Any item that simultaneously creates positive buzz and elevates the perception of nails makes us all tingly. If you’ve been alive in the world the past two weeks, you’ve seen the promos for Lady Gaga’s starring role on this season of American Horror Story: Hotel. Her character, the century-old vampire, Countess Elizabeth, wears a murderous glove that with a flick of a finger, dispatches a sharpened fingernail for piercing and draining her victims.
The glove was created by LA-based jeweler, Michael Schmidt, who was commissioned by the show’s costume designer, Lou Eyrich. It is covered in 11,000 Swarovski crystals, and sterling silver scroll work. The gloves also contain the mechanism that extend the nails into sharp weapons. The show originally planned for ten of these gloves to be made in different colors to keep up with the virtually endless wardrobe of Countess Elizabeth, but Eyrich has said they will likely exceed that number.
The design for the glove was inspired by an art piece created for, and worn by fashion icon Daphne Guinness. Her glove, Contra Mundum, was created by jeweler Shaun Leane, and is made of 18 ct white gold and 5,000 pavé diamonds.
You can read more about the creation of the glove here, and here.