Ornament and Void (2025) considers the scalloped hem as a structural threshold.

The Cestus Microskirt situates Jade’s Specialty line at the intersection of antiquity and contemporary design, articulating allure as both artifact and provocation.