Unparalled in its detail, untouchable in its splendour, the Capella Palatina, at the heart of Paermo's Palazzo Reale, was to become my refuge for many hours. I perched on a pew with my sketchbook in hand, trying obsessively to turn the Byzantine mosaics into a wearable modern design.
Originally built by the Arabs, it was restored by the Normans (and later rescued by the Spanish Viceroys), the Capella Palatina is a symbol of unification. It was the Normans who made Arab, Norman, Muslim, Jewish and Christian artisans work side by side to create the magnificent mosaic interior with its stalacite honeycomb ceiling. It reads like a patchwork tapestry of Sicily's oscillating past.
This is how I came to understand the overlapping spirals in the geometric chapel design: the four corners of the earth becoming intimately and irreversibly connected. Our stunning collection tells the same story.
A powerful gift, the Cappella Palatina represents different souls coming together in perfect harmony
