Flesh Cast in Silver: Redefining the Tactile Armour

Modern masculinity remains a landscape of quiet evolution. Project 12 stands as its blueprint — marking Karmuel Young’s 10th collection, where the definitive structural punctuation lives within the hardware. Through an ongoing collaboration with contemporary jewellery label MOU C.C.M., both consistently subvert traditional adornment, treating silver as wearable art. Spanning archival milestones from foundational shirt jewellery, transformative bracelet-rings to horse tail hair ties and the striking juxtaposition of black leather with mixed metals — their shared design language remains rooted in multi-functional versatility and mutable meaning.

The Second Skin Bangle is the signature artifact of the collection, infusing rigid tailoring with an organic, liquid energy. To dive into the development behind this collaboration, we share the conversation between Karmuel and Mou.

[18/11/2025]
KY: Mou, I have an idea for Project 12. I think we can make a piece out of a daily object that blends utility.

I came across a bangle watch on Amazon, and I’m fascinated. As an essential, it symbolizes masculinity. But we can make it more than just a watch.

KY: Shall we develop something new based on a watch bangle?

MOU: Hmm, let me think about it.

MOU: Hang on…, what if we make a base to hold the strap up?

We can create a solid base at the back to support the leather instead? For a touch of a watch, we can design a movement-free strap to wear directly on the wrist.

KY: Changing the watch strap sounds interesting! What if we treat it like wearing hand armour? Like you wear a skin first, and then wear the watch outside the skin, and the watch strap can be changed.

MOU: I like that.

Just making a plain silver base feels too simple. Since we’re already exploring the forms of the hand and wrist, it makes total sense to push this 'second skin' concept.

MOU: Wait... what if I mold a real hand? We could capture the actual bones and tendons to create the rigid silver structure. That would be incredible. I can start on the mold right away, and then find a craftsman to cast it.

KY: Great, let’s do it.

[08/12/2025]
MOU: I really think we need a masculine man’s hand for the mold. The problem is finding someone with that kind of vibe. I’m thinking of my husband's Kung Fu mentor. He’s a master who has trained for years, so he has incredible tendon definition and a powerful, masculine build.

KY: Nice. Let’s ask the Kung Fu master if we can mold his hand.

[19/12/2025]
MOU:

KY: That’s amazing!
How did you transform the vulnerability of human skin and muscle tension into something as rigid and robust as silver?

MOU: I started with the molding powder and plaster. The Kung Fu master was helpful. We asked him to clench his fist tightly as he submerged his hand into the molding powder. He held that tension for about three to four minutes until it set, then slowly released and pulled his hand out. We also used a vacuum machine to capture the palm lines in better detail.

KY: Is it hard to turn soft skin into rigid silver that involves real friction?

MOU: This is something a computer drawing or 3D model could never capture. I think the hardest part is about the casting process. If the mixture isn't perfect, the liquid plaster won't flow into the tiny details of the mold, completely ruining the skin texture.

MOU: We had to keep experimenting. My husband and I kept pouring plaster to test our results. In total, we produced about four sets, so that we could select the best one.

[13/01/2026]
MOU: I love the contrast between the silver and the leather, they complement each other so well. I'm happy with how it turned out.

KY: Glad we made it. It goes with the collection as a whole.