Arts Thread

I'm Alexandra Shortall, a graduate designer who specialises in womenswear and knitwear design. My personal love for the ocean has led me to explore why I and fellow 'thalassophiles' feel so drawn to the great blue. This research, and my personal connection to my thalassophile customer, combines to create a collection that transports you straight to the sea. As well as designing for fellow lovers of the ocean, I wanted to insure my collection was designed for the modern woman. I designed my graduate collection for women who feel connected to nature, spirituality and to their femininity, but at the same time are strong, ambitious, and proud. I have often found that women are expected to sacrifice parts of their femininity in order to claim a space in the workforce. I wanted to design a collection that celebrated both sides of my customer, allowing her to protect the softness of her character while remaining strong. It was this inspiration that led me to explore contrasting materials, looking to metallic silks and satins to reflect the soft ebbs and flows of water, as well as the soft femininity of my customer. Then, experimenting with how I could create the same movement in rigid materials of metal and glass, representing the strength and protection my customer seeks from her clothes.