This dress was created for the design portfolio of my higher art qualification. I chose the theme of sharks as I found the shapes fascinating to develop and experiment with to inspire my design. I was particularly inspired by the shapes inside a sharks eye as well as their gills and the way they ripple through the water. I chose to use different shades of blue as my colour scheme for this design as I could tie in the oceanic theme as well as the natural colours found in some species of sharks in an expressive and interesting way. I began experimenting with different textile techniques such as crochet, knitting, and fabric manipulation. I also created a stamp using developed shapes from a sharks eye and used various paints and inks to create a patterned fabric myself. My final design was created with a mesh crochet bodice and a full crochet skirt with crochet ruffle and freehand crochet shapes at the top of the bodice. I also added the back detail of manipulated blue twill fabric which was then printed on using my handmade stamp and printing ink as well as silk fabric draped along the front and side of the dress which I also hand printed on using my stamp and blue watercolour paints. This design is one of my favourites so far and is the direction I see myself exploring further through my designs.
