Save our sharks!

We were delighted to hear from ABSPD graduate Inge Van Bruggen of Studio Mola Mola recently who tells us all about her most recent project:

“I’ve been asked by an organization called “save our Sharks” to come up with a way to use design as a way to create awareness about the danger that a lot of shark species are in. The organization is focusing at the moment on the seas around the Dutch Caribbean and have a Dutch Caribbean shark week from the 18^th of June to the 27^th.

I came up with the idea to open up a pop-up store with products focusing on the beauty of Sharks and Rays. The project then came to have a second goal and that is to help starting designers get into focus while working on this project.

I asked one of my fellow students form the Make it in Design course ‘the Ultimate portfolio builder’ to help me out – Pupapop.

Pupapop designed wonderful patterns around Rays and Whale sharks and made them into placements and coasters. Here is her story:

If you share your everyday life with your loved ones, if you have them really near you, then you will know sooner when they really need you. Because being close is very, very important.

I designed the collection of placemats and coasters “Whale Sharks and Eagle Rays” because I want you to share a little piece of your everyday life with these amazing and beautiful creatures.

They’re both threatened species that need your attention and protection; this planet needs sharks and rays to keep living in its oceans. 

So if you take them home with you, you’ll not only be closer to them but you’ll be sharing their beauty and creating awareness about the help they need to survive.

I made three designs around the movement of Sharks and Rays and this is my story:

Sharks and Rays are beautiful creatures. Elegant, gracious, majestic and strong. I wanted to capture their movement in and out of the water in graphic illustrations to show the world all the wonderful qualities of these animals.

 I chose to use the graphics to make beach bags. I hope people sit on the beach, look at the oceans and wonder about the life within. To inspire people to care about this life and want to protect it.

To care about the survival of sharks is to care about the environment. I chose to hand make these bags out of materials that are all GOTS certified (Global Organic Textile Standard, www.global-standard.org) The bags are organic and fair Trade.

There are also a lot of other wonderful products like T-shirts, jewellery, kids items etc.

The store will open in Amsterdam on Monday the 20^th of June until Sunday the 27^th. The address is Hannie Dankbaarpassage 5, 1053 RT Amsterdam/De Hallen so please show your support if your nearby!