Alexandra Shortall Graduate Collection

My collection "Thalassophile" centres around my love for the ocean. I wanted to explore my personal relationship to the great blue, using this to question why so many of us are so drawn to the coast. In this personal exploration, I discovered a great contrast within our pull towards the ocean. There is an immense sense of calm and serenity that the sea gives us, but at the same time we as humans have historically held such reverence and fear towards the great element. 

I used this contrast to explore how I could create a collection with similar juxtaposition, juxtaposition between the soft and supple ebbs and flows of water, and the strength of the force of the ocean. To explore this I have experimented with evoking the ocean through the movement of silky satins and also the unconventional materials of glass and metal, situating my collection within this contrast of strength and subtlety. 

Final Collection Image
Casting Process

My research into surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli inspired me to consider how I could use literalism effectively while referencing the ocean. I decided to explore using shells collected on my beach visits and transformed these into metal jewellery pieces.

This video shows my process which starts by creating silicone casts from my collected shells. Wax is then poured into these to create a lost wax cast of each shell. I then attached these onto a 'tree', with the red connections to each shell being important to help conduct the metal through. This is then covered in a lot of plaster and placed in the kiln to allow this wax tree to melt away, leaving an impression of the shells we want cast. Then comes the process of pouring the metal into these casts, in this case aluminium. Once this has cooled and the plaster is taken off, you have a metal version of your wax tree which you can begin to detach the shells from. 

Awards
Uni Days x New Look Graphics Competition (2021)- Winner Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters Student Bursary (2022)- Shortlisted
Skills & Experience
  • Print and Graphics Designer- New Look - May 2022 to August 2022
  • Intern- Nikita Vora- March 2021-May 2021
  • Mackintosh Live Brief- 2021
Share:
Related topics
Water
The body
Environment
Nature
Movement
Identity
Fashion - BA (Hons)
Student list
open list
Previous

Helen Protheroe
Next

Olivia Soppitt