Darya Pollock Portfolio

DARYA POLLOCK DESIGNPORTFOLIO

Education MFA in Design - University of Texas at Austin - 2024 BA (Hons) Furniture And Product Design - Nottingham Trent University - 2020

Experience Kitchen Designer - deVOL - January 2022/July 2022 Kitchen Designer - Harrison and Pope - June 2020/January 2022 Digital Creator - Self Employed - September 2018/June 2020

Skills Adobe Software Joinery KeyShot Rhino SketchUp Solidworks ArtiCAD Blacksmithing Sewing Stained Glass

Content Costuming Work St Eanswythe Heavy Weight Vidimus Nemsi

Current

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Costuming

DSSS is one of my own businesses that I started after finding a joy in seamstressing.

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Due to the world falling part, most people are finding joy in escaping to another world/ universe. A popular escape method is a hobby called Live Action Role Play (or LARP for short).

As part of this subculture, I found myself incredibly inspired by the fantasy outfits I found around me, and wanted to start creating my own. However, knowing nothing about the discipline, I did the only reasonable thing I could: dive head first into it. I learned everything I know by trial and error, but the garments I was making caught the attention of a lot of players, who started asking me to take on commissions.

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My business is aimed mostly at the LARP community, but I have also designed and made costumes for theatre as well as day to day clothes.

My business has spread by word of mouth and people appreciating my work in person.

I have become proficient at working with all kinds of material, including upholstery materials to create items like furnishings and curtains.

I hope to continue creating garments as a hobby and to develop my skills further in the future, but for now, I am very happy with this staying as just a hobby rather than a full time career.

2022, Austin

development

Heavy Weight

Heavy Weight.

The paper backing this was presented at a conference in 2023 following an invitation from the board.

An experiential history project focused on bringing attention to pivotal moments in history.

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This peice concenrates on the Queen Elizabeth I’s reign and the issues she faced during her ascent - specifically John Knox. Knox was a protestant priest who truly believed that women in rule are “repugnant to nature” and printed a long manifesto, detailing every reason for his thinking in a pamphlet called “The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women”. This was printed and distributed as the young Queen was ascending the throne.

Elizabeth had to lead Britain into the Golden age of Britain with a heavy weight on her shoulders.

The project consisted of recreating the

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coronation mantle that Queen Elizabeth wore and emblazoning John Knox’s manifesto across the entire 6 yards of cape. I then took it to the streets of Austin. I interracted with people, asking them to try it on and how they felt in it. After some discussion, I would tell them the history behind it and asked them to evaluate how they felt about the piece now.

The piece is an experiement of creating embodied learning experiences as a way to teach history rather than learning it through the traditional channels of books and classrooms.

2023, Kent

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St Eanswythe

Awarded second place Brief: A design and construction of a new reliquary to contain the relics of St Eanswythe.

A design challenge was hosted by Isle Heritage and the Finding Eanswythe Collective to put together a proposal for a new reliquary to house newly discovered remains of the Saint.

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These relics comprise bones and teeth, most of which are in a fragmentary and fragile condition so I had to ensure that the reliquary was environmentally stable, with no offgassing, and be resilient against corrosion, irrespective of fluctuating humidity and temperature within the church and shrine.

Contemporary designs were encouraged,

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as were those which draw upon the artistic traditions of seventh century Kent. I put together a comprehensive pack detailing the materials, processes, and design decisions made for the entire concept.

I then presented it to the panel and was shortlisted as top 5. They ultimately decided on a different design but asked me to give inputs on the chosen design. The company also asked for my designs to be displayed in the church itself at an exhibition for the Saint’s life. The exhibition ran September 2023-December 2023.

2020, Nottingham

development

Vidimus

Vidimus.

A contemporary Gothic dressing table.

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Online communities have formed part of the fabric of our day to day existence, and rule the market trends, so with alternative groups on average having a following of over 900 thousand, the market is being swayed more towards the non-traditional styles. Huge fashion and style retailers like BOOHOO and Wayfair are capitalising on the enormous increase in alternative style popularity with products aimed at goth and alternative groups.

Vidimus effortlessly combines contemporary and Gothic, creating a fusion of two styles rarely found together. This piece is inspired by old

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traditional Gothic architecture; populated with stained glass, arches, and hidden passageways.

It embodies the ceremonial grandeur of our history’s greatest monuments and creates a striking profile in any room. Made from British beech, and assembled by hand, the piece is made from 3 main parts. A gorgeous beech desk held up by stylishly splayed legs; a triptych mirror and glass panels surrounded by a thin line of leading; and a secret pushclose drawer that blends with the supporting frame, making it the perfect hiding place for watches, jewellery, or maybe even a journal.

2020, Nottingham

development

Nemsi

Nemsi.

A contemporary needlecraft unit specifically designed to be gender neutral.

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The concept of traditional gender norms is now almost as outdated as Blockbuster. Gender and sex no longer dictate hobbies and interests with more male ausdinces picking up ‘traditionally feminine’ hobbies like sewing and knitting.

Yet with this change so prominent in our society, producers still insist on adorning every sewing related object with bows, kittens, and lace.

I found that there is a severe lack of gender neutral storage solutions for crafting and haberdashery on the market and decided to change that.

Nemsi is a contemporary needlecraft storage solution, designed for the modern crafter.

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Aimed at users of all ages and genders, this unit is a must have for any home. Nemsi boasts solid walnut exterior, with a hard maple drawer, and stylish brass inlays. The drawer is ideal for all crafty accessories like yarn, fabric, and patterns, while the top is easily accessible and perfect for the on-hand items like needles, scissors, and treads. The sleek style, and useful compactness of the item make it a perfect fit in any room of the home. The height is ideal for easy access to the top and bottom storage, no matter whether you are stitching on the sofa, or knitting before sleep.

Contact Information 737-309-6955 daryapdesigns@gmail.com instagram.com/darya.p.designs linkedin.com//in/darya-pollock/ REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST