ACCESSORIES DESIGN
For award-winning fashion and design studio
ELECTRO COLLECTION
THE CLIENT
Design + Conquer is an award-winning fashion and accessories studio based in Vancouver, Canada. Founded by Morgan Mallett in 2009, DC’s work has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, in film and television, and in boutiques and museums around the world.
DC is best described as a breakaway design faction—pushing fashion and accessory design in innovative new directions. Stocklists have included Simons [one of Canada’s largest and oldest fashion retailers], the Vancouver Art Gallery, The Polygon Gallery, and more.
Above: Initial prototyping for the Electro collection in paper, and 3D versions of the designs.
THE CHALLENGE
To create an innovative and cohesive electronic music-inspired jewellery collection that is also comfortable to wear for people with nickel sensitivities.
THE SOLUTION
To help bring cohesion to the collection and challenge myself within a design system, I based each piece in the Electro collection on a triangular grid. I printed this grid out on paper, and ideated from there. I then transposed the paper designs into 3D, and had them printed in various materials. At the time of my initial concepts, consumer 3D printing was in its infancy and hard to source [at least in Canada]. After searching, I eventually found a reliable supplier in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Once I received the test prints, I evaluated them in four ways: durability, overall finish, ability to absorb and retain pigments, and ability to accept permanent adhesives.
At the same time, I researched and tested various types of silver wire and gauges [for earring hooks]. I found that Argentium was a great metal to work with because of its high quality, workability and incredibly low nickel content [nickel can be an allergen, so the lower nickel content, the better].
The result was an incredibly unique—but wearable—collection that sold in museums and has received international press.
PACKAGING
I designed the Electro collection’s packaging was with sustainability and flexibility at the forefront. Boxes were made from flat packed recycled [and recyclable] cardboard. No extra packaging was needed for earring displays/card backings—the box doubled as a display. This also gave retailers more in-store display options.
Another advantage of the packaging was that is was flexible—boxes could be sprayed different colours and stickers could be applied to change their look without the waste of buying completely new packaging.
PRESS, AWARDS AND STOCKLISTS FOR DC’S ELECTRO COLLECTION
Carter Wosk Award for Applied Art and Design (excellence in functional art and design), 2019.
Custom accessory designs for Paramount+ television series [confidential until the series is airs in early 2025].
Carried by: Vancouver Art Gallery, The Art Gallery of Alberta, The Polygon Gallery and the Audain Art Museum. Sold at Simons [one of Canada’s largest and oldest fashion retailers] from 2018–2020.
Featured in Design Milk, the Globe and Mail, and more.
