Get a Sneak Peek into the Wavemakers Project: Ocean-Inspired Apparel for a Sustainable Future
Students tasked with producing apparel influenced by the Ocean's beauty and significance, resulting in 45 unique creative pieces.
It was a crisp March day in 2024, and Gemma, our Youth Engagement Lead, was standing before an energetic group of 45 MA Illustration students at the University of Edinburgh. The challenge? To immerse themselves in Ocean science, learning from our Wavemaker workshop, and then translate their newfound knowledge into eye-catching designs for our sustainable apparel store.
The Live Design Challenge
Crafted in collaboration with the Illustration Programme Director, Amy, the Live Design Brief tasked the students to bring the Ocean to life once more for the Ocean Generation community. This real-world undertaking allowed the students to build strategic creativity, tackle a client brief, and create designs that could make a tangible impact.
The genesis of this educational wave maker project saw the students engaging with Ocean Generation at several stages in their design process, mirroring the client relationship they'd encounter when working in the commercial world.
Shaping the Wavemaker Collection
The students' educational journey began with our Wavemaker Workshop, where they deep-dived into Ocean and sustainability topics, with Gemma and Amy leading ideation sessions to spark creativity. Ideas were shared and refined, with initial sketches submitted for feedback from the Ocean Generation team. This feedback loop facilitated concept iteration and skill-building in project management. The passion and dedication of these budding designers were evident in their initial sketches, which often reflected additional research conducted by the students to further inform their work.
Ultimately, the most difficult task at hand was selecting the winning designs to make their ocean-inspired debut in our store.
What Did the Students Learn?
The Importance of Our Ocean
The students learned about the vital role oceans play in supporting life on this blue planet. Covering 70% of the globe, the Ocean provides the second breath we take, supplies fundamental resources necessary for our survival, and offers countless other benefits.
The significance of our oceans was underscored with the discussion of the five gravest threats facing the Ocean: climate change, pollution, coastal infrastructure development, resource extraction, and daily Ocean use. Particular focus was given to the scourge of plastic pollution. The students also explored incredible solutions engineered by Wavemakers worldwide to combat pollution and the unique marine ecosystems that whale-falls, or the decomposition of deceased whales, support.
The Wonders of Whale-Falls
A whale-fall refers to the death and subsequent sinking of a whale. The site soon becomes a vital marine ecosystem as various animals start feeding on the remains. Research shows that over 21 marine animals depend on whale-falls for survival. Two of the final designs in our ocean-themed clothing store draw inspiration from the remarkable ecosystems supported by whale-falls.
Inspiration Behind the Sustainable Collection
Emotions ran high when speaking with students about their design processes. One of the whale-fall designers, Jingyuan Liu, shared how her design was inspired by the tragic tale of a whale mother and her calf. When the mother passed away, her calf used its body to keep her afloat, showcasing a profound connection between humans and marine creatures.
Sarah Stegall's seal design, on the other hand, was inspired by a tranquil day at the beach in La Jolla, California, where she observed seals basking in the sunshine. This simple yet profound experience reminded Sarah of the importance of preserving the natural world, so that moments like these can be enjoyed for years to come.
Get Ready to Wear the Wavemakers Collection
We're thrilled to introduce the latest addition to our store: the Wavemakers edition. This collection showcases fifthought-provoking designs by four talented graduates of the MA Illustration programme at the University of Edinburgh, with a portion of the proceeds supporting our Ocean education charity.
Shop the Wavemakers collection now!
The Future of Wavemakers Projects
This is just the beginning for projects like this at Ocean Generation. We're actively exploring ways to collaborate with other organizations and universities on live briefs like this one, bringing educational and engaging opportunities to students everywhere.
Book a Live Brief for Your College or Group!
Interested in offering a similar experience to your college, university, or youth group? Reach out to us! We offer live briefs across various creative pursuits, including illustration, theatre, filmmaking, and game design throughout the UK.
Book a live brief here!
Shop the Wavemakers collection now!
- In 2024, a group of 45 MA Illustration students at the University of Edinburgh engaged in a Live Design Challenge, immersing themselves in Ocean science and creating designs for Ocean Generation's sustainable apparel store to raise awareness about climate change and plastic pollution in the marine ecosystem.
- The students' educational journey started with the Wavemaker Workshop, where they explored Ocean-related topics and developed designs inspired by whale-falls, the unique marine ecosystems supported by the decomposition of deceased whales.
- Among the winning designs in the Ocean-themed clothing store is Jingyuan Liu's design, inspired by a poignant tale of a whale mother and her calf, and Sarah Stegall's seal design, which was inspired by a peaceful day at the beach in La Jolla, California.
- The proceeds from the sale of the Wavemakers edition collection support Ocean Generation's Ocean education charity, which aims to combat climate change, pollution, and other threats to marine ecosystems through conservation efforts, renewable energy projects, and education and self-development initiatives.
- The students learned about the importance of our oceans, the five main threats they face, and the innovative solutions engineered by Wavemakers worldwide to combat pollution and protect marine ecosystems.
- Ocean Generation is actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with other organizations and universities on live briefs like this one, offering educational and engaging experiences for students everywhere in the fields of illustration, theatre, filmmaking, game design, fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, and education-and-self-development.
- Interested institutions can book a live brief with Ocean Generation to provide their students with similar real-world experiences and opportunities to make a tangible impact on climate change and Ocean conservation.
